14 - 17

(Nov 12, 1978 · Week 11)

The mud, fog, and 21-degree wind chill that accompanied Metropolitan Stadium might’ve been enough to impact one’s senses on Nov. 12, 1978, but it certainly had nothing on Walter Payton’s insatiable nose for the endzone. Knowing paydirt to only be 19 yards away, the nine-time Pro Bowler helps the Chicago Bears claw back into the game, unleashing a video game-like blend of hurdles, trucks, and raw determination on a dazzling third quarter run. The Minnesota Vikings ultimately got the better of their foes in a 17-14 triumph, but Payton was brilliant, per usual, turning in a 25-touch, 138-yard, two-score effort, excellence that eventually helped guide a 1,875-yard scrimmage season by year’s end.

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