By Darin The 1986 American football season delivered iconic moments that remain etched in gridiron history. From sheer defensive dominance in the professional ranks to one of the most significant upsets in college football, the year was defined by legendary individual performances and dramatic conclusions.
Take a look at what football loked like in 1986:
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BEARS ON THE WAY TO RECORD
Chicago quarterback Jim McMahon dives into the end zone for a touchdown, as the Bears demolish the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. The free-spirited McMahon also ran for another touchdown and passed for 256 yards. In winning by the largest margin in Super Bowl history, the Bears outgained the Patriots 408-123 and finished with an 18-1 record.
NFL: The Rise of the Giants and “The Drive”
In the professional ranks, the 1986 NFL season was commanded by the New York Giants. Led by head coach Bill Parcells and ferocious linebacker Lawrence Taylor, the Giants fielded a stifling defense that steamrolled the competition en route to a 14–2 regular-season record.
While the Giants controlled the NFC, the AFC featured one of the most famous sequences in NFL history. During the AFC Championship Game, Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway orchestrated a 98-yard march down the field in the closing minutes to tie the Cleveland Browns. The Broncos ultimately won in overtime, cementing Elway’s clutch reputation in a sequence forever known simply as “The Drive.”
The season culminated in Pasadena, California, at Super Bowl XXI. The Giants’ overpowering defense and an MVP performance from quarterback Phil Simms—who completed a historic 22 of 25 passes—led New York to a decisive 39–20 victory over the Broncos, securing the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl title.
College Football: The Duel in the Desert
The 1986 collegiate season was defined by a massive clash of styles between two undefeated powerhouses: the independent Penn State Nittany Lions and the top-ranked Miami Hurricanes. Miami entered the postseason as heavy favorites, possessing an explosive offense led by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Vinny Testaverde and a swagger that captivated the nation.
The two teams met in the Fiesta Bowl on January 2, 1987, in a game that was essentially a winner-take-all national championship. In a defensive masterpiece orchestrated by head coach Joe Paterno, the Nittany Lions pressured Testaverde into throwing five interceptions—including a game-sealing pick by linebacker Pete Giftopoulos near his own goal line in the final seconds. Penn State’s stunning 14–10 victory earned them an unblemished 12–0 record and their second national championship in four years.
Milestones of 1986
Beyond the final scores, the 1986 season featured milestones and shifts that permanently altered the sport:
- Lawrence Taylor’s MVP: Taylor recorded 20.5 sacks and became only the second defensive player in NFL history to win the regular-season MVP award. His performance fundamentally changed how offenses blocked and how outside linebackers were played.
- The Fiesta Bowl’s Elevation: The agreement to match #1 Miami against #2 Penn State in Tempe, Arizona, disrupted traditional bowl tie-ins. The massive television ratings and national attention effectively turned the Fiesta Bowl into a top-tier game, laying the early groundwork for future national championship formats like the BCS.
- Instant Replay Debuts: The 1986 season marked the NFL’s first official implementation of a limited instant replay system, an innovation that sparked immediate debate but set the foundation for modern officiating.
- Bosworth’s Dominance: Alongside Testaverde’s Heisman, Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth won his second consecutive Dick Butkus Award, reinforcing his status as one of college football’s most dominant and polarizing figures.
A Deep Dive into 1986 Football History and Highlights
- January 1, 1986 – If you love offense and scoring, then you must have loved the 72nd Rose Bowl Game between UCLA and Iowa. The Bruins were on the good side of the scoreboard as they rolled Hayden Fry’s Hawkeyes 45-28. Running back Eric Ball was the MVP for the Bruins.
- January 4, 1986 – Anaheim, California –Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson scored twice as he pounded the turf for an NFL postseason record of 248 yards in a 20-0 Rams win over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC divisional playoff.
- January 4, 1986 –The Miami Dolphins shook off the cold and a Cleveland Browns 18-point lead to defeat the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Playoff game.
- January 12, 1986 – Miami Orange Bowl – The AFC Championship Game for the 1985 season saw the New England Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins, 31-14, according to OnThisDay.com.
- January 12, 1986 – Soldier Field, Chicago –The Chicago Bears dominated the Los Angeles Rams, 24-0, in the NFC Championship game, per the Onthisday.com website.
- February 2, 1986 – Aloha Stadium, Honolulu –At the NFL Pro Bowl, the NFC defeated the AFC 28-24. New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms was named the game’s MVP.
- March 11, 1941 – Bronko Nagurski defeated Ray Steele in Minnesota to become the National Wrestling Champion. Steele stripped Nagurski of the Wrestling Title on March 7, 1940, so in this victory, Bronko took the belt back from Steele per the Legacyofwrestling.com.
- March 11, 1986 – the NFL adopted the instant replay rule, according to an article on Soundandvision.com.
- April 29, 1986 – The 1986 NFL Draft began with Auburn running back Bo Jackson becoming the first pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- September 7, 1986 – The Cleveland Browns also make history on this day when they are the first team in NFL history to formally have a play Reviewed by officials with video instant replay as they played at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears On the third play of the game the defending Super Bowl champion Bears had an errant snap go into their own end zone That Cleveland safety Al Gross jumped on there was indecision from the on-field officiating crew But after review the Browns were awarded the score the Bears came back though and won the week one game 41 to 31.
- September 7, 1986 – Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino became the fastest person to throw 100 touchdowns in the NFL. Marino tossed three scores on a day, two of them to Mark Clayton. Unfortunately for Miami, that was not enough, as the home team, the San Diego Chargers, scored some of their own in a 50-28 drubbing of the Dolphins.
- September 21, 1986 –A record 884 yards of total passing was registered in one game as the New York Jets toppled the Miami Dolphins 51-45 in Overtime. Quarterbacks Ken O’Brien and Dan Marino were slinging the old pigskin around the yard that day.
- September 21, 1986 –Kick return specialist Mel Gray of the New Orleans Saints returns a kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown. It wasn’t enough as the San Francisco 49ers held on to win 26-17.
- September 28, 1986 – University of Rhode Island Tight End Brian Foster catches an NCAA record 18 passes for 327 yards.
- October 5, 1986 – A new NFL overtime rushing record is reached when Eric Dickerson of the LA Rams sprints for a 42-yard touchdown run to lead the Rams over the Tampa Bay Bucs 26-20 in Anaheim Stadium.
- November 29, 1986 – Legion Field –The 51st Iron Bowl proved that the better team that season was the Auburn Tigers as they knocked off their SEC rivals, the Alabama Crimson Tide, by the score of 21-17.
- November 29, 1986 – Notre Dame kicker John Carney‘s walk-off field goal propelled the Irish to a 38-37 win over USC, per the Irish Legends website.
- November 30, 1986 – BC Place, Vancouver –In the 74th Grey Cup game for the CFL Championship, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Edmonton Eskimos by the score of 39-15, per Onthisday.com.
- December 6, 1986 – The 52nd Heisman Trophy Award was announced, and the University of Miami’s Quarterback, Vinny Testaverde, captured College Football’s top honor. Testaverde led the undefeated Hurricanes by throwing for 2,557 yards and 26 touchdowns.