Bears' march to Super Bowl XLI

Bears at New York Jets, noon, Sunday, Fox-32, 780-AM

COUNTDOWN

83 Days until Super Bowl XLI on Feb. 4, 2007, at Dolphin Stadium in Miami.

GETTING THEIR KICKS Bears place-kicker Robbie Gould's 49-yard field goal into the wind in the first quarter Sunday at Giants Stadium set a franchise record for consecutive field goals at 25. He had been tied with Kevin Butler, who made 24 straight from 1988 into the 1989 season. Gould's streak dates to last season when he made his final two attempts. He entered the week as the league's leading scorer with 90 points and is on pace to set a franchise and NFL record. The league record for consecutive field goals is 42 by Dallas' Mike Vanderjagt, when he was with the Indianapolis Colts.

Gould, signed last October after being waived by Baltimore, has been a godsend for a team that badly needed a kicker after Doug Brien flopped.

1985 FLASHBACK

PAYTON'S PACE Walter Payton wasn't the star of the Bears' 16-10 victory at Green Bay so much as he was the game itself. He turned the focal point from broken rules to the broken field. He ran for 192 yards -- his best since 1977 and matching the third-best total in his career.

''The way football should be played,'' Payton said, speaking of the plays that erupted between fights and late hits.

The hard-fought victory raised the Bears' record to 9-0.

''I think everybody should have taken their face masks off and put on black high-tops,'' defensive tackle Steve McMichael said.

There were 15 penalties, plus 10 more declined or offset. Seven were personal fouls.

''This was World War III without nuclear weapons,'' coach Mike Ditka said. ''It was fun to play. I'm sure it was more fun to win.''