Ditka demanded total control, but McMahon affectionately dubbed the “Punky QB” refused to be tamed. Their biggest battleground was the huddle. McMahon regularly changed Ditka’s play calls at the line of scrimmage if he saw a defensive flaw. This infuriated Ditka on the sideline, but because McMahon won games (going 46-15 as a starter under Ditka), “Da Coach” learned to tolerate the insubordination. The Turning Point: 1985 vs. Minnesota The ultimate encapsulation of their dynamic happened on a Thursday night in 1985 against the Vikings. McMahon was severely injured with a bad back and a lacerated kidney, so Ditka kept him on the bench. With the Bears losing in the third quarter, McMahon put his helmet on, walked up to Ditka, and demanded to go in. Ditka relented. McMahon proceeded to throw three touchdowns on his first seven snaps, engineering a legendary comeback that cemented their shared trust. The Mutual Respect Despite the public yelling matches and media barbs, they shared a d...