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1965 Chicago Bears season

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1965 Chicago Bears season
OwnerGeorge Halas
General managerGeorge Halas
Head coachGeorge Halas
Home stadiumWrigley Field
Results
Record9–5
Division place3rd Western
PlayoffsDid not qualify

The 1965 Chicago Bears season was their 46th regular season in the National Football League. The team improved upon the dismal 5–9 record of the previous season, and finished with a 9–5 record that earned them a third-place finish in the NFL Western Conference.

The Bears started the season 0–3, but thanks to rookies Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus, the team won 9 of the last 11 games. Sayers had a magnificent rookie season, and in one game against the San Francisco 49ers at Chicago's Wrigley Field on December 12, he scored six touchdowns in a 61–20 Bears win, the first time the Bears scored 61 points in a regular-season game.[1] Sayers would set an NFL rookie record with 22 touchdowns in one season.[2] The six-touchdown performance tied an NFL record and set a new Bears record.[3] Quarterback Rudy Bukich completed 176 of 312 passes for 2,641 yards and 20 touchdowns.

The 1965 Bears draft class was named No. 8 on NFL Top 10 draft classes.[4]

Off-season

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NFL draft

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Main article: 1965 NFL draft
1965 Chicago Bears draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 3 Dick Butkus * †  Linebacker Illinois
1 4 Gale Sayers * †  Running back Kansas
4 45 Jim Nance  Fullback Syracuse Signed with the AFL
6 73 Tony Carey  Running back Notre Dame
7 88 Dick Gordon *  Wide receiver Michigan State
7 90 Mickey Sutton  Safety Auburn Signed with the AFL
8 101 Brian Schweda  Defensive end Kansas
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Undrafted free agents

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1965 undrafted free agents of note
Player Position College
Doyle Hill Quarterback North Alabama

Roster

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1965 Chicago Bears roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams (ST)

Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics

Regular season

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Schedule

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Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue
1 September 19 at San Francisco 49ers L 24–52 0–1 Kezar Stadium
2 September 26 at Los Angeles Rams L 28–30 0–2 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
3 October 3 at Green Bay Packers L 14–23 0–3 Lambeau Field
4 October 10 Los Angeles Rams W 31–6 1–3 Wrigley Field
5 October 17 at Minnesota Vikings W 45–37 2–3 Metropolitan Stadium
6 October 24 Detroit Lions W 38–10 3–3 Wrigley Field
7 October 31 Green Bay Packers W 31–10 4–3 Wrigley Field
8 November 7 Baltimore Colts L 21–26 4–4 Wrigley Field
9 November 14 St. Louis Cardinals W 34–13 5–4 Wrigley Field
10 November 21 at Detroit Lions W 17–10 6–4 Tiger Stadium
11 November 28 at New York Giants W 35–14 7–4 Yankee Stadium
12 December 5 at Baltimore Colts W 13–0 8–4 Memorial Stadium
13 December 12 San Francisco 49ers W 61–20 9–4 Wrigley Field
14 December 19 Minnesota Vikings L 17–24 9–5 Wrigley Field
Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

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Week 1

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Team 1 234Total
Bears 3 0021 24
• 49ers 0 24217 52

[5]

Week 2

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Team 1 234Total
Bears 0 14140 28
• Rams 0 6321 30

[6]

Week 3

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Team 1 234Total
Bears 0 077 14
• Packers 14 630 23

[7]

Week 4

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Team 1 234Total
Rams 0 330 6
• Bears 0 10714 31
  • Date: October 10
  • Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
  • Game weather: 55 °F (12.8 °C); wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
Scoring summary
Q2CHILivingston 3-yard run (LeClerc kick)CHI 7–0
Q2CHILeClerc 26-yard field goalCHI 10–0
Q2LAGossett 16-yard field goalCHI 10–3
Q3LAGossett 13-yard field goalCHI 10–6
Q3CHISayers 80-yard pass from Bukich (LeClerc kick)CHI 17–6
Q4CHIBukich 1-yard run (LeClerc kick)CHI 24–6
Q4CHIGordon 26-yard pass from Bukich (LeClerc kick)CHI 31–6

[8]

Week 5

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Team 1 234Total
• Bears 14 3721 45
Vikings 0 131014 37
Scoring summary
Q1CHIBull 33-yard run (LeClerc kick)CHI 7–0
Q1CHIMorris 14-yard pass from Bukich (LeClerc kick)CHI 14–0
Q2MINCox 38-yard field goalCHI 14–3
Q2MINMason 4-yard run (Cox kick)CHI 14–10
Q2CHILeClerc 12-yard field goalCHI 17–10
Q2MINCox 40-yard field goalCHI 17–13
Q3MINCox 28-yard field goalCHI 17–16
Q3MINBrown 40-yard run (Cox kick)MIN 23–17
Q3CHISayers 18-yard pass from Bukich (LeClerc kick)CHI 24–23
Q4MINTarkenton 2-yard run (Cox kick)MIN 30–24
Q4CHISayers 25-yard pass from Bukich (LeClerc kick)CHI 31–30
Q4MINMason 4-yard run (Cox kick)MIN 37–31
Q4CHISayers 96-yard kickoff return (LeClerc kick)CHI 38–37
Q4CHISayers 10-yard run (LeClerc kick)CHI 45–37

[9]

Week 6

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Team 1 234Total
Lions 0 307 10
• Bears 10 1477 38
  • Date: October 24
  • Location: Wrigley Field

[10]

Week 7

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Team 1 234Total
Packers 7 300 10
• Bears 0 1777 31
Scoring summary
1GBJim Taylor 1-yard run (Don Chandler kick)Packers 7–0
2CHIRoger LeClerc 24-yard field goalPackers 7–3
2CHIJimmy Jones 13-yard pass from Rudy Bukich (Roger LeClerc kick)Bears 10–7
2CHIGale Sayers 10-yard run (Roger LeClerc kick)Bears 17–7
2GBDon Chandler 43-yard field goalBears 17–10
3CHIJon Arnett 2-yard run (Roger LeClerc kick)Bears 24–10
4CHIRonnie Bull 4-yard run (Roger LeClerc kick)Bears 31–10

[11]

Week 8

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Team 1 234Total
• Colts 0 10142 26
Bears 0 0714 21
  • Date: November 7
  • Location: Wrigley Field

[12]

Week 9

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Team 1 234Total
Cardinals 7 600 13
• Bears 10 0717 34
  • Date: November 14
  • Location: Wrigley Field

[13]

Week 10

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Team 1 234Total
• Bears 0 1070 17
Lions 7 300 10

[14]

Week 11

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Team 1 234Total
• Bears 7 14014 35
Giants 0 077 14

[15]

Week 12

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Team 1 234Total
• Bears 7 330 13
Colts 0 000 0

[16]

Week 13

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Week Thirteen: San Francisco 49ers (7–5) at Chicago Bears (8–4)
Quarter 1 2 34Total
49ers 0 13 0720
Bears 13 14 132161

at Wrigley Field • Chicago, Illinois

  • Date: December 12
  • Game weather: 54 °F (12.2 °C) • Wind 11 miles per hour (18 km/h; 9.6 kn)
  • [17]
Game information

Gale Sayers' Six Touchdown Game. His last touchdown came on a 85-yard punt return.

Week 14

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Team 1 234Total
• Vikings 0 0321 24
Bears 0 0710 17
  • Date: December 19
  • Location: Wrigley Field

[18]

Standings

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NFL Western Conference
W L T PCT CONF PF PA STK
Green Bay Packers 10 3 1 .769 8–3–1 316 224 T1
Baltimore Colts 10 3 1 .769 8–3–1 389 284 W1
Chicago Bears 9 5 0 .643 7–5 409 275 L1
San Francisco 49ers 7 6 1 .538 6–5–1 421 402 T1
Minnesota Vikings 7 7 0 .500 5–7 383 403 W2
Detroit Lions 6 7 1 .462 4–7–1 257 295 W1
Los Angeles Rams 4 10 0 .286 2–10 269 328 L1
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Awards and records

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  • Gale Sayers, NFL rookie record, most touchdowns in one season (22)
  • Gale Sayers, NFL record (tied), most touchdowns in one game (6)
  • Gale Sayers, club record, most touchdowns in one game (6)

References

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  1. ^ Mayer, Larry (March 6, 2013). "Which players were part of trade that landed Cutler?". Chicago Bears. Archived from the original on March 10, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  2. ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book. New York, NY: Workman Publishing Co. p. 408. ISBN 0-7611-2480-2.
  3. ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book. New York, NY: Workman Publishing Co. p. 106. ISBN 0-7611-2480-2.
  4. ^ "NFLs top 10 draft classes in league history". National Football League. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  5. ^ "Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers – September 19th, 1965". Pro Football Reference. NFL Scores. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  6. ^ "Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams – September 26th, 1965". Pro Football Reference. NFL Scores. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  7. ^ "Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers – October 3rd, 1965". Pro Football Reference. NFL Scores. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  8. ^ "Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears – October 10th, 1965". Pro Football Reference. NFL Scores. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  9. ^ "Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – October 17th, 1965". Pro Football Reference. NFL Scores. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  10. ^ "Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears – October 24th, 1965". Pro Football Reference. NFL Scores. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  11. ^ "Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears – October 31st, 1965". Pro Football Reference. NFL Scores.
  12. ^ "Baltimore Colts at Chicago Bears – November 7th, 1965". Pro Football Reference. NFL Scores. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  13. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Bears – November 14th, 1965". Pro Football Reference. NFL Scores. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  14. ^ "Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions – November 21st, 1965". Pro Football Reference. NFL Scores. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  15. ^ "Chicago Bears at New York Giants – November 28th, 1965". Pro Football Reference. NFL Scores. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  16. ^ "Chicago Bears at Baltimore Colts – December 5th, 1965". Pro Football Reference. NFL Scores. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  17. ^ "San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears – December 12th, 1965". Pro Football Reference. NFL Scores.
  18. ^ "Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – December 19th, 1965". Pro Football Reference. NFL Scores. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
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