1965 Chicago Bears season

1965 Chicago Bears season
1965 Chicago Bears season
Owner	George Halas
General manager	George Halas
Head coach	George Halas
Home field	Wrigley Field
Results
Record	9–5
Division place	3rd Western
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
	← 1964; Bears seasons; 1966 →;

The 1965 Chicago Bears season was their 46th regular season completed in the National Football League. The team finished with a 9–5 record, earning them a third-place finish in the NFL Western Conference. The club improved over the dismal 5–9 record of the previous season.–QBRudy Bukich176 for 312, 2,641 yards, 20 touchdowns.They 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]

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

Off-season

NFL Draft

Roster

**1965 Chicago Bears final roster**

	Quarterbacks 10 Rudy Bukich 9 Billy Wade Running backs 21 Jon Arnett 29 Ronnie Bull FB 32 Ralph Kurek 34 Joe Marconi 40 Gale Sayers Wide receivers 45 Dick Gordon 80 Jim Jones 47 Johnny Morris 84 Ron Smith CB Tight ends 89 Mike Ditka 85 Billy Martin		Offensive linemen 70 Herm Lee T 57 Dick Leeuwenburg T 50 Mike Pyle C 64 Mike Rabold G 67 George Seals G 63 Bob Wetoska T Defensive linemen 81 Doug Atkins DE 79 Dick Evey DT 76 John Johnson DT 78 Stan Jones DT 74 Bob Kilcullen DT 71 Earl Leggett DT 87 Ed O'Bradovich DE		Linebackers 51 Dick Butkus 31 Joe Fortunato 83 Roger LeClerc K 53 Jim Purnell Defensive backs 43 Larry Glueck 26 Bennie McRae CB 17 Richie Petitbon S 24 Rosey Taylor S 23 Dave Whitsell CB Special teams 88 Bobby Joe Green P		Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

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

Week 1

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	3	0	0	21	24
• 49ers	0	24	21	7	52

Date: September 19
Location: Kezar Stadium

^[5]

Week 2

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	14	14	0	28
• Rams	0	6	3	21	30

Date: September 26
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

^[6]

Week 3

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	0	7	7	14
• Packers	14	6	3	0	23

Date: October 3
Location: Lambeau Field

^[7]

Week 4

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	0	3	3	0	6
• Bears	0	10	7	14	31

Date: October 10
Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C); wind 8 mph

^[8]

Rudy Bukich 16/22, 299 Yds

Week 5

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Bears	14	3	7	21	45
Vikings	0	13	10	14	37

Date: October 17
Location: Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, MN
Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C); wind 12 mph

Gale Sayers 297 all-purpose Yds

^[9]

Week 6

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	3	0	7	10
• Bears	10	14	7	7	38

Date: October 24
Location: Wrigley Field

^[10]

Week 7

	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	7	3	0	0	10
• Bears	0	17	7	7	31

Date: October 31
Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C) • Wind 14 mph

^[11]

Week 8

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Colts	0	10	14	2	26
Bears	0	0	7	14	21

Date: November 7
Location: Wrigley Field

^[12]

Week 9

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	6	0	0	13
• Bears	10	0	7	17	34

Date: November 14
Location: Wrigley Field

^[13]

Week 10

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Bears	0	10	7	0	17
Lions	7	3	0	0	10

Date: November 21
Location: Tiger Stadium

^[14]

Week 11

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Bears	7	14	0	14	35
Giants	0	0	7	7	14

Date: November 28
Location: Yankee Stadium

^[15]

Week 12

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Bears	7	3	3	0	13
Colts	0	0	0	0	0

Date: December 5
Location: Memorial Stadium

^[16]

Week 13

Week Thirteen: San Francisco 49ers (7–5) at Chicago Bears (8–4)

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	0	13	0	7	20
Bears	13	14	13	21	61

at Wrigley Field • Chicago, Illinois

Date: December 12
Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C) • Wind 11 miles per hour (18 km/h; 9.6 kn)
Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information

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

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	SF	CHI
1					Bears	Gale Sayers 80-yard touchdown reception from Rudy Bukich, 2-point pass failed	0	6
1					Bears	Mike Ditka 29-yard touchdown reception from Rudy Bukich, Roger LeClerc kick good	0	13
2					49ers	Dave Parks 9-yard touchdown reception from John Brodie, Tommy Davis kick good	7	13
2					Bears	Gale Sayers 21-yard touchdown run, Roger LeClerc kick good	7	20
2					49ers	John David Crow 15-yard touchdown reception from John Brodie, Tommy Davis kick no good	13	20
2					Bears	Gale Sayers 7-yard touchdown run, Roger LeClerc kick good	13	27
3					Bears	Gale Sayers 50-yard touchdown run, Roger LeClerc kick good	13	34
3					Bears	Gale Sayers 1-yard touchdown run, 2-point run failed	13	40
4					49ers	Dave Kopay 2-yard touchdown run, Tommy Davis kick good	20	40
4					Bears	Jimmy Jones 8-yard touchdown reception from Rudy Bukich, Roger LeClerc kick good	20	47
4					Bears	Punt returned 85 yards for touchdown by Gale Sayers, Roger LeClerc kick good	20	54
4					Bears	Jon Arnett 2-yard touchdown run, Roger LeClerc kick good	20	61
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							20	61

Week 14

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Vikings	0	0	3	21	24
Bears	0	0	7	10	17

Date: December 19
Location: Wrigley Field

^[17]

Standings

NFL Western Conference
view talk edit	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

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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