1965 Chicago Bears season

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. –QB Rudy Bukich 176 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

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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

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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

Scoring summary Q2 CHI Livingston 3-yard run (LeClerc kick) CHI 7–0 Q2 CHI LeClerc 26-yard field goal CHI 10–0 Q2 LA Gossett 16-yard field goal CHI 10–3 Q3 LA Gossett 13-yard field goal CHI 10–6 Q3 CHI Sayers 80-yard pass from Bukich (LeClerc kick) CHI 17–6 Q4 CHI Bukich 1-yard run (LeClerc kick) CHI 24–6 Q4 CHI Gordon 26-yard pass from Bukich (LeClerc kick) CHI 31–6

^[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

Scoring summary Q1 CHI Bull 33-yard run (LeClerc kick) CHI 7–0 Q1 CHI Morris 14-yard pass from Bukich (LeClerc kick) CHI 14–0 Q2 MIN Cox 38-yard field goal CHI 14–3 Q2 MIN Mason 4-yard run (Cox kick) CHI 14–10 Q2 CHI LeClerc 12-yard field goal CHI 17–10 Q2 MIN Cox 40-yard field goal CHI 17–13 Q3 MIN Cox 28-yard field goal CHI 17–16 Q3 MIN Brown 40-yard run (Cox kick) MIN 23–17 Q3 CHI Sayers 18-yard pass from Bukich (LeClerc kick) CHI 24–23 Q4 MIN Tarkenton 2-yard run (Cox kick) MIN 30–24 Q4 CHI Sayers 25-yard pass from Bukich (LeClerc kick) CHI 31–30 Q4 MIN Mason 4-yard run (Cox kick) MIN 37–31 Q4 CHI Sayers 96-yard kickoff return (LeClerc kick) CHI 38–37 Q4 CHI Sayers 10-yard run (LeClerc kick) CHI 45–37

• 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

Scoring summary 1 GB Jim Taylor 1-yard run (Don Chandler kick) Packers 7–0 2 CHI Roger LeClerc 24-yard field goal Packers 7–3 2 CHI Jimmy Jones 13-yard pass from Rudy Bukich (Roger LeClerc kick) Bears 10–7 2 CHI Gale Sayers 10-yard run (Roger LeClerc kick) Bears 17–7 2 GB Don Chandler 43-yard field goal Bears 17–10 3 CHI Jon Arnett 2-yard run (Roger LeClerc kick) Bears 24–10 4 CHI Ronnie Bull 4-yard run (Roger LeClerc kick) Bears 31–10

^[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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Week 13

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

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP 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