1963 Chicago Bears season

The Chicago Bears season was their 44th regular season and 12th post-season appearance in the National Football League. The team finished with an record (the best of the 4th and final Halas era) to gain their first Western Conference championship since 1956, and the berth to host the NFL Championship Game against the New York Giants

In the regular season, Chicago defeated the rival Green Bay Packers (11–2–1) twice to deny them the opportunity to play for a third consecutive NFL title; the Packers had won the previous five meetings with Chicago. In the championship game on December 29, the Bears defeated the Giants, 14–10, at Wrigley Field for the club's eighth league title, their first since 1946 and the last under head coach and founder

This was the Bears' last playoff berth prior to the AFL–NFL merger, and their last NFL championship until 1985 and Super Bowl XX. The Bears' defense in 1963 was the third in history to lead the NFL in fewest rushing yards, fewest passing yards, and fewest total yards;The Best Show in Football: The 1946–1955 Cleveland Browns, p. 294, Andy Piascik, Taylor Trade Publishing, 2007, the defense also allowed only 144 points, formerly an NFL record.

In 2007, ESPN.com ranked the 1963 Bears as the ninth-greatest defense in NFL history,The List: Best NFL defense of all-time, 2007 noting, "[i]n 1963, Bears defensive coach George Allen came up with a new zone defense against the pass, befuddling opponents. With Doug Atkins and Ed O'Bradovich pressuring opposing QBs from their defensive end slots, and Bill George and Larry Morris defending against short passes from the linebacker position, the Bears picked off 36 passes, and allowed just 10.3 points and 227 yards per game. The Bears went on to win the NFL championship, thanks to the Defense. In the title game against Y. A. Tittle and the Giants, who had the best offense in the NFL, Chicago's five picks were the key, as the Bears won 14–10. George Allen got the game ball."

Offseason

NFL draft

Source:1963 Draft at Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2013-Dec-08.

Personnel

Coaches Head coach – George Halas Assistants – George Allen (Defensive Coordinator), Jim Dooley, Phil Handler, Luke Johnsos, Sid Luckman, Chuck MatherChicago Bears media guide. Retrieved 2015-Aug-23.

Roster

Team photo Rosters - 1963 NFL title game

Preseason

Schedule Week Date Time () Opponent Result Record Venue TV Attendance Recap 1 vs. New York Giants W 17–7 1–0 South Hill Field 2 at Washington Redskins W 28–26 2–0 D.C. Stadium 3 7:55 p.m. vs. Green Bay Packers L 7–26 2–1 Milwaukee County Stadium WBBM-TV 44,592 4 St. Louis Cardinals L 3–7 2–2 Soldier Field 5 Baltimore Colts W 14–7 3–2 Tulane Stadium

Game summaries

Week P3: (Saturday, August 24, 1963): vs. Green Bay Packers

Regular season

Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 at Green Bay Packers W 10–3 1–0 City Stadium 42,327 2 at Minnesota Vikings W 28–7 2–0 Metropolitan Stadium 33,923 3 September 29 at Detroit Lions W 37–21 3–0 Tiger Stadium 55,400 4 October 6 Baltimore Colts W 10–3 4–0 Wrigley Field 48,998 5 October 13 at Los Angeles Rams W 52–14 5–0 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 40,476 6 October 20 at San Francisco 49ers L 14–20 5–1 Kezar Stadium 35,837 7 October 27 Philadelphia Eagles W 16–7 6–1 Wrigley Field 48,514 8 November 3 at Baltimore Colts W 17–7 7–1 Memorial Stadium 60,065 9 November 10 Los Angeles Rams W 6–0 8–1 Wrigley Field 48,312 10 Green Bay Packers W 26–7 9–1 Wrigley Field 49,166 11 November 24 at Pittsburgh Steelers T 17–17 9–1–1 Forbes Field 36,465 12 Minnesota Vikings T 17–17 9–1–2 Wrigley Field 47,249 13 December 8 San Francisco 49ers W 27–7 10–1–2 Wrigley Field 46,994 14 December 15 Detroit Lions W 24–14 11–1–2 Wrigley Field 45,317

Game summaries

Week 1 (Sunday, September 15, 1963): at Green Bay Packers

Point spread: Bears +11 Time of game:

BearsGame statisticsPackers15 First downs 935–107 Rushes–yards 21–77129 Passing yards 8318–24–1 11–22–41–5 Sacked–yards 1–10124 Net passing yards 73231 Total yards 15084 Return yards 1015–43.8 5–48.61–1 Fumbles–lost 1–15–50 Penalties–yards 6–58

Individual stats Bears Passing C/ATT1YdsTDINTSkYdsLG3RateWade18/2412901152269.6

Bears Rushing Car2YdsTDLG3Casares527013Wade826012Bull1223010Marconi92319Galimore1808

Bears ReceivingRec4YdsTDLG3Bull648022Marconi427016Casares41104Farrington115015Morris115015Ditka112012Galimore1101

Bears Kick ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngMarconi11515.0015Casares11010/0010

Bears Punt ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngTaylor2199.500Morris2126.000

Bears PuntingPntYdsY/PLngBlckGreen521943.8

Bears KickingXPM–XPAFGM–FGAMFGJencks1–11–2

Bears InterceptionsIntYdsTDLGPDPetitbon119019Taylor1505George1404Whitsell1000

Week 2 (Sunday, September 22, 1963): at Minnesota Vikings

Point spread: Bears –4 Time of game:

BearsGame statisticsVikings24 First downs 2027–106 Rushes–yards 34–152253 Passing yards 19723–33–0 16–27–30–0 Sacked–yards 2–23253 Net passing yards 174359 Total yards 32634 Return yards 851–44.0 2–35.01–1 Fumbles–lost 4–28–75 Penalties–yards 5–55

Week 3 at Lions

Week 4 vs Colts

Week 5

Mike Ditka 9 Rec, 110 Yds Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Dec-08.

Week 6

Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-17.

Week 7

Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-17.

Week 8

Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-17.

Week 9

Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-17.

Week 10 (Sunday, November 17, 1963): vs. Green Bay Packers

Point spread: Bears +4 Time of game:

PackersGame statisticsBears16 First downs 1920–71 Rushes–yards 57–248178 Passing yards 9211–30–5 6–14–02–17 Sacked–yards 3–23161 Net passing yards 69232 Total yards 317101 Return yards 635–38.8 3–47.02–2 Fumbles–lost 0–06–65 Penalties–yards 11–97

Individual stats Bears Passing C/ATT1YdsTDINTSkYdsLG3RateWade6/1492003232865.2

Bears Rushing Car2YdsTDLG3Galimore1479127Marconi145209Casares114407Bull430014Wade42813Bivins815010Bukich1202Coia1–20–2

Bears ReceivingRec4YdsTDLG3Ditka232016Coia226014Marconi128028Casares1606

Bears Kick ReturnsRetYdsY/RtTDLngPyle100.000

Bears PuntingPntYdsY/PLngBlckGreen314147.00

Bears KickingXPM–XPAFGM–FGAMFGLeClerc4–7Jencks2–2

Bears InterceptionsIntYdsTDLGPDTaylor2800McRae144044Petitbon111011Whitsell1000

Week 11

Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-17.

Week 12 (Sunday, December 1, 1963): vs. Minnesota Vikings

Point spread: Bears –13 Time of game:

VikingsGame statisticsBears9 First downs 1538–116 Rushes–yards 33–67120 Passing yards 1646–13–1 16–32–04–34 Sacked–yards 1–1086 Net passing yards 154202 Total yards 221142 Return yards 934–15.7 7–52.44–3 Fumbles–lost 4–33–26 Penalties–yards 3–25

Week 13

Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-17.

Week 14

Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-17.

Standings

NFL Championship

The Giants opened the scoring in the first quarter when quarterback Y. A. Tittle led New York on an 83-yard drive that was capped off by a 14-yard touchdown pass to Frank Gifford. The drive was set up by Bears quarterback Bill Wade's fumble deep in Giants territory, which was recovered by former Bear Erich Barnes. However, later in the first period, Tittle suffered an injury to his left knee when Larry Morris hit him during his throwing motion. For the rest of the game, Tittle would never be the same. Morris then intercepted Tittle's screen pass and returned the ball 61 yards to the Giants' 6-yard line. Two plays later, Wade scored a touchdown on a two-yard quarterback sneak to tie the game at 7.

In the second quarter, the Giants retook the lead, 10–7, on a 13-yard field goal. But on New York's next drive, Tittle re-injured his left knee on another hit by Morris. With Tittle out for two possessions, the Giants struggled, only able to advance 2 yards in 7 plays. New York coach Allie Sherman even punted on third down, showing no confidence in backup Glynn Griffing. However, the score remained 10–7 at halftime.

Tittle came back in the third period, but due to his injury, he was forced to throw off his back foot. An interception on a screen pass by the Bears' Ed O'Bradovich was brought deep into Giants territory, setting up Wade's 1-yard touchdown to give Chicago a 14–10 lead. The score held up, and the Bears iced the game on Richie Petitbon's interception in the end zone with 10 seconds left. It was Tittle's 5th interception. At the end of the game, defensive coordinator George Allen was given the game ball due to his defense's spectacular play.

After the game the Bears received the traveling Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy for the first time since 1946, and for the fifth and final time throughout its existence. They also received an additional trophy Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley named after recently assassinated John F. Kennedy, which is still on display at Halas Hall.

References

1963 Chicago Bears season

Bron en licentie