1933 Chicago Bears season
Encyclopedia
The 1933
Chicago Bears
season was their 14th regular season
and 2nd postseason completed in the National Football League
. The club posted a 10-2-1 record in the first year of George Halas
's second tenure. The Bears started the season on fire, winning their first six games while allowing only 33 points. In the middle of the season, the team struggled on the road, losing to Boston and New York and eking out a tie against the new Philadelphia Eagles
franchise. After that, however, the Bears regained their winning ways, finishing the regular season with four consecutive wins, including two against Portsmouth, their foe in the 1932 championship game. The team won the newly established Western Division by 3½ games and went to the first ever NFL championship game on a hot streak.
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972
in the NFL Championship game. The teams had split the season series, with both teams prevailing at home. The game was played at Wrigley Field in clear, crisp weather. Both teams brought high-powered offenses to the game but the Bears had an advantage on defense. Both teams featured their passing attacks throughout the game but the Giants took a first half lead with a 29 yard pass to Red Badgro
despite two Manders field goals. The second half was back and forth, with both clubs taking the lead twice. The game was won with an exciting play with less than 3 minutes remaining—a pass from Bronko Nagurski to Bill Hewitt who lateraled to Bill Karr. Karr then scampered 36 yards for the winning score. The Bears won the game 23-21, giving them their second straight league title and third overall.
1933 NFL season
The 1933 NFL season was the 14th regular season of the National Football League. Because of the success of the 1932 NFL Playoff Game, the league divided its teams into two divisions for the first time, with the winners of each division playing in a championship game to determine the NFL champion...
Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
season was their 14th regular season
Regular season (NFL)
The National Football League regular season begins the weekend after Labor Day. Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Traditionally, the majority of each week's games are played on Sunday afternoon, with weekly games on Sunday night and Monday night, and occasional games on Thursday...
and 2nd postseason completed in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. The club posted a 10-2-1 record in the first year of George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
's second tenure. The Bears started the season on fire, winning their first six games while allowing only 33 points. In the middle of the season, the team struggled on the road, losing to Boston and New York and eking out a tie against the new Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
franchise. After that, however, the Bears regained their winning ways, finishing the regular season with four consecutive wins, including two against Portsmouth, their foe in the 1932 championship game. The team won the newly established Western Division by 3½ games and went to the first ever NFL championship game on a hot streak.
Season highlights
The Bears' season was typified by solid defense, a high-octane passing attack (for the era), and the best kicking game in the league. Only three times during the season did opponents score more than 9 points on the Bears. The club finished second behind Brooklyn in scoring defense. Their line was greatly improved by the addition of huge George "Moose" Musso, who weighted over 260 pounds and starred for the Bears for many years. The Bears had the third best scoring offense, trailing the explosive Giants and the Packers. Living legend Red Grange and future legend Bronko Nagurski continued to lead the running attack but the Bears scored a large majority of their touchdowns through the air. Luke Johnsos continued to play well at end but the aerial attack was vastly improved by the emergence of second year end Bill Hewitt and rookie end Bill Karr. All in all, the Bears scored 11 of their 14 offensive touchdowns through passes. Though statistics were spotty in 1933, Bill Hewitt was among the league leaders in receiving with 16 catches for 274 yards and 2 touchdowns. The biggest improvement for the Bears and, in many games, the key to their wins was the addition of "Automatic" Jack Manders, one of the first great place kickers in league history. Manders made 14 of 14 PATs (pretty much unheard of in those days) and led the league with 6 field goals. Undoubtedly, the new rule that brought the ball back to the hash marks after every play helped Manders (and all other NFL kickers), but Manders' consistency in the kicking game contributed to the Bears' success all the way through the 1940 season.Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Team Record | ||||
| 1 | Bye Week | ||||
| 2 | September 24 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... † |
14-7 | 1-0-0 | East Stadium |
| 3 | October 1 | Boston Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... # |
7-0 | 2-0-0 | Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears... |
| 3 | October 8 | Brooklyn Dodgers Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) The Brooklyn Dodgers were an American football team that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943, and in 1944 as the Brooklyn Tigers. The team played its home games at Ebbets Field. In 1945, because of financial difficulties, the team was merged with the Boston Yanks... # |
10-0 | 3-0-0 | Ebbets Field Ebbets Field Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football... |
| 4 | October 15 | Chicago Cardinals † | 12-9 | 4-0-0 | Wrigley Field Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales... |
| 5 | October 22 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... † |
10-7 | 5-0-0 | Wrigley Field Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales... |
| 6 | October 29 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
14-10 | 6-0-0 | Wrigley Field Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales... |
| 7 | November 5 | Boston Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... # |
0-10 | 6-1-0 | Fenway Park Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"... |
| 8 | November 12 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... # |
3-3 | 6-1-1 | Baker Bowl Baker Bowl Baker Bowl is the best-known popular name of a baseball park that formerly stood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Its formal name, painted on its outer wall, was National League Park. It was also initially known as Philadelphia Park or Philadelphia Base Ball Grounds.It was on a small... |
| 9 | November 19 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... # |
0-3 | 6-2-1 | Polo Grounds Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963... |
| 10 | November 26 | Portsmouth Spartans † | 17-14 | 7-2-1 | Wrigley Field Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales... |
| 11 | November 30 | Chicago Cardinals † | 22-6 | 8-2-1 | Wrigley Field Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales... |
| 12 | December 3 | Portsmouth Spartans † | 17-7 | 9-2-1 | Universal Stadium |
| 13 | December 10 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... † |
7-6 | 10-2-1 | Wrigley Field Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales... |
| Legend: Home games in bold; † Intradivisional game; # Interdivisional game. | |||||
Standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PTS=Points Scored, OPP=Opponents' PointsNote: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972
| NFL Western Eastern and Western Divisions (NFL) 1933-69 The Eastern and Western Divisions of the National Football League, renamed the American and National Conferences in 1950 and then the Eastern and Western Conferences in 1953, were organized as a result of the disputed NFL championship of 1932... |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| Chicago Bears | 10 | 2 | 1 | .833 | 133 | 82 | W-4 |
| Portsmouth Spartans 1933 Portsmouth Spartans season The 1933 Portsmouth Spartans season was their fourth in the league and final season before becoming the Detroit Lions. The team failed to improve on their previous season's output of 6-2-4, losing five games. They failed to qualify for the playoffs.-Schedule:... |
6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | 128 | 87 | L-3 |
| Green Bay Packers 1933 Green Bay Packers season The 1933 Green Bay Packers season was their 13th season in the National Football League . This was the first year of divisional play and Green Bay competed in the Western Division. The club posted a 5-7-1 record under coach Curly Lambeau, the first losing season in team history... |
5 | 7 | 1 | .417 | 170 | 107 | L-1 |
| Cincinnati Reds 1933 Cincinnati Reds (NFL) season The 1933 Cincinnati Reds season was their inaugural season in the league. The team started 0-4, before finishing 3-6-1 and failed to qualify for the playoffs.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
3 | 6 | 1 | .333 | 38 | 110 | W-1 |
| Chicago Cardinals 1933 Chicago Cardinals season The 1933 Chicago Cardinals season was their 14th in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 2-6-2, winning only one game. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:... |
1 | 9 | 1 | .100 | 52 | 101 | T-1 |
Summary
The Bears met the NFL Eastern Division champion New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the NFL Championship game. The teams had split the season series, with both teams prevailing at home. The game was played at Wrigley Field in clear, crisp weather. Both teams brought high-powered offenses to the game but the Bears had an advantage on defense. Both teams featured their passing attacks throughout the game but the Giants took a first half lead with a 29 yard pass to Red Badgro
Red Badgro
Morris Hiram "Red" Badgro was a professional American football end in the National Football League for the New York Yankees, New York Giants, and the Brooklyn Dodgers...
despite two Manders field goals. The second half was back and forth, with both clubs taking the lead twice. The game was won with an exciting play with less than 3 minutes remaining—a pass from Bronko Nagurski to Bill Hewitt who lateraled to Bill Karr. Karr then scampered 36 yards for the winning score. The Bears won the game 23-21, giving them their second straight league title and third overall.
Future Hall of Fame Players
- Red GrangeRed GrangeHarold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
, Back - Bill Hewitt, End
- Link Lyman, Tackle
- George MussoGeorge MussoGeorge Francis Musso was an American National Football League lineman, playing both offensive guard and tackle as well as defensive middle guard...
, Tackle (rookie from MillikenMillikenMilliken is a surname, and may refer to:In places:* Milliken, Colorado, a town in the United States* Milliken, Ontario, a neighbourhood of Toronto, Canada** Milliken GO Station, a station in the GO Transit network located in the community...
) - Bronko NagurskiBronko NagurskiBronislau "Bronko" Nagurski was a Canadian-born American football player. He was also a successful professional wrestler, recognized as a multiple-time world heavyweight champion.-Youth and collegiate career:...
, Fullback - George TraftonGeorge TraftonGeorge Edward Trafton , was an American football player. He played as a center for the Decatur Staleys of the National Football League from 1920 to 1921 and 1923–1932. He is credited as being the first center to snap the ball with one hand...
, Center
Other Leading Players
- Carl BrumbaughCarl BrumbaughCarl Lowry Brumbaugh was an American college and professional football player who was a quarterback and halfback in the National Football League for nine seasons in the 1930s...
, Quarterback - Luke JohnsosLuke JohnsosLuke Andrew Johnsos, Sr. was an American football player, assistant coach, and head coach for the National Football League's Chicago Bears franchise. He started with the Bears in 1929 at the age of 23 as an All-Pro end. He played eight NFL seasons in Chicago finishing his playing career in 1936...
, End - Bill KarrBill KarrWilliam Morrison Karr Jr. was an end who played six seasons in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears. Karr attended West Virginia University....
, End (rookie from West Virginia UniversityWest Virginia UniversityWest Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
) - Joe KopchaJoe KopchaJoseph Edwards "Joe" Kopcha is a former professional American football player....
, Guard - Jack MandersJack MandersJack "Automatic Jack" Manders was a National Football League running back for the Chicago Bears from 1933 through 1940. He is the older brother of Clarence Manders....
, Back / Kicker (rookie from University of MinnesotaUniversity of MinnesotaThe University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
) - Keith MolesworthKeith MolesworthKeith Frank Molesworth was an American football player and coach. He also played and managed in minor league baseball....
, Back - Gene RonzaniGene RonzaniGene Ronzani was the second head coach of the Green Bay Packers. He coached the Packers from 1951 until 1953. He resigned with two games remaining in the 1953 season and was replaced on an interim basis by the tandem of Hugh Devore and Ray Scooter McLean....
, Back (rookie from MarquetteMarquette UniversityMarquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
)