1938 Chicago Bears season
Encyclopedia
The 1938
Chicago Bears
season was their 19th regular season
completed in the National Football League
. They finished third in the Western Division and did not make the championship game. The Bears started the season well, winning 4 of their first 5 games. However, two upset losses to the Cleveland Rams, two losses to the Detroit Lions, and a loss to Green Bay prevented the Bears from competing in the West.
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972
1938 NFL season
The 1938 NFL season was the 19th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the New York Giants defeated the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Championship Game.-Major rule changes:...
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 19th 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...
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...
. They finished third in the Western Division and did not make the championship game. The Bears started the season well, winning 4 of their first 5 games. However, two upset losses to the Cleveland Rams, two losses to the Detroit Lions, and a loss to Green Bay prevented the Bears from competing in the West.
Season highlights
The Bears could not repeat their success of 1937 although their attack was basically the same, except at running back. Bronko Nagurski and Keith Molesworth retired and the rushing attack was not as effective. Joe Maniaci, a back acquired from Brooklyn, joined the team and led the squad in rushing with 345 yards but his low 3.6 average yards per carry was emblematic of the Bears problems running the ball. Bill Karr again led the team in receiving, catching 14 passes for 253 yards and 4 touchdowns. Les McDonald played well at end and second year end Dick Plasman also contributed. The Bears "vertical" passing attack, led again by Bernie Masterson and Ray Buivid, had a league best 17.0 yards per reception, but the club's quarterbacks only had a 36.5 completion percentage. The Bear defense did not play as well as in 1937 either, giving up 14 or more points five times, or the same number of times as in the past two season combined. The biggest disappointment, overall, were the two losses to Cleveland. Cleveland only won 4 games all year, two against the Bears, and had the worst defense in the league, allowing 215 points for the year. In the first Cleveland game, the Bears were totally outplayed, falling behind 14-0 and failing to mount a serious comeback. The second loss was a back and forth affair, with the lead changing hands 7 times. The Bears gave up a 21-16 fourth quarter lead, losing 23-21 at home. As the only team in the league running the T-formation, it is no surprise the other teams kept using the Single Wing and its variants. Lacking a complete T-formation quarterback, the Bears offense was inconsistent and, at times, quite unimpressive.Future Hall of Fame Players
- 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 - Dan FortmannDan FortmannDr. Daniel John Fortmann was a professional American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears. He played college football at Colgate University and was drafted in the ninth round of the 1936 NFL Draft...
, Guard - George MussoGeorge MussoGeorge Francis Musso was an American National Football League lineman, playing both offensive guard and tackle as well as defensive middle guard...
, Guard - Joe StydaharJoe StydaharJoseph "Jumbo Joe" Lee Stydahar was an American football offensive tackle for the Chicago Bears from 1936 to 1942 and 1945 to 1946 and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was born and raised about east of Pittsburgh in the small mining community of Kaylor, Pennsylvania in Armstrong...
, Tackle
Other Leading Players
- Frank BauschFrank BauschFrank Joseph Bausch was an American football center in the National Football League for the Boston Redskins, the Chicago Bears, and the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at the University of Kansas....
, Center - Ray BuividRay BuividRaymond Vincent Buivid was an American football player who played quarterback for the Chicago Bears. Buivid played for the Marquette "Golden Avalanche" football team in the first Cotton Bowl Classic. In 1936, he finished third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy and was named to Collier's...
, Back - 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....
, Fullback / Kicker - Joe ManiaciJoe ManiaciJoseph V. Maniaci was an American football player and coach in the United States. He played college football at Fordham University and then in the National Football League with the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Chicago Bears...
, Back (acquired from Brooklyn at midseason) - Bernie MastersonBernie Masterson-External links:...
, Quarterback - Les McDonaldLes McDonaldLester Bruce McDonald was an American football end in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, and the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at the University of Nebraska and was drafted in the first round of the 1937 NFL Draft....
, End - Ray NoltingRay NoltingRaymond A. Nolting was an American football running back for the Chicago Bears, as well as a college football coach. He played college football at Cincinnati, before spending 6 seasons with the Bears. He rushed for over 2,000 yards, and had over 500 receiving yards before retiring in 1943...
, Halfback - Richard Plasman, End (second year player from VanderbiltVanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
)
Players departed from 1937
- Keith MolesworthKeith MolesworthKeith Frank Molesworth was an American football player and coach. He also played and managed in minor league baseball....
, Halfback (retired) - 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 (retired)
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep. 11 | Chicago Cardinals | 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... |
Win | 16-13 |
| Sep. 18 | 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... |
East Stadium | Win | 2-0 |
| Oct. 2 | 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... |
Municipal Stadium John F. Kennedy Stadium John F. Kennedy Stadium was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that stood from 1925 to 1992. The South Philadelphia stadium was situated on the east side of the far southern end of Broad Street at a location that is now part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex... |
Win | 28-6 |
| Oct. 9 | Cleveland Rams | Shaw Stadium Shaw Stadium Shaw Stadium is a high school stadium in East Cleveland, Ohio. In 1938, the NFL's Cleveland Rams played there and finished the season with a 4-7 record.Currently, the Shaw High School Cardinals football team plays its home games there.... |
Loss | 7-14 |
| Oct. 16 | Chicago Cardinals | Comiskey Park Comiskey Park Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games... |
Win | 34-28 |
| Oct. 23 | Cleveland Rams | 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... |
Loss | 21-23 |
| Oct. 30 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
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... |
Loss | 7-13 |
| Nov. 6 | 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... |
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... |
Loss | 17-24 |
| Nov. 13 | Washington 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,... |
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... |
Win | 31-7 |
| Nov. 20 | 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... |
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... |
Win | 24-6 |
| Nov. 24 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
Briggs Stadium | Loss | 7-14 |
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 | |
| Green Bay Packers 1938 Green Bay Packers season The 1938 Green Bay Packers season was their 18th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 8-3 record under coach Curly Lambeau, earning them a first-place finish in the Western Conference. The Packers lost to the Giants 23-17 in the 1938 NFL Championship Game... |
8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | 223 | 118 | L-1 |
| Detroit Lions 1938 Detroit Lions season The 1938 Detroit Lions season was their ninth in the league. The team matched their previous season's output of 7-4. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
7 | 4 | 0 | .636 | 119 | 108 | L-1 |
| Chicago Bears | 6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | 194 | 148 | L-1 |
| Cleveland Rams 1938 Cleveland Rams season The 1938 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's second year with the National Football League and the third season in Cleveland.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:*... |
4 | 7 | 0 | .364 | 131 | 215 | W-1 |
| Chicago Cardinals 1938 Chicago Cardinals season The 1938 Chicago Cardinals season was their 19th in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 5-5-1, winning only two games. They played seven of their eleven games on the road and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the 13th consecutive... |
2 | 9 | 0 | .182 | 111 | 168 | W-1 |