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1969 Chicago Bears season
NFL team season
NFL team season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| team | Chicago Bears |
| year | 1969 |
| record | 1–13 |
| division_place | 4th Central |
| coach | Jim Dooley |
| owner | George Halas |
| stadium | Wrigley Field |
| playoffs | *Did not qualify* |
| shortnavlink | Bears seasons |
The 1969 Chicago Bears season was their 50th regular season completed in the National Football League. The team finished with a franchise-worst 1–13 record. This occurred despite the contributions of future Pro Football Fame players Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers. Sayers had torn the ligaments in his right knee in November 1968. After surgery, he went through a physical rehabilitation program with the help of teammate Brian Piccolo. In , Sayers led the league in rushing once again with 1,032 yards, but lacked his previous speed, and averaged only 4.4 yards per carry. This would also turn out to be Sayers final full season, as he would be on the injured reserve list for the entire 1970 and '71 seasons before finally retiring.
An already poor season was compounded in late November. Undersized fullback Piccolo had scored a touchdown in each of his final three games (November 2, 9, 16), but a persistent cough was diagnosed as cancer and he underwent chest surgery; he succumbed to the disease seven months later at age 26.
The Bears scored a total of only 27 points in 6 division games.
Offseason
Draft
Main article: 1969 NFL/AFL draft
Roster
Preseason
On August 30, a crowd of 85,532 fans viewed a doubleheader at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. In the first contest, the Bears played the AFL's Buffalo Bills, while the Cleveland Browns hosted the Green Bay Packers in the second match.
Regular season
Main article: 1969 NFL season
Schedule
| Chicago Bears | year=1969 | border=2}}" | Week | Chicago Bears | year=1969 | border=2}}" | Date | Chicago Bears | year=1969 | border=2}}" | Opponent | Chicago Bears | year=1969 | border=2}}" | Result | Chicago Bears | year=1969 | border=2}}" | Record | Chicago Bears | year=1969 | border=2}}" | Venue | Chicago Bears | year=1969 | border=2}}" | Attendance | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 21 | at **[Green Bay Packers](1969-green-bay-packers-season)** | **L** 0–17 | 0–1 | Lambeau Field | 50,861 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 28 | at [St. Louis Cardinals](1969-st-louis-cardinals-nfl-season) | **L** 17–20 | 0–2 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 50,039 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 5 | at [New York Giants](1969-new-york-giants-season) | **L** 24–28 | 0–3 | Yankee Stadium | 62,583 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 12 | **[Minnesota Vikings](1969-minnesota-vikings-season)** | **L** 0–31 | 0–4 | Wrigley Field | 45,757 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 19 | at **[Detroit Lions](1969-detroit-lions-season)** | **L** 7–13 | 0–5 | Tiger Stadium | 54,732 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 26 | [Los Angeles Rams](1969-los-angeles-rams-season) | **L** 7–9 | 0–6 | Wrigley Field | 45,985 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 2 | at **Minnesota Vikings** | **L** 14–31 | 0–7 | Metropolitan Stadium | 47,900 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 9 | [Pittsburgh Steelers](1969-pittsburgh-steelers-season) | **W** 38–7 | 1–7 | Wrigley Field | 45,851 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 16 | at [Atlanta Falcons](1969-atlanta-falcons-season) | **L** 31–48 | 1–8 | Atlanta Stadium | 53,722 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 23 | [Baltimore Colts](1969-baltimore-colts-season) | **L** 21–24 | 1–9 | Wrigley Field | 45,455 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 30 | [Cleveland Browns](1969-cleveland-browns-season) | **L** 24–28 | 1–10 | Wrigley Field | 45,050 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| at [San Francisco 49ers](1969-san-francisco-49ers-season) | **L** 21–42 | 1–11 | Kezar Stadium | 32,826 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 14 | **Green Bay Packers** | **L** 3–21 | 1–12 | Wrigley Field | 45,216 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 21 | **Detroit Lions** | **L** 3–20 | 1–13 | Wrigley Field | 41,879 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| **Note:** Intra-division opponents are in **bold** text. |
Standings
References
References
- (December 22, 1969). "Lions win; clinch 3rd in West". Milwaukee Sentinel.
- (November 11, 1968). "Bears beat 49ers, 27-19, but lose Sayers for year". Milwaukee Sentinel.
- (November 11, 1968). "Bears down 49ers, 27-19, but lose Sayers for season". Milwaukee Journal.
- (November 3, 1969). "Bears errors help Vikings keep lead". Milwaukee Journal.
- (November 10, 1969). "Bears end famine by routing Steelers". Milwaukee Journal.
- Sell, Jack. (November 10, 1969). "Steelers 'good' for what ails Bears, 38-7". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- (November 17, 1969). "Falcons set scoring record of 48 points in rout of Bears". Milwaukee Journal.
- (November 25, 1969). "Cowboys' Morton to undergo surgery". Milwaukee Sentinel.
- (November 29, 1968). "Operate on Piccolo". Milwaukee Sentinel.
- (June 16, 1970). "Cancer fatal to Piccolo of Bears at 26". Milwaukee Journal.
- (June 17, 1970). "Brian Piccolo is dead at 26". Spokesman-Review.
- (June 17, 1970). "Sayers, Halas praise Piccolo's courage". Milwaukee Sentinel.
- Bledsoe, Terry. (August 31, 1969). "Bears beat Bills, 23-16". Milwaukee Journal.
- (August 30, 1969). "Packers given 4th billing in Browns' doubleheader". Milwaukee Journal.
- Bledsoe, Terry. (August 31, 1969). "Packer rally beats Browns, 27-17". Milwaukee Journal.
- Rockin’ the Rockpile: The Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, p.439, Jeffrey J. Miller, ECW Press, 2007, {{ISBN. 978-1-55022-797-0
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