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1966 Chicago Bears season

{{short description|NFL team season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox NFL team season

| team = Chicago Bears

| year = 1966

| record = 5–7–2

| division_place = 5th Western

| coach = George Halas

| general manager = George Halas

| owner = George Halas

| stadium = Wrigley Field

| radio = WGN

| playoffs = Did not qualify

| shortnavlink = Bears seasons

}}

The 1966 season was the Chicago Bears' 47th in the National Football League. The team failed to improve on their 9–5 record from 1965 and finished with a 5–7–2 record under head coach George Halas, earning them a fifth-place finish in the NFL Western Conference. This was the franchise's second losing season in the past three.

Offseason

=NFL draft=

{{main article|1966 NFL draft}}

{{NFL team draft start

| year = 1966

| teamname = Chicago Bears

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 1

| pick = 12

| player = George Rice

| position = Defensive tackle

| college = LSU

| notes =

| maderoster = no

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft end

| hof = no

}}

Roster

class="toccolours" style="text-align: left;"
colspan="9" style="background-color: #03182f; color: #df6108; text-align: center;"|Chicago Bears 1966 roster
style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Quarterbacks

{{NFLplayer|12|Larry Rakestraw}}

Running backs

{{NFLplayer|21|Jon Arnett}}

{{NFLplayer|29|Ronnie Bull|FB|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|32|Ralph Kurek}}

{{NFLplayer|34|Joe Marconi}}

{{NFLplayer|41|Brian Piccolo|FB}}

{{NFLplayer|40|Gale Sayers}}

{{NFLplayer|49|Charlie Bivins}}

Wide receivers

{{NFLplayer|47|Johnny Morris|d=American football}}

Tight ends

{{NFLplayer|85|Duane Allen|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|89|Mike Ditka}}

| style="width: 25px;" |

| style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Offensive linemen

{{NFLplayer|72|Jim Cadile|G}}

{{NFLplayer|70|Herman Lee|T}}

{{NFLplayer|50|Mike Pyle|C|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|64|Mike Rabold|G}}

{{NFLplayer|63|Bob Wetoska|T}}

{{NFLplayer|75|Riley Mattson|T}}

{{NFLplayer|67|George Seals|G}}

Defensive linemen

{{NFLplayer|81|Doug Atkins|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|79|Dick Evey|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|87|Ed O'Bradovich|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|60|Brian Schweda|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|73|Frank Cornish Jr.|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|74|Bob Kilcullen|DT}}

| style="width: 25px;" |

| style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Linebackers

{{NFLplayer|55|Doug Buffone}}

{{NFLplayer|51|Dick Butkus}}

{{NFLplayer|31|Joe Fortunato|d=linebacker}}

{{NFLplayer|53|Jim Purnell}}

{{NFLplayer|83|Roger LeClerc|d=American football|K}}

{{NFLplayer|62|Mike Reilly|d=1960s linebacker}}

Defensive backs

{{NFLplayer|22|Charlie Brown|d=defensive back|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|26|Bennie McRae|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|17|Richie Petitbon|S}}

{{NFLplayer|24|Rosey Taylor|S}}

{{NFLplayer|23|Dave Whitsell|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|46|Curt Gentry|d=American football}}

Special teams

| style="width: 25px;" |

Schedule

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Bears|year=1966|border=2}}"| Week

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Bears|year=1966|border=2}}"| Date

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Bears|year=1966|border=2}}"| Opponent

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Bears|year=1966|border=2}}"| Result

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Bears|year=1966|border=2}}"| Record

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Bears|year=1966|border=2}}"| Venue

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Bears|year=1966|border=2}}"| Attendance

style="background:#fcc"

! 1

| September 11

| at Detroit Lions

| L 3–14

| 0–1

| Tiger Stadium

| 52,225

style="background:#fcc"

! 2

| {{dow tooltip|September 16, 1966}}

| at Los Angeles Rams

| L 17–31

| 0–2

| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

| 58,916

3

| colspan=7 | Bye

style="background:#cfc"

! 4

| October 2

| at Minnesota Vikings

| W 13–10

| 1–2

| Metropolitan Stadium

| 47,426

style="background:#cfc"

! 5

| October 9

| Baltimore Colts

| W 27–17

| 2–2

| Wrigley Field

| 47,452

style="background:#fcc"

! 6

| October 16

| Green Bay Packers

| L 0–17

| 2–3

| Wrigley Field

| 48,573

style="background:#cfc"

! 7

| October 23

| Los Angeles Rams

| W 17–10

| 3–3

| Wrigley Field

| 47,475

style="background:#fcc"

! 8

| {{dow tooltip|October 31, 1966}}

| at St. Louis Cardinals

| L 17–24

| 3–4

| Busch Memorial Stadium

| 49,516

style="background:#ffc"

! 9

| November 6

| Detroit Lions

| T 10–10

| 3–4–1

| Wrigley Field

| 47,041

style="background:#ffc"

! 10

| November 13

| San Francisco 49ers

| T 30–30

| 3–4–2

| Wrigley Field

| 47,078

style="background:#fcc"

! 11

| November 20

| at Green Bay Packers

| L 6–13

| 3–5–2

| Lambeau Field

| 50,861

style="background:#cfc"

! 12

| November 27

| Atlanta Falcons

| W 23–6

| 4–5–2

| Wrigley Field

| 44,777

style="background:#fcc"

! 13

| December 4

| at Baltimore Colts

| L 16–21

| 4–6–2

| Memorial Stadium

| 60,238

style="background: #fcc;"

! 14

| December 11

| at San Francisco 49ers

| L 14–41

| 4–7–2

| Kezar Stadium

| 37,170

style="background: #cfc;"

! 15

| December 18

| Minnesota Vikings

| W 41–28

| 5–7–2

| Wrigley Field

| 45,191

style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Bears|year=1966|border=2}}"

|colspan="8"| Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text.

  • A bye week was necessary in {{nfly|1966}}, as the league expanded to an odd-number (15) of teams (Atlanta); one team was idle each week.

Standings

{{1966 NFL Western standings}}

Game summaries

=Week 4: vs. Baltimore Colts=

{{Americanfootballbox

|bg=

|bg2=

|titlestyle=

|state=autocollapse

|title=

|date=Sunday, October 9, 1966

|time=

|road=Colts

|R1= 0|R2=3 |R3=7 |R4=7

|home=Bears

|H1=10 |H2=0 |H3=10 |H4=7

|stadium=Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois

|attendance=

|weather={{convert|67|F}}, wind {{convert|12|mph|abbr=on}}

|referee=

|TV=

|TVAnnouncers=

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196610090chi.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com]

|scoring=

;First Quarter

  • CHI – Roger LeClerc 42-yard field goal – Bears 3–0
  • CHI – Joe Fortunato 24-yard fumble return (Roger LeClerc kick) – Bears 10–0

;Second Quarter

;Third Quarter

  • CHI – Gale Sayers 30-yard run (Roger LeClerc kick) – Bears 17–3
  • CHI – Roger LeClerc 27-yard field goal – Bears 20–3
  • BAL – Bobby Boyd 37-yard interception return (Lou Michaels kick) – Bears 20–10

;Fourth Quarter

  • CHI – Gale Sayers 7-yard run (Roger LeClerc kick) – Bears 27–10
  • BAL – John Mackey 79-yard pass from Johnny Unitas (Lou Michaels kick) – Bears 27–17

|stats=

;Colts

  • Johnny Unitas
    18/38, 274 Yds, TD, 2 INT
  • Tom Matte
    4 Rush, 57 Yds
  • John Mackey
    2 Rec, 89 Yds, TD

;Bears

}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Chicago Bears}}

{{Chicago Bears seasons}}

{{1966 NFL season by team}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1966 Chicago Bears Season}}

Chicago Bears

Category:Chicago Bears seasons

Chicago Bears

{{ChicagoBears-season-stub}}