1926 Chicago Bears season
1926 Chicago Bears season | |
---|---|
Head coach | George Halas |
Home field | Wrigley Field, Soldier Field |
Results | |
Record | 12–1–3 |
League place | 2nd NFL |
Season overview
The 1926 Chicago Bears season was their seventh regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 12–1–3 record under head coach George Halas earning them a second-place finish in the team standings, their fifth showing in that place in the last seven years. This year's Bears may have been the most talented to date, with most of their veterans still playing well and the addition of talented veteran Paddy Driscoll and hard-running rookie William Senn. The Bears opened their season with 13 undefeated games (11 wins and 2 ties). Since ties didn't count in the standings at that time, the Bears were in first place since their main competition, the Frankford Yellow Jackets, had lost an earlier game to the Providence Steam Roller. The showdown came on December 4 at Frankford. Neither team scored for the first three quarters of this game; the tie was broken when Senn burst through the Frankford line for a 62-yard touchdown run. Driscoll missed the PAT, leaving Frankford a chance. Frankford proceeded to complete two long passes, the second for a score. Their kicker, Ernest Hamer, made the point after and Frankford won the game. Due to more victories, Frankford was the champion. The Bears were second yet again.
Driscoll was easily Chicago's best player in 1926, scoring 5 TDs, kicking 11 field goals, and converting 14 PATs. Senn scored 7 rushing touchdowns and Frank Hanny had 4 touchdown catches to lead the Bears.
Future Hall of Fame players
- Paddy Driscoll, back (from Cardinals)
- George Halas, end
- Ed Healey, tackle
- Link Lyman, tackle (from Frankford)
- George Trafton, center
Other leading players
- William Senn, back (rookie from Knox College)
- Ed Sternaman, back
- Joe Sternaman, quarterback
- Laurie Walquist, quarterback
Players departed from 1925
- Hunk Anderson, guard (retired)
- Red Grange, back (to New York Yankees of new American Football League)
Schedule
Date | Opponent | Location | Result | Score | Record |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sep. 19 | Milwaukee Badgers | Athletic Park | Win | 10–7 | 1–0–0 |
Sep 26 | Green Bay Packers | City Stadium | Tie | 6–6 | 1–0–1 |
Oct 3 | Detroit Panthers | Navin Field | Win | 10–7 | 2–0–1 |
Oct 10 | New York Giants | Wrigley Field | Win | 7–0 | 3–0–1 |
Oct 17 | Chicago Cardinals | Wrigley Field | Win | 16–0 | 4–0–1 |
Oct 24 | Duluth Eskimos | Wrigley Field | Win | 24–6 | 5–0–1 |
Oct 31 | Akron Pros | Wrigley Field | Win | 17–0 | 6–0–1 |
Nov 7 | Louisville Colonels | Wrigley Field | Win | 34–0 | 7–0–1 |
Nov 11 | Chicago Cardinals | Soldier Field | Win | 10–0 | 8–0–1 |
Nov 14 | Milwaukee Badgers | Wrigley Field | Win | 10–7 | 9–0–1 |
Nov 21 | Green Bay Packers | Wrigley Field | Win | 19–13 | 10–0–1 |
Nov 25 | Chicago Cardinals | Wrigley Field | Tie | 0–0 | 10–0–2 |
Nov 28 | Canton Bulldogs | Wrigley Field | Win | 35–0 | 11–0–2 |
Dec. 4 | Frankford Yellow Jackets | Shibe Park | Loss | 6–7 | 11–1–2 |
Dec. 12 | Pottsville Maroons | Wrigley Field | Win | 9–7 | 12–1–2 |
Dec. 19 | Green Bay Packers | Soldier Field | Tie | 3–3 | 12–1–3 |
Standings
NFL standings | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |||
Frankford Yellow Jackets | 14 | 1 | 2 | .933 | 236 | 49 | W6 | ||
Chicago Bears | 12 | 1 | 3 | .923 | 216 | 63 | L1 | ||
Pottsville Maroons | 10 | 2 | 2 | .833 | 155 | 29 | T1 | ||
Kansas City Cowboys | 8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | 76 | 53 | W7 | ||
Green Bay Packers | 7 | 3 | 3 | .700 | 151 | 61 | T1 | ||
New York Giants | 8 | 4 | 1 | .667 | 151 | 61 | W3 | ||
Los Angeles Buccaneers | 6 | 3 | 1 | .667 | 67 | 57 | L1 | ||
Duluth Eskimos | 6 | 5 | 3 | .545 | 113 | 81 | L1 | ||
Buffalo Rangers | 4 | 4 | 2 | .500 | 53 | 62 | T1 | ||
Chicago Cardinals | 5 | 6 | 1 | .455 | 74 | 98 | L1 | ||
Providence Steam Roller | 5 | 7 | 1 | .417 | 89 | 103 | L1 | ||
Detroit Panthers | 4 | 6 | 2 | .400 | 107 | 60 | L3 | ||
Hartford Blues | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | 57 | 99 | L1 | ||
Brooklyn Lions | 3 | 8 | 0 | .273 | 60 | 150 | L3 | ||
Milwaukee Badgers | 2 | 7 | 0 | .222 | 41 | 66 | L5 | ||
Dayton Triangles | 1 | 4 | 1 | .200 | 15 | 82 | L2 | ||
Akron Indians | 1 | 4 | 3 | .200 | 23 | 89 | T1 | ||
Racine Tornadoes | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 | 8 | 92 | T4 | ||
Columbus Tigers | 1 | 6 | 0 | .143 | 26 | 93 | L5 | ||
Canton Bulldogs | 1 | 9 | 3 | .100 | 46 | 161 | L1 | ||
Hammond Pros | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 3 | 56 | L4 | ||
Louisville Colonels | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 108 | L4 |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.