1970 Chicago Bears season

The 1970 Chicago Bears season was their 51st regular season completed in the National Football League. The team finished with a 6–8 record, a significant improvement over the 1–13 record of the previous season, the worst in franchise history.

1970 Chicago Bears season
Head coach	Jim Dooley
Owner	George Halas
Home field	Wrigley Field Dyche Stadium
Results
Record	6–8
Division place	4th NFC Central
Playoff finish	Did not qualify

Offseason

• June 16, 1970 – After a seven-month battle with cancer, running back Brian Piccolo died at age 26.[1][2][3]

NFL Draft

Main article: 1970 NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	School/Club Team
3	58	George Farmer	Wide Receiver	UCLA

Roster

1970 Chicago Bears final roster

	Quarterbacks 11 Jack Concannon 10 Bobby Douglass 16 Kent Nix Running backs 46 Craig Baynham 29 Ronnie Bull FB 33 Mike Hull 32 Ralph Kurek 22 Ross Montgomery 24 Don Shy Wide receivers 25 Linzy Cole 43 George Farmer 45 Dick Gordon 84 Jim Seymour 21 Cecil Turner Tight ends 37 Rich Coady 86 Jim Hester 38 Ray Ogden 89 Bob Wallace		Offensive linemen 72 Jim Cadile G 70 Jeff Curchin T 61 Glen Holloway G 50 Bob Hyland C 65 Randy Jackson T 74 Wayne Mass T 68 Howard Mudd G 69 Ted Wheeler G Defensive linemen 78 Harry Gunner DE 75 Dave Hale DT 85 Willie Holman DE 87 Ed O'Bradovich DE 67 George Seals DT 76 Bill Staley DT		Linebackers 31 Ross Brupbacher 55 Doug Buffone 51 Dick Butkus 60 Lee Roy Caffey 30 Jimmy Gunn 63 John Neidert Defensive backs 29 Phil Clark SS 23 Dick Daniels S 47 Butch Davis 44 Garry Lyle FS 26 Bennie McRae CB 48 Ron Smith FS 20 Joe Taylor CB Special teams 88 Bobby Joe Green P 83 Mac Percival K		Reserve lists 40 Gale Sayers RB (IR) Practice squad Rookies in italics active, inactive, practice squad

Regular season

As an experiment, the Bears hosted their first home game of the season at Northwestern University's Dyche Stadium in Evanston. The Bears' Wrigley Field landlord, the Chicago Cubs, were in a pennant race and might play in the National League Championship Series and World Series, and that Wrigley Field would be unavailable (at least for installation of temporary seating in right and center field) until well into October.[4] (The Cubs were in contention in the National League East until the final week of the 1970 season, thus rendering the anticipation moot.)[5][6]

In addition, the NFL was pressuring the Bears to move out of Wrigley Field, because it had no lights and its seating capacity was under 50,000 (even with additional seating in right field for football games), stipulations of the AFL–NFL merger agreement. The Bears planned to move to Evanston for the 1971 season, but Evanston residents petitioned city officials to block the move, and the Big Ten Conference ultimately barred the Bears from using Dyche Stadium;[7] the Bears moved to Chicago's Soldier Field.[8]

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Attendance
1	September 19	at New York Giants	W 24–16	1–0	62,936
2	September 27	Philadelphia Eagles	W 20–16	2–0	53,463
3	October 5	at Detroit Lions	L 28–14	2–1	58,210
4	October 11	Minnesota Vikings	L 24–0	2–2	45,485
5	October 18	San Diego Chargers	L 20–7	2–3	45,278
6	October 25	Detroit Lions	L 16–10	2–4	45,632
7	November 1	at Atlanta Falcons	W 23–14	3–4	58,850
8	November 8	San Francisco 49ers	L 37–16	3–5	45,607
9	November 15	at Green Bay Packers	L 20–19	3–6	56,263
10	November 22	Buffalo Bills	W 31–13	4–6	41,015
11	November 29	at Baltimore Colts	L 21–20	4–7	60,240
12	December 5	at Minnesota Vikings	L 16–13	4–8	47,900
13	December 13	Green Bay Packers	W 35–17	5–8	44,957
14	December 20	at New Orleans Saints	W 24–3	6–8	63,518

• Saturday night (September 19), Monday night (October 5), Saturday (December 5)

Season summary

Week 1

1 2 3 4 Total • Bears 7 3 7 7 24 Giants 10 3 0 3 16 Date: September 19 Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York Game start: 8:00 p.m. EST Game weather: 71°F, wind 13 mph Referee: Fred Silva TV announcers (WBBM): Brent Musburger and Jerry Kramer Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com

Scoring summary 1 Giants Pete Gogolak 25-yard field goal Giants 3–0 1 Bears Cecil Turner 95-yard kickoff return (Mac Percival kick) Bears 7–3 1 Giants Ron Johnson 12-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Pete Gogolak kick) Giants 10–7 2 Giants Pete Gogolak 20-yard field goal Giants 13–7 2 Bears Mac Percival 28-yard field goal Giants 13–10 3 Bears Jack Concannon 1-yard run (Mac Percival kick) Bears 17–13 4 Giants Pete Gogolak 45-yard field goal Bears 17–16 4 Bears Dick Gordon 19-yard pass from Jack Concannon (Mac Percival kick) Bears 24–16

Week 2

1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 6 3 0 7 16 • Bears 7 10 0 3 20 Date: September 27 Location: Dyche Stadium • Evanston, Illinois Game start: 1:00 p.m. CST Game weather: 52°F • Wind 9 Referee: Fred Swearingen TV announcers (CBS): Jack Whitaker and Tom Brookshier

Scoring summary 1 CHI Cecil Turner 96-yard kickoff return (Mac Percival kick) Bears 7–0 1 PHI Gary Ballman 7-yard pass from Norm Snead (kick failed) Bears 7–6 2 CHI Mac Percival 17-yard field goal Bears 10–6 2 PHI Mark Moseley 42-yard field goal Bears 10–9 2 CHI Dick Gordon 12-yard pass from Ronnie Bull (Mac Percival kick) Bears 17–9 4 PHI Lee Bouggess 10-yard run (Mark Moseley kick) Bears 17–16 4 CHI Mac Percival 36-yard field goal Bears 20–16

[9]

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

1 2 3 4 Total • Bears 10 3 7 3 23 Falcons 0 7 7 0 14 Date: November 1 Location: Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 62°F; wind 7

Scoring summary Q1 CHI Shy 1 yard run (Percival kick) CHI 7–0 Q1 CHI Percival 30 yard field goal CHI 10–0 Q2 ATL Gipson 20 yard pass from Berry (Vinyard kick) CHI 10–7 Q2 CHI Percival 47 yard field goal CHI 13–7 Q3 ATL Mitchell 17 yard pass from Berry (Vinyard kick) ATL 14–13 Q3 CHI Turner 94 yard kickoff return (Percival kick) CHI 20–14 Q4 CHI Percival 31 yard field goal CHI 23–14

[10]

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

1 2 3 4 Total Bills 6 0 0 7 13 • Bears 0 14 7 10 31 Date: November 22 Location: Wrigley Field • Chicago Game start: 1:00 p.m. CST Game weather: 43°F • Wind 22

Scoring summary 1 BUF Butch Byrd 23-yard interception return (kick failed) Bills 6–0 2 CHI Dick Gordon 36-yard pass from Bobby Douglass (Mac Percival kick) Bears 7–6 2 CHI Jim Seymour 36-yard pass from Bobby Douglass (Mac Percival kick) Bears 14–6 3 CHI Jim Seymour 53-yard pass from Bobby Douglass (Mac Percival kick) Bears 21–6 4 BUF Marlin Briscoe 17-yard pass from Dennis Shaw (Grant Guthrie kick) Bears 21–13 4 CHI Mac Percival 37-yard field goal Bears 24–13 4 CHI Dick Gordon 28-yard pass from Bobby Douglass (Mac Percival kick) Bears 31–13

[11]

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears

1 2 3 4 Total Packers 3 0 0 14 17 • Bears 14 7 7 7 35 Date: Sunday, December 13 Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago Game start: 1:00 p.m. CST Game weather: 32°F, wind 11 mph Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com

Scoring summary 1 Bears Dick Gordon 15-yard pass from Jack Concannon (Mac Percival kick) Bears 7–0 1 Bears George Farmer 42-yard pass from Jack Concannon (Mac Percival kick) Bears 14–0 1 Packers Dale Livingston 32-yard field goal Bears 14–3 2 Bears Jack Concannon 15-yard run (Mac Percival kick) Bears 21–3 3 Bears Dick Gordon 25-yard pass from Jack Concannon (Mac Percival kick) Bears 28–3 4 Packers Donny Anderson 7-yard run (Dale Livingston kick) Bears 28–10 4 Bears Ray Ogden 6-yard pass from Jack Concannon (Mac Percival kick) Bears 35–10 4 Packers John Hilton 29-yard pass from Rick Norton (Dale Livingston kick) Bears 35–17

Week 14

1 2 3 4 Total • Bears 0 7 3 14 24 Saints 0 3 0 0 3 Date: December 20 Location: Tulane Stadium, New Orleans Game start: 1:00 p.m. CST Game weather: 65°F; wind 7 Referee: Jack Reader TV announcers (CBS): Jack Drees and Eddie LeBaron

Scoring summary Q2 NO Dempsey 47 yard field goal NO 3–0 Q2 CHI Seymour 22 yard pass from Concannon (Percival kick) CHI 7–3 Q3 CHI Percival 50 yard field goal CHI 10–3 Q4 CHI Seymour 2 yard pass from Concannon (Percival kick) CHI 17–3 Q4 CHI Gordon 14 yard pass from Concannon (Percival kick) CHI 24–3

• Jack Concannon 26/50, 280 Yds
• Dick Gordon 9 Rec, 119 Yds

[12]

Standings

NFC Central
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Minnesota Vikings	12	2	0	.857	5–1	10–1	335	143	W3
Detroit Lions	10	4	0	.714	4–2	7–4	347	202	W5
Green Bay Packers	6	8	0	.429	2–4	4–7	196	293	L2
Chicago Bears	6	8	0	.429	1–5	5–6	256	261	W2

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

References

1. "Cancer fatal to Piccolo of Bears at 26". Milwaukee Journal. press dispatches. June 16, 1970. p. 13, part 2.
2. "Brian Piccolo is dead at 26". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. June 17, 1970. p. 19.
3. "Sayers, Halas praise Piccolo's courage". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. June 17, 1970. p. 1-part 2.
4. http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1970/07/22/page/49/article/bears-over-sue-evanston-n-u-over-use-of-dyche-stadium
5. "Pennant race at a glance". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). September 16, 1970. p. 16.
6. https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHC/1970-schedule-scores.shtml
7. http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1971/03/10/page/56/article/n-u-asks-special-big-10-meeting
8. http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1971/04/14/page/85/article/renovations-key-to-soldier-field
9. Pro-Football-Reference.com
10. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Sep-14.
11. Pro-Football-Reference.com
12. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Sep-14.