1965 Chicago Bears season
The 1965 Chicago Bears season was their 46th regular season completed in the National Football League. The team finished with a 9–5 record, earning them a third-place finish in the NFL Western Conference. The club improved over the dismal 5–9 record of the previous season. –QB Rudy Bukich 176 for 312, 2,641 yards, 20 touchdowns. They started the season 0–3, but thanks to rookies Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus, the team won 9 of the last 11 games. Sayers had a magnificent rookie season, and in one game against the San Francisco 49ers at Chicago's Wrigley Field on December 12, he scored six touchdowns in a 61–20 Bears win, the first time the Bears scored 61 points in a regular-season game. Sayers would set an NFL rookie record with 22 touchdowns in one season. The six-touchdown performance tied an NFL record and set a new Bears record.
| 1965 Chicago Bears season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | George Halas |
| General manager | George Halas |
| Head coach | George Halas |
| Home field | Wrigley Field |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–5 |
| Division place | 3rd Western |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
The 1965 Bears draft class was named No. 8 on NFL Top 10 draft classes.