1971 Chicago Bears season

1971 Chicago Bears season
Owner	George Halas
Head coach	Jim Dooley
Home field	Soldier Field
Results
Record	6–8
Division place	3rd NFC Central
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
← 1970 Bears seasons 1972 →

1971 Chicago Bears draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	11	Joe Moore	Running back	Missouri
2	28	Jim Harrison	Running back	Missouri
2	36	Charlie Ford	Cornerback	Houston
3	64	Tony McGee	Defensive end	Bishop
3	71	Bob Newton	Tackle	Nebraska
4	89	Jerry Moore	Defensive back	Arkansas
6	135	Earl Thomas	Wide receiver	Houston
7	167	Buddy Lee	Quarterback	LSU
Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

**1971 Chicago Bears final roster**

	Quarterbacks 11 Jack Concannon 10 Bobby Douglass 16 Kent Nix Running backs 33 Jim GrabowskiFB 35 Jim HarrisonFB 22 Cyril Pinder 24 Don Shy 34 Bill Tucker Wide receivers 43 George Farmer 45 Dick Gordon 84 Jim Seymour 21 Cecil Turner Tight ends 82 Earl Thomas 89 Bob Wallace		Offensive linemen 72 Jim CadileG 70 Jeff CurchinT 52 Rich CoadyC 50 Gene HamlinC 61 Glen HollowayG 65 Randy JacksonT 78 Bob NewtonG 73 Steve WrightT Defensive linemen 75 Dave HaleDT 79 John HoffmanDE 85 Willie HolmanDE 71 Tony McGeeDE 87 Ed O'BradovichDE 67 George SealsDT 76 Bill StaleyDT		Linebackers 31 Ross Brupbacher 55 Doug Buffone 51 Dick Butkus 30 Jimmy Gunn 53 Larry Rowden Defensive backs 32 Charlie FordCB 17 Cliff Hardy 29 Bob JeterCB 18 Jerry Moore 44 Garry LyleFS 48 Ron SmithSS 20 Joe TaylorCB Special teams 88 Bobby Joe GreenP 83 Mac PercivalK		Reserve lists 46 Craig BaynhamRB(IRTooltip Injured reserve) 40 Gale SayersRB(IRTooltip Injured reserve) Practice squad -- Leo JohnsonWR Rookies in italics

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 19	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 17–15	1–0	Soldier Field	55,049
2	September 26	atMinnesota Vikings	W 20–17	2–0	Metropolitan Stadium	47,900
3	October 3	atLos Angeles Rams	L 3–17	2–1	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	66,957
4	October 10	New Orleans Saints	W 35–14	3–1	Soldier Field	55,049
5	October 17	atSan Francisco 49ers	L 0–13	3–2	Candlestick Park	44,000
6	October 24	atDetroit Lions	W 28–23	4–2	Tiger Stadium	54,418
7	October 31	Dallas Cowboys	W 23–19	5–2	Soldier Field	55,049
8	November 7	Green Bay Packers	L 14–17	5–3	Soldier Field	55,049
9	November 14	Washington Redskins	W 16–15	6–3	Soldier Field	55,049
10	November 21	Detroit Lions	L 3–28	6–4	Soldier Field	55,049
11	November 29	atMiami Dolphins	L 3–34	6–5	Miami Orange Bowl	75,312
12	December 5	atDenver Broncos	L 3–6	6–6	Mile High Stadium	51,200
13	December 12	atGreen Bay Packers	L 10–31	6–7	Lambeau Field	56,263
14	December 19	Minnesota Vikings	L 10–27	6–8	Soldier Field	55,049
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Week 1

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Week One: Pittsburgh Steelers (0–0) at Chicago Bears (0–0)

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	6	6	3	15
Bears	0	3	0	14	17

atSoldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Date: September 19, 1971
Game time: 2:00 p.m.
Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C)
Game attendance: 55,049
Referee: Bernie Ulman
Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information

Second quarter

PIT – Preston Pearson fumble recovery in end zone (kick failed). Steelers 6–0. Drive:
CHI – Mac Percival 33-yard field goal. Steelers 6–3. Drive:

Third quarter

PIT – Roy Gerela 32-yard field goal. Steelers 9–3. Drive:
PIT – Roy Gerela 29-yard field goal. Steelers 12–3. Drive:

Fourth quarter

PIT – Roy Gerela 42-yard field goal. Steelers 15–3. Drive:
CHI – Ross Brupbacher 30-yard fumble return (Mac Percival kick). Steelers 15–10.
CHI – George Farmer 8-yard pass from Kent Nix (Mac Percival kick). Bears 17–15. Drive:

Top passers

PIT – Terry Bradshaw – 10/24, 129 yards, 4 INT
CHI – Jack Concannon – 15/26, 116 yards, INT

Top rushers

PIT – John Fuqua – 17 rushes, 114 yards
CHI – Don Shy – 9 rushes, 19 yards

Top receivers

PIT – Ron Shanklin – 6 receptions, 113 yards
CHI – George Farmer – 4 receptions, 59 yards, TD

Week 2

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	1	2	3	4	Total
• Bears	0	0	3	17	20
Vikings	0	7	10	0	17

Date: September 26
Location: Metropolitan Stadium
Game start: 1:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C); wind 13 mph (21 km/h)
Referee: Fred Silva

Scoring summary

Q2	MIN	Grim 4 yard pass from Cuozzo (Cox kick)	MIN 7–0

Q3	CHI	Percival 45 yard field goal	MIN 7–3

Q3	MIN	Grim 52 yard pass from Cuozzo (Cox kick)	MIN 14–3

Q3	MIN	Cox 14 yard field goal	MIN 17–3

Q4	CHI	Gordon 36 yard pass from Nix (Percival kick)	MIN 17–10

Q4	CHI	Percival 45 yard field goal	MIN 17–13

Q4	CHI	Gordon 19 yard pass from Nix (Percival kick)	CHI 20–17

Dick Gordon 10 Rec, 115 Yds

^[1]

Week 6

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Week Six: Chicago Bears (3–2) at Detroit Lions (4–1)

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	7	14	0	7	28
Lions	6	14	3	0	23

atTiger Stadium, Detroit, Michigan

Date: October 24, 1971
Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C)
Game attendance: 54,418
Referee: Jack Reader
Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information

First quarter

DET – Errol Mann 28-yard field goal. Lions 3–0. Drive:
CHI – Don Shy 21-yard run (Mac Percival kick). Bears 7–3. Drive:
DET – Errol Mann 49-yard field goal. Bears 7–6. Drive:

Second quarter

CHI – George Farmer 54-yard pass from Bobby Douglass (Mac Percival kick). Bears 14–6. Drive:
DET – Ron Jessie 102-yard kickoff return (Errol Mann kick). Bears 14–13.
DET – Larry Walton 16-yard pass from Greg Landry (Errol Mann kick). Lions 20–14. Drive:
CHI – Bob Wallace 15-yard pass from Bobby Douglass (Mac Percival kick). Bears 21–20. Drive:

Third quarter

DET – Errol Mann 29-yard field goal. Lions 23–21. Drive:

Fourth quarter

CHI – Bobby Douglass 1-yard run (Mac Percival kick). Bears 28–23. Drive:

Top passers

CHI – Bobby Douglass – 15/21, 160 yards, 2 TD
DET – Greg Landry – 11/26, 173 yards, TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

CHI – Don Shy – 18 rushes, 99 yards, TD
DET – Steve Owens – 16 rushes, 81 yards

Top receivers

CHI – George Farmer – 6 receptions, 95 yards, TD
DET – Altie Taylor – 4 receptions, 41 yards

Chuck Hughes became the first NFL player to die on the field during a game.

NFC Central
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Minnesota Vikings	11	3	0	.786	5–1	9–2	245	139	W2
Detroit Lions	7	6	1	.538	2–3–1	3–6–1	341	286	L2
Chicago Bears	6	8	0	.429	2–4	5–6	185	276	L5
Green Bay Packers	4	8	2	.333	2–3–1	2–7–2	274	298	L1

1971 Chicago Bears season

Contents

Offseason

NFL draft

Roster

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 1

Week 2

Week 6

Standings

References

Languages