1933 Chicago Bears season
1933 Chicago Bears season
The Bears, in their 14th NFL season and 11th under head coach George Halas, finished 10–2–1 and won the NFL West. They beat the New York Giants 23–21 in the NFL Championship at Wrigley Field.
They started strong, winning the first six games and allowing only 33 points. Midseason road struggles included losses to Boston and New York and a tie with the new Philadelphia Eagles. They finished with four straight wins, including two over Portsmouth, to clinch the division by 3½ games.
The team was known for tough defense, a strong passing attack, and superb kicking. George "Moose" Musso joined the line, giving them a big boost. The offense relied heavily on the pass, though Red Grange and Bronko Nagurski still led the running game. End Bill Hewitt and rookie Bill Karr improved the aerial attack; Hewitt had 16 receptions for 274 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Jack Manders, nicknamed "Automatic," was a key kicker, converting all 14 extra-point attempts and leading the league with six field goals. The rules change moving the ball back to the hash marks also helped kickers.
In the championship game, the Bears and Giants traded leads before a late scoring play sealed the win: a pass from Nagurski to Hewitt, who lateraled to Karr for a 36-yard touchdown with less than three minutes remaining. The Bears won 23–21, earning their second straight title and third overall.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:17 (CET).