The opportunistic Bear defense matched up well against the passing offense of their Championship Game opponent, the New York Giants. The Giants had scored a league-high 32 points per game, while the Bears had allowed an average of only 10 points. Something had to give in the 8-degree temperatures at Wrigley Field.
The Bears' missed an opportunity to get on the board first when Quarterback Bill Wade fumbled in Giants' territory. Giant QB Y.A. Tittle led his team down the field, capping an 83-yard drive with a touchdown pass to Flanker Frank Gifford. It looked like the team that prided itself on making the opponent make mistakes was self-destructing when the Bears' Willie Galimore fumbled on the Bears' 31. Giant Split End Del Shofner dropped a Tittle pass in the end zone, though, and the Giants couldn't press their advantage.
The Bears finally showed their true colors when Linebacker Larry Morris intercepted a Tittle screen pass and returned it to the Giants' 5-yard line. Wade tied the game on a quarterback sneak two plays later. A Don Chandler field goal gave the Giants a 10-7 halftime lead, and gave the Giants hope of avenging their 4 Championship Game losses in the previous 5 years.
It was not to be. Larry Morris injured Tittle's knee in the second quarter, and the Giant passer had trouble after that point. Late in the third quarter, the Bears duplicated their first scoring drive, as Defensive End Ed O'Bradovich intercepted an attempted screen pass, and rumbled to the Giants' 14. Another short drive ended with a Wade sneak. From that point on, the Giants added only to their interception total, not the score, as Tittle was picked off a total of 5 times and the Bears won 14-10. Changes in the NFL probably mean that this will be the last championship that the Bears will ever win in the cold of Chicago. The next title for the Bears would be played in a dome, at a neutral site, and under the leadership of one of the Bears' top receivers in the 1963 game, Mike Ditka.
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Schedule Chi 10 GB 3 Chi 28 Min 7 Chi 37 Det 21 Bal 3 Chi 10 Chi 52 LA 14 Chi 14 SF 20 Phi 7 Chi 16 Chi 17 Bal 7 LA 0 Chi 6 GB 7 Chi 26 Chi 17 Pit 17 Min 17 Chi 17 SF 7 Chi 27 Det 14 Chi 24 NYG 10 Chi 14 (Championship) |
Roster |