Season overview

The 1935

1935 NFL season

The 1935 NFL season was the 16th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Detroit Lions defeated the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game....

 Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 season was their 16th regular season

Regular season (NFL)

The National Football League regular season begins the weekend after Labor Day. Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Traditionally, the majority of each week's games are played on Sunday afternoon, with weekly games on Sunday night and Monday night, and occasional games on Thursday...

 completed in the National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

. The club posted a 6-4-2 record, finished in a tie for third (and last) place in the Western Division, and failed to return to the championship game. The Bears had little trouble with the weaker teams in the league, led the league in scoring, and occasionally showed signs of brilliance against top-flight competition, but for the most part they were outclassed by the Lions, Packers, and Giants. The biggest problem was the veterans from the 1920s had largely retired or were past their prime but not enough young talent had emerged to offset these losses. In particular, the retirement of Link Lyman and Red Grange hurt the team, especially on defense. Additionally, Bronko Nagurski and Bill Hewitt were injured for large portions of the season and could not play to their normal level.

Season highlights

Keith Molesworth was the brightest spot on offense, and was a triple threat

Triple threat man

In gridiron football, the phrase triple-threat man refers to a player who excels at all three of the skills of running, passing, and kicking. In modern usage, such a player would be referred to as a utility player....

 from the halfback position. Bernie Masterson ran the T-formation adequately but was not particularly accurate as a passer. Luke Johnsos was the most reliable end and led the team in receptions. Gene Ronzani led the club in rushing, but Feathers, Molesworth, and Manders shared rushing duties. Manders had a subpar year as a kicker, making only 1 of 8 field goals. The Bears lost to Green Bay twice, to Detroit once (tying the Lions in the other game), split the series with New York, and beat the Redskins in their only meeting. After a 5-2 start, the Bears faded in the end, winning only 1 of their last 5 games, with one tie. Of note, every other team in the NFL ran either the Single Wing or the A Formation

A Formation

In American football, the A formation was a variation of the single-wing formation used with great success by the New York Giants of the 1930s and early 1940s...

 (a variant of the Single Wing run only by the Giants), but the Bears still used the T formation

T formation

In American football, a T formation is a formation used by the offensive team in which three running backs line up in a row about five yards behind the quarterback, forming the shape of a "T"....

. Many today falsely believe the Bears of the 1940s "invented" the modern T and then everyone adopted it. The truth is everyone ran the T when the league began in 1920. All the other teams switched to the Single Wing after it was perfected in the college game. Meanwhile, coach George Halas

George Halas

George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...

 and his assistants perfected the T, which they never changed from, and other teams switched back from the Single Wing only after the Bears of the 1940s demonstrated the T's superiority.

Future Hall of Fame Players

• Bill Hewitt, End
• George Musso
  George Musso
  George Francis Musso was an American National Football League lineman, playing both offensive guard and tackle as well as defensive middle guard...
  
  , Tackle
• Bronko Nagurski
  Bronko Nagurski
  Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski was a Canadian-born American football player. He was also a successful professional wrestler, recognized as a multiple-time world heavyweight champion.-Youth and collegiate career:...
  
  , Fullback

Other Leading Players

• Beattie Feathers
  Beattie Feathers
  William Beattie "Big Chief" Feathers was an American football running back in the NFL. He played for the Chicago Bears, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Green Bay Packers during his seven year career. He was the first player in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in one season...
  
  , Halfback
• Luke Johnsos
  Luke Johnsos
  Luke Andrew Johnsos, Sr. was an American football player, assistant coach, and head coach for the National Football League's Chicago Bears franchise. He started with the Bears in 1929 at the age of 23 as an All-Pro end. He played eight NFL seasons in Chicago finishing his playing career in 1936...
  
  , End
• Bill Karr
  Bill Karr
  William Morrison Karr Jr. was an end who played six seasons in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears. Karr attended West Virginia University....
  
  , End
• Joe Kopcha
  Joe Kopcha
  Joseph Edwards "Joe" Kopcha is a former professional American football player....
  
  , Guard
• Jack Manders
  Jack Manders
  Jack "Automatic Jack" Manders was a National Football League running back for the Chicago Bears from 1933 through 1940. He is the older brother of Clarence Manders....
  
  , Fullback / Kicker
• Bernie Masterson
  Bernie Masterson
  -External links:...
  
  , Quarterback
• Keith Molesworth
  Keith Molesworth
  Keith Frank Molesworth was an American football player and coach. He also played and managed in minor league baseball....
  
  , Halfback
• Gene Ronzani
  Gene Ronzani
  Gene Ronzani was the second head coach of the Green Bay Packers. He coached the Packers from 1951 until 1953. He resigned with two games remaining in the 1953 season and was replaced on an interim basis by the tandem of Hugh Devore and Ray Scooter McLean....
  
  , Back

Players departed from 1934

• Carl Brumbaugh
  Carl Brumbaugh
  Carl Lowry Brumbaugh was an American college and professional football player who was a quarterback and halfback in the National Football League for nine seasons in the 1930s...
  
  , Quarterback (did not play for unknown reasons)
• Red Grange
  Red Grange
  Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
  
  , Back (retired)
• Walt Kiesling
  Walt Kiesling
  Walter Andrew Kiesling was an American football player and coach.-Playing career:A native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Kiesling played both offensive and defensive line at the University of St. Thomas...
  
  , Guard (signed by Packers)
• Link Lyman, Tackle (retired)

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Location	Result	Score
Sep. 22	Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...	East Stadium	Loss	0-7
Sep. 29	Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...	Forbes Field Forbes Field Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...	Win	23-7
Oct. 13	Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	Baker Bowl Baker Bowl Baker Bowl is the best-known popular name of a baseball park that formerly stood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Its formal name, painted on its outer wall, was National League Park. It was also initially known as Philadelphia Park or Philadelphia Base Ball Grounds.It was on a small...	Win	39-0
Oct. 20	Brooklyn Dodgers Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) The Brooklyn Dodgers were an American football team that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943, and in 1944 as the Brooklyn Tigers. The team played its home games at Ebbets Field. In 1945, because of financial difficulties, the team was merged with the Boston Yanks...	Wrigley Field Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...	Win	24-14
Oct. 27	Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...	Wrigley Field Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...	Loss	14-17
Nov. 3	New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	Polo Grounds Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...	Win	20-3
Nov. 10	Boston Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...	Fenway Park Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...	Win	30-14
Nov. 17	New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...	Wrigley Field Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...	Loss	0-3
Nov. 24	Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...	Wrigley Field Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...	Tie	20-20
Nov. 28	Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...	Titan Stadium University of Detroit Stadium University of Detroit Stadium, also known as U of D Stadium, Titan Stadium, or Dinan Field, was a stadium in Detroit, Michigan on the campus of the University of Detroit...	Loss	2-14
Dec. 1	Chicago Cardinals	Wrigley Field Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...	Tie	7-7
Dec. 8	Chicago Cardinals	Wrigley Field Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...	Win	13-0

Standings

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PTS=Points Scored, OPP=Opponents' Points

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

NFL Western Eastern and Western Divisions (NFL) 1933-69 The Eastern and Western Divisions of the National Football League, renamed the American and National Conferences in 1950 and then the Eastern and Western Conferences in 1953, were organized as a result of the disputed NFL championship of 1932...
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
Detroit Lions 1935 Detroit Lions season The 1935 Detroit Lions season resulted in the Lions winning their first NFL Championship. In their second season in Detroit, the Lions placed first in the NFL's Western Division and went on to defeat the New York Giants in the 1935 NFL Championship Game. The team was coached by Potsy Clark...	7	3	2	.700	191	111	W-2
Green Bay Packers 1935 Green Bay Packers season The 1935 Green Bay Packers season was their 15th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 8-4 record under coach Curly Lambeau, earning them a second-place finish in the Western Conference. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive...	8	4	0	.667	181	96	W-1
Chicago Cardinals 1935 Chicago Cardinals season The 1935 Chicago Cardinals season was their 16th in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 5-6, winning six games. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...	6	4	2	.600	99	97	L-1
Chicago Bears	6	4	2	.600	192	106	W-1