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.^[1] Sayers would set an NFL rookie record with 22 touchdowns in one season.^[2] The six-touchdown performance tied an NFL record and set a new Bears record.^[3]

The 1965 Bears draft class was named No. 8 on NFL Top 10 draft classes.^[4]

1965 Chicago Bears roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 10 Rudy Bukich  9 Billy Wade Running backs (RB) 21 Jon Arnett 29 Ronnie Bull FB 32 Ralph Kurek 34 Joe Marconi 40 Gale Sayers Wide receivers (WR) 45 Dick Gordon 80 Jim Jones 47 Johnny Morris 84 Ron Smith CB Tight ends (TE) 89 Mike Ditka 85 Billy Martin

Offensive linemen (OL) 70 Herm Lee T 57 Dick Leeuwenburg T 50 Mike Pyle C 64 Mike Rabold G 67 George Seals G 63 Bob Wetoska T Defensive linemen (DL) 81 Doug Atkins DE 79 Dick Evey DT 76 John Johnson DT 78 Stan Jones DT 74 Bob Kilcullen DT 71 Earl Leggett DT 87 Ed O'Bradovich DE

Linebackers (LB) 51 Dick Butkus 31 Joe Fortunato 83 Roger LeClerc K 53 Jim Purnell Defensive backs (DB) 43 Larry Glueck 26 Bennie McRae CB 17 Richie Petitbon S 24 Rosey Taylor S 23 Dave Whitsell CB Special teams (ST) 88 Bobby Joe Green P

Rookies in italics

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue
1	September 19	at San Francisco 49ers	L 24–52	0–1	Kezar Stadium
2	September 26	at Los Angeles Rams	L 28–30	0–2	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
3	October 3	at Green Bay Packers	L 14–23	0–3	Lambeau Field
4	October 10	Los Angeles Rams	W 31–6	1–3	Wrigley Field
5	October 17	at Minnesota Vikings	W 45–37	2–3	Metropolitan Stadium
6	October 24	Detroit Lions	W 38–10	3–3	Wrigley Field
7	October 31	Green Bay Packers	W 31–10	4–3	Wrigley Field
8	November 7	Baltimore Colts	L 21–26	4–4	Wrigley Field
9	November 14	St. Louis Cardinals	W 34–13	5–4	Wrigley Field
10	November 21	at Detroit Lions	W 17–10	6–4	Tiger Stadium
11	November 28	at New York Giants	W 35–14	7–4	Yankee Stadium
12	December 5	at Baltimore Colts	W 13–0	8–4	Memorial Stadium
13	December 12	San Francisco 49ers	W 61–20	9–4	Wrigley Field
14	December 19	Minnesota Vikings	L 17–24	9–5	Wrigley Field
Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text.

1 2 3 4 Total Bears 3 0 0 21 24 • 49ers 0 24 21 7 52 Date: September 19 Location: Kezar Stadium

^[5]

1 2 3 4 Total Bears 0 14 14 0 28 • Rams 0 6 3 21 30 Date: September 26 Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

^[6]

1 2 3 4 Total Bears 0 0 7 7 14 • Packers 14 6 3 0 23 Date: October 3 Location: Lambeau Field

^[7]

1 2 3 4 Total Rams 0 3 3 0 6 • Bears 0 10 7 14 31 Date: October 10 Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C); wind 8 mph

^[8]

• Rudy Bukich 16/22, 299 Yds

1 2 3 4 Total • Bears 14 3 7 21 45 Vikings 0 13 10 14 37 Date: October 17 Location: Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, MN Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C); wind 12 mph

• Gale Sayers 297 all-purpose Yds

^[9]

1 2 3 4 Total Lions 0 3 0 7 10 • Bears 10 14 7 7 38 Date: October 24 Location: Wrigley Field

^[10]

1 2 3 4 Total Packers 7 3 0 0 10 • Bears 0 17 7 7 31 Date: October 31 Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C) • Wind 14 mph

^[11]

1 2 3 4 Total • Colts 0 10 14 2 26 Bears 0 0 7 14 21 Date: November 7 Location: Wrigley Field

^[12]

1 2 3 4 Total Cardinals 7 6 0 0 13 • Bears 10 0 7 17 34 Date: November 14 Location: Wrigley Field

^[13]

1 2 3 4 Total • Bears 0 10 7 0 17 Lions 7 3 0 0 10 Date: November 21 Location: Tiger Stadium

^[14]

1 2 3 4 Total • Bears 7 14 0 14 35 Giants 0 0 7 7 14 Date: November 28 Location: Yankee Stadium

^[15]

1 2 3 4 Total • Bears 7 3 3 0 13 Colts 0 0 0 0 0 Date: December 5 Location: Memorial Stadium

^[16]

Gale Sayers Six Touchdown Game. His last touchdown came on a 85-yard punt return.

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP SF CHI 1 Bears Gale Sayers 80-yard touchdown reception from Rudy Bukich, 2-point pass failed 0 6 1 Bears Mike Ditka 29-yard touchdown reception from Rudy Bukich, Roger LeClerc kick good 0 13 2 49ers Dave Parks 9-yard touchdown reception from John Brodie, Tommy Davis kick good 7 13 2 Bears Gale Sayers 21-yard touchdown run, Roger LeClerc kick good 7 20 2 49ers John David Crow 15-yard touchdown reception from John Brodie, Tommy Davis kick no good 13 20 2 Bears Gale Sayers 7-yard touchdown run, Roger LeClerc kick good 13 27 3 Bears Gale Sayers 50-yard touchdown run, Roger LeClerc kick good 13 34 3 Bears Gale Sayers 1-yard touchdown run, 2-point run failed 13 40 4 49ers Dave Kopay 2-yard touchdown run, Tommy Davis kick good 20 40 4 Bears Jimmy Jones 8-yard touchdown reception from Rudy Bukich, Roger LeClerc kick good 20 47 4 Bears Punt returned 85 yards for touchdown by Gale Sayers, Roger LeClerc kick good 20 54 4 Bears Jon Arnett 2-yard touchdown run, Roger LeClerc kick good 20 61 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 20 61

1 2 3 4 Total • Vikings 0 0 3 21 24 Bears 0 0 7 10 17 Date: December 19 Location: Wrigley Field

^[17]

NFL Western Conference
	W	L	T	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Green Bay Packers	10	3	1	.769	8–3–1	316	224	T1
Baltimore Colts	10	3	1	.769	8–3–1	389	284	W1
Chicago Bears	9	5	0	.643	7–5	409	275	L1
San Francisco 49ers	7	6	1	.538	6–5–1	421	402	T1
Minnesota Vikings	7	7	0	.500	5–7	383	403	W2
Detroit Lions	6	7	1	.462	4–7–1	257	295	W1
Los Angeles Rams	4	10	0	.286	2–10	269	328	L1

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

• Gale Sayers, NFL rookie record, most touchdowns in one season (22)
• Gale Sayers, NFL record (tied), most touchdowns in one game (6)
• Gale Sayers, club record, most touchdowns in one game (6)