The 1931 season was the Chicago Bears' 12th in the National Football League. The team was unable to improve on their 9–4–1 record from 1930 and finished with an 8–5 record under sophomore head coach Ralph Jones. The club finished in third place once again behind the Green Bay Packers and the Portsmouth Spartans. The Bears opened the season well, winning three of their first four games, including victories over the Cardinals and Giants. Chicago then dropped two in a row, both at home to the Packers and Yellowjackets. Four consecutive wins in the middle of the season put the Bears back in contention; however, another weak ending, losing two of their last three, made the season somewhat of a disappointment. Grange and Nagurski again carried the team, with 9 touchdowns between them (7 by Grange). The Bears' biggest weakness was an aging interior line, with few young linemen joining the team who had an impact. They also lacked a consistent kicking game, now that Paddy Driscoll and the Sternaman brothers had all retired. Owner George Halas would remedy these problems over the next few years and get the Bears back on top.
| 1931 Chicago Bears season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Ralph Jones |
| Home field | Wrigley Field |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–5 |
| League place | 3rd NFL |
Future Hall of Fame players
edit- Red Grange, back
- Link Lyman, tackle
- Bronko Nagurski, fullback
- George Trafton, center
Other leading players
edit- Carl Brumbaugh, quarterback
- Garland Grange, end
- Luke Johnsos, end
- Keith Molesworth, back
- William Senn, back
Other players
edit- Joe Lintzenich, FB/HB
Players departed from 1930
edit- Joe Sternaman, quarterback (retired)
Schedule
edit| Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 18 | Cleveland Indians | W 21–0 | 1–0 | Loyola Stadium |
| September 27 | at Green Bay Packers | L 0–7 | 1–1 | City Stadium |
| October 11 | New York Giants | W6–0 | 2–1 | Wrigley Field |
| October 18 | Chicago Cardinals | W 26–13 | 3–1 | Wrigley Field |
| October 25 | Frankford Yellow Jackets | L 12–13 | 3–2 | Wrigley Field |
| November 1 | Green Bay Packers | L 2–6 | 3–3 | Wrigley Field |
| November 8 | Portsmouth Spartans | W 9–6 | 4–3 | Wrigley Field |
| November 15 | at New York Giants | W 12–6 | 5–3 | Polo Grounds |
| November 22 | at Brooklyn Dodgers | W 26–0 | 6–3 | Ebbets Field |
| November 26 | Chicago Cardinals | W 18–7 | 7–3 | Wrigley Field |
| November 29 | at Portsmouth Spartans | L 0–3 | 7–4 | Universal Stadium |
| December 6 | Green Bay Packers | W 7–6 | 8–4 | Wrigley Field |
| December 13 | New York Giants | L 6–25 | 8–5 | Wrigley Field |
Standings
edit| NFL standings | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |||
| Green Bay Packers | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 291 | 87 | L1 | ||
| Portsmouth Spartans | 11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 175 | 77 | W1 | ||
| Chicago Bears | 8 | 5 | 0 | .615 | 145 | 92 | L1 | ||
| Chicago Cardinals | 5 | 4 | 0 | .556 | 120 | 128 | W1 | ||
| New York Giants | 7 | 6 | 1 | .538 | 154 | 100 | W2 | ||
| Providence Steam Roller | 4 | 4 | 3 | .500 | 78 | 127 | T1 | ||
| Staten Island Stapletons | 4 | 6 | 1 | .400 | 79 | 118 | W2 | ||
| Cleveland Indians | 2 | 8 | 0 | .200 | 45 | 137 | L5 | ||
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 2 | 12 | 0 | .143 | 64 | 199 | L8 | ||
| Frankford Yellow Jackets | 1 | 6 | 1 | .143 | 13 | 99 | L2 | ||
- Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
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