1931 Chicago Bears season

1931 Chicago Bears season
Head coach	Ralph Jones
Home field	Wrigley Field
Results
Record	8–5
League place	3rd NFL

Season Overview

The 1931 Chicago Bears season was their 12th regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted 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 lineman 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.

Future Hall of Fame Players

• Red Grange, Back
• Link Lyman, Tackle
• Bronko Nagurski, Fullback
• George Trafton, Center

Other Leading Players

• Carl Brumbaugh, Quarterback
• Garland Grange, End
• Luke Johnsos, End
• Keith Molesworth, Back
• William Senn, Back

Other Players

• Joe Lintzenich, FB/HB

Players Departed from 1930

• Joe Sternaman, Quarterback (retired)

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Location	Result	Score	Record
Sep 18	Cleveland Indians	Loyola Stadium	Win	21–0	1–0–0
Sep 27	Green Bay Packers	Green Bay City Stadium	Loss	0–7	1–1–0
Oct. 11	New York Giants	Wrigley Field	Win	6–0	2–1–0
Oct 18	Chicago Cardinals	Wrigley Field	Win	26–13	3–1–0
Oct 25	Frankford Yellow Jackets	Wrigley Field	Loss	12–13	3–2–0
Nov 1	Green Bay Packers	Wrigley Field	Loss	2–6	3–3–0
Nov 8	Portsmouth Spartans	Wrigley Field	Win	9–6	4–3–0
Nov 15	New York Giants	Polo Grounds	Win	12–6	5–3–0
Nov 22	Brooklyn Dodgers	Ebbets Field	Win	26–0	6–3–0
Nov 26	Chicago Cardinals	Wrigley Field	Win	18–7	7–3–0
Nov. 29	Portsmouth Spartans	Portsmouth Universal Stadium	Loss	0–3	7–4–0
Dec. 6	Green Bay Packers	Wrigley Field	Win	7–6	8–4–0
Dec. 13	New York Giants	Wrigley Field	Loss	6–25	8–5–0

Standings

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.