Bears–Packers rivalry

The Bears–Packers rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.

The rivalry began in the 1921 season when the Packers joined the American Professional Football Association (APFA). Since then, both teams have competed against each other every season, except for the 1922 and 1982 seasons. They have faced each other at least twice in all but one non-strike season since 1924. The Bears and Packers have been in the same conference or division since the NFL adopted its conference structure in the 1933 season. They were part of the NFL's Western Conference from 1933 until 1970. Following the AFL–NFL merger, the Bears and Packers were assigned to the National Football Conference (NFC) and the NFC Central, which was later rebranded as the NFC North during the 2002 NFL season. The Bears maintained a dominant winning record over the Packers for several decades, at two times leading the series by as many as 24 games. However, due to exceptional quarterback performances from the Packers and ongoing struggles and inconsistency from the Bears, the Packers surpassed the Bears in the overall series record during the 2017 season.

Both teams began as company teams and are among the oldest franchises in the NFL. With 213 meetings, the rivalry is the league’s most-played matchup. Both franchises rank among the top five in NFL history in all-time win-loss records, and they also hold the record for the most total wins in league history. The Packers surpassed the Bears for the all-time wins lead during the 2022 season. Together, the teams have 77 inductees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (41 from Chicago and 36 from Green Bay) and have won 22 NFL championships (13 by Green Bay and 9 by Chicago), the highest and second-highest totals in league history. They have also won five Super Bowls, four by the Packers and one by the Bears.

The Packers lead the overall series, 109–98–6. The two teams have met three times in the playoffs, with the Bears winning two of three.

Background

The Bears originated in 1919 as the Decatur Staleys, a works team of the A. E. Staley Manufacturing Company. They transitioned to professional status in 1920 and became a charter member of the American Professional Football Association (APFA), which later evolved into the NFL, within the same year. In the 1921 season, the team relocated to Chicago and adopted the name Bears in the 1922 season. Similarly, the Packers were established in 1919, initially supported by the Indian Packing Company and later by the Acme Packing Company. They became a member of the APFA in 1921.

Notable games and moments

1920s–1950s Staleys 20, Packers 0 (November 27, 1921) – The two organizations played for the first time in 1921 at Chicago, when the Bears were named the Chicago Staleys. Bears' Gaylord "Pete" Stinchcomb scored the game's first touchdown on a 45-yard run. The Bears shut out the Packers 20–0 in their first meeting, and the rivalry was born. A year later, the Staleys changed their team name to the Bears. Bears 3, Packers 0 (November 23, 1924) – The Bears–Packers rivalry can be credited for the first ever ejection of players for fighting during an NFL game. The Bears' Frank Hanny and Packers' Tillie Voss were ejected before the end of the first half as verbal exchanges led to punches being thrown. Two years later, Hanny was ejected once again in a game versus Green Bay. Packers 7, Bears 0 (September 28, 1930) – The Packers shut out the Bears for the fifth consecutive game in this contest which is the longest such streak in the series. The streak began in 1928 when the Packers defeated the Bears 6–0 on December 9 of that season. In 1929, the Packers shut out the Bears three times, 23–0, 14–0, and 25–0 en route to their first NFL championship. On November 9, the Bears finally scored on the Packers although they came up short in the final score 13–12. The Packers then went on to win their second consecutive NFL title that season. Packers 7, Bears 0 (September 22, 1935) – On the first play of the game, rookie receiver Don Hutson scored on an 83-yard touchdown pass from Arnie Herber for the only score of the game. This was Hutson's first career reception and touchdown in what would become a historic Hall of Fame career. Bears 30, Packers 3 (September 20, 1936) – During a dominant Bears victory, Packers fan Emmett Platten, out of frustration, ran out onto the field and punched Bears lineman Ted Rosequist, believing Rosequist had committed several dirty plays on the Packers. Rosequist was knocked out by the punch and had to be removed from the game. Platten received no actual punishment for his actions, but was publicly admonished by the Green Bay Press Gazette newspaper. Packers 16, Bears 14 (November 2, 1941) – The Bears came into the game undefeated and seemingly invincible. Over their first five games, they defeated their rivals by an unprecedented 157 points. However, the Packers upset them in this game which was the Bears lone defeat that season. The Associated Press wrote of the game that the "Chicago Bears myth is broken". Chicago fans made accusations that the game had been fixed, and it was suggested that the Packers had employed a "secret" defensive scheme. The Packers had built a 16–0 lead through the first three quarters of play before the Bears mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter coming up just short of a win. Bears 33, Packers 14 (December 14, 1941) – In the first playoff meeting between the two rivals, the Bears defeated the Packers 33–14 in a one-game-playoff to determine the Western Division championship. After the Packers, the Bears defeated the New York Giants en route to their fourth NFL Championship. Until the 2010 post-season, this remained the only playoff meeting between the teams. Bears 52, Packers 31 (November 6, 1955) – The Bears and Packers played the highest-scoring game of their series at Soldier Field in the 1955 season. The Bears created a huge 45–3 lead, but the Packers were able to score 28 points in the fourth quarter; by the game's end, the Bears beat the Packers 52–31, with the two teams combining for 83 points. This was also the last game that George Halas coached the Bears in against the Packers until 1958 due to a temporary break from coaching. Packers 21, Bears 17 (September 29, 1957) – The Packers hosted the Bears in the inaugural game of their brand new stadium, initially called New City Stadium (later changed to Lambeau Field in 1965). Among the attendees to the game included NFL Commissioner Bert Bell, United States Vice President Richard Nixon, actor James Arness, and Miss America 1958, Marilyn Van Derbur. Playing behind several times during the game, the Packers finally were able to gain the lead in the 4th quarter on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Babe Parilli to Gary Knafelc for the winning points. Packers 9, Bears 6 (September 27, 1959) – In the debut game of new Packers head coach, Vince Lombardi, the Packers fell behind the Bears 6–0, until Jim Taylor scored on a 5-yard touchdown run, giving the Packers the lead. Dave Hanner followed the touchdown with a safety, sacking Bears quarterback Ed Brown in the Bears' endzone to cap off the victory. The Packers celebrated their first win under their new coach by carrying him off at the end of the game.

1960s–1970s Packers 31, Bears 28 (November 12, 1961) – The Packers built up an impressive 31–7 lead in the game, but the Bears made a furious comeback with three unanswered touchdowns to make the score 31–28. Still, the Packers were able to win the game; they would go on to win the NFL Championship that year against the New York Giants. Packers 49, Bears 0 (September 30, 1962) – Vince Lombardi's Packers shutout George Halas' Bears, 49–0 at City Stadium, the Packers largest margin of victory in the rivalry. The team repeated that score against the Philadelphia Eagles six weeks later on Nov 11, 1962. The games remain a Packers team record for most points in a shutout victory. After again defeating the Bears later in the season, this time by a score of 38–7, the Packers won their 8th NFL championship. Motivated by the two humiliating losses to the Packers, Halas spent the off-season focusing on beating the Packers. Bears 26, Packers 7 (November 17, 1963) – The Bears and Packers, both with 8–1 records, met at Wrigley Field to play for first place in the Western Conference. Chicago, behind a dominant defense, got a 26–0 lead and held on to win 26–7, completing a sweep of the Packers in the 1963 season and handling Green Bay only two losses of the season. The Bears finished the season with an NFL championship victory over the New York Giants once again, claiming their 8th NFL Championship. Packers 23, Bears 12 (September 13, 1964) – Remembered as the "Free Kick Game" because the Packers invoked the surprising "Fair catch kick rule", which allows for a place or drop kick field goal attempt from the spot of a fair catch. Elijah Pitts fair caught a Bears punt on the Bears' 48-yard-line just before the end of the first half. Packers' coach Vince Lombardi opted to attempt a free kick. Confusion ensued as neither team had ever so much as even practiced a free kick. The Packers lined up at the line of scrimmage with Bart Starr holding for Paul Hornung. Hornung made the 52-yard field goal as the first half ended. The Packers stunned all in attendance with the kick and won the game 23–12. Bears 13, Packers 10 (November 3, 1968) – The Bears got their revenge on the Packers, beating them 13–10 on a fair catch free kick by Mac Percival at the 43-yard line after a Packers punt with 26 seconds left in the game. Percival kicked a game-winner the week before against the Minnesota Vikings.

1980s

Packers 12, Bears 6 (September 7, 1980) – Known as the Chester Marcol Game, with the score tied 6–6 and the game in overtime, Packers kicker Chester Marcol was called in to attempt a game-winning field goal. The Bears' Alan Page managed to break through and block the field goal, with the football hitting his helmet. The ball rebounded to Marcol, and, carrying the ball, he crossed the goal line to score the winning touchdown for the Packers. Bears 61, Packers 7 (December 7, 1980) – In the game, the Bears scored eight offensive touchdowns. After the Packers had suffered the second-most lopsided defeat in their history, Bart Starr charged across the field to confront Bears coach Neill Armstrong. Starr was upset because Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan had the Bears blitzing from all angles in the fourth quarter, even after the Packers inserted backup quarterback David Whitehurst with the score 48–7. "Bart Starr was upset," Armstrong said after the game. "He did the talking and I did the listening. He said he'd rather not hear what I had to say, something to that effect, and he left." Two years later, Bill Tobin, the Bears' vice president of player personnel at the time, revealed that he had been instructed by general manager Jim Finks during the off-season to study film and decode the Packers' signal system for relaying plays to the quarterback. Tobin, who had been in the Packers' front office during the Devine years, had been fired by Starr in 1975 as part of a wholesale housecleaning. "I went at it like a tiger does good meat," Tobin said at the time. Bears 23, Packers 7 (October 21, 1985) – The world was introduced to rookie defensive lineman William "The Refrigerator" Perry on Monday Night Football.America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions, "#2. 1985 Chicago Bears." Premiered on CBS, February 3, 2007 In goal line situations, Bears head coach Mike Ditka used Perry, who weighed roughly 300 lbs in the fullback position. Twice, Perry led the way for Bears legend Walter Payton on two- and one-yard touchdown runs. In the second quarter, "the Fridge" was given the ball and plunged into the end zone for one of the heaviest touchdowns in NFL history. The Bears won 23–7, and "The Fridge" was born.