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Chicago Bears: Ranking the 5 best Thanksgiving games in team history

The Chicago Bears have a long and successful history in the National Football League. They have had their share of highlights on Thanksgiving.

By Russell S. Baxter

Unknown Date & Location; USA; FILE PHOTO; Chicago Bears head coach George Halas on the
Unknown Date & Location; USA; FILE PHOTO; Chicago Bears head coach George Halas on the / Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
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4. Bears 19, Lions 16 (1934)

It was the start of the tradition in the Motor City (as documented by Jon Gleit). The first Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit featured quite the battle of successful clubs. The Lions opened the season with 10 straight wins, but they stubbed their toes at home in their 11th outing, a 3-0 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile, George Halas (in his second stint as the Bears’ head coach), led his club to an 11-0 start and hoped to remain undefeated on Thanksgiving Day.

George “Potsy” Clark’s Lions opened the scoring when Ace Gutowsky ran for a four-yard touchdown in the first quarter. He led all players that day with 77 yards rushing and a pair of scores on 21 attempts. Detroit snapped a 7-all tie with nine straight points and owned a 16-7 advantage at halftime.

The Bears would score 12 unanswered points in the final two quarters. Jack Manders booted a pair of field goals in the third quarter and a pair of eventual Hall of Famers combined for a touchdown. Bronko Nagurski threw a two-yard TD pass to Bill Hewitt.

Halas’ club won that game and then defeated the Lions in the season finale to finish 13-0. However, the Bears were humbled in the 1934 NFL title game, 30-13, at the icy Polo Grounds.

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