# 1923 Chicago Bears season

The 1923 Chicago Bears season was their fourth regular season completed in the National Football League. The team was able to improve on their 9–3 record from 1922 and finished with a 9–2–1 record under head coach/player George Halas earning them a second-place finish in the team standings earning, the third time in the last four years. As was normal for those days, the Bears played a few games on the road at the beginning of the season and then finished the season with a 9-game homestand.
The Bears started very slow, losing 2 of their first 4 games and scoring only 6 points during those games (their two wins were both won 3–0). After losing 6–0 to eventual champion Canton Bulldogs in week 4, the Bears went undefeated after that. As in 1922, the Sternaman brothers — team co-owner and halfback Dutch and little brother quarterback Joey — starred, combining to score 5 touchdowns, 6 field goals, and 8 PATs. Johnny Bryan emerged as a scoring threat as well, running for 4 scores and passing for another.
In week 6's game against the Oorang Indians, George Halas set an NFL record with a 98-yard fumble return — a mark which stood until Jack Tatum broke it with a 104-yard Fumble Return against the Green Bay Packers in 1972.

## Schedule
### Regular season

| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | September 30 | at Rock Island Independents | L 0–3 | 0–1 | Douglas Park | 3,000 | Recap |
| 2 | October 7 | at Racine Legion | W 3–0 | 1–1 | Horlick Field | 5,000 | Recap |
| 3 | October 14 | at Green Bay Packers | W 3–0 | 2–1 | Bellevue Field | 4,451 | Recap |
| 4 | October 21 | Canton Bulldogs | L 0–6 | 2–2 | Cubs Park | | Recap |
| 5 | October 28 | Buffalo All-Americans | W 18–3 | 3–2 | Cubs Park | | Recap |
| 6 | November 4 | Oorang Indians | W 26–0 | 4–2 | Cubs Park | 1,000 | Recap |
| 7 | November 11 | Akron Pros | W 20–6 | 5–2 | Cubs Park | 4,000 | Recap |
| 8 | November 18 | Rock Island Independents | W 7–3 | 6–2 | Cubs Park | 6,500 | Recap |
| 9 | November 25 | Hammond Pros | W 14–7 | 7–2 | Cubs Park | 3,500 | Recap |
| 10 | November 29 | Chicago Cardinals | W 3–0 | 8–2 | Cubs Park | 13,500 | Recap |
| 11 | December 2 | Milwaukee Badgers | T 0–0 | 8–2–1 | Cubs Park | "a big crowd" | Recap |
| 12 | December 9 | Rock Island Independents | W 29–7 | 9–2–1 | Cubs Park | 6,000 | Recap |
| — | December 16 | Milwaukee Badgers | T 7–7 | — | Cubs Park | 8,000 | — |
| Note: Game in italics not recognized as official in league statistics. Thanksgiving Day: November 29. |||||||||

## Standings

NFL standings :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK |
| Canton Bulldogs | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | 246 | 19 | W5 |
| Chicago Bears | 9 | 2 | 1 | .818 | 123 | 35 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 7 | 2 | 1 | .778 | 85 | 34 | W5 |
| Milwaukee Badgers | 7 | 2 | 3 | .778 | 100 | 49 | W1 |
| Cleveland Indians | 3 | 1 | 3 | .750 | 52 | 49 | L1 |
| Chicago Cardinals | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 161 | 56 | L1 |
| Duluth Kelleys | 4 | 3 | 0 | .571 | 35 | 33 | L3 |
| Buffalo All-Americans | 5 | 4 | 3 | .556 | 94 | 43 | L1 |
| Columbus Tigers | 5 | 4 | 1 | .556 | 119 | 35 | L1 |
| Toledo Maroons | 3 | 3 | 2 | .500 | 35 | 66 | L1 |
| Racine Legion | 4 | 4 | 2 | .500 | 86 | 76 | W1 |
| Rock Island Independents | 2 | 3 | 3 | .400 | 84 | 62 | L1 |
| Minneapolis Marines | 2 | 5 | 2 | .286 | 48 | 81 | L1 |
| St. Louis All-Stars | 1 | 4 | 2 | .200 | 25 | 74 | L1 |
| Hammond Pros | 1 | 5 | 1 | .167 | 14 | 59 | L4 |
| Akron Pros | 1 | 6 | 0 | .143 | 25 | 74 | W1 |
| Dayton Triangles | 1 | 6 | 1 | .143 | 16 | 95 | L2 |
| Oorang Indians | 1 | 10 | 0 | .091 | 50 | 257 | W1 |
| Louisville Brecks | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 90 | L3 |
| Rochester Jeffersons | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 6 | 141 | L4 |
    Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

## Roster
### Future Hall of Fame players

* George Halas, end
* Ed Healey
* George Trafton, center

### Other leading players

* Dutch Sternaman, halfback
* Joe Sternaman, quarterback
* Laurie Walquist, quarterback
* Hunk Anderson, guard
* Johnny Bryan, back