Chicago Bears · Franchise era 2 of 7
The Monsters of the Midway: the Chicago Bears story
Franchise era
1940—1957
The Monsters of the Midway
Chicago Bears
The story in one sentence
Chicago's modernized offense and imposing lines produced four championships in the 1940s, including the famous 73–0 title-game victory.
01
The T-formation overwhelms an era
02
Sid Luckman, George McAfee and Bill Hewitt gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for butkus, sayers and payton.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1940
What came before
The Decatur Staleys became the Chicago Bears as Halas helped shape both the franchise and the league around it.
1941-12-21
Conference Championship: New York Giants vs Chicago Bears
1943-12-26
Conference Championship: Washington vs Chicago Bears
1946-12-15
Conference Championship: Chicago Bears vs New York Giants
After 1957
What came next
Butkus and Sayers defined their positions before Payton became the franchise's relentless offensive center through years of rebuilding.
The core