Green Bay Packers halfback Paul Hornung broke an NFL record previously held by Don Hutson as he led the team to a 41-13 win over the Chicago Bears at Wrigley Field. It was a turning point for Vince Lombardi and the Packers in their rivalry with the Bears and an emotional win for the Packers. Just a few days before the game, Packers scout Jack Vainisi passed away suddenly at the age of 33. Vainisi helped bring Lombardi to Green Bay and scouted many of the great players who made up the Packers dynasty teams.

Packers Paul Hornung Sets an NFL Record in a Game Dedicated to Jack Vainisi: The Buildup

The Packers and Bears were very close in the standings entering the game. The Bears were 5-3-1 while the Packers were 5-4-0. Chicago won the first meeting between the teams that season 17-14. That meant the Packers faced a must-win situation if they hoped to pass the Bears. George Halas’ club had won their last two games.

Meanwhile, the Packers had lost two straight games including a 23-10 contest to the Lions on Thanksgiving the previous week. The Pack needed a win if they had any hope of winning the Western Conference title in Lombardi’s second season as head coach.

Three days after the Thanksgiving game, Vainisi died of a massive heart attack. Lombardi gave the team a pre-game pep speech to inspire the team heading into this tough road game. “You have three good reasons for winning today,” Lombardi told the team. “For Jack, for the tradition of this great game, and for the title. Now let’s go and get it!”

The Packers were certainly inspired. “Did that set everyone off,” recalled quarterback Bart Starr. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

The Packers Take the Lead

The two teams battled through a scoreless first quarter. The intensity was noticeable right away. Early in the game, fullback Jim Taylor ran out of bounds to the Bears sideline and hit a Chicago player who was just standing on the sidelines. The two teams had a fight which was a struggle for the officials to control.In the second quarter, Hornung opened the scoring with a 21-yard field goal to give the Packers a 3-0 lead.

The special teams scored the game’s first touchdown. Defensive end Willie Davis blocked a Chicago punt and recovered the loose ball in the end zone for a touchdown. The Packers quieted the Chicago crowd with their 10-0 lead.

The Bears got back into the game in the second quarter. Willard Dewveall caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Ed Brown. The Bears missed the extra point, and the Packers led 10-6.

Hornung kicked a 41-yard field goal later in the second quarter to give the Packers a 13-6 halftime lead.

Packers Paul Hornung Sets an NFL Record in a Game Dedicated to Jack Vainisi: A Record-Setting Second Half

The Packers pulled away in the second half. Tom Moore returned the second half kickoff 84 yards to get the Pack started. Starr found Hornung for a 17-yard touchdown pass to finish the job and extend the lead to 20-6.
Taylor dominated the Bears in this game. He finished with 140 yards rushing on 24 carries and a two-yard touchdown run that put the Pack ahead 27-6.

Future Packers quarterback Zeke Bratkowski found Jim Dooley for a 20-yard touchdown pass to make it a two-score game again. The Packers responded when Hornung scored a 10-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. A 46-yard touchdown toss from Starr to Max McGee closed out the scoring and gave the Packers a 41-13 victory. It was the first win for Green Bay in Chicago since 1952.

Starr finished the game completing 17-of-23 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns. McGee caught six of those passes for 121 yards and a score. Bill Forester and Jesse Whittenton intercepted Bratkowski in the second half to help seal the win for the Packers.

The win improved the Packers record to 6-4, passing the 5-4-1 Bears in the standings. The Packers went on to finish 8-4 and face the Eagles in the 1960 NFL Championship Game.

The Aftermath

Hornung finished the game with 68 yards rushing and three catches for 32 yards, giving him 100 yards from scrimmage for the game. He also scored two touchdowns and kicked two field goals and five extra points. That gave him 23 points for the game and 152 for the season which was a new NFL record. The previous record of 138 was set by Hutson in 1942.

“You don’t think that much about records,” Hornung said after the game. “Somebody will come along and break this one.”

He was right, but it would take a while. Hornung finished the season with 176 points in a 12-game season. The record wouldn’t be broken until 2006 when LaDainian Tomlinson scored 186 points in 16 games.

The Packers were thinking of Vainisi, though. “He won it for us,” Hornung said. “His death was weighing heavily on us all week. He wanted this game more than anything and we knew it.”

 

 

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