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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Barry Werner

51 years ago, No. 51 Dick Butkus caught a pass on a PAT to give the Bears a victory

It was one of the weirdest games in NFL history and the ending was more bizarre.

Washington and Chicago played at Soldier Field on Nov. 14, 1971. The first 8 scores came on field goals.

The Bears finally scored a TD on Cyril Pinder’s 40-yard run to tie the game at 15.

The PAT — remember there was no 2-point conversion in the NFL then — turned into an odyssey. A game that had 8 field goals kicked saw the snap botched on the PAT.

However, the holder was Chicago QB Bobby Douglass. He managed to collect himself and the football.

Douglass threw a pass to the end zone, where Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus snagged it to give the Bears a 16-15 win.

Butkus actually scored another PAT in 1972 and wound up with 10 points in his career, adding a safety and a TD.

 

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