Football History November 5

The End of Unbeaten Streaks and the Birth of Defensive Giants: November 5th History

November 5 is a date when defensive legends were born and unbeaten streaks met their dramatic end. It celebrates the birthday of Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow, who redefined his position, and the original coaching titan, Earle “Greasy” Neale, who led the Philadelphia Eagles to back-to-back NFL Championships. This day also saw the New Orleans Saints record their first-ever NFL victory in 1967 and marked the final stand of the Chicago Bears’ 30-game unbeaten streak in 1933, a shocking 10-0 shutout loss that sent the George Halas team into a sudden slump.

November 5 American Football History Timeline

• November 5, 1933 – Boston, Massachusetts – The Chicago Bears’ 30-game unbeaten streak ends as the Boston Redskins knock off George Halas’ visiting club 10-0. This started a bad slide for the Bears, according to Pro Football Reference: they scored a whopping 3 points over three games and suffered two losses and a tie. They would mend their ways, though, as they eventually defeated the New York Giants for the 1933 NFL Championship by the score of 23-21.

• November 5, 1950 – Cleveland, Ohio – The Cleveland Browns’ defensive back Tommy James intercepted 3 passes of the Chicago Cardinals to set a franchise single-game record. According to Pro-Football-Reference, the Browns needed all of them to win 10-7 narrowly.

• On November 5, 1967, the New Orleans Saints recorded their 1st NFL victory, 31-24, against the Philadelphia Eagles. If you remember, we covered the announcement of the franchise’s award on November 1, 1966, and the Saints’ very first game on September 17, 1967.

• November 5, 1977   – Quarterback Marc Wilson of Brigham Young University set a new NCAA passing record of 571 yards against Utah. The Cougars went on to win the game 38-8 over the Utes. If you were thinking we recently spoke about a BYU passing record, you are right. The November 3 edition of the Football History Headlines reported that Virgil Carter passed for 513 yards against Texas Western on November 3, 1966. There have definitely been some live arms in Provo, Utah!

• November 5, 1978 – Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO – Oakland Raiders Head Coach John Madden becomes the 13th coach to win 100 NFL games as his Raiders defeated the KC Chiefs 20-10.

• November 5, 2011 – Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama – It was dubbed the “Game of the Century,” and they might not be wrong with that! The two top-ranked teams in the country played in a BIG SEC showdown when the top-ranked LSU visited the number two-ranked Crimson Tide of Alabama. The website theadvocate.com. Tells us that the game would eventually include 42 NFL draft picks and numerous free agents. Twenty-eight players were ultimately drafted on defense. Ten of those were first-round picks. Stars such as LSU’s Eric Reid, as well as Morris Claiborne, and Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix were on the field making plays that day. It was a defensive stalemate, alright, with all that talent, as the battle ended with the special teams kicking field goals, as LSU defeated Alabama in an Overtime thriller by the score of 6-9! The two teams would square off in the National Championship game after each won its BCS playoff game. That game, played on January 9, 2012, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, wasn’t as close, though, as the Tigers triumphed again over their rivals, 21-0, to take the National crown.

November 5 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays

• Greasy Neale [1891] – A masterful innovator inducted into both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame, Neale engineered Washington & Jefferson’s historic 0–0 tie against mighty Cal in the 1922 Rose Bowl before building the Philadelphia Eagles’ powerhouse that won back-to-back NFL Championships in 1948 and 1949. His pioneering 5–4 defense and sophisticated offensive schemes helped define the pre-modern tactical landscape of pro football.
• Harvey Harman [1900] – A standout player under Pop Warner at Pittsburgh, Harman went on to a distinguished 30-year head coaching career highlighted by successful tenures at Penn and Rutgers, compiling 140 collegiate victories. A College Football Hall of Famer and recipient of the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award, he spent decades as a revered steward of the game and a leading voice within the American Football Coaches Association.
• Bruce Bosley [1933] – A consensus All-American tackle at West Virginia who earned enshrinement in the College Football Hall of Fame, Bosley transitioned to center in the NFL, where he anchored the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive line for over a decade and earned four Pro Bowl selections.
• Larry Pugh [1943] – A two-way powerhouse lineman for Western Pennsylvania small-college power Westminster, Pugh earned NAIA All-America honors on both offense and defense, led the Titans to an undefeated 1964 season, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
• Kellen Winslow [1957] – A dominant force at Missouri and the centerpiece of Don Coryell’s explosive “Air Coryell” passing offense with the San Diego Chargers, Winslow redefined the tight end position as a dynamic downfield receiver, earning enshrinement in both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
• Percy Snow [1967] – A ferocious, sideline-to-sideline inside linebacker for Michigan State, Snow became the first player in college football history to capture both the Butkus and Lombardi Awards in the same season (1989) before earning College Football Hall of Fame honors.

Conclusion: Defining Defenses and Offensive Explosions

November 5 encapsulates the best of all football eras, from Greasy Neale’s defensive mastery of the T-formation to the “Game of the Century” in 2011, where LSU defeated Alabama 9-6 in overtime, thanks to a stunning defensive effort from both teams that included 28 future NFL defensive picks. Meanwhile, the day also saw staggering offensive displays: BYU’s Marc Wilson set a new NCAA passing record with 571 yards in 1977, and John Madden secured his 100th NFL coaching win in 1978. From individual brilliance like Browns defensive back Tommy James intercepting three passes to the birth of offensive line stalwart Bruce Bosley, November 5 is truly a day of gridiron excellence.

November 5 Gridiron Image of the Day