Before the Super Bowl 1963: Bears at Chargers

Editor’s Note: The games for the American Football League-National Football League Championship contests will be played on the computer with Action! PC Football. The games are played with the “coaching” by a human as well as computer simulation.

SAN DIEGO – Tobin Rote ran for a score and threw for another to lead the San Diego Chargers to a 26-14 victory over the Chicago Bears in the 1963 American Football League-National Football League Championship game.

Rote completed 11-of-22 passes for 192 yards as the Chargers led for most of the contest.

In the opening period, the Chargers picked up a 36-yard by George Blair before the Bears took a brief lead.

Richie Petitbon picked off a pass by Rote and raced 31 yards for a touchdown that put the Bears on top 7-3 with 5:14 left in the quarter.

However, Rote quickly refocused as he led the Chargers on a 6-play, 59-yard drive that ended with a touchdown as San Diego took a 10-7 lead at the 3:14 mark. Rote’s 43-yard scoring strike to Don Norton excited the home crowd in Balboa Stadium.

San Diego added two more scores in the second as the Chargers added to their advantage to lead 19-7 by halftime.

Blair booted a 38-yard field goal and the Rote added a 15-yard run with 54 seconds remaining before the intermission.

Both teams added a touchdown in the second half as the Chargers remained in control of the affair.

Paul Lowe ran for a touchdown from four yards out in the third, while the Bears scored in the fourth on a 6-yard pass from Billy Wade to Ronnie Bull.

San Diego 26, Chicago 14

Scoring Summary
1 10:39 63 San Diego FG Blair 36 (7-33-4:05) 0-3
1 5:14 63 Chicago TD Petitbon 31 interception return (LeClerc) 7-3
1 3:14 63 San Diego TD Rote 43 pass to Norton (Blair) (6-59-1:54) 7-10
2 3:11 63 San Diego FG Blair 38 (9-45-5:06) 7-13
2 0:54 63 San Diego TD Rote 15 run (no good) (9-50-1:23) 7-19
3 0:42 63 San Diego TD Lowe 4 run (Blair) (10-67-5:04) 7-26
4 8:02 63 Chicago TD Wade 6 pass to Bull (LeClerc) (14-82-7:35) 14-26

Passing
Chi: Wade 23/10 104 Yds TD Int
SD: Rote 22/11 192 Yds TD Int

Rushing
Chi: Bull 18/52, Marconi 16/44, Wade 2/7, Coia 1/3
SD: Lincoln 16/98, Lowe 16/26 TD, Rote 4/11 TD

Receiving
Chi: Marconi 3/15, Morris 3/53, Coia 2/16, Bull 1/6 TD, Ditka 1/14
SD: Alworth 3/48, Lincoln 3/46, Lowe 2/18, Norton 2/66 TD, Kocourek 1/14

Defense
Chi: George 2-FF 7-Tk, Morris Sk 6-Tk, Petitbon Int(TD) 3-Tk, Fortunato 9-Tk
SD: Petrich 8-Tk, Blair Int 3-Tk

Super Bowl Schedule and Results

60 Houston Oilers 27, 60 Philadelphia Eagles 24
61 Houston Oilers 24, 61 Green Bay Packers 14
62 Dallas Texans 21, 62 Green Bay Packers 20
63 San Diego Chargers 26, 63 Chicago Bears 14
64 Buffalo Bills at 64 Cleveland Browns
65 Green Bay Packers at 65 Buffalo Bills