Clarence Williams 83 DE 6- 5 255 Prairie View 8 8 30 13 1970 Trade - Dallas
NO - Jersey Number POS - Position HGT - Height WGT - Weight YR - Years with Packers PR - Years of Professional Football AGE - Age on September 1 G - Games Played FA - Free Agent
1977 PACKERS DRAFT (May 3-4, 1977)
RND-PCKNAMEPOSCOLLEGENOTES
1a 9 Mike Butler DE Kansas
1b 28 Ezra Johnson DE Morris Brown A
2 39 Greg Koch OT Arkansas
September 18: Green Bay Packers (1-0) 24, New Orleans Saints (0-1) 20
(NEW ORLEANS) -The Green Bay Packers built a 24-point first-half lead on a 75-yard punt return by Willard Harrell and precision passing by Lynn Dickey, then held off a furious late surge by New Orleans to beat the Saints 24-20 in their opener. Green Bay scored twice in the first eight minutes and twice more in the second quarter. The Saints came back with two touchdowns in the third quarter and another just after the final period began. Packer touchdowns came on a two-yard run by Barty Smith, HarrcII's punt return and a 15-yard pass from Dickey to Ken Payne. Chester Marcol booted a 15-yard field goal with five seconds left in the half. After gaining 25 yards on 11 carries, RB John Brockington was waived after the game to make room for rookie RB Jim Culbreath.
GREEN BAY - 14 10 0 0 - 24
NEW ORLEANS - 0 0 14 6 - 20
1st - GB - Smith, 2-yard run (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - GB - Harrell, 75-yard punt return (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
2nd - GB - Payne, 15-yard pass from Dickey (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 21-0
2nd - GB - Marcol, 19-yard field goal GREEN BAY 24-0
3rd - NO - Chuck Muncie, 3-yard run (Richie Szaro kick) GREEN BAY 24-7
3rd - NO - Muncie, 3-yard run (Szaro kick) GREEN BAY 24-14
4th - NO - Henry Childs, 59-yard pass from Archie Manning (Pass failed) GB 24-20
September 25: Houston Oilers (2-0) 16, Green Bay Packers (1-1) 10
(GREEN BAY) - CB Willie Alexander returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown with just 4 minutes and 40 seconds left to lift the Houston Oilers to a 16-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers. Alexander caught the ball - which was tipped by end Al Burton - in front of RB Barty Smith and streaked down the sideline for the winning score. A blocked punt by the Packers' Steve Wagner set up the game's first score, Lynn Dickey's 40-yard pass to Steve Odom early in the first quarter. Odom caught the ball at the sideline, waited for C Larry McCarren to throw a key block, then cut across field for the score. Houston retaliated with an 80-yard scoring drive on which Dan Pastorini hit TE Jimmy Giles with three crucial third down passes. The third moved the Oilers to the Packer one and, on the next play, Tim Wilson dived into the end zone. The Packers took a 10-7 lead on Chester Marcol's 34-yard field goal, but Pastorini - who completed 14-of-21 passes for 120 yards in the first half - quickly struck back. He completed four straight passes to move the Oilers to the 15 and, when the drive died Toni Fritsch tied the game with a 32-yard field goal. Gregg Bingham's fumble recovery gave the Oilers a lift late in the third quarter But after Houston reached the 13, the Packers stiffened and Fritsch was wide on a 42-yard attempt. Then Dickey took over. The former Oiler reserve hit TE Rich McGeorge with a 12-yard pass and Smith with a 21-yarder. But the Packers' hopes were snuffed out by Alexander's interception. The Packers drove to the Oiler 41 on their final possession, but Dickey's pass over the middle was picked off by LB Ted Washington.
HOUSTON - 0 10 0 6 - 16
GREEN BAY - 7 3 0 0 - 10
1st - GB - Odom, 40-yard pass from Dickey (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - HOU - Tim Wilson, 1-yard run (Toni Fritsch kick) TIED 7-7
2nd - GB - Marcol, 34-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-7
2nd - HOU - Fritsch, 32-yard field goal TIED 10-10
October 2 : Minnesota Vikings (2-1) 19, Green Bay Packers (1-2) 7
(MINNESOTA) - Fran Tarkenton passed for his 311th career touchdown and Chuck Foreman and Sammy Johnson plunged for two more scores to give the Minnesota Vikings a 19-7 victory over the Green Bay Packers. Lynn Dickey passed to Steve Odom for 95 yards and a Green Bay touchdown on the third play of the game but the Vikings stopped the Packers after that. Playing in sunny, 59-degree weather, the Vikings gradually punched out three touchdowns to give coach Bud Grant his 100th victory in the National Football League against 39 losses and four ties. Tarkenton passed 16 yards to Sammy White for the Vikings' first touchdown midway through the first quarter. Foreman plunged three yards for a louchdown early in the second period and Johnson rammed two yards for another in the last quarter. The Vikings dominated play except in the scoreless third quarter, piling up 24 first downs to Green Bay's eight and outgaining the Packers 325 yards to 208.
GREEN BAY - 7 0 0 0 - 7
MINNESOTA - 7 6 0 6 - 19
1st - GB - Odom, 95-yard pass from Dickey (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - MIN - Sammy White, 16-yd pass fr Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick) TIED 7-7
2nd - MINN - Chuck Foreman, 3-yard run (Kick failed) MINNESOTA 13-7
4th - MINN - Sammy Johnson, 2-yard run (Kick blocked) MINNESOTA 19-7
October 9: Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) 17, Green Bay Packers (1-3) 7
(MILWAUKEE) - Tony Davis dove two yards for a touchdown, ending a 75-yard third quarter drive, and Chris Bahr kicked a 32-yard field goal in the closing seconds to lift the Cincinnati Bengals to a 17-7 victory over the Green Bay Packers. A roughing the passer penalty on Green Bay rookie Ezra Johnson kept the winning drive alive Johnson, a first round draft choice, knocked down QB Ken Anderson after Anderson's third down pass fell incomplete. The penalty gave the Bengals a first down at the Packers' 20, and, after Lenvil Elliott ran 18 yards to the two, Davis went in for the winning score. After the game, WR Ken Payne was fined for insubordination, then suspended, and finally released on October 14th.
CINCINNATI - 0 7 7 3 - 17
GREEN BAY - 0 7 0 0 - 7
2nd - GB - Smith, 14-yard pass from Dickey (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - CIN - Isaac Curtis, 8-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Chris Bahr kick) TIED 7-7
3rd - CIN - Tony Davis, 2-yard run (Bahr kick) CINCINNATI 14-7
4th - CIN - Bahr, 32-yard field goal CINCINNATI 17-7
October 16: Detroit Lions (3-2) 10, Green Bay Packers (1-4) 6
(DETROIT) - "You silence the boos by winning," said Detroit QB Greg Landry after his 9-yard touchdown pass to Ray Jarvis in the fourth quarter gave the Lions a 10-6 decision over Green Bay. The score temporarily halted considerable booing from the Silverdome. crowd of 78,452. But it returned several times again before the game ended. "The fans just want to see a high scoring game by the home team," Landry said. "Defensively, we played well," said Lions' coach Tommy Hudspeth. "We did not play well offensively. No matter what, we've got six days to get things worked out." In the opposite dressing room, Green Bay coach Bart Starr, when asked if he was concerned about morale problems among his skidding Packers, said, "I'm worried now about simple frustration. I think our morale remains good. We've got some real men and they'll hang through it." The touchdown pass in the final period was the only one of the game. It climaxed a 72-yard, 10-play drive. The Packers took the lead at 9:39 of the first period of a 21-yard field goal by Chester Marcol. The Lions tied it on a 23-yarder by Steve Mike-Mayer at 4:12 of the second quarter. It was Marcol's turn at 12:23 of the third quarter and he booted a 32-yard field goal - the Packers' first points in the second half this year. Detroit intercepted four Lynn Dickey passes, two of them by Lem Barney. LB Gary Weaver was lost for the year with a knee injury.
GREEN BAY - 3 0 3 0 - 6
DETROIT - 0 3 0 7 - 10
1st - GB - Marcol, 21-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
2nd - DET - Steve Mike-Mayer, 23-yard field goal TIED 3-3
3rd - GB - Marcol, 32-yard field goal GREEN BAY 6-3
4th - DET - Ray Jarvis, 9-yard pass from Greg Landry (Mike-Mayer kick) DET 10-6
October 23: Green Bay Packers (2-4) 14, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6) 0
(TAMPA BAY) - Chester Marcol booted field goals of 40 and 44 yards and Eric Torkelson darted five yards for a touchdown as the Green Bay Packers snapped a fourgame losing streak by shutting out the error-prone Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13-0. After a scoreless opening quarter, the Packers took a six-point lead on Marcol's two second-period field goals. A blocked kick and three successive penalties against Tampa in the third quarter gave Green Bay the ball at the Bucs' seven-yard line. Torkelson gained two yards, then sprinted the last five for the touchdown that sealed Tampa's fate and their 20th straight loss. That scoring drive started when Dave Green's punt from the Packers' 49-yard line was blocked by DB Jim Gueno and Green Bay took over at Tampa's 24-yard line. Three five-yard penalties against the luckless Bucs gave the Packers the first down that kept their scoring drive alive.
GREEN BAY - 0 6 7 0 - 13
TAMPA BAY - 0 0 0 0 - 0
2nd - GB - Marcol, 40-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
2nd - GB - Marcol, 44-yard field goal GREEN BAY 6-0
3rd - GB - Torkelson, 5-yard run (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 13-0
October 30: Chicago Bears (3-4) 26, Green Bay Packers (2-5) 0
(GREEN BAY) - Walter Payton gave his blockers complete credit for his record-tying 205 yards rushing, and rookie tackle Ted Albrecht admitted he and the Chicago Bears' other offensive linemen had made a pact. "Walter is super every game, but we wanted to make this a truly great game for him," Albrecht said. The coaches wanted to take him out when he had 196, but we asked them if he could carry for one more play. He did, and he got it." Payton, who tied Gale Sayers' Bears single game rushing record set here in 1968, also scored on runs of one and six yards and set up a three-yard touchdown run by Johnny Musso to lead the Bears to a 26-0 victory over the Green Bay Packers. Payton, who entered the game as the NFL's leading rusher, boosted his season total to 858 yards and surged into fourth place on the Bears' all-time rushing list with 2,927 yards.
CHICAGO - 13 3 0 10 - 26
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 0 - 0
1st - CHI - Johnny Musso, 3-yard run (Run failed) CHICAGO 6-0
1st - CHI - Walter Payton, 6-yard run (Bob Thomas kick) CHICAGO 13-0
2nd - CHI - Thomas, 47-yard field goal CHICAGO 16-0
4th - CHI - Payton, 1-yard run (Thomas kick) CHICAGO 23-0
4th - CHI - Thomas, 20-yard field goal CHICAGO 26-0
November 6 : Kansas City Chiefs (2-6) 20, Green Bay Packers (2-6) 10
(KANSAS CITY) - Ed Podolak rushed for 98 yards and one touchdown, igniting the Kansas City Chiefs to a 20-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers and giving Tom Bettis a successful debut as Chiefs' head coach The Chiefs, seething all week over the unexpected firing of Paul Wiggm, bolted to a 10-0 lead in the first period but were unable to generate any more offense until Podolak's one-yard touchdown plunge in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter. The Packers, 2-6, instantly closed the gap to 17-10 with a bit of trickery that sprang Terdell Middleton on an 85-yard touchdown jaunt on the ensuing kickoff. Bettis, KC's defensive backfield coach since 1966 and a former Packer, was named interim head coach when the popular Wiggin was fired Monday.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 3 7 - 10
KANSAS CITY - 10 0 0 10 - 20
1st - KC - Jan Stenerud, 23-yard field goal KANSAS CITY 3-0
1st - KC - Henry Marshall, 3-yard pass from Mike Livington (Stenerud kick) KC 10-0
3rd - GB - Marcol, 31-yard field goal KANSAS CITY 10-3
4th - KC - Ed Podolak, 1-yard run (Stenerud kick) KANSAS CITY 17-3
4th - GB - Middleton, 85-yard lateral from an 11-yard kickoff return from Odom (Marcol kick) KC 17-10
4th - KC - Stenerud, 22-yard field goal KANSAS CITY 20-10
November 13: Los Angeles Rams (6-3) 24, Green Bay Packers (2-7) 6
(MILWAUKEE) - The Los Angeles Rams had played perhaps their best game of the season, but smiles didn't
come nearly as easily as had their 24-6 victory over the Green Bay Packers. Packer QB Lynn Dickey, loudly booed much of the day, broke his left lower leg as he threw a pass on the game's last play. While there was confusion as to how he was injured, Rams' GM Don Klosterman said DT Larry Brooks hit Dickey as he threw. "I think we played excellent football but I just hated to see Dickey get hurt like that on the last play," Rams Coach Chuck Knox said, "I'm not sure who hit him. There were several of us trying to get him," said Rams DE Jack Youngblood. "But it had to be a clean hit," he said ''He (Dickey) was throwing on top and had his foot planted. He was in his throwing motion or else his foot just would have slipped in that loose dirt out there. The leg wouldn't have broken It's a shame." Immediately after the game, Dickey was taken off the field on a stretcher. Dickey, who according to a Packer spokesman is almost certainly out for the rest of the season, was booed because of his futility against the Rams' defense. The boos started after Ram defensive backs Dave Elmendorf and Pat Thomas set up a touchdown and field goal, respectively, with interception runbacks. The defensive plays complemented QB Pat Haden, who passed for 146 yards and engineered two long touchdown drives. Wendell Tyler scored on a 1-yard run and John Cappelletti sparked a ball control offense with 74 yards in 20 carries for the Rams. Haden, passing to Harold Jackson for 9 yards and to Lawrence McCutcheon for 27, marched the Rams 96 yards on their second series. Terry Nelson ran 18 yards to the Packer 2 on a flanker reverse, and McCutcheon scored on the next play, as the Rams took the lead to stay at 7-0. The Packers then drove to the Ram 21, but Elmendorf caught a fumble by Terdell Middleton in the air and raced 47 yards to the Green Bay 32. Haden passed to McCutcheon for 27 yards and followed with a 6-yard scoring pass to Nelson. Thomas intercepted a Lynn Dickey pass moments later and returned 29 yards, setting up Rafael Septien's 32-yard field goal, as the Rams made it 17-0 four minutes before halftime. Dickey passed to Steve Odom for a 65-yard scoring bomb late in the third quarter. However, the Rams came back with a 65-yard drive capped by Tyler's touchdown plunge.
LOS ANGELES - 0 17 0 7 - 24
GREEN BAY - 0 0 6 0 - 6
2nd - LA - Lawrence McCutcheon, 2-yard run (Rafael Septien kick) LA 7-0
2nd - LA - Terry Nelson, 6-yard pass from Pat Haden (Septien kick) LA 14-0
2nd - LA - Septien, 32-yard field goal LOS ANGELES 17-0
3rd - GB - Odom, 65-yard pass from Dickey (Kick failed) LOS ANGELES 17-6
4th - LA - Wendell Tyler, 1-yard run (Septien kick) LOS ANGELES 24-6
November 21: Washington Redskins (6-4) 10, Green Bay Packers (2-8) 9
(WASHINGTON) - Joe Theismann hit Mike Thomas with a seven-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth period to give the Washington Redskins a hard-fought 10-9 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the NFL's Monday night TV game. Trailing 6-3 on field goals of 40 and 42 yards by Green Bay's Chester Marcol, the Redskins launched their winning drive after a clipping penalty on a punt return set them back to their own 21-yard line. Theismann drove the Redskins 79 yards in nine plays, including a 30-yard pass to Danny Buggs that gave Washington a first down on the Packers' 31. After a 12-yard scramble by Theismann - who frequently ran to escape Green Bay's rush - got a first down on the seven, Thomas beat Packer S Johnnie Gray for the score. Mark Moseley, whose 35-yard field goal put Washington ahead 3-0 in the second quarter, kicked the conversion which proved to be the winning point when Marcol kicked his third field goal, a 44-yarder, with 4:16 remaining. Packer QB David Whitehurst, who completed 12-of-24 passes for 140 yards and three interceptions, drove the Packers from their 16 up to their 48 before an interception by Joe Lavender halted their last ditch effort with no timeouts to pull out the victory. Theismann, meanwhile, completed 10-of-21 passes for 121 yards and one interception. He was sacked four times by the Packers, but the Redskin defenders nailed Whitehurst six times including once on the final drive.
GREEN BAY - 0 3 3 3 - 9
WASHINGTON - 0 3 0 7 - 10
2nd - WASH - Mark Moseley, 35-yard field goal WASHINGTON 3-0
2nd - GB - Marcol, 40-yard field goal TIED 3-3
3rd - GB - Marcol, 42-yard field goal GREEN BAY 6-3
4th - WASH - Mike Thomas, 7-yd pass fr Joe Theismann (Moseley kick) WASH 10-6
4th - GB - Marcol, 44-yard field goal WASHINGTON 10-9
November 27: Minnesota Vikings (7-3) 13, Green Bay Packers (2-9) 6
(GREEN BAY) - Bob Lee passed 40 yards to Sammy White in swirling snow for Minnesota's go-ahead touchdown and Chuck Foreman darted and slid for 101 yards, leading the Vikings to a 13-6 win over the Green Bay Packers. Fred Cox added field goals of 21 and 31 yards for the Vikings, 7-4, who lead Chicago by one game in the Central Division. The Packers slipped to 2-9 with their fifth consecutive defeat. The Vikings overcame a 6-0 deficit on the first play of the second quarter as White raced down the left sideline five yards ahead of CB Willie Buchanon, caught Lee's pass at the five and went in for the score. Cox' conversion gave the Vikings the lead to stay. Two plays later, the Vikings' Jeff Siemon recovered a Willard Harrell fumble at the Packer 43, setting up Cox' 21-yard field goal. The Vikings took over on their 30 late in the second quarter and drove behind Foreman's running to Cox' second field goal, one second before halftime. A 34-yard pass from David Whitehurst to Bert Askson carried to the Viking 5 in the third quarter. However, Bobby Bryant intercepted in the end zone. Jeff Wright recovered a fumble by Green Bay's Barty Smith at the Viking 11 with 4:04 to play. Whitehurst scored on a 3-yard bootleg in the first quarter after the Packers had recovered a fumble by Brent McClanahan at the Viking 21. Cox climbed past former Cleveland star Lou Groza into second place on the NFL's alltime scoring list with 1,347 points. George Blanda leads with 2,002. Despite the miserable conditions, Lee completed his first five passes for 68 yards.
MINNESOTA - 0 13 0 0 - 13
GREEN BAY - 6 0 0 0 - 6
1st - GB -Whitehurst, 3-yard run (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 6-0
2nd - MINN - Sammy White, 40-yard pass from Bob Lee (Fred Cox kick) MINN 7-6
2nd - MINN - Cox, 21-yard field goal MINNESOTA 10-6
2nd - MINN - Cox, 31-yard field goal MINNESOTA 13-6
December 4 : Green Bay Packers (3-9) 10, Detroit Lions (5-7) 9
(GREEN BAY) - David Whitehurst engineered a 70-yard Green Bay touchdown drive capped by Willard Harrell's two- yard run and S Johnnie Gray led a goal line stand with 4:48 to play, helping the Packers to a 10-9 victory over the Detroit Lions. Harrell's touchdown on the game's 11th play, plus a 37-yard field goal by Chester Marcol 4:45 before halftime, gave the Packers a 10-0 lead. The Packers, 3-9, then held off a furious Lions' comeback in the fourth quarter to break a five-game losing streak. DT John Woodcock brought the Lions back into the game when he blocked a punt by Green Bay's David Beverly. LB Ed O'Neil scooped up the ball and lumbered 10 yards to the Packer 16. Leonard Thompson scored on a sweep on the next play as the Lions, 5-7, closed to within 10-7 with just over eight minutes left.
DETROIT - 0 0 0 9 - 9
GREEN BAY - 7 3 0 0 - 10
1st - GB - Harrell, 2-yard run (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - GB - Marcol, 37-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-0
4th - DET - Leonard Thompson, 16-yard run (Steve Mike-Mayer kick) GB 10-7
4th - DET - Safety, Beverly ran out of the end zone GREEN BAY 10-9
December 11: Chicago Bears (8-5) 21, Green Bay Packers (3-10) 10
(CHICAGO) - Five weeks ago, the Chicago Bears' record dropped to 3-5 and the NFC Central Division co-leaders were virtually counted out of the playoff picture. Today, after reeling off five straight victories, including Sunday's 21-10 triumph over the Green Bay Packers, Chicago's post-season hopes are very much alive with an 8-5 record. Walter Payton, the NFL's leading rusher with 1,805 yards, rushed 32 times for 163 yards and scored two touchdowns to pace the victory over the Packers. The win wasn't spectacular, but Pardee insisted that the Bears demonstrated they area playoff-caliber team. Green Bay dropped to 3-10 on the season and Packers Coach Bart Starr said his team's lack of consistency made the difference in the game. The Bears defense, which shut out the Packers 26-0 six weeks ago in Green Bay, gave up 276 net yards - 161 rushing and 115 passing - but the Packers' offense sputtered after the first half. Chicago took an early lead on Bob Avellini's 11-yard touchdown pass to James Scott with 3:50 left in the first quarter, but Green Bay narrowed the lead with a 19-yard field goal by Chester Marcol early in the second period following an interception by Tom Toner. Payton capped a six-play, 63-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge which gave Chicago a 14-3 lead with nine minutes remaining in the first half. Less than two minutes later, the Packers were on the scoreboard again with Barty Smith climaxing a three-play, 74-yard drive with a one-yard TD run which made it 14-10. Payton, whose fifth straight game of more than 100 yards rushing left him 198 yards short of O.J. Simpson's single-season rushing record of 2,003 yards, sealed the victory with a 7-yard touchdown burst in the fourth quarter. Starr felt the turning point in the game came in the closing seconds of the first half when the Packers, trailing 14-10, were approaching field goal range and fumbled at the Chicago 20-yard line.
GREEN BAY - 0 10 0 0 - 10
CHICAGO - 7 7 0 7 - 21
1st - CHI - James Scott, 11-yard pass from Bob Avellini (Bob Thomas kick) CHI 7-0
2nd - GB - Marcol, 19-yard field goal CHICAGO 7-3
2nd - CHI - Walter Payton, 1-yard run (Thomas kick) CHICAGO 14-3
2nd - GB - B.Smith, 7-yard run (Marcol kick) CHICAGO 14-10
4th - CHI - Payton, 7-yard run (Thomas kick) CHICAGO 21-10
December 18: Green Bay Packers (4-10) 16, San Francisco 49ers (5-9) 14
(MILWAUKEE) -While his Green Bay teammates have seven months to savor a season ending victory, David Whitehurst preferred to recall an all but forgotten exhibition game last Aug. 13. "It was against New England, here at County Stadium, my first play in the preseason," Whitehurst said. "I had to call a time out because I was lost for words. I had made a dumb call and then I couldn't think of what to do. That's not happening to me anymore," he said, allowing the slightest smile of satisfaction. To say that Whitehurst's progress in just over four months could be measured in light years would be an exaggeration, but perhaps not inappropriate. The rookie quarterback, an eighth round draft choice from Furman, shredded San Francisco's secondary by completing 17 of 22 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown to lead the Packers to a 16-14 win over the 49ers. San Francisco's Jim Plunkett passed for 202 yards himself, but threw three interceptions. CB Willie Buchanon returned one 29 yards for a touchdown and set up a field goal with another. Whitehurst, who became a starter five games ago after regular quarterback Lynn Dickey broke a leg, continually burned the 49ers with screen passes. Packer running backs Barty Smith, Eric Torkelson and Terdell Middleton combined for 10 recptions for 135 yards. The 49ers' feared defensive line of Tommy Hart, Cleveland Elam, Jimmy Webb and Cedrick Hardman didn't sack Whitehurst once and seldom was able to pressure him against the Packers' lightly regarded offensive line. Buchanon intercepted his first pass on the game's third scrimmage play and returned 12 yards to the 49er 33. Whitehurst threw incomplete on third down at the nine five plays later but Chester Marcol kicked a 27 yard field goal. The 49ers responded with a 75 yard, 16 play drive which consumed eight minutes. Plunkett completed five of seven passes along the way. However, Whitehurst came back to take the Packers 65 yards in six plays, completing passes of 21 yards to Barty Smith, 27 to Middleton and seven to McGeorge. Green Bay ended the season 4-10, one game worse than their 1976 mark, and left Bart Starr with a 13-29 record.
SAN FRANCISCO - 7 7 0 0 - 14
GREEN BAY - 9 7 0 0 - 16
1st - GB - Marcol, 27-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
1st - SF - Gene Washington, 9-yd pass from Jim Plunkett (Ray Wersching kick) SF 7-3
1st - GB - McGeorge, 9-yard pass from Whitehurst (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 9-7
2nd - GB - Buchanon, 29-yard interception return (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 16-7
2nd - SF - Wilbur Jackson, 29-yard run (Wersching kick) GREEN BAY 16-14
SEASON REVIEW - The Packers' offense in 1977 was a throwback to the low scoring early years of pro football. Green Bay ranked 27th in total yards and 27th in rushing yards. It scored an average of one touchdown per game. Its 134 points were the team's worst output since 1949. With such an unproductive attack, the team was fortunate to finish 4-10. The offensive woes could be traced to the preseason. New England manhandled the Packers 38-3 in a game in which Bart Starr accused Patriots coach Chuck Fairbanks of running up the score. Tampa Bay, the doormat of the league, embarassed Green Bay 10-7 on August 20th. During the regular season, the Packers struggled with injuries and continued to be among the worst teams in the NFL. QBs Lynn Dickey and David Whitehurst combined to throw 21 interceptions while connecting on just six touchdown passes.
1977 PRE-SEASON RESULTS (2-4) - AUGUST
6 G-CINCINNATI BENGALS W 23-20 1-0-0 51,178
13 M-NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS L 3-38 1-1-0 53,244
20 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 7-10 1-2-0 49,045
27 M-WASHINGTON REDSKINS L 9-13 1-3-0 55,021
SEPTEMBER
3 G-CLEVELAND BROWNS L 14-19 1-4-0 53,180
10 G-PHILADELPHIA EAGLES W 24-16 2-4-0 32,217
1977 REGULAR SEASON RESULTS (4-10) - SEPTEMBER (1-1)
18 at New Orleans Saints (0-0) W 24-20 1- 0-0 56,250 Dickey
25 G-HOUSTON OILERS (1-0) L 10-16 1- 1-0 55,071 Dickey
OCTOBER (1-4)
2 at Minnesota Vikings (1-1) L 7-19 1- 2-0 47,143 Dickey
9 M-CINCINNATI BENGALS (1-2) L 7-17 1- 3-0 53,653 Dickey
3 G-DETROIT LIONS (1-2) W 24-14 1- 3-0 54,758 Dickey
16 at Detroit Lions (2-2) L 6-10 1- 4-0 78,452 Dickey
23 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5) W 13- 0 2- 4-0 47,635 Dickey
30 G-CHICAGO BEARS (2-4) L 0-26 2- 5-0 56,002 Dickey
NOVEMBER (0-4)
6 at Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) L 10-20 2- 6-0 62,687 Dickey
13 M-LOS ANGELES RAMS (5-3) L 6-24 2- 7-0 52,948 Dickey
21 at Washington Redskins (5-4) L 9-10 2- 8-0 51,498 Whitehurst
27 G-MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-3) L 6-13 2- 9-0 56,267 Whitehurst
11 at Chicago Bears (7-5) L 10-21 3-10-0 33,557 Whitehurst
18 M-SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-8) W 16-14 4-10-0 44,902 Whitehurst
August 6: Green Bay (1-0) 23, Cincinnati 20
(GREEN BAY) - Chester Marcol kicked two 45-yard field goals in the last 1:14, including the game winner with one second to play, rallying the Green Bay Packers to a victory Saturday over the Cincinnati Bengals. Marcol's decisive kick came after the Packers got the ball back when defensive tackle Mike McCoy stripped the ball from rookie quarterback Tom Duniven at the Bengals' 38-yard line with 29 seconds left. Lynn Dickey passed for four yards to John Brockington and for five yards to Will Harrell to set up the winning kick. The Bengals took a 20-17 lead late in the third quarter on 60-yard scoring pass from John Reaves to Billy Brooks. But after Cincinnati interceptions blunted two previous scoring threats in the fourth quarter, the Packers took over at the Bengal 34 with 3:29 to play. They marched to position for Marcol's first 45-yarder behind an eight-yard run by Eric Torkelson.
CINCINNATI - 0 10 10 0 - 20
GREEN BAY - 3 14 0 6 - 23
1st - GB - Marcol, 49-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
2nd - CIN - Chris Bahr, 27-yard field goal TIED 3-3
2nd - GB - Jessie Green, 20-yard pass from Dickey (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 10-3
2nd - CIN - Mike Voight, 2-yard run (Bahr kick) TIED 10-10
2nd - GB - McGeorge, 4-yard pass from Dickey (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 17-10
3rd - CIN - Bahr, 42-yard field goal GREEN BAY 17-13
3rd - CIN - Billy Brooks, 60-yard pass from John Reaves (Bahr kick) CIN 20-17
4th - GB - Marcol, 45-yard field goal TIED 20-20
4th - GB - Marcol, 45-yard field goal GREEN BAY 23-20
August 13: New England 38, Green Bay (1-1) 3
(MILWAUKEE) - Oddly, but maybe not so foolishly, Coach Bart Starr used the second game of the preseason to test two quarterbacks who will probably not be with the Packers much longer. Certainly, even if one stays, he will not play much for some time to come. The gentlemens' names are David Whitehurst, a rookie from Furman, and Carlos Brown, who has been with the Packers for two previous seasons. The Patriots enjoyed the experiment. They won the game, 38-3. They are a good team, a team that has a bonafide shot at the Super Bowl this season. They would probably have won the game Saturday night even if Starr had not experimented. But the Packer fans did not enjoy it at all. They threw paper airplanes down from the seats of Milwaukee County Stadium. They booed a little. And they left early. Oh, did they leave early. This had to set a record for empty seats in the fourth quarter. After the game, Starr blasted New England Coach Chuck Fairbanks. "I told him just like I'm telling you," Starr told reporters afterward, "I'm gonna be around the NFL a long time and if anybody ever tries to rub our noses in it when we're down, 38-3, we'll remember."
NEW ENGLAND - 3 14 14 7 - 38
GREEN BAY - 0 3 0 0 - 3
1st - NE - John Smith, 25-yard field goal NEW ENGLAND 3-0
2nd - NE - Tom Owens, 5-yard run (Smith kick) NEW ENGLAND 10-0
2nd - NE - Stanley Morgan, 62-yard punt return (Smith kick) NEW ENGLAND 17-0
2nd - GB - Marcol, 45-yard field goal NEW ENGLAND 17-3
3rd - NE - Raymond Clayborn, 88-yard punt return (Smith kick) NEW ENG 24-3
3rd - NE - Andy Johnson, 20-yard run (Smith kick) NEW ENGLAND 31-3
4th - NE - Don Calhoun, 6-yard run (Smith kick) NEW ENGLAND 38-3
August 20: Tampa Bay 10, Green Bay (1-2) 7
(TAMPA BAY) - Tampa Bay ended a 19-game losing streak Saturday night when Eddie Williams' one-yard touchdown run gave the Buccaneers a 10-7 preseason victory over the Green Bay Packers. Tampa trailed 7-3 with 8:33 to go when Williams went over the Packers' left side for the winning touchdown. Tampa had not won since beating the Atlanta Falcons 17-3 in the 1976 preseason during the Bucs' expansion year. Although some players on the Packer defense could claim to have had decent games - notably, rookie defensive ends Mike Butler and Ezra Johnson - few on the offense could say the same. The Packers managed only eight first downs, to 15 for Tampa Bay, and had just 135 yards of offense.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 7 0 - 7
TAMPA BAY - 0 3 0 7 - 10
2nd - TB - Derek Smethhurst, 22-yard field goal TAMPA BAY 3-0
3rd - GB - O.Smith, 28-yard pass from R. Johnson (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 7-3
4th - TB - Eddie Williams, 1-yard run (Smethhurst kick) TAMPA BAY 10-7
August 27: Washington 13, Green Bay (1-3) 9
(MILWAUKEE) - The Washington Redskins jumped off to an early 10-0 lead Saturday night and then held on to defeat the Green Bay Packers 13-9. The victory gave the Redskins a 3-1 exhibition mark. The Redskins' first score, a 50-yard field goal by Mark Moseley, was set up in the first quarter when Jake Scott recovered a fumble by Barty Smith on the Packer 45. Early in the second quarter, the Redskins added to their lead when 16-year veteran Billy Kilmer threw a 14-yard scoring pass to Larry Jones. That play, which came at the end of an 81-yard drive, gave the Redskins a lead.
WASHINGTON - 3 7 0 3 - 13
GREEN BAY - 0 0 9 0 - 9
1st - WASH - Mark Moseley, 50-yard field goal WASHINGTON 3-0
2nd - WASH - Larry Jones, 14-yd pass from Billy Kilmer (Moseley kick) WASH 10-0
3rd - GB - Marcol, 25-yard field goal WASHINGTON 10-3
3rd - GB - Green, 9-yard pass from Dickey (Kick failed) WASHINGTON 10-9
4th - WASH - Moseley, 22-yard field goal WASHINGTON 13-9
September 3: Cleveland 19, Green Bay (1-4) 14
(GREEN BAY) - The Green Bay Packers, sparkling at times and sputtering at times, couldn't reach deep enough to pull off a last-second victory, losing to the Cleveland Browns Saturday night. The best that can be said about the game is that for the second week in a row there appeared to be a tiny whisper of improvement in the Green Bay offense. The Packers, at times, played well and did not look hopeless. Don Cockroft kicked four field goals and Greg Pruitt scored on a 70-yard run Saturday night to spark the Browns. Cockrott's third field goal, a 43-yarder with 2:58 left in the third quarter, put the Browns ahead for good. The 10-year veteran also connected from 22, 24 and 34 yards. Pruitt's spectacular run and Cockroft's first field goal gave Cleveland a 10-0 lead midway through the second quarter. The Packers cut the deficit to 10-7 on Lynn Dickey's six-yard pass to tight end Bert Askson. The touchdown was set up by Dickey's 60-yard screen pass to fullback John Brockington. Dickey, who played the first three quarters, was sharp, completing eight of 12 passes tor 152 yards.
2nd - GB - Odom, 35-yard pass from Dickey (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 14-13
3rd - CLE - Cockroft, 34-yard field goal CLEVELAND 16-14
4th - CLE - Cockroft, 43-yard field goal CLEVELAND 19-14
September 10: Green Bay (2-4) 24, Philadelphia 16
(GREEN BAY) - Lynn Dickey ran three yards for a touchdown and passed 52 yards to Ollie Smith for another, leading the Packers over the Philadelphia Eagles Friday night. The Packers, who broke a four-game losing streak, and finished with a 2-4 preseason record, took the lead to stay at 10-6 on Dickey's scoring run on a roll-out late in the second quarter. Smith beat John Outlaw on a fly pattern down the right sideline, caught Dickey's long pass at the five and scored as the Packers made it 17-6 early in the second half. The Eagles (3-3) closed to within 17-16, scoring on a 37-yard field goal by Horst Muhlmann later in the third period and on a 59-yard Ron Jaworski to Harold Carmichael touchdown pass with 6:34 to play. However, Green Bay LB Tom Toner's second interception set up a clinching touchdown on Will Harrell's four-yard run with 1:40 left. Mike Hogan scored from nine yards out on the Eagles' second series of the game but Bob Barber blocked the conversion attempt. A 29-yard interception return by Toner set up a field goal by Mirro Roder early in the second.
PHILADELPHIA - 6 0 3 7 - 16
GREEN BAY - 0 10 7 7 - 24
1st - PHIL - Mike Hogan, 9-yard run (Kick blocked) PHILADELPHIA 6-0
2nd - GB - Roder, 40-yard field goal PHILADELPHIA 6-3
2nd - GB - Dickey, 3-yard run (Roder kick) GREEN BAY 10-6
3rd - GB - O.Smith, 52-yard pass from Dickey (Roder kick) GREEN BAY 17-6
3rd - PHIL - Horst Muhlmann, 37-yard field goall GREEN BAY 17-9
4th - PH - Harold Carmichael, 59-yd pass fr Ron Jaworski (Muhlmann kick) GB 17-16
4th - GB - Harrell, 4-yard run (Roder kick) GREEN BAY 24-16
3a 66 Traded to Houston in Lynn Dickey trade (1976)
3b 74 Rick Scribner OG Idaho State B
3c 80 Terdell Middleton RB Memphis St C
4 94 Traded to Pittsburgh for DE Bob Barber (1976)
5 122 Nate Simpson RB Tennessee St
6 149 Tim Moresco DB Syracuse
7a 172 Derrel Gofourth C Oklahoma St D
7b 176 Rell Tipton OG Baylor
8 206 David Whitehurst QB Furman
9 233 Joel Mullins OT Arkansas State
10 260 Jim Culbreath RB Oklahoma
11 290 Terry Randolph DB American International
A-From Oakland as compensation for Ted Hendricks (1975) B-From Denver for Bill Bain (1976) C-From St. Louis for DB Perry Smith (1977) D-From New York Giants for K Joe Danelo (1976) Bold - Played for the Green Bay Packers
1977 Packers Yearbook
1977 Packers Media Guide
1977 Packers Prospectus
Bengals at Packers Program - 6 August
1977 PACKER TRADES - TRANSACTIONS
MAY 5 - Traded DB Perry Smith to ST. LOUIS for a a 1977 3rd-round draft choice
SEPTEMBER 6 - Traded DE Alden Roche to BALTIMORE for an undisclosed draft choice
SEPTEMBER 12 - Traded DT Mike P. McCoy to OAKLAND for DL Herb McMath, a 1978 1st-round draft choice (LB John Anderson) and a 1979 4th-round selection (later sent to Washington)
LYNN DICKEY AND ALL THOSE INJURIES
To say Lynn Dickey never reached his full potential in the NFL due to injuries would be an understatement. Dickey's ailments combined to cost him more than three full seasons of football. And it started back in college. After a stellar career at Kansas State, Dickey was selected for the 1971 Senior Bowl. Trying to impress the scouts, he failed to warm up properly and began to throw hard. A sore arm sent him from a probable first-rounder to the third round, where the Oilers selected him after taking QB Dan Pastorini in the first round.
After sitting on the bench his rookie year, Dickey had a chance to start in 1972, but, in a pre-season game against the Cardinals, he tried to scramble but was grabbed from behind by a Cardinal defender. Dickey's left hipbone popped out of its socket, breaking off a piece of the socket bone and tearing ligaments in the process. A hip specialist reattched the broken piece of socket bone with two screws, and he would return to the Oilers in 1973.
He started for the Packers in 1976, until the 10th game when he separated his throwing shoulder and underwent surgery in which a screw was implanted in the joint. The operation itself was routine, but the incision became infected. The following season, Ram DT Larry Brooks crashed into him on the last play of a game on November 13. Brooks's hit shattered the tibia and fibula in Dickey's left leg, leaving his left ankle pointed in at a 90-degree angle. Doctors operated, screwing a metal plate to the broken bones to secure them while they knitted. After several months the plate was removed, and Dickey tried to run again. He worked up to a mile a day, but the pain in his leg never slackened. There was nonunion of the bones. In effect, the leg was still broken. Dickey had to undergo yet another operation, one in which a metal rod was hammered like a railroad spike down through an opening just below his knee and into his tibia. The rod strengthened the bone, but it left Dickey with such acute tendinitis in his knee that he could barely jog.
Dickey went so far as to interview for a job as a sporting-goods sales rep, but he quickly dropped the idea. After missing all but a few plays of 33 consecutive games, he hobbled back into the Packers' starting lineup in November of 1979. In 1980 the rod was removed from Dickey's leg—it was his seventh operation—and the tendinitis in his knee cleared up.
After his return, Dickey's injuries became less severe, if not less painful. In 1980 he had tendinitis in his right shoulder, which at times prevented him from throwing in practice. In 1981 he missed three games after getting speared in the back by Detroit's William Gay. The following summer, the back acted up, and then came a massive migraine headache the week of the Houston game to open the 1983 season. All in all, Dickey showed perserverance and determination in putting together a decent NFL career.
