September 2: Chicago Bears (1-0) 6, Green Bay Packers (0-1) 3
(CHICAGO) - Walter Payton ran for 125 yards on 36 carries and Bob Thomas kicked two field goals as the Bears won on opening day. For Payton, it was the 26th time in his career he had passed the century mark in rushing in a game. Bears QB Mike Phipps completed 15 of 25 passes for 177 yards. The Chicago defense limited Green Bay to 149 yards on offense and recorded six sacks. Virgil Livers made the key defensive play when he blocked Chester Marcol's tying field goal attempt in the third quarter. Green Bay's top draft pick, RB Eddie Lee Ivery, was lost for the season after three carries (for 24 yards) when he suffered a knee injury.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 3 0 - 3
CHICAGO - 0 6 0 0 - 6
2nd - CHI - Bob Thomas, 25-yard field goal CHICAGO 3-0
2nd - CHI - Thomas, 19-yard field goal CHICAGO 6-0
3rd - GB - Marcol, 28-yard field goal CHICAGO 6-3
September 9 : Green Bay Packers (1-1) 28, New Orleans Saints (1-1) 19
(MILWAUKEE) - Stepping in for the injured Eddie Lee Ivery, Green Bay rookie RB Steve Atkins rushed for 110 yards on 12 carries, scored once, and set up another touchdown with a 60-yard dash as the Packers rallied for the win. Trailing 12-0 at the half, Green Bay started the third quarter by recovering an onside kick. Barty Smith's short touchdown plunge capped off a 51-yard drive. Short scoring runs by David Whitehurst and Atkins gave Green Bay the lead. New Orleans closed the gap to 21-19 early in the final period following a 76-yard drive. On the next offensive play, Atkins ripped off his long run, setting up an insurance score by Eric Torkelson. The Packer win overshadowed a spectacular performance by New Orleans QB Archie Manning, who completed 28 of 45 passes for 291 yards, as the Saints rolled up 474 yards.
NEW ORLEANS - 3 9 0 7 - 19
GREEN BAY - 0 0 21 7 - 28
1st - NO - Tony Galbreath, 23-yard field goal NEW ORLEANS 3-0
2nd - NO - Galbreath, 27-yard field goal NEW ORLEANS 6-0
2nd - NO - Henry Childs, 33-yard pass from Archie Manning (Kick failed) NO 12-0
3rd - GB - Smith, 1-yard run (Marcol kick) NEW ORLEANS 12-7
3rd - GB - Whitehurst, 2-yard run (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 14-12
3rd - GB - Atkins, 1-yard run (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 21-12
4th - NO - Mike Strachan, 1-yard run (Galbreath kick) GREEN BAY 21-19
4th - GB - Torkelson, 3-yard run (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 28-19
September 17 : Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-0) 21, Green Bay Packers (1-2) 10
(GREEN BAY) - The surprising Buccaneers defeated Green Bay for the first time in their 4-year history behind the running of Ricky Bell (15 carries for 97 yards) and rookie Jerry Eckwood (23 attempts for 99 yards). The undefeated Bucs tallied 235 yards rushing. Green Bay QB David Whitehurst completed 24 of 34 passes for 214 yards. The 24 completions was the second-best single game total in Packer history.
TAMPA BAY - 0 7 14 0 - 21
GREEN BAY - 3 0 0 7 - 10
1st - GB - Marcol, 38-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
2nd - TB - Jerry Eckwood, 40-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick) TAMPA BAY 7-3
3rd - TB - Ricky Bell, 11-yard pass from Doug Williams (O'Donoghue kick) TB 14-3
3rd - TB - Bell, 19-yard run (O'Donoghue kick) TAMPA BAY 21-3
4th - GB - Lofton, 12-yard pass from Whitehurst (Marcol kick) TAMPA BAY 21-10
September 23 : Minnesota Vikings (2-2) 27, Green Bay Packers (1-3) 21
(MINNESOTA) - QB Tommy Kramer tossed a 50-yard pass to Ahmad Rashad with 3:18 gone in overtime to give Minnesota the win. Rashad, who had nine receptions for 136 yards, jumped between two Packer defenders at the 30, made the catch, and outran the Green Bay secondary for the score. Kramer completed 19 of 26 passes for 245 yards. Chuck Foreman gained 11 yards on six carries to become the all-time leading rusher in Minnesota history, surpassing Bill Brown. Green Bay's Terdell Middleton had his best day of the year - 20 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown.
GREEN BAY - 0 14 7 0 0 - 21
MINNESOTA - 7 0 7 7 6 - 27
1st - MN - A. Rashad, 5-yd pass f Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick) MIN 7-0
2nd - GB - Smith, 1-yard run (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 14-7
3rd - MINN - Robert Miller, 3-yard run (Danmeier kick) TIED 14-14
3rd - GB - Middleton, 5-yard run (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 21-14
4th - MINN - Rickey Young, 7-yard run (Danmeier kick) TIED 21-21
OT - MINN - Rashad, 50-yard pass from Kramer MINNESOTA 27-21
October 1: Green Bay Packers (2-3) 27, New England Patriots (3-2) 14
(GREEN BAY) - David Whitehurst ran for one score and passed for another, as the Packers upset the Patriots on Monday night. Green Bay intercepted five passes to spark the win. Whitehurst (17 of 27 for 206 yards) converted interceptions by Steve Luke, Johnnie Gray and Mike McCoy into short touchdown runs by Barty Smith, Terdell Middleton and himself. He also capped a 74-yard drive with a touchdown pass to Aundra Thompson with 9:03 left in the second quarter to give Green Bay the lead for good. This was the first Monday night game ever held at Lambeau Field.
NEW ENGLAND - 7 7 0 0 - 14
GREEN BAY - 7 13 7 0 - 27
1st - NE - Russ Francis, 27-yard pass from Steve Grogan (John Smith kick) NE 7-0
2nd - GB - Middleton, 1-yard run (Kick blocked) GREEN BAY 20-7
2nd - NE - Francis, 6-yard pass from Grogan (Smith kick) GREEN BAY 20-14
3rd - GB - Whitehurst, 1-yard run (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 27-14
October 7: Atlanta Falcons (3-3) 25, Green Bay Packers (2-4) 7
(ATLANTA) - Tim Mazzetti kicked three field goals, and the Falcon defense forced three turnovers, as Atlanta snapped a three-game losing streak and reached the .500 mark. Mazzetti's first field goal was set up by Rolland Lawrence's 17-yard interception return. Atlanta also recorded eight sacks, including one by Mike Lewis which resulted in a safety.
GREEN BAY - 0 7 0 0 - 7
ATLANTA - 10 5 3 7 - 25
1st - ATL - Alfred Jenkins, 9-yd pass fr St. Bartkowski (Tim Mazzetti kick) ATL 7-0
1st - ATL - Mazzetti, 23-yard field goal ATLANTA 10-0
2nd - ATL - Safety, Mike Lewis sacked Whitehurst in the end zone ATLANTA 12-0
2nd - ATL - Mazzetti, 48-yard field goal ATLANTA 15-0
2nd - GB - Smith, 11-yard pass from Whitehurst (Marcol kick) ATLANTA 15-7
3rd - ATL - Mazzetti, 42-yard field goal ATLANTA 18-7
4th - ATL - James Mayberry, 8-yard run (Mazzetti kick) ATLANTA 25-7
October 14: Green Bay Packers (3-4) 24, Detroit Lions (1-6) 16
(MILWAUKEE) - David Whitehurst hit Walt Landers with a long touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter to clinch the win. RB Nate Simpson, who entered the game in the second quarter, ran for 122 yards on 19 carries, the best day of his career (1977-1979).
DETROIT - 0 9 7 0 - 16
GREEN BAY - 0 10 7 7 - 24
2nd - DET - Benny Ricardo, 33-yard field goal DETROIT 3-0
2nd - DET - Walt Williams, 36-yard interception return (Kick failed) DETROIT 9-0
2nd - GB - Whitehurst, 1-yard run (Marcol kick) DETROIT 9-7
2nd - GB - Marcol, 32-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-9
3rd - GB - Coffman, 13-yard pass from Whitehurst (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 17-9
3rd - DET - Leonard Thompson, 38-yd pass fr Jeff Komlo (Ricardo kick) GB 17-16
4th - GB - Landers, 55-yard pass from Whitehurst (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 24-16
October 21 : Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) 21, Green Bay Packers (3-5) 3
(TAMPA BAY) - Doug Williams passed for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Ricky Bell ran for a Tampa Bay-record 167 yards, as the Bucs ended a two-game skid. Bell opened the scoring with a touchdown reception after Cedric Brown intercepted a David Whitehurst pass. Williams' touchdown plunge capped off an 82-yard drive in the second quarter. TE Jimmie Giles caught a touchdown pass with 1:56 left to seal the win.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 3 0 - 3
TAMPA BAY - 7 7 0 7 - 21
1st - TB - Ricky Bell, 9-yard pass from Doug Williams (Neil O'Donghue kick) TB 7-0
2nd - TB - Williams, 1-yard run (O'Donoghue kick) TAMPA BAY 14-0
3rd - GB - Marcol, 42-yard field goal TAMPA BAY 14-3
4th - TB - Jimmie Giles, 2-yard pass from Williams (O'Donoghue kick) TB 21-7
October 28 : Miami Dolphins (6-3) 27, Green Bay Packers (3-6) 7
(MIAMI) - Bob Griese completed 18 of 27 passes for 287 yards and a touchdown as the Dolphins moved into
a tie for first place in the AFC East. Miami built a 20-0 lead on a touchdown reception by Duriel Harris, a scoring run by Larry Csonka, and two Uwe von Schamann field goals. Harris caught 10 passes for 180 yards, both Miami records.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 7 0 - 7
MIAMI - 0 13 14 0 - 27
2nd - MIA - D. Harris, 37-yd pass fr Bob Griese (Uwe von Schamann kick) MIA 7-0
2nd - MIA - von Schamann, 26-yard field goal MIAMI 10-0
2nd - MIA - von Schamann, 36-yard field goal MIAMI 13-0
3rd - MIA - Larry Csonka, 7-yard run (von Schamann kick) MIAMI 20-0
3rd - MIA - Norm Bulaich, 1-yard run (von Schamann kick) MIAMI 27-7
November 4: New York Jets (5-5) 27, Green Bay Packers (3-7) 22
(GREEN BAY) - The Jets, who have the leading ground game in the NFL, rushed for 246 yards in reaching the .500 mark. Clark Gaines led the way with 125 yards on 16 carries. Richard Todd complemented the Jets' ground game by completing 8 of 16 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns. For Green Bay, Chester Marcol's season came to an end with knee troubles, and the team was forced to use LB John Anderson as a kicker in this game.
NEW YORK JETS - 0 21 3 3 - 27
GREEN BAY - 6 9 7 0 - 22
1st - GB - Whitehurst, 2-yard run (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 6-0
2nd - GB - Anderson, 39-yard field goal GREEN BAY 9-0
2nd - NYJ - Kevin Long, 1-yard run (Toni Linhart kick) GREEN BAY 9-7
2nd - NYJ - Jerome Barkum, 32-yard pass from Richard Todd (Linhart kick) NYJ 14-9
2nd - GB - Thompson, 100-yard kickoff return (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 15-14
2nd - NYJ - Bruce Harper, 6-yard pass from Todd (Linhart kick) NYJ 21-15
3rd - NYJ - Linhart, 24-yard field goal NEW YORK JETS 24-15
3rd - GB - Torkelson, 2-yard run (Anderson kick) NEW YORK JETS 24-22
4th - NYJ - Linhart, 39-yard field goal NEW YORK JETS 27-22
November 11: Green Bay Packers (4-7) 19, Minnesota Vikings (4-7) 7
(MILWAUKEE) - David Whitehurst threw two touchdowns passes, and Terdell Middleton gained 135 yards on 27 carries to give Bart Starr his first coaching victory over the Vikings (1-8-1). Middleton's rushing effort was the best since he gained 148 yards in a game against the Lions in 1978. The game also marked the debut of K Tom Birney for the Packers. Mike Butler's 70-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown broke Henry Jordan's record of 60 yards set in 1964 versus the Cowboys. The loss for Minnesota put the Vikings' hopes for a seventh-consecutive NFC Central Division title nearly into extinction.
4th - MIN - Bob Tucker, 3-yd pass fr Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick) GB 19-7
GAME 12 - November 18 : Buffalo Bills (6-6) 19, Green Bay Packers (4-8) 12
(BUFFALO) - Any hopes for a title die in Buffalo, as Mike Collier scored on a short run and Nick Mike-Mayer kicked four field goals as the Bills reached the .500 mark. Collier's touchdown capped an 81-yard drive in the fourth, and broke a tie reached when Mike-Mayer's fourth field goal tied the game late in the third. Interceptions by Mario Clark and Charles Romes ended late drives by Green Bay.
GREEN BAY - 3 9 0 0 - 12
BUFFALO - 3 3 6 7 - 19
1st - GB - Birney, 25-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
1st - BUFF - Nick Mike-Mayer, 37-yard field goal TIED 3-3
2nd - BUFF - Mike-Mayer, 34-yard field goal BUFFALO 6-3
2nd - GB - Lofton, 34-yard pass from Whitehurst (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 9-6
2nd - GB - Birney, 32-yard field goal GREEN BAY 12-6
3rd - BUFF - Mike-Mayer, 31-yard field goal GREEN BAY 12-9
3rd - BUFF - Mike-Mayer, 32-yard field goal TIED 12-12
4th - BUFF - Mike Collier, 1-yard run (Mike-Mayer kick) BUFFALO 19-12
November 25 : Philadelphia Eagles (9-4) 21, Green Bay Packers (4-9) 10
(GREEN BAY) - Ron Jaworski tossed three touchdown passes as the Eagles moved into first place in the NFC East. Jaworski (8 of 18 for 127 yards) tossed his first score to Wilbert Montgomery, giving Philadelphia a 7-0 lead. In the second half, Jaworski hit Harold Carmichael twice to seal the win. Philadelphia's Leroy Harris was the game's leading rusher with 137 yards on nine carries, including a team-record 80 yarder. For Green Bay, Lynn Dickey tossed his first TD pass since the 1977 season.
1st - GB - Birney, 33-yard field goal PHILADELPHIA 7-3
3rd - PH - Harold Carmichael, 17-yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) PHIL 14-3
4th - PH - Carmichael, 4-yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) PHIL 21-3
4th - GB - Lofton, 7-yard pass from Dickey (Birney kick) PHILADELPHIA 21-10
December 2: Washington Redskins (9-5) 38, Green Bay Packers (4-10) 21
(WASHINGTON) - Joe Theismann passed for a career-high four touchdowns, including three in second half, to lead the Redskins to a come-from-behind win. Trailing 21-7 at the half, Washington tied the game on touchdown passes to Danny Buggs and John McDaniel. Monty Coleman's interception set up the go-ahead touchdown pass to John Riggins. Washington's defense held Green Bay offense to 23 yards in the second half, while the Washington offense racked up 437 total yards, 305 in the second half. Lynn Dickey made his first start at Packer quarterback since he broke his leg in the 1977 season.
GREEN BAY - 0 21 0 0 - 21
WASHINGTON - 7 0 7 24 - 38
1st - WA - Ricky Thompson, 20-yd pass fr Theismann (Mark Moseley kick) WA 7-0
4th - WASH - Moseley, 33-yard field goal WASHINGTON 31-21
4th - WASH - Ike Forte, 20-yard run (Moseley kick) WASHINGTON 38-21
December 9: Chicago Bears (9-6) 15, Green Bay Packers (4-11) 14
(GREEN BAY) - Chicago scored nine points in the fourth quarter to squeak past Green Bay and move into a tie for first place in the NFC Central. LB Tom Hicks' interception return for a touchdown and a Bob Thomas field goal gave the Bears an 8-point lead. Green Bay had a chance to win the game, but Tom Birney's 52-yard field goal attempt with 32 seconds left fell short
CHICAGO - 3 3 0 9 - 15
GREEN BAY - 0 7 0 7 - 14
1st - CHI - Bob Thomas, 34-yard field goal CHICAGO 3-0
2nd - GB - Coffman, 6-yard pass from Dickey (Birney kick) GREEN BAY 7-3
2nd - CHI - Thomas, 33-yard field goal GREEN BAY 7-6
4th - CHI - Tom Hicks, 66-yard interception return (Kick failed) CHICAGO 12-7
4th - CHI - Thomas, 44-yard field goal CHICAGO 15-7
4th - GB - Coffman, 22-yard pass from Dickey (Birney kick) CHICAGO 15-14
December 15: Green Bay Packers (5-11) 18, Detroit Lions (2-14) 13
(DETROIT) - Green Bay got four field goals from Tom Birney and a touchdown from Eric Torkelson and avoided their first 12-loss season in franchise history. For Detroit, their 14 losses was the most they had ever had in a season, with the previous worst being 11 in 1942. Birney's four kicks gave him one more than he had in the previous five games with the Packers.
GREEN BAY - 6 3 9 0 - 18
DETROIT - 7 0 0 6 - 13
1st - GB - Birney, 27-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
1st - DET - Jeff Komlo, 9-yard run (Benny Ricardo kick) DETROIT 7-3
2nd - GB - Birney, 25-yard field goal DETROIT 7-6
3rd - GB - Birney, 47-yard field goal GREEN BAY 9-7
3rd - GB - Torkelson, 1-yard run (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 15-7
4th - GB - Birney, 41-yard field goal GREEN BAY 18-7
4th - DET - Dexter Bussey, 4-yard run (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 18-13
NAMENOPOSHGTWGTCOLLEGEYRPRAGGHOW ACQUIRED
John Anderson 59 LB 6- 3 221 Michigan 2 2 23 7 1978 Draft - 1st round
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
SEASON REVIEW - Coming off a winning season in 1978, the Packers were filled with optimism heading into the 1979 campaign. Unfortunately, the worst rushing defense in the league, the dismissal of a long-time member of the franchise, and a long list of injuries led to a disappointing 5-11 record. For the first time, Bart Starr's future as head coach was being openly questioned. The only bright spots appeared to be the return of Lynn Dickey, the first win over Minnesota in five years, and the successful debut of Monday Night Football at Lambeau Field. Green Bay's defense allowed more than 150 yards rushing in 14 of the 16 games and the team went 3-11 in those contests. No other defense was rushed on as much (639 carries), and the 2,885 yards given up on the ground was the fourth-worst in NFL history up to this point. Defensive coordinator Dave Hanner was fired in December after 28 years with the Packers organization. As for injuries, the parade started in the first game when top draft choice Eddie Lee Ivery went down with a torn knee ligament. Mike Hunt, Barty Smith, Bobby Kimball and Steve Atkins were also lost for the season with various ailments. Mark Koncar (ankle), John Anderson (broken arm), Ezra Johnson (ankle), Mike Butler (elbow) and Terdell Middleton (shoulder) all missed significant playing time.
1979 PRE-SEASON RESULTS (3-1) - AUGUST
4 G-KANSAS CITY CHIEFS W 14-10 1- 0-0 53,994
11 at Cincinnati Bengals L 5-20 1- 1-0 44,284
18 G-BUFFALO BILLS W 7- 6 2- 1-0 54,857
25 M-ATLANTA FALCONS W 45-35 3- 1-0 55,416
1979 REGULAR SEASON RESULTS (5-11-0) - SEPTEMBER (1-3)
2 at Chicago Bears (0-0) L 3- 6 0- 1-0 56,515 Whitehurst
18 at Buffalo Bills (5-6) L 12-19 4- 8-0 39,679 Whitehurst
25 G-PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (8-4) L 10-21 4- 9-0 50,023 Whitehurst
DECEMBER (1-2)
2 at Washington Redskins (8-5) L 21-38 4-10-0 51,682 Dickey
9 G-CHICAGO BEARS (8-6) L 14-15 4-11-0 54,207 Dickey
15 at Detroit Lions (2-13) W 18-13 5-11-0 57,376 Dickey
August 18: Green Bay (2-1) 7, Buffalo 6
(GREEN BAY) - Lynn Dickey, playing in his first game since Nov. 13, 1977, connected with James Lofton with 15 seconds left to give the Packers a victory over the Buffalo Bills Saturday night. The Packers improved their record to 2-1 while Buffalo's record dropped to 0-3. "I feel David (Whitehurst) is still the No.l quarterback." said Dickey. "I don't feel I'm able to go through a game and get away from people the way he's able to do." There was little question who was No 1 Saturday night. Whitehurst had only nine completions in 17 passes for 40 yards while Dickey completed 10-of- 19 for 126 yards and the winning touchdown.
BUFFALO - 0 6 0 0 - 6
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 7 - 7
2nd - BUF - Tom Dempsey, 22-yard field goal BUFFALO 3-0
2nd - BUF - Dempsey, 42-yard field goal BUFFALO 6-0
4th - GB - Lofton, 20-yard pass from Dickey (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 7-6
August 25: Green Bay (3-1) 45, Atlanta 35
(MILWAUKEE) - David Whitehurst said he felt compelled to have a big game, but had not expected the Green Bay Packers to have their highest-scoring exhibition game since they beat Philadelphia in 1959. Whitehurst passed for 238 yards, including touchdowns of 7 yards to Paul Coffman and 30 to James Lofton, leading the Packers over the Atlanta Falcons Saturday night. Rookie Eddie Lee Ivery scored on a 3-yard run and turned a short pass from Lynn Dickey into a 42-yard touchdown play for the Packers. Green Bay, against a team that had the National Football League's fifth best defense last season, gained 442 yards.
ATLANTA - 0 14 0 21 - 35
GREEN BAY - 3 28 7 7 - 45
1st - GB - Marcol, 38-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
2nd - GB - Middleton, 13-yard run (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 10-0
2nd - GB - Coffman, 7-yard pass from Whitehurst (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 17-0
2nd - GB - Lofton, 30-yard pass from Whitehurst (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 24-0
2nd - ATL - Alfred Jenkins, 33-yd pass fr June Jones (Tim Mazzetti kick) GB 24-7
2nd - GB - Ivery, 3-yard run (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 31-7
2nd - ATL - Alfred Jackson, 1-yard pass from Jones (Mazzetti kick) GB 31-14
3rd - GB - Ivery, 42-yard pass from Dickey (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 38-14
4th - ATL - Lynn Cain, 1-yard run (Mazzetti kick) GREEN BAY 38-21
4th - ATL - Cain, 1-yard run (Mazzetti kick) GREEN BAY 38-28
4th - GB - Simpson, 2-yard run (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 45-28
4th - ATL - Cain, 2-yard pass from Jones (Mazzetti kick) GREEN BAY 45-35
August 4: Green Bay (1-0) 14, Kansas City 10
(GREEN BAY) - Green Bay No. 1 draft pick, Eddie Lee Ivery, slithered through the Kansas City Chiefs for six yards on his first official carry as a Packer. He gained six more yards on his first pass reception. On his first blocking assignment, he not only missed his man but nearly tripped over a teammate. Well, two out of three ain't bad. "Overall, I'd say I did pretty good," said Ivery after being voted the most valuable offensive player in the Packers' pre-season victory over the Chiefs Saturday night. Ivery gained 49 yards in nine carries and caught three passes for 32 yards, including a 22-yard run with a screen pass that put the Packers ahead for good in the third quarter. The Chiefs, trying to rebuild from a disastrous 4-12 season, had taken a 10-7 halftime lead on Jan Stenerud's 44-yard field goal and quarterback Pete Woods' one-yard sneak. But they mounted just one serious threat in the second half and that fizzled when a pass by pnze rookie Steve Fuller was picked off in the end zone by rookie defensive back Carlos Henderson.
KANSAS CITY - 0 10 0 0 - 10
GREEN BAY - 0 7 7 0 - 14
2nd - GB - Lofton, 6-yard pass from Whitehurst (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - KC - Jan Stenerud, 42-yard field goal GREEN BAY 7-3
2nd - KC - Pete Woods, 1-yard run (Stenerud kick) KANSAS CITY 10-7
3rd - GB - Ivery, 22-yard pass from Sproul (Marcol kick) GREEN BAY 14-10
August 11: Cincinnati 20, Green Bay (1-1) 5
(CINCINNATI) - Archie Griffin scored two first-half touchdowns and Chris Bahr kicked two field goals to lift the Cincinnati Bengals over the punchless Packers. Griffin, the nation's only two-time Heisman trophy winner while at Ohio State, scored on a 2-yard run in the opening quarter and on an 18- yard pass from Ken Anderson in the second period. Bahr added field goals of 25 and 40 yards to complete the Cincinnati scoring. Green Bay, which managed only three first downs in the first half, got its only scoring on a 46-yard field goal by Chester Marcol late in the third quarter and on a safety in the final period. The safety came when a snap by Cincinnati rookie center Max Montoya sailed over the head of punter Pat Mclnally and out of the end zone.
4th - GB - Safety, snap went out of end zone on punt CINCINNATI 20-5
1979 PACKERS DRAFT (May 3-4, 1979)
RND-PCKNAMEPOSCOLLEGENOTES
1 15 Eddie Lee Ivery RB Georgia Tech
2 44 Steve Atkins RB Maryland
3 71 Charles Johnson DT Maryland
4 98 Traded to New York Jets in Carl Barzilauskas trade
5 125 Traded to New York Jets in Carl Barzilauskas trade
6 153 Davie Simmons LB North Carolina
7a 180 Henry Monroe DB Mississippi State
7b 184 Rich Wingo LB Alabama (A)
8a 193 Ron Cassidy WR Utah State (B)
8b 208 Rick Partridge P Utah
9 235 John Thompson TE Utah State
10 264 Frank Lockett WR Nebraska
11 290 Mark Thorson DB Ottawa (Kan.)
12 318 Bill Moats P South Dakota
A-From San Diego in Willie Buchanon trade B-From San Francisco in Steve Knutson trade Bold - Played for the Green Bay Packers
1978 Packers Yearbook
1979 Packers Media Guide
1979 Packers Prospectus
Chiefs at Packers Program - 4 August
Bills at Packers Program - 18 August
Falcons at Packers Program - 25 August
1979 PACKER TRADES - TRANSACTIONS
APRIL 26 - Traded CB Willie Buchanon to SAN DIEGO for a 1979 7th-round draft choice (LB Rich Wingo) and a 1980 1st-round selection (LB George Cumby)
AUGUST 6 - Traded an undisclosed draft choice to DALLAS for OG Mike Salzano
AUGUST 14 - Traded a 1981 5th-round draft choice to LOS ANGELES for C Mike Wellman
THE FIRST MONDAY NIGHT GAME IN GREEN BAY
The New England Patriots were a pre-season Super Bowl contender. The Green Bay Packers were coming off their first winning season in six years. The Packers, who some had picked to win the NFC Central, were off to a dismal 1-3 record, while the Pats were living up to their expectations at 3-1. And for the first time in franchise history, Monday Night Football was coming to Green Bay.
The three previous Monday Night games in Wisconsin had all been played in Milwaukee, due to the simple fact that there were lights at County Stadium. The hype for the game was noticeable, especially since days before the game, the Brown County sheriff’s office received a death threat aimed at Cosell. With help from the FBI, Cosell was kept safe and sound.
Green Bay came into the game in disarray. When Bart Starr chose to run out the clock late in a tie game in Minnesota the week before, a game the Vikings went on to win, he nearly had a locker-room mutiny on his hands. Star wide receiver James Lofton threw his pads into his locker during the Packers' postgame prayer and had words with Starr. He also dropped some passes observers felt he should have caught, leading a Green Bay newspaper to run a cartoon in which he was called a "ham-handed and overpaid receiver."
Green Bay came into the Patriots game as 8 1/2 point underdogs. When Tim Fox intercepted a David Whitehurst pass in Packer territory and Steve Grogan threw a scoring pass to TE Russ Francis, it appeared the rout was on. Instead, it was the Patriots who turned into bumblers, with six turnovers. SS Johnnie Gray came up with the first of the Packers’ five interceptions, and the subsequent 41-yard, five-play drive ended FB Barty Smith dove a yard for the tying score.
The Packers took the lead for good on a 74-yard drive that ended with a Whitehurst pass to WR Aundra Thompson. The victory was the highlight of a dismal 5-11 year. The season would continue to unravel, punctuated during a loss to the Jets at Green Bay in November. The fans booed Lofton for fumbling a fourth-quarter pass. His reply was a middle-finger slate. In a postgame TV interview, he said he was bleeped-off at the stupid bleeps in the stands. That prompted a Packers public-relations man to say of him, "He needs to grow up. He's a prima donna." As for the Patriots, they would bounce back to win their next three, but a losing streak late in the season sent them to a 9-7 record, and no playoff berth despite those lofty predicitions.
