September 6: Green Bay Packers (1-0) 16, Chicago Bears (0-1) 9
(CHICAGO) - Gerry Ellis and Eddie Lee Ivery led a punishing ground attack and each scored a touchdown to lead underdog Green Bay to a 16-9 victory over host Chicago. The Bears' bid for a tying touchdown ended when Matt Suhey fumbled on the Green Bay goal line with 23 seconds to play. Ellis carried 17 times for 94 yards and Ivery had 72 yards in 14 carries before leaving the game in the third quarter with a twisted left knee, the same knee on which he had surgery two years ago. The Packers took the opening kickoff and marched 72 yards to a touchdown with Ivery smashing for 28 yards before going across from the two-yard line. The snap from center Charlie Ane was low on the extra-point attempt but the Pack still cashed in when Ray Stachowicz picked up the loose ball and threw a conversion pass to Rich Wingo for the 7-0 lead.The win did not come without a price. Ivery was lost for the second time in three years when he tore up his knee on the Soldier Field astroturf, the same place his rookie season ended in 1979.
GREEN BAY - 7 6 0 3 - 16
CHICAGO - 0 0 6 3 - 9
1st - GB - Ivery, 2-yard run (Wingo pass from Stachowicz) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - GB - Ellis, 5-yard run (Kick blocked) GREEN BAY 13-0
3rd - CHI - Walter Payton, 11-yard run (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 13-6
4th - GB - Stenerud, 33-yard field goal GREEN BAY 16-6
4th - CHI - Bob Thomas, 25-yard field goal GREEN BAY 16-9
September 13 : Atlanta Falcons (2-0) 31, Green Bay Packers (1-1) 17
(GREEN BAY) - Atlanta LB Fulton Kuykendall returned an interception 22 yards for one score and LB Joel Williams returned a fumble 57 yards for another touchdown to cap a 31-point fourth quarter and rally the Falcons to a 31-17 victory over the host Green Bay Packers. The Falcons boosted their record to 2-0 while the Packers, who intercepted four passes, slipped to 1-1 as Atlanta notched its first triumph in Green Bay in four tnps. The final Atlanta TD came with 1:34 left after Lynn Dickey passed to Terdell Middleton and Middleton fumbled. Williams scooped up the ball and ran 57 yards down the sidelines for the score. Kuykendall broke a 17-17 tie with eight minutes left when he intercepted a Dickey pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. The Falcons scored earlier on a 32-yard field goal by Mick Luckhurst, a two-yard run by William Andrews and a 30-yard pass from Steve Bartkowski to Alfred Jenkins.
ATLANTA - 0 0 0 31 - 31
GREEN BAY - 7 7 3 0 - 17
1st - GB - Swanke, 2-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - GB - Ellis, 11-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
3rd - GB - Stenerud, 44-yard field goal GREEN BAY 17-0
4th - ATL - Mick Luckhurst, 32-yard field goal GREEN BAY 17-3
4th - ATL - William Andrews, 1-yard run (Luckhurst kick) GREEN BAY 17-10
4th - AT - Joel Williams, 57-yard fumble return (Luckhurst kick) ATLANTA 31-17
September 20 : Los Angeles Rams (1-2) 35, Green Bay Packers (1-2) 23
(LOS ANGELES) - Backup Los Angeles QB Jeff Rutledge scored three touchdowns in a 7:47 span of the second half to break open a close game and post a 35-23 victory over Green Bay in Anaheim. Starting quarterback Pat Haden went out in the second quarter with bruised ribs and did not return. It was the Rams' first win in three games while Green Bay also fell to 1-2. Trailing 16-14, the Rams moved into a 21-16 lead late in the third quarter on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Rutledge to Drew Hill. Los Angeles boosted its lead to 28-16 early in the final period on a two-yard TD run by Cullen Bryant. On Green Bay's next play, Pat Thomas intercepted a Lynn Dickey pass and returned it 64 yards to the Packers' 11. Three plays later, Wendell Tyler crashed over from the one to give Los Angeles a 35-16 lead with 9:22 left in the game. Green Bay closed out the scoring with 5:00 left on a 19-yard TD pass from Dickey to James Lofton, who made a sensational catch in the end zone.
GREEN BAY - 0 10 6 7 - 23
LOS ANGELES - 0 14 7 14 - 35
2nd - GB - Ellis, 3-yard run (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - LA - Joe Harris, 21-yard fumble return (Frank Corral kick) TIED 7-7
2nd - LA - Wendell Tyler, 2-yard run (Corral kick) LOS ANGELES 14-7
2nd - GB - Stenerud, 19-yard field goal LOS ANGELES 14-10
3rd - GB - Stenerud, 23-yard field goal LOS ANGELES 14-13
3rd - GB - Stenerud, 44-yard field goal GREEN BAY 16-14
3rd - LA - Drew Hill, 30-yard pass from Jeff Rutledge (Corral kick) LA 21-16
4th - LA - Cullen Bryant, 2-yard run (Corral kick) LOS ANGELES 28-16
4th - LA - Tyler, 1-yard run (Corral kick) LOS ANGELES 35-16
4th - GB - Lofton, 19-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) LOS ANGELES 35-21
September 27 : Minnesota Vikings (2-2) 30, Green Bay Packers (1-3) 13
(MILWAUKEE) -Tommy Kramer passed for two Minnesota touchdowns and DE Randy Holloway ran 45 yards with a recovered fumble for another score, leading the Vikings to a 30-13 victory over the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings, 2-2, recovered two fumbles and sacked Packer quarterbacks Lynn Dickey and David Whitehurst eight times for 58 yards in losses. End Doug Martin had three of the sacks. Minnesota's defensive charge offset seven receptions for 121 yards by John Jefferson in his first game for the Packers, who obtained the all-pro reciever in a trade with San Diego and signed him last Wednesday. The Packers, 1-3, took a 10-0 lead on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Dickey to James Lofton and a 24-yard field goal by Jan Stenerud. However, a 34-yard field goal by Rick Danmeier, his first of three, ignited a 20-point Viking second quarter. Moments later, Whitehurst fumbled as he was sacked by Martin for a 6-yard loss. Holloway grabbed the loose ball and ran 45 yards for the tying touchdown. The Packers argued that the play should have been called an incomplete pass.
MINNESOTA - 0 20 10 0 - 30
GREEN BAY - 10 0 3 0 - 13
1st - GB - Lofton, 6-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - GB - Stenerud, 24-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-0
2nd - MIN - Rick Danmeier, 34-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-3
2nd - MIN - Randy Holloway, 45-yard fumble return (Danmeier kick) TIED 10-10
2nd - MIN - Bob Bruer, 1-yd pass fr Tommy Kramer (Danmeier kick) MINN 17-10
2nd - MIN - Danmeier, 30-yard field goal MINNESOTA 20-10
3rd - MIN - Ahmad Rashad, 7-yard pass from Kramer (Danmeier kick) MINN 27-10
3rd - GB - Stenerud, 27-yard field goal MINNESOTA 27-13
3rd - MINN - Danmeier, 25-yard field goal MINNESOTA 30-13
October 4: Green Bay Packers (2-3) 27, New York Giants (2-3) 14
(NEW YORK) - The New York Giants discovered All-Pro receivers James Lofton and John Jefferson hurt you even when they don't catch the ball. With the Giants overly concerned with stopping Green Bay's incomparable wide receivers, Packer QB Lynn Dickey exploited the soft middle of the New York defense with key passes to TE Paul Coffman to spark a 27-14 truimph that snapped a three-game losing streak. Coffman caught a 1-yard touchdown pass and set up three other scores, finishing with a team-high six recptions for 92 yards as the Packers improved to 2-3. Harlan Huckleby, making his first NFL start, added a one-yard TD run, Jefferson caught a 26-yard scoring pass and Jan Stenerud added field goals of 50 and 35 yards. Coffman, who caught 56 passes in 1979 and 42 last year, is perhaps the biggest beneficiary of last months's acquisition of Jefferson from San Diego. The Giants, 2-3, didn't cross midfield until the third quarter against a Green Bay defense that had yielded an average of 33 points per game over the last three weeks The Giants were shut out until Doug Kotar's one-yard TD run late in the third period. Earnest Gray caught a two-yard scoring pass from Phil Simms with 1:20 remaining to close out the scoring. After Kotar's score, the Packers iced the game on a 19-play, 80-yard march, kept alive by three penalties to the Giants - the most penalized team in the NFC. Terry Jackson was guilty of pass interference on 3rd-and- three and after a 25-yard pass to Lofton on 3rd-and-20, Jackson was flagged for running into the punter on fourth down. A roughing-the-passer penalty against Gary Jeter on 3rd-and-8 set up Dickey's 26-yard TD strike to Jefferson on 3rd-and-goal with 8: 48 left in the game.
GREEN BAY - 3 10 7 7 - 27
NY GIANTS - 0 0 7 7 - 14
1st - GB - Stenerud, 50-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
2nd - GB - Coffman, 1-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 10-0
2nd - GB - Stenerud, 35-yard field goal GREEN BAY 13-0
3rd - GB - Huckleby, 1-yard run (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 20-0
3rd - NY - Doug Kotar, 1-yard run (Joe Danelo kick) GREEN BAY 20-7
4th - GB - Jefferson, 26-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 27-7
4th - NY - Earnest Gray, 2-yard pass from Phil Simms (Danelo kick) GR BAY 27-14
October 11: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2) 21, Green Bay Packers (2-4) 10
(GREEN BAY) - Doug Williams passed for one Tampa Bay touchdown and ran for another, while LB Cecil Johnson set up another score with a 29-yard interception return, leading the Buccaneers to a 21-10 victory over host Green Bay. Williams completed 15 of 23 passes for 199 yards. TE Jimmie Giles caught 6 passes for 85 yards, including a 5-yard strike for the Bucs' first touchdown. The Buccaneers, 4-2, took a permanent lead at 14-7 on their first series of the second half when Williams plunged over from a yard out to cap a 65-yard march. Three plays later, Johnson picked off a Lynn Dickey pass intended for John Jefferson and returned it 29 yards to the Packer 1. James Wilder scored on the next play as Tampa Bay led 21-7. It was Johnson's fourth interception in his last three games.
TAMPA BAY - 0 7 14 0 - 21
GREEN BAY - 7 0 0 3 - 10
1st - GB - Ellis, 7-yard run (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - TB - Jimmie Giles, 5-yd pass from Doug Williams (Bill Capece kick) TIED 7-7
3rd - TB - Williams, 1-yard run (Capece kick) TAMPA BAY 14-7
3rd - TB - James Wilder, 1-yard run (Capece kick) TAMPA BAY 21-7
4th - GB - Stenerud, 34-yard field goal TAMPA BAY 21-10
October 18: San Francisco 49ers (5-2) 13, Green Bay Packers (2-5) 3
(MILWAUKEE) - Johnny Davis plunged one yard for San Francisco's go-ahead touchdown late in the third quarter and Ray Wersching kicked two field goals, leading the visiting 49ers to a 13-3 victory over Green Bay. Joe Montana passed for 210 yards and DE Lawrence Pillers had three quarterback sacks for the 49ers, 5-2 with a four-game winning streak. The 49ers started their touchdown drive from the Packer 46 after a 12-yard punt return by Freddie Solomon. Montana then passed to Paul Hofer, who beat S Johnnie Gray, for a 22-yard gain to the Packer 9. Davis plunged over right guard to score on fourth down from the 1, breaking a 3-3 tie with 4:11 left in the third quarter. Wersching made it 13-3 with a 32-yard field goal with 4:31 to play. Lynn Dickey was forced to leave the game with a neck injury, and David Whitehurst stepped in but could not move the offense. The Milwaukee faithful booed their former fan favorite as they wanted to see top draft pick Rich Campbell.
SAN FRANCISCO - 0 3 7 3 - 13
GREEN BAY - 0 3 0 3 - 3
1st - GB - Stenerud, 26-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
2nd - SF - Ray Wersching, 26-yard field goal TIED 3-3
3rd - SF - Johnny Davis, 1-yard run (Wersching kick) SAN FRANCISCO 10-3
4th -SF - Wersching, 32-yard field goal SAN FRANCISCO 13-3
October 25 : Detroit Lions (4-4) 31, Green Bay Packers (2-6) 27
(DETROIT) - Detroit QB Eric Hipple ran for two touchdowns, including the clincher with 1:54 remaining in the game, and passed for another as the Lions defeated the Green Bay Packers 31-27. The Packers had fought back to take a 27-24 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Gerry Ellis with 5:52 left in the fourth quarter. However, Hipple drove the Lions right back 76 yards in 12 plays - including a clutch 38-yard completion to Leonard Thompson at the 9 - to regain the lead with a 5-yard quarterback draw play on third and goal. Hipple, who completed 20 of 37 attempts for 271 yards, ran 6 yards for a first-period touchdown and passed l yard to tight end David Hill for a TD in the second period. Rick Kane, subbing for the injured Billy Sims for the second straight week, scored on a 2-yard run in the third quarter and Eddie Murray booted a 37-yard field goal for the Lions, now 4-4. Lynn Dickey bounced back from his neck injury, but then was forced from the game early when he was speared in the back by William Gay. The Lions DE was fined $2,000 for the hit.
GREEN BAY - 7 3 10 7 - 27
DETROIT - 7 10 7 7 - 31
1st - DET - Eric Hipple, 6-yard run (Eddie Murray kick) DETROIT 7-0
2nd - GB - Stenerud, 27-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-7
2nd - DET - Murray, 37-yard field goal TIED 10-10
2nd - DET - David Hill, 1-yard pass from Hipple (Murray kick) DETROIT 17-10
3rd - GB - Stenerud, 39-yard field goal DETROIT 17-13
3rd - DET - Rick Kane, 2-yard run (Murray kick) DETROIT 24-13
3rd - GB - Ellis, 46-yard pass from Whitehurst (Stenerud kick) DETROIT 24-20
4th - GB - Ellis, 1-yard run (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 27-24
4th - DET - Hipple, 5-yard run (Murray kick) DETROIT 31-27
November 1 : Green Bay Packers (3-6) 34, Seattle Seahawks (2-7) 24
(GREEN BAY) - David Whitehurst, loudly booed during his infrequent home-field appearances earlier in the season, made the most of his first start in nearly two years. Whitehurst threw two first-quarter interceptions, but then had the Lambeau field crowd of 49,467 cheering wildly as the Packers broke a three-game losing streak. The Packers took a 28-24 lead when Lofton caught Whitehurst's 6-yard pass over the middle, broke to the right sideline and raced the remaining 32 yards to score with 1:02 left in the third quarter. The Seahawks, who had taken a 24-21 lead earlier in the period on a 54-yard field goal by Efren Herrera, dropped to 2-7. Jan Stenerud accounted for Green Bay's last 6 points with a 19-yard field goal with 1:58 to play and a 36-yard field goal with 41 seconds left. S John Harris gave the Seahawks a 7-0 lead when he intercepted a Whitehurst pass and returned 42 yards to score 4:13 into the game. But the Packers tied at 7-7 later in the first period when Whitehurst capped an 80-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Paul Coffman.
3rd - SEA - Herrera, 54-yard field goal SEATTLE 24-21
3rd - GB - Lofton, 38-yard pass from Whitehurst (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 28-24
4th - GB - Stenerud, 19-yard field goal GREEN BAY 31-24
4th - GB - Stenerud, 36-yard field goal GREEN BAY 34-24
November 8: Green Bay Packers (4-6) 26, New York Giants (5-5) 24
(MILWAUKEE) - Jan Stenerud's fourth field goal of the game, a 23-yarder with 2:36 to play, rallied the Green Bay Packers to a 26-24 victory over the New York Giants. The Giants, 5-5, who had trailed 20-0 after one quarter, stormed back behind second-year QB Scott Brunner and took a 24-23 lead on a 33-yard field goal by Joe Danelo with 6:14 left. The Packers, 4-6, started the next series at their 21 and drove to the Giants 6 behind David Whitehurst's passes covering 41 yards to John Jefferson and 17 to Paul Coffman. Stenerud kicked his decisive field goal on fourth down and one. Stenerud's field goals gave him 301 for his 15-year NFL career, third highest in league history. The Packers built their 20-0 lead on a 41-yard interception return for a touchdown by Estus Hood, a 94-yard scoring dash with a punt return by Mark Lee and Stenerud field goals of 32 and 28 yards. Hood's second interception of the game and a Brunner fumble, which was recovered by Green Bay's Casey Merrill, set up Stenerud's first two field goals. Brunner, who started because No.l quarterback Phil Simms was out with a groin injury, retaliated with touchdown passes covering 18 yards to Gary Shirk and 24 yards to Johnny Perkins in the second quarter. Brunner threw the first scoring pass after he had lined up as the holder on a fake field goal attempt by Danelo. Stenerud kicked a 35-yard field goal 1:13 before halftime to put the Packers ahead 23-14. The kick followed an interception by the Packers' Mark Murphy at the Giants' 48. The Giants closed within 23-21 with 10:39 to play when Brunner threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Mike Friede.
NEW YORK - 0 14 0 10 - 24
GREEN BAY - 20 3 0 3 - 26
1st - GB - Hood, 41-yard intereception return (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - GB - Lee, 94-yard punt return (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
1st - GB - Stenerud, 32-yard field goal GREEN BAY 17-0
1st - GB - Stenerud, 28-yard field goal GREEN BAY 20-0
2nd - NY - Gary Shirk, 18-yard pass from Scott Brunner (Joe Danelo kick) GB 20-7
2nd - NY - Johnny Perkins, 24-yard pass from Brunner (Danelo kick) GR BAY 20-14
2nd - GB - Stenerud, 35-yard field goal GREEN BAY 23-14
4th - NY - Mike Friede, 7-yard pass from Brunner (Danelo kick) GREEN BAY 23-21
4th - NY - Danelo, 33-yard field goal NEW YORK 24-23
4th - GB - Stenerud, 23-yard field goal GREEN BAY 26-24
November 15: Green Bay Packers (5-6) 21, Chicago Bears (3-8) 17
(GREEN BAY) - David Whitehurst threw touchdown passes covering 1 and 39 yards to Harlan Huckleby and 2 yards to Terdell Middleton, leading the Green Bay Packers to a 21-17 victory over the Chicago Bears. S Mark Murphy set up Green Bay's go-ahead touchdown with a 50-yard interception return, and CB Mark Lee picked off two other passes by the Bears' Vince Evans as the Packers won their third game in a row. Murphy intercepted a sideline pass intended for Brian Baschnagel and returned to the Bear 29 before Evans pushed him out of bounds. After a holding penally set the Packers back to the 39, Huckleby caught a pass about 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, faked past Jeff Fisher and Gary Fencik and raced to the end zone for a 14-10 Packer lead 7:41 before halftime. Whitehurst's scoring pass to Middleton made it 21-10 with just over a minute left in the half. A pair of 12-yard runs by Huckleby and a 15-yard pass from Whitehurst to James Lofton sustained the 63-yard, 5-minute drive. The Bears closed to within 21-17 when Walter Payton, who rushed 22 times for 105 yards, scored on a 2-yard run with 9:58 l e f t . However, Lee preserved the victory with his second interception and a 12-yard return to the Packer 35 with 7:44.
CHICAGO - 10 0 0 7 - 17
GREEN BAY - 7 14 0 0 - 21
1st - CHI - John Roveto, 36-yard field goal CHICAGO 3-0
1st - GB - Huckleby, 1-yard pass from Whitehurst (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 7-3
1st - CHI - Matt Suhey, 1-yard run (Roveto kick) CHICAGO 10-7
4th - CHI - Walter Payton, 2-yard (Roveto kick) GREEN BAY 21-17
November 22 : Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6) 37, Green Bay Packers (5-7) 3
(TAMPA BAY) - Veteran CB Cedric Brown took advantage of a mistake by rookie Green Bay QB Rich Campbell and turned a tight game into a rout with an 81-yard return of a pass interception for a Tampa Bay touchdown. "We needed a big play," Brown said of his interception on the first play of the second period when the Buccaneers led only 3-0. "Green Bay was driving and as fortune would have it, I picked it off," he said after the Buccaneers coasted to a 37-3 victory over Green Bay. It was the second straight game in which Brown has scored on a pass interception and he almost had a second one. He returned another Campbell interception 50 yards to the Packer 35 but was stopped when he cut to the inside instead of the outside. Last week,
he scored Tampa Bay's only touchdown in the loss to Denver with a 40-yard interception return. His only score prior to this year came last season when he went 80 yards after recovering a muffed lateral. His 81-yard touchdown paved the way for a 24-point second period. With the Buccaneers leading 3-0 on a 47-yard field goal by Bill Capece, Brown made his interception and return to boost the score to, 10-0. Before the period ended, James Owens broke around left end for a 35-yard touchdown, Doug Williams passed seven yards to Theo Bell and Capece added a 33-yard field goal. Capece kicked his third field goal, a 51-yarder, longest in Tampa Bay history, in the fourth period and Chuck Fusina threw his first TD pass as a pro with a two-yarder to Jimmie Giles in the fourth period. Green Bay's only score came in the final period when Jan Stenerud kicked a 53-yard field goal, a record distance for the Packers. Green Bay had driven to the Tampa Bay 22 before being set back to the 35 by the Tampa defense. The 37 points by Tampa Bay were the most the Buccaneers have ever scored. Their previous record was 33 against the Bears in 1978. Campbell had replaced starting QB David Whitehurst in the first period when Whitehurst went out with a groin injury. Campbell was frequently harassed by the Tampa Bay defense, and threw four interceptions. Williams completed 12-of-23 for 148 yards with one interception. Campbell, a rookie from California, was 15-of-34 for 168 yards.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 3 - 3
TAMPA BAY - 3 24 0 10 - 37
1st - TB - Bill Capece, 47-yard field goal TAMPA BAY 3-0
2nd - TB - Cedric Brown, 81-yd interception return (Capece kick) TAMPA BAY 10-0
2nd - TB - James Owens, 35-yard run (Capece kick) TAMPA BAY 17-0
2nd - TB - Theo Bell, 7-yd pass fr Doug Williams (Capece kick) TAMPA BAY 24-0
2nd - TB - Capece, 33-yard field goal TAMPA BAY 27-0
4th - TB - Capece, 51-yard field goal TAMPA BAY 30-0
4th - GB - Stenerud, 53-yard field goal TAMPA BAY 30-3
November 29 : Green Bay Packers (6-7) 35, Minnesota Vikings (7-6) 23
(MINNESOTA) - Coming back after a four-game absence, Green Bay QB Lynn Dickey threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns to lead the 35-23 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The triumph pulled the Packers, 6-7, within one game of first-place Vikings in the Central Division. Dickey, who was injured against Detroit, completed 18 of 33 passes for 283 yards. He was seven for 12 in the second half as the Packers pulled away after a 14-14 halftime tie. Minnesota jumped out to a 14-0 lead early in the first period. But Green Bay came back in the second period to tie the game. Except for one Minnesota drive, the third quarter was dominated by Green Bay. After an interception of a pass by Minnesota quarterback Tommy Kramer midway in the third period, Dickey threw a 9-yard pass to Harlan Huckleby for his second TD toss. Huckleby also rushed for two touchdowns.
GREEN BAY - 0 14 14 7 - 35
MINNESOTA - 14 0 6 3 - 23
1st - MIN - Ahmad Rashad, 50-yd pass fr T. Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick) MINN 7-0
1st - MINN - Joe Senser, 13-yard pass from Kramer (Danmeier kick) MINN 14-0
3rd - GB - Huckleby, 9-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 21-14
3rd - MINN - Ted Brown, 6-yard run (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 21-20
3rd - GB - Huckleby, 1-yard run (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 28-20
4th - GB - Lofton, 47-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 35-20
4th - MINN - Danmeier, 22-yard field goal GREEN BAY 35-23
December 6: Green Bay Packers (7-7) 31, Detroit Lions (7-7) 17
(GREEN BAY) - Since coming to Green Bay in a trade with the San Diego Chargers, John Jefferson had served primarily as an expensive decoy and an exuberant Packer cheerleader. Jefferson was all that and more Sunday, catching eight passes for 113 yards to help the Packers gain a 31-17 win over the Detroit Lions and further scramble the wild NFC Central Division race. "I like both roles," Jefferson said of his part as a cheerleader and a star receiver. "When I first came here, I knew that (cheerleading) was going to be my role. People call it hotdoggmg. I call it John Jefferson." Jefferson, who caught seven passes when he debuted for Green Bay in the fourth game of the season, had just 18 receptions in the last nine games, mainly because the Packers were not throwing to him. If it bothered Jefferson, he never showed it. But he and Lofton did meet with the Packer quarterbacks and coaches prior to last week's victory over Minnesota and urged them to start throwing the ball deep. Lynn Dickey threw two touchdown passes and Harlan Huckleby scored twice from one yard out to put the Packers in the thick of the Central Division race. Dickey, who completed 20-of-31 passes for 279 yards, hit TE Paul Coffman with a five-yard scoring strike with 17 seconds left in the half to give the Packers their first lead at 14-10. Dickey's other TD pass was a 15-yarder to James Lofton in the third period. Lofton finished with four catches for 90 yards and finally was able to team with John Jefferson to give the Lambeau Field crowd its long awaited dynamic duo.
DETROIT - 3 7 7 0 - 17
GREEN BAY - 0 14 7 10 - 31
1st - DET - Eddie Murray, 38-yard field goal DETROIT 3-0
2nd - DET - Vince Thompson, 9-yard run (Murray kick) DETROIT 10-0
2nd - GB - Huckleby, 1-yard run (Stenerud kick) DETROIT 10-7
2nd - GB - Coffman, 5-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 14-10
3rd - GB - Lofton, 15-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 21-10
3rd - DET - Billy Sims, 3-yard run (Murray kick) GREEN BAY 21-17
4th - GB - Huckleby, 1-yard run (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 28-17
4th - GB - Stenerud, 36-yard field goal GREEN BAY 31-17
December 13: Green Bay Packers (8-7) 35, New Orleans Saints (4-11) 7
(NEW ORLEANS) - It was one of his best days as a professional, but Green Bay QB Lynn Dickey said he would swap his glittering personal statistics for a guaranteed berth in the playoffs. Dickey hit 19 of 21 passes for 218 yards and five touchdowns in leading the Packers to a 35-7 victory over the New Orleans Saints. He was not intercepted. The Packers retained their slim hopes for a playoff berth.needing a victory over the New York Jets in their season finale next week, plus a Tampa Bay loss to Detroit and an Atlanta split in its final two games. Dickey had a strong shot at the Packers' single-game touchdown passing record, but he didn't push it. He matched the team record with five touchdown passes, his fifth TD strike coming with 9 37 left to play. Two of his touchdown passes went to wide receiver John Jefferson - a 24-yarder in the first quarter and a 30-yarder in the third period. His other touchdown completions were for nine yards to fullback Gerry Ellis, in the first quarter, 25 yards to James Lofton in the second quarter and two yards to Paul Coffman in the third. Three of the Green Bay touchdowns were set up by turnovers from New Orleans, which had four passes intercepted and lost two fumbles as the Packers won their sixth game in the last seven to improve to 8-7. New Orleans got its only touchdown on a one-yard plunge by rookie tailback George Rogers in the third quarter. Maurice Harvey intercepted two Archie Manning passes and Dickey turned both breaks into touchdowns. The first came near the end of the first quarter when Harvey picked off a tipped Manning pass at his own 28 and returned it 46 yards to the New Orleans 26. Four plays later, Dickey hit Jefferson in the end zone. Harvey's second interception, at his own 23 in the third quarter, was returned 53 yards Again, it took Dickey only four plays to score, with a 2-yard pass to Coffman. Manning, who was replaced in the fourth by Dave Wilson, completed 10-of-14 passes for 121 yards and 3 interceptions.
GREEN BAY - 14 7 7 7 - 35
NEW ORLEANS - 0 0 7 0 - 7
1st - GB - Ellis, 9-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - GB - Jefferson, 24-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
2nd - GB - Lofton, 25-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 21-0
3rd - NO - George Rogers, 3-yard run (Benny Ricardo kick) GREEN BAY 21-7
3rd - GB - Coffman, 2-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 28-7
4th - GB - Jefferson, 30-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 35-7
December 20: New York Jets (10-5-1) 28, Green Bay Packers (8-8) 3
(NEW YORK) - Christmas is five days away but as far as New York's football fans are concerned it came on Sunday. The Jets crushed the Packers to earn a playoff berth, guaranteeing their first playoff appearance in 12 years. The Jets' victory eliminated Green Bay from playoff contention and also brought the rival Giants into the playoffs as an NFC wild card club. The Giants will be making their first post-season appearance in 18 years. Had Green Bay won, the Packers would have made it as a wild card thanks to Philadelphia's 38-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Kevin Long and Bruce Harper scored on short runs and Richard Todd had touchdown passes of 47 yards to Lam Jones and 38 yards to Wesley Walker for the Jets. New York's defense, meanwhile, overwhelmed Green Bay. The Jets bottled up the Packers' explosive receivers, James Lofton and John Jefferson, all afternoon. The Jets sacked Lynn Dickey nine times to finish the season with a league-leading 66 sacks, one shy of the league record set by Oakland in 1967. Packer Coach Bart Starr admitted his team was overwhelmed. "They played well," he said. "Except for a few plays defensively and a few offensively, we didn't do anything. They did it all. Early in the game we were able to control it. At halftime, we had plenty of optimism in the dressing room even though we were behind 21-3. But in the second half we made foolish mistakes that we hadn't been doing recently. The credit belongs to the Jets. They played very well. I take exception to anyone saying the Packers choked. Getting this close will help the team next year." Green Bay was limited to just 68 yards in total offense, the best defensive effort in Jets' history, as New York raised its record to 10-5-1. Green Bay, which had won six of its last seven games to move into playoff contention, finished at 8-8. Todd hit 15 of 33 passes for 247 yards. Packer QB Lynn Dickey, under heavy pressure throughout, hit only 12-of-33 for 96 yards. The Jets needed just 2:18 to go ahead and then scored two more touchdowns in the second period to take a 21-3 halftime lead. The only bright spot was Packer K Jan Stenerud, who set a then-NFL record by making 91.7 percent of his field goal attempts. He missed only two of 24 attempts (a 47-yarder in the first Minnesota game and a 28-yard attempt against San Francisco).
GREEN BAY - 0 3 0 0 - 3
NEW YORK - 7 14 0 7 - 28
1st - NYJ - Kevin Long, 1-yard run (Pat Leahy kick) NEW YORK 7-0
2nd - GB - Stenerud, 31-yard field goal NEW YORK 7-3
2nd - NYJ - Bruce Harper, 3-yard run (Leahy kick) NEW YORK 14-3
2nd - NYJ - Lam Jones, 47-yard pass from Richard Todd (Leahy kick) NYJ 21-3
4th - NYJ - Wesley Walker, 38-yard pass from Todd (Leahy kick) NEW YORK 28-3
NAMENOPOSHGTWGTCOLLEGEYRPRAGGHOW ACQUIRED
Kurt Allerman 60 LB 6- 2 222 Penn State 2 5 26 16 1980 FA - St.L (1979)
John Anderson 59 LB 6- 3 221 Michigan 4 4 25 16 1978 Draft - 1st round
Charlie Ane 61 C 6- 1 237 Michigan State 1 7 29 16 1981 FA - KC (1980)
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 - Having gone 10-21-1 over the past two years, the pressure was on Bart Starr to win or else. Green Bay opened the season with a 2-6 record, marking the sixth time in seven years the Packers had a losing record at the midway point of the season under Starr. Squandering a 17-0 lead to Atlanta in Week 2 and losing Eddie Lee Ivery for the season in the opener for the second time in three years appeared to point the way toward a new head coach. In October, 90 percent of the respondents to a Racine newspaper's poll said it was time for a change. On September 17, Green Bay sent three draft picks (1981 first-round, 1982 second-round and 1983 first-round) and WR Aundra Thompson to San Diego for star WR John Jefferson and a 1981 first-round draft choice. Finally, in Week 9, the Packers began to show signs of life. Following a week of community events, Green Bay crushed Seattle 34-24. By Week 15, the Packers were 8-7 and in the playoff hunt. A 28-3 loss to the New York Jets in the season finale ended the playoff hopes, but an 8-8 record gave Packer fans hope.
1981 PRE-SEASON RESULTS (3-1) - AUGUST
8 at Dallas Cowboys W 21-17 1- 0-0 55,087
15 M-OAKLAND RAIDERS W 34-14 2- 0-0 54,710
22 at Denver Broncos L 7-17 2- 1-0 72,450
29 G-CLEVELAND BROWNS W 35-18 3- 1-0 56,191
1981 REGULAR SEASON RESULTS (8-8) - SEPTEMBER (1-3)
6 at Chicago Bears (0-0) W 16- 9 1- 0-0 62,411 Dickey
13 G-ATLANTA FALCONS (1-0) L 17-31 1- 1-0 55,382 Dickey
20 at Los Angeles Rams (0-2) L 23-35 1- 2-0 61,286 Dickey
27 M-MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1-2) L 13-30 1- 3-0 55,012 Dickey
OCTOBER (1-3)
4 at New York Giants (2-2) W 27-14 2- 3-0 73,684 Dickey
11 G-TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (3-2) L 10-21 2- 4-0 55,264 Dickey
18 M-SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4-2) L 3-13 2- 5-0 50,171 Dickey
25 at Detroit Lions (3-4) L 27-31 2- 6-0 76,063 Dickey
NOVEMBER (4-1)
1 G-SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (2-6) W 34-24 3- 6-0 49,467 Whitehurst
8 M-NEW YORK GIANTS (5-4) W 26-24 4- 6-0 54,138 Dickey
15 G-CHICAGO BEARS (3-7) W 21-17 5- 6-0 55,338 Whitehurst
22 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6) L 3-37 5- 7-0 63,251 Whitehurst
29 at Minnesota Vikings (7-5) W 35-23 6- 7-0 46,025 Dickey
DECEMBER (2-1)
6 G-DETROIT LIONS (7-6) W 31-17 7- 7-0 54,481 Dickey
13 at New Orleans Saints (4-10) W 35- 7 8- 7-0 45,518 Dickey
20 at New York Jets (9-5-1) L 3-28 8- 8-0 56,340 Dickey
August 8: Green Bay (1-0) 21, Dallas 17
(DALLAS) - Lynn Dickey threw two touchdown passes to help Green Bay to a 21-point lead Saturday night and the Packers held on to defeat the Cowboys. Dickey, beginning his 11th pro season, threw a 4-yard scoring pass to fullback Steve Atkins with 15 seconds left in the opening quarter and hit Aundra Thompson with a 5-yard touchdown strike late in the first half. Eddie Lee Ivery added a two-yard scoring run in an impressive Packers' first half that saw Green Bay use up more than 18 minutes of the opening two quarters. Dickey, playing only in the first half, hit 13 of 18 passes for 196 yards. He was not intercepted.
GREEN BAY - 7 14 0 0 - 21
DALLAS - 0 7 0 10 - 17
1st - GB - Atkins, 4-yard pass from Dickey (Skip Vernon kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - GB - Ivery, 2-yard run (Vernon kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
2nd - GB - Thompson, 5-yard pass from Dickey (Vernon kick) GREEN BAY 21-0
2nd - DAL - Doug Cosbie, 12-yd pass from Glenn Carano (Dale Castro kick) GB 21-7
4th - DAL - Everson Walls, 15-yd blocked punt return (Steve Steinke kick) GB 21-14
4th - DAL - Steinke, 49-yard field goal GREEN BAY 21-17
August 15: Green Bay (2-0) 34, Oakland 14
(MILWAUKEE) - Lynn Dickey's 65-yard touchdown pass play to James Lofton and Mark Lee's 58- yard scoring run back of a pass interception led Green Bay to an exhibition victory over Super Bowl champion Oakland. Veteran kicker Jan Stenerud kicked a Packer-record 53-yard field goal as Green Bay, winless in 1980 pre-season play, won a second successive upset, having beaten Dallas last week.
OAKLAND - 0 7 0 7 - 14
GREEN BAY - 14 10 0 10 - 34
1st - GB - Ivery, 2-yard run (Rade Savich kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - GB - Lofton, 65-yard pass from Dickey (Savich kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
2nd - OAK - Jim Jensen, 17-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Chris Bahr kick) GB 14-7
2nd - GB - Lee, 58-yard interception return (Savich kick) GREEN BAY 21-7
2nd - GB - Savich, 30-yard field goal GREEN BAY 24-7
4th - GB - Stenerud, 53-yard field goal GREEN BAY 27-7
4th - OAK - Malcolm Barnwell, 13-yd pass from Marc Wilson (Bahr kick) GB 27-14
4th - GB - Torkelson, 1-yard run (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 34-14
August 22: Denver 17, Green Bay (2-1) 7
(DENVER) - Rob Lytle ran for one touchdown, Matt Robinson threw for another and Fred Steinfort kicked a 23-yard field goal, leading the Denver Broncos over the Green Bay Packers. Although he was booed on one occasion when the Broncos were backed up deep in their own territory, Robinson's performance increased his chances of making the Bronco roster. The Bronco defense, showing its 1977 Super Bowl vigor, shut out the Green Bay offense. The Packers' only touchdown came in the first quarter when free safety Johnnie Gray caught a pass intended for Bronco tight end Ron Egloff and raced 65 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.
GREEN BAY - 7 0 0 0 - 7
DENVER - 0 0 10 7 - 17
1st - GB - Gray, 65-yard interception return (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
3rd - DEN - Rob Lytle, 4-yard run (Fred Steinfort kick) TIED 7-7
3rd - DEN - Steinfort, 23-yard field goal DENVER 10-7
4th - DEN - Lytle, 17-yard pass from Matt Robinson (Steinfort kick) DENVER 17-7
August 29: Green Bay (3-1) 35, Cleveland 18
(GREEN BAY) - Halfback Eddie Lee Ivery and wide receiver Aundra Thompson scored two touchdowns each to spark the Green Bay Packers over the Cleveland Browns in the exhibition season finale for both teams. Ivery scored on a 41-yard run and a 15-yard pass from Lynn Dickey. Thompson scored on a 29-yard reverse and a 29-yard pass from Dickey, who completed 18 of 27 passes for 250 yards.The Packers' other score came on Gerry Ellis' 1-yard run. "We're obviously delighted to win three of four," said Coach Bart Starr. "It doesn't mean anything. These games don't count But I think it's a great deal psychologically to go from there."
CLEVELAND - 0 12 0 6 - 18
GREEN BAY - 14 7 14 0 - 35
1st - GB - Ivery, 41-yard run (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - GB - Thompson, 29-yard run (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
2nd - CLE - Charles White, 1-yard run (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 14-6
2nd - GB - Thompson, 29-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 21-6
2nd - CLE - Dave Logan, 2-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Kick blocked) GB 21-12
3rd - GB - Ellis, 1-yard run (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 28-12
3rd - GB - Ivery, 15-yard pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 35-12
4th - CLE - Ozzie Newsome, 4-yard pass from Sipe (Kick blocked) GR BAY 35-18
1981 PACKERS DRAFT (April 28-29, 1981)
RND-PCKNAMEPOSCOLLEGENOTES
1 6 Rich Campbell QB California
2 35 Gary Lewis TE Tex-Arlington
3 62 Ray Stachowicz P Michigan St
4a 90 Traded to Washington
4b 105 Richard Turner DT Oklahoma (A)
5 117 Byron Braggs DT Alabama (B)
6 145 Traded to NY Giants in Randy Dean trade
7 172 Bill Whitaker DB Missouri
8 200 Lerry Werts LB Jackson State
9 227 Tim Huffman T Notre Dame
10 255 Nickie Hall QB Tulane
11 282 Forrest Valora LB Oklahoma
12 311 Cliff Lewis LB S.Mississippi
A-From Washington B-From Washington through LA from Green Bay
Bold - Played for the Green Bay Packers
1981 Packers Yearbook
1981 PACKER TRADES - TRANSACTIONS
APR 28 - Traded a 1981 4th-round draft choice to WASHINGTON for a 1981 4th-round draft choice (DT Richard Turner) and a 1981 5th-round draft choice (DT Byron Braggs)
JUL 22 - Traded S Steve Luke and an undisclosed draft choice to ATLANTA for S Frank Reed and LB Dewey McLain
AUG 11 - Released OT Milton Hardaway, K Skip Vernon, WR Phil Farris, C Bill McClung and S Greg Knafelc (81 players)
AUG 12 - Claimed WR Eugene Byrd off waivers from BALTIMORE. Placed FS Mike Jolly (knee), LB Ricky Skiles and OG Forest Valora on injured reserve (79 players)
AUG 18 - Released P Frank Garcia, S Frank Reed, DB Charles Cornelius, DE Rich Mohr, OT Rick Kehr and WR Pete Thompson. Placed WB Nickie Hall (arm), TE Bill Larson (knee), RB Willard Reaves (sciatic nerve), LB Larry Werts (knee) and FS Mike Jolly on injured reserve (60 players)
AUG 24 - Released OT Tim Stokes, S David Petway, K Rade Savich, WR Eugene Byrd and WR Melvin Hoover. Released LB Larry Werts (8th round) off injured reserve (55 players)
AUG 29 - Signed C Charlie Ane off waivers from KANSAS CITY (50 players)
AUG 31 - Released RB Eric Torkelson and C Larry Coombs (47 players)
SEPT 1 - Placed OT Tim Huffman (9th round), OT Buddy Aydellette and DT Chris Godfrey on injured reserve (45 players)
SEPT 9 - Placed RB Eddie Lee Ivery (knee) on injured reserve. Signed RB Jim Jensen
SEPT 17 - Traded WR Aundra Thompson, a 1982 1st-round draft choice, a 1982 2nd-round draft choice, a 1983 1st-round selection and a 1984 2nd-round choice to SAN DIEGO for WR John Jefferson and a 1982 1st-round draft choice (OG Ron Hallstrom)
SEPT 23 - Signed RB Delvin Williams.
SEPT 24 - Signed WR John Jefferson. Released RB Steve Atkins. Signed RB Eric Torkelson and RB Delvin Williams. Placed TE John Thompson (knee) on injured reserve
SEPT 29 - Placed OG Karl Swanke (knee) on injured reserve. Activated OT Tim Huffman from injured reserve
OCT 10 - Released RB Delvin Williams. Signed OT Tim Stokes.
OCT 14 - Signed OL Arland Thompson
NOV 4 - Signed S David Petway. Placed S Johnnie Gray (knee) on injured reserve
DEC 17 - Placed OL Derrel Gofourth (knee) on injured reserve. Signed OL Brad Oates off waivers from CINCINNATI
ONE GAME FROM THE PLAYOFFS
By all accounts, the Green Bay Packers were well on their way to another losing record at the midway point of the 1981 season. With a 2-6 record, the team appeared to be in complete disarray, with many calling for the ouster of head coach Bart Starr, following the two previous seasons' combined 10-21-1 record. Then, as shocking as anything in the NFL that season, the Packers won six of their next seven games, and found themselves on the cusp of their first playoff berth since 1972. Thanks to Philadelphia's blowout win over St. Louis, the Packers only needed to beat the New York Jets in the season finale to wrap up the last wildcard slot in the NFC.
The Jets found themselves in a similar position. After going 4-12 in 1980, New York started the season 0-3, with a quarterback controversy, an altercation between quarterback Richard Todd and sports writer Steve Serby and speculation about head coach Walt Michaels' job. Then, the Jets roared in the second half, winning six of seven before their season-ending game with the Packers.
Led by their vaunted ‘Sack Exchange’ defensive line, the Jets sacked Lynn Dickey nine times and held Green Bay to 84 total yards. The Packer coaching staff put OG Arland Thompson in the starting lineup, and he was a basket case. The Packers elected to run behind him on consecutive plays at a critical point in the game. Second and 1 at the Jets' 13 quickly turned into a fourth-and-2 situation, and the season was lost. On offense, Richard Todd threw two touchdown passes, one each to Wesley Walker and Johnny (Lam) Jones. When the game was over, hundreds of fans charged the field, with dozens tearing down both goalposts in celebration.
RICH CAMPBELL - THE HEIR NOT SO APPARENT
Lynn Dickey was only 30 years old in 1980, but his body had been through the football wars and showed the scars. In a move which haunted the franchise for many years, Green Bay elected to draft Rich Campbell with the 6th pick in the 1981 draft. Hailed as a strong-armed quarterback who would be the team's future, it was quickly determined there was a flaw in Campbell's delivery. He would hardly ever see the field though and in four seasons attempted only 68 passes throwing nine interceptions to only three touchdown passes, completing less than 45% of his attempts.
He could never unseat, who responded with the best year of his career in 1983, even though it wouldn't prove enough to save Starr's coaching career. One year later, Campbell was gone too. As for who the Packers passed on? LBr and future Pro Bowler Hugh Green went next in the draft to Tampa Bay, and San Francisco then selected future Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott.
