September 2: Green Bay Packers (1-0) 24, St. Louis Cardinals (0-1) 23
(GREEN BAY) - The Green Bay Packers may not have billed James Lofton as the featured attraction in a 24-23 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. But Lofton stole the show anyway. "When we go into a ball game, we don't think about featuring one guy or another," said Forrest Gregg, winning his debut as Packers coach. "We just try to hit the man who is open," Lofton caught seven passes for 134 yards. It was the 22nd 100-yard game in his career. "He has a way of coming up with the big plays," said Green Bay QB Lynn Dickey. Neil O'Donoghue could have come up with a big play, too, but he missed a game- winning 45-yard field goal with 2:10 left in the game. "I'll take the blame for that one," said St. Louis coach Jim Hanifan. "We had a fake field goal up and at the last instant (holder) Benny Perrin checked it because he saw something in the line he didn't like, and because of it, Neil didn't get the kick he could have." The kick boomed toward the center of the uprights but was a few feet short. O'Donoghue also missed an extra point. The Packers kept the Cardinals from getting another chance by hanging on to the football for the final two minutes. It was their fifth straight opening day victory. The loss continued a series of opening-game woes for the Cardinals, who have won only one opener since 1976.
ST. LOUIS - 7 0 6 10 - 23
GREEN BAY - 0 14 10 0 - 24
1st - STL - Pat Tilley, 14-yard pass from Neil Lomax (Neil O'Donoghue kick) STL 7-0
2nd - GB - Coffman, 4-yard pass from Dickey (Garcia kick) GREEN BAY 14-7
3rd - GB - Dickey, 1-yard run (Garcia kick) GREEN BAY 21-7
3rd - STL - Ottis Anderson, 3-yard run (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 21-13
3rd - GB - Garcia, 38-yard field goal GREEN BAY 24-13
4th - STL - Roy Green, 18-yard pass from Lomax (O'Donoghue kick) GB 24-20
4th - STL - O'Donoghue, 48-yard field goal GREEN BAY 24-23
September 9 : Los Angeles Raiders (2-0) 28, Green Bay Packers (1-1) 7
(LOS ANGELES) - Cornerbacks Mike Haynes and Lester Hayes and the rest of the Los Angeles secondary dominated Green Bay's celebrated receiving corps as the Raiders whipped the Packers 28-7. Green Bay's James Lofton, considered one of the NFL's finest wide receivers, was held without a reception. His running mate, John Jefferson, caught only three passes for 19 yards. The Packers, who fell to 1-1, played all but the opening 1:58 without starting QB Lynn Dickey, who was forced to the the sidelines with a bruised back. He incurred the injury when sacked by Mike Davis and Lyle Alzado on the game's first series. Randy Wright, a rookie from Wisconsin, took over at quarterback for the Packers. Playing in his first NFL regular-season game, Wright completed only 10 of his 23 passes for 67 yards and was intercepted twice before being replaced by Rich Campbell with 10:37 remaining in the game. Los Angeles, which is now 2-0, took a 7-0 lead on a 3-yard touchdown pass from QB Jim Plunkett to TE Todd Christensen with 3:13 remaining in the first quarter. The play capped a 63-yard, eight-play drive after a 22-yard punt return by Greg Pruitt. The Packers didn't pose a serious scoring threat until tying the game on a 7- yard TD pass from Wright to TE Ed West with 57 seconds left in the first half. Green Bay marched 48 yards on five plays after a Los Angeles punt.
GREEN BAY - 0 7 0 0 - 7
LOS ANGELES RAIDERS - 7 0 7 14 - 28
1st - LA - Todd Christensen, 3-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Chris Bahr kick) LA 7-0
3rd - LA - Frank Hawkins, 1-yard run (Bahr kick) LOS ANGELES RAIDERS 14-7
4th - LA - Marcus Allen, 7-yard run (Bahr kick) LOS ANGELES RAIDERS 21-7
4th - LA - Derrick Jensen, 1-yard run (Bahr kick) LOS ANGELES RAIDERS 28-7
September 16 : Chicago Bears (3-0) 9, Green Bay Packers (1-2) 7
(GREEN BAY) - Chicago's Bob Thomas kicked three field goals and the Bears' defense completely dominated the Green Bay Packers to take a 9-7 victory. Chicago's Walter Payton closed to within 337 yards of Jim Brown's all-time rushing mark of 12,312, carrying the ball 27 times for 110 yards. Thomas' decisive field goal was a 28-yarder with 11:11 left in the game that gave the Bears their 9-7 lead. Green Bay's Eddie Garcia was wide left on a 49-yard attempt with 4:54 to go that would have put the Packers ahead. Thomas also had an 18-yard field goal in the first period and a 49-yarder in the second quarter as the Bears remained unbeaten in three games. Green Bay fell to 1-2 with its second straight loss. Green Bay sustained only one successful drive against the fired-up Bears' defense, with FB Jessie Clark giving the Packers a 7-6 lead on a 1-yard run with 4:21 remaining in the first half. The Bears also played over two quarters without QB Jim McMahon, who had a back injury. Bob Avellini came in to complete 11 of 17 passes for 133 yards. The Bears' defense totally controlled Green Bay in the first quarter, with the Packers thrown for -1 yards rushing and -3 yards passing.
CHICAGO - 3 3 0 3 - 9
GREEN BAY - 0 7 0 0 - 7
1st - CHI - Bob Thomas, 18-yard field goal CHICAGO 3-0
2nd - CHI - Thomas, 49-yard field goal CHICAGO 6-0
2nd - GB - Clark, 1-yard run (Garcia kick) GREEN BAY 7-6
4th - CHI - Thomas, 28-yard field goal CHICAGO 9-7
September 23 : Dallas Cowboys (3-1) 20, Green Bay Packers (1-3) 6
(DALLAS) - Dallas S Michael Downs recorded two sacks and blocked an extra point and CB Everson Walls intercepted two passes to help the Cowboys paralyze Green Bay's struggling offense and defeat the Packers 20-6. It was not until Tony Dorsett dashed seven yards for a touchdown with 46 seconds remaining that the Cowboys could put away the scrappy Packers. On the play, Dorsett became the NFL's sixth all-time leading rusher, passing Jim Taylor. Dorsett gained 43 yards on 20 carries and now has 8,621 yards. Dallas increased its record to 3-1 while Green Bay dropped to 1-3 on a day when the Cowboys' offense was so miserable that Danny White punted a club-record 11 times. Dallas, which intercepted the Packers four times, remained in a tie with the New York Giants in the NFC East. The Cowboys drove Packer QB Lynn Dickey out of the game with five sacks and two interceptions. After revealing he had broken three tranverse processes in his back during the Raider game, Dickey struggled and completed just 5 of 16 passes. Backup QB Randy Wright played the second half and was sacked once and intercepted twice. Green Bay didn't get past midfield until the final play of the third quarter. Dallas QB Gary Hogeboom was sacked five times and also served up a five-yard touchdown return by Packer DE Robert Brown on an attempted screen pass interception in the third period. It was Brown's first career touchdown. Downs charged through to block Eddie Garcia's extra-point attempt. FB Timmy Newsome's one-yard touchdown return and K Rafael Septien's field goals of 32 and 42 yards gave Dallas a 13-0 halftime lead. Green Bay could manage only 32 yards rushing, and had to rely on the defense scoring to avoid a shutout.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 6 0 - 6
DALLAS - 7 6 0 7 - 20
1st - DAL - Timmy Newsome, 1-yard run (Rafael Septien kick) DALLAS 7-0
2nd - DAL - Septien, 32-yard field goal DALLAS 10-0
2nd - DAL - Septien, 42-yard field goal DALLAS 13-0
4th - DAL - Tony Dorsett, 7-yard run (Septien kick) DALLAS 20-6
September 30 : Tam. Bay Buccaneers (2-3) 30, Green Bay Packers (1-4) 27 (OT)
(TAMPA BAY) - Obed Ariri's third field goal of the game, a 48-yarder 10:38 into overtime, gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a 30-27 victory over Green Bay. James Lofton caught a 22-yard pass from Lynn Dickey and lateraled to Gerry Ellis who ran the final 14 yards of a 36-yard scoring play as the Packers forced the game into overtime with eight seconds remaining in regulation. Tampa Bay had taken a 27-20 lead when NT Dave Logan intercepted a Dickey pass and returned it 27 yards for a TD with 6:35 left in the fourth quarter. The Bucs launched their game-winning drive from their own 33-yard line with 8:22 left in the extra period. Steve DeBerg, who completed 21 of 38 passes for 246 yards, highlighted the march with completions of 16 yards to Adger Armstrong and 8 yards to Kevin House on the play preceding Ariri's game-winner. James Wilder, who gained 172 yards on an NFL record-tying 43 carries, picked up 17 yards during the 10-play, 38-yard march, and the Bucs overcame two major penalties that set them back 20 yards after the drive had reached the Green Bay 17. Logan, who has four career TDs in six NFL seasons, stepped in front of a screen pass intended for Ray Crouse and barreled into the end zone one play after Ariri missed a 50-yard field goal attempt. The triumph was only the fourth for the 2-3 Bucs in their last 21 regular season games. Green Bay, which lost for the fourth straight time, saw its record to drop to 1-4. Ariri's second field goal of the game, a 49-yarder with 12:04 left in the fourth quarter, wiped out a 20-17 lead Green Bay took on Dickey's 4-yard scoring pass to Paul Coffman late in the third quarter.
GREEN BAY - 10 3 7 7 0 - 27
TAMPA BAY - 7 10 0 10 3 - 30
1st - TB - James Wilder, 33-yard field (Obed Ariri kick) TAMPA BAY 7-0
1st - GB - Garcia, 41-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-7
2nd - TB - Ariri, 46-yard field goal TIED 10-10
2nd - TB - Steve DeBerg, 6-yard run (Ariri kick) TAMPA BAY 17-10
2nd - GB - Garcia, 51-yard field goal TAMPA BAY 17-13
3rd - GB - Coffman, 4-yard pass from Dickey (Garcia kick) GREEN BAY 20-17
4th - TB - Ariri, 49-yard field goal TIED 20-20
4th - TB - David Logan, 27-yard interception return (Ariri kick) TAMPA BAY 27-20
4th - GB - Ellis, 14-yard lateral from Lofton after 22-yd pass fr Dickey (Garcia kick) TIED 27-27
OT - TB - Ariri, 48-yard field goal TAMPA BAY 30-27
October 7: San Diego Chargers (4-2) 34, Green Bay Packers (1-5) 28
(GREEN BAY) - Dan Fouts riddled the Green Bay secondary for 369 yards and three touchdowns to lead the San Diego Chargers to a 34-28 victory over the Packers. The Chargers improved their record to 4-2 while Green Bay lost its fifth successive game to fall to 1-5. Fouts completed 30 of 49 passes, the 38th time in his 12-year career that he has passed for over 300 yards. San Diego's Earnest Jackson rushed a club-record 31 times for 94 yards while Kellen Winslow had a team- record 15 catches for 157 yards. Green Bay's Lynn Dickey connected on 25 of 39 passes for 384 yards and was intercepted twice. James Lofton had five Packer receptions for 158 yards, the 23rd time in his career that he has had over 100 passing yards. Fouts connected on a 27-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Duckworth to give the Chargers a 7-0 lead only 1:59 into the game. Lionel James started the five-play, 44-yard drive with a 51-yard kickoff return. The Packers countered on the next series with an eight-play, 74-yard march that ended on Dickey's three-yard scoring pass to tight end Paul Coffman at 10:26. Dickey opened by hitting Lofton on passes of 19 and 34 yards to the San Diego 21.
SAN DIEGO - 7 7 10 10 - 34
GREEN BAY - 7 7 7 7 - 28
1st - SD - Bobby Duckworth, 27-yd pass fr Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick) SD 7-0
3rd - SD - Benirschke, 31-yard field goal SAN DIEGO 24-21
4th - SD - Jackson, 1-yard run (Benirschke kick) SAN DIEGO 31-21
4th - GB - Lofton, 25-yard pass from Dickey (Garcia kick) SAN DIEGO 31-28
4th - SD - Benirschke, 39-yard field goal SAN DIEGO 34-28
October 15: Denver Broncos (6-1) 17, Green Bay Packers (1-6) 14
(DENVER) - Defensive backs Steve Foley and Louis Wright returned two fumbles for touchdowns just 37 seconds into the game and the Denver Broncos held on for a 17-14 victory over the Green Bay Packers Monday night in a game played in storm that dropped ankle-deep snow on the field by game's end. The Broncos, extending their winning streak to five games, raised their record to 6-1 and kept pace with the Los Angeles Raiders in the AFC West. Green Bay suffered its sixth straight setback after an opening victory. The scores by Foley and Wright marked the second consecutive game Denver's defense had contributed two touchdowns. For the year, the Broncos defense has scored six times. Despite a mostly anemic offense, the Broncos made the 14-0 lead standup with key defensive plays, the final one coming when DE Rulon Jones sacked QB Lynn Dickey and forced a fumble after the Packers had driven inside the Denver 20-yard line with 3:08 left in the game. It offset a brilliant performance by Packers WR James Lofton, who defied the elements by catching a career-high 11 passes for 206 yards, including a 54-yard score midway through the fourth quarter. On Green Bay's first play from scrimmage, RB Gerry Ellis was hit in the backfield by LB Tom Jackson and fumbled. Foley scooped up the loose ball and dashed 22 yards for a score. On their next play from scrimmage, the Packers duplicated their disaster. Jessie Clark ran five yards but was stripped of the ball by LB Steve Busick, and Wright ran it back 27 yards for another touchdown with 14:23 left in the opening quarter. Snow fell throughout the 200th Monday night game in the history of the show, not counting Thursday nights or Saturday nights, or the playoffs. The Packers outgained the Broncos, 423 yards to 193, but still lost.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 7 7 - 14
DENVER - 14 3 0 0 - 17
1st - DEN - Steve Foley, 22-yard fumble return (Rich Karlis kick) DENVER 7-0
1st - DEN - Louis Wright, 27-yard fumble return (Karlis kick) DENVER 14-0
2nd - DEN - Karlis, 30-yard field goal DENVER 17-0
October 21 : Seattle Seahawks (6-2) 30, Green Bay Packers (1-7) 24
(MILWAUKEE) - Coach Chuck Knox saw another side of his Seattle Seahawks Sunday - they don't give up. "Today's game proved the ability of our football team, we're not to be denied," Knox said after Seattle handed the Packers their seventh straight loss with a 30-24 victory. "It really turned into a struggle, but we made some big plays, especially when our backs were straight up against the wall." The Packers appeared on their way to a touchdown that would have tied the game when CB Terry Jackson picked off a Lynn Dickey pass intended for John Jefferson in the end zone with 24 seconds left in the game. Green Bay had moved the ball from its own 29 to the Seahawks' 10-yard line, but sacks by John Harris and Mike Fanning pushed the Packers back nine yards. Dickey then tried a pass to James Lofton in the right corner of the end zone, and followed with his ill-fated pass to Jefferson. "Winning is the bottom line, and we didn't win " said a dejected Coach Forrest Gregg, in his first season with Green Bay. Seattle went up for good late in the second quarter after Terry Taylor intercepted a Dickey pass at the Green Bay 15. Four plays later, Eric Lane bolted over right tackle from the 1 to give the Seahawks a 20-17 lead with 55 seconds left in the half. The Seahawks drove the ball 75 yards on seven plays on their first possession of the second half to go up 27-17. Krieg completed the march with a 25-yard pass to Daryl Turner with 11:17 left in the third period. Dickey pulled the Packers to within 27-24 on an 8-yard TD pass to Gerry Ellis with 1:10 remaining in the third quarter. Seattle countered with an 18-play, 48-yard drive that ended on Norm Johnson's 45-yard field goal for a 30-27 lead with 8:38 to go in the game.
SEATTLE - 7 13 7 3 - 30
GREEN BAY - 17 0 7 0 - 24
1st - GB - Lofton, 79-yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - SEA - Steve Largent, 31-yd pass fr Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick) TIED 7-7
1st - GB - Lofton, 20-yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 14-7
1st - GB - Del Greco, 42-yard field goal GREEN BAY 17-7
2nd - SEA - Johnson, 29-yard field goal GREEN BAY 17-10
2nd - SEA - Johnson, 39-yard field goal GREEN BAY 17-13
2nd - SEA - Eric Lane, 1-yard run (Johnson kick) SEATTLE 20-17
3rd - SEA - Daryl Turner, 25-yard pass from Krieg (Johnson kick) SEATTLE 27-17
4th - SEA - Johnson, 45-yard field goal SEATTLE 30-24
October 28 : Green Bay Packers (2-7) 41, Detroit Lions (3-6) 9
(GREEN BAY) - The Green Bay Packers offense has been like a ticking bomb all season, says QB Lynn
Dickey. On Sunday, it went off in a 41-9 win over the Detroit Lions, which snapped a seven-game Packer losing streak. "Well, this is something that has been waiting to explode for a long time," said Dickey, who threw
four touchdown passes. "Yeah, it feels a lot better than what we've been doing the last seven weeks." For Detroit's Monte Clark, who coached his first game of the season without RB Billy Sims, the game was a nightmare. Sims injured his knee last week and is out for the season. "Well, they just kicked our tails," Clark said "What more can you say? We were lucky they had a little compassion." Dickey picked apart the Detroit defense for four touchdown passes, Eddie Lee Ivery rushed for 116 yards and rookie S Tom Flynn intercepted three passes. Green Bay improved its record to 2-7 in winning its first game since the Packers' season opener. The Lions fell to 3-6 in having a modest two-game winning streak come to an end. Ivery carried the ball nine limes, his first rushes this season after being sidelined with a knee injury. Dickey was especially effective in the first half, when he tossed three touchdowns passes in staking the Packers to a 28-9 halftime lead. Flynn, a fifth-round pick from Pittsburgh, picked off a Gary Danielson pass in the third quarter and two by Mike Machurek in the fourth period.
DETROIT - 3 6 0 0 - 9
GREEN BAY - 14 14 10 3 - 41
1st - GB - Clark, 1-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - GB - Coffman, 20-yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
1st - DET - Eddie Murray, 46-yard field goal GREEN BAY 14-3
2nd - DET - Murray, 37-yard field goal GREEN BAY 14-6
2nd - GB - Coffman, 3-yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 21-6
2nd - DET - Murray, 41-yard field goal GREEN BAY 21-9
2nd - GB - Moore, 3-yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 28-9
3rd - GB - Lofton, 6-yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 35-9
3rd - GB - Del Greco, 45-yard field goal GREEN BAY 38-9
4th - GB - Del Greco, 34-yard field goal GREEN BAY 41-9
November 4 : Green Bay Packers (3-7) 23, New Orleans Saints (4-6) 13
(NEW ORLEANS) - Lynn Dickey hit Paul Coffman for two touchdowns and Al Del Greco booted three field goals as the Green Bay Packers whipped the New Orleans Saints 23-13. It was the first time this season that Green Bay, 3-7, won two games in a row. The defeat dropped New Orleans to 4-6. Coffman's first touchdown reception was a 33-yarder in the second quarter. He ran through Saints defenders at the 10-yard line and carried a third into the end zone with him. His second one came midway through the third quarter, a 5-yarder. He took that pass at the 3 and carried two defenders into the end zone with him. Del Greco's field goals were from 41 yards in the second quarter and 34 in the third. He added a 41-yard insurance boot with 1:56 left in the game. New Orleans' scores came on a 1-yard dive by Wayne Wilson in the first quarter and two field goals by Morten Andersen - a 35-yarder just before halftime and a 46-yarder midway through the final period. Packer S Tom Flynn recovered a George Rogers fumble in the second quarter to set up a short march to Coffman's first touchdown. Flynn picked off one of Richard Todd's passes in the third quarter, Flynn's fourth interception in two games.
GREEN BAY - 0 10 10 3 - 23
NEW ORLEANS - 7 3 0 3 - 13
1st - NO - Wayne Wilson, 1-yard run (Morten Andersen kick) NEW ORLEANS 7-0
2nd - GB - Del Greco, 41-yard field goal NEW ORLEANS 7-3
2nd - GB - Coffman, 33-yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 10-7
2nd - NO - Andersen, 35-yard field goal TIED 10-10
3rd - GB - Coffman, 5-yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 17-10
3rd - GB - Del Greco, 34-yard field goal GREEN BAY 20-10
4th - NO - Andersen, 46-yard field goal GREEN BAY 20-13
4th - GB - Del Greco, 41-yard field goal GREEN BAY 23-13
November 11 : Green Bay Packers (4-7) 45, Minnesota Vikings (3-8) 17
(MILWAUKEE) - Lynn Dickey passed for 303 yards and four touchdowns, including two third quarter strikes to FB Jessie Clark to break the game open, as Green Bay rolled to an easy 45-17 victory over Minnesota. Dickey completed 22-of-40 passes and was intercepted one time. Green Bay also got 107 yards on 10 carries from HB Gerry Ellis in winning their third straight game. Dickey's TD passes to Clark came after Vikings had rallied to tie the game 17-17 on a 28-yard screen pass from Wade Wilson to Alfred Anderson with 12:11 left in the third quarter. The Packers came back on the next series to go up 24- 17 on Dickey's 18-yard screen pass to Clark. Dickey also completed passes of 33 yards to James Lofton and 15 to Paul Coffman in the nine-play, 70-play drive. After stopping the Vikings on four plays, Green Bay mounted an 11-play, 75-yard scoring march that ended with Dickey finding Clark at the right side of the end zone for a 2-yard pass for a 31-17 lead with 54 seconds left in the third period.
MINNESOTA - 0 10 7 0 - 17
GREEN BAY - 7 10 14 14 - 45
1st - GB - Coffman, 7-yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - GB - Del Greco, 24-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-0
2nd - MINN - Jan Stenerud, 39-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-3
2nd - MINN - Steve Jordan, 14-yd pass fr Wade Wilson (Stenerud kick) TIED 10-10
2nd - GB - West, 2-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 17-10
3rd - MINN - Alfred Anderson, 28-yd pass from Wilson (Stenerud kick) TIED 17-17
3rd - GB - Clark, 18-yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 24-17
3rd - GB - Clark, 2-yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 31-17
4th - GB - Lofton, 63-yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 38-17
4th - GB - Ellis, 6-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 45-17
November 18 : Green Bay Packers (5-7) 31, Los Angeles Rams (7-5) 6
(MILWAUKEE) - Eddie Lee Ivery made his first start in more than a year for the Green Bay Packers and may have spoiled the Los Angeles Rams' playoff hopes. Ivery ran for three touchdowns and Tim Lewis returned an interception 99 yards to power the Packers (5-7-0) to a 31-6 victory over the Rams (7-5). Los Angeles coach John Robinson admitted afterward his team faces an uphill battle to make the playoffs as an NFC wild-card team. "I think if we put three wins on the board in the next four games, we'll make the playoffs," he said "Well, I don't think many people thought we would beat the Rams," said Green Bay Packer coach Forrest Gregg "At least that's the impression I got from talking to people this week who are supposed to know." With a season-ending injury to Jessie Clark, Ivery moved into the starting backfield against the Rams. He carried 15 times for 77 yards, including two touchdown runs of one yard and another from two yards out. A first-round draft choice in 1979, Ivery left the Packers midway through last season to be treated for cocaine dependency. He struggled to make the team this summer and saw his first action four weeks ago, when Green Bay began its streak. James Lofton also rolled up the yardage for Green Bay, catching six passes for 129 yards. Lewis' touchdown, a Packer record for longest interception return, came with 9:36 left in the game and sealed the triumph. The previous Packer team record of 94 yards had been set by Rebel Steiner in 1950.
LOS ANGELES RAMS - 3 3 0 0 - 6
GREEN BAY - 0 14 10 7 - 31
1st - LA - Mike Lansford, 21-yard field goal LOS ANGELES RAMS 3-0
2nd - GB - Ivery, 1-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 7-3
2nd - LA - Lansford, 50-yard field goal GREEN BAY 7-6
2nd - GB - Ivery, 1-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 14-6
3rd - GB - Del Greco, 21-yard field goal GREEN BAY 17-6
3rd - GB - Ivery, 2-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 24-6
4th - GB - Lewis, 99-yard interception return (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 31-6
November 22 : Detroit Lions (4-8-1) 31, Green Bay Packers (5-8) 28
(DETROIT) - An inspirational pre-game speech by Coach Monte Clark fired up Detroit, and the Lions responded Thursday with a resounding 31-28 comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers in their nationally televised Thanksgiving Day game. Lions QB Gary Danielson led the rally, passing for 305 yards and three touchdowns as the Lions avenged an earlier humiliation. "Monte gave us a pre-game talk at breakfast," Danielson said. "It was one of his best ever, and we were ready to play after that. This showed the type of men we are. We've been through a lot this year, and the way we played shows we're not about to give up before the season officially ends. We've been through a lot and wanted to play well on national television." The Lions spotted the Packers a two-touchdown lead but ended up controlling the ball for 44:47, leaving the Packers with only 15:13 to get something going. "I told them, 'You've got to believe in yourselves' " Clark said. Besides Danielson, the Lions also got a clutch performance from WR Mark Nichols, who caught four passes for 108 yards. The Packers led 21-17 at the half. But an interception by Bobby Watkins set up the Lions on their own 19 with 8:49 remaining in the third quarter. Danielson, who completed 24-of-33 with one interception, drove the Lions 81 yards in 16 plays, and FB James Jones dove the final yard for the go-ahead TD at 13:52. Danielson hit Jeff Chadwick with a 21-yard scoring strike at 8:45 of the fourth quarter for what proved to be the margin of victory. Green Bay's Gerry Ellis scored on a 40-yard run at 1:33 of the first quarter, and Lynn Dickey teamed up with TE Paul Coffman for a 44-yard TD pass play at 8:04 of the first quarter to put the Packers ahead 14-0. In the second quarter, Danielson flipped a 10-yard TD pass to David Lewis, but Dickey answered with a 7-yard scoring strike to Eddie Lee Ivery to put the Packers on top 21-7. Danielson and Lewis hooked up for a 21-yard TD at 13:46 of the second quarter and Eddie Murray kicked a 32-yard field goal as time ran out to cut the Packers' lead to 21- 17. For center Larry McCarren, this was the first time in 162 games he did not play. A pinched nerve in his neck ended his career.
GREEN BAY - 14 7 0 7 - 28
DETROIT - 0 17 7 7 - 31
1st - GB - Ellis, 40-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - GB - Coffman, 44-yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
2nd - DT - David Lewis, 10-yd pass fr Gary Danielson (Eddie Murray kick) GB 14-7
2nd - GB - Ivery, 7-yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 21-7
2nd - DT - Lewis, 21-yard pass from Danielson (Murray kick) GREEN BAY 21-14
2nd - DT - Murray, 32-yard field goal GREEN BAY 21-17
3rd - DT - James Jones, 1-yard run (Murray kick) DETROIT 24-21
4th - DT - Jeff Chadwick, 21-yard pass from Danielson (Murray kick) DET 31-21
4th - GB - Epps, 4-yard pass from Wright (Del Greco kick) DETROIT 31-28
December 2 : Green Bay Packers (6-8) 27, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-10) 14
(GREEN BAY) - Lynn Dickey rushed for one touchdown and passed for another to rally the Green Bay Packers from a 14-0 third-quarter deficit to a 27-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Packers also got two touchdown runs from Eddie Lee Ivery on a sloppy field to improve their record to 6-8. Tampa Bay fell to 4-10 with its third straight loss. Green Bay pulled even 14-14 on Dickey's 1-yard run 56 seconds into the fourth quarter. Less than four minutes later, with 10:35 remaining Dickey tossed a 13-yard TD pass to FB Ray Crouse for the decisive score. Dickey, who completed only six of 15 passes in the first half for 52 yards, finished with 18 of 32 for 205 yards and had three intercepted. Tampa Bay went up 7-0 with 9:17 left in the second quarter when James Wilder's first-ever NFL pass went for a 16-yard touchdown to Adger Armstrong. Wilder took a pitch from Steve DeBerg, rolled to his right and found Armstrong alone deep in the end zone. The Buccaneers increased the margin to 14-0 on DeBerg's 13-yard strike to tight end Jerry Bell with 6:53 left in the quarter. The five-play, 28-yard drive started after DE John Cannon picked off a Dickey pass at the Packers' 28. Ivery scored Green Bay's first touchdown on a four-yard run with 4:11 remaining in the third quarter. Dickey also completed passes of 18 yards to Phil Epps and 17 to Paul Coffman in the six-play, 49-yard march.
TAMPA BAY - 0 7 7 0 - 14
GREEN BAY - 0 0 7 20 - 27
2nd - TB - Adger Armstrong, 16-yd pass from James Wilder (Obed Ariri kick) TB 7-0
3rd - TB - Jerry Bell, 9-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Ariri kick) TAMPA BAY 14-0
3rd - GB - Ivery, 4-yard run (Del Greco kick) TAMPA BAY 14-7
4th - GB - Crouse, 10-yard pass from Dickey (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 20-14
4th - GB - Ivery, 2-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 27-14
December 9 : Green Bay Packers (7-8) 20, Chicago Bears (9-6) 14
(CHICAGO) - Third-string QB Rich Campbell's 43-yard touchdown pass to Phil Epps with 34 seconds remaining lifted the Green Bay Packers to a 20-14 victory over the Chicago Bears, all but killing Bear hopes of a home-field advantage in the playoffs. Campbell, filling in for Randy Wright, who was injured in the first half, directed the 71-yard drive in six plays to give the Packers a 7-8 record, while the Bears, champions of the NFC Central, dropped to 9-6. The Packers won the game despite Walter Payton's heroics. Payton rushed for 175 yards and one touchdown, passed for another and took a turn at quarterback. Payton, who played quarterback in the Bears' last series of the first half and threw an interception, flipped a 2-yard touchdown pass on the halfback option to Matt Suhey in the third quarter to lift the Bears into a 7-7 tie. Del Rodgers took the ensuing kickoff and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown and a 13-7 lead as the Packers botched the extra point attempt when holder Bucky Scribner fumbled the snap and threw a wild pass. Late in the third quarter, Dave Duerson intercepted a Campbell pass at the Green Bay 33-yard line. Six plays later Payton broke two tackles and raced 7 yards for the touchdown. Bob Thomas' kick put the Bears ahead. Both teams started backup quarterbacks. Rusty Lisch for Chicago and Wright for Green Bay. Wright started in place of Lynn Dickey, who had started 43 straight games but suffered headaches as a result of a back injury. Wright went down when his knee buckled late in the first half and was replaced by Campbell, who put the Packers on the board with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Ed West for a 7-0 halftime lead.
GREEN BAY - 0 7 6 7 - 20
CHICAGO - 0 0 7 7 - 14
2nd - GB - West, 3-yard pass from Campbell (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
3rd - CHI - Matt Suhey, 2-yd pass from Walter Payton (Bob Thomas kick) TIED 7-7
3rd - GB - Rodgers, 97-yard kickoff return (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 13-7
4th - CHI - Payton, 7-yard run (Thomas kick) CHICAGO 14-13
4th - GB - Epps, 43-yard pass from Campbell (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 20-14
December 16 : Green Bay Packers (8-8) 38, Minnesota Vikings (3-13) 14
(MINNESOTA) - Lynn Dickey threw for two touchdowns and dove in for another and CB Mark Lee set up scores with an interception and fumble recovery as the Green Bay Packers routed the Minnesota Vikings 38-14 in the season-ender for both clubs. The Packers, the hottest team in the NFL during the second half of the season, won seven of their last eight games to finish 8-8. That was good enough for second place in the NFC Central Division behind the Chicago Bears. The last-place Vikings, 3-13, lost six games in a row and 11 of their last 12 to end the worst season in the club's 24 years. Dickey played only the first half and picked apart the Minnesota defense, which allowed an NFL-high 484 points this season. The 35-year-old quarterback completed 16 of 20 passes for 198 yards, including touchdown tosses of 21 yards to Phil Epps and 2 yards to backupTE Ed West. The Packers went ahead 31-0 when Dickey nudged over for a 1-yard score with 52 seconds left in the first half. Eddie Lee Ivery churned for 59 yards and a 5-yard TD burst in the first half and Al Del Greco kicked a 30-yard field goal. James Lofton caught a 26-yard TD pass from backup QB Rich Campbell in the third quarter. Lofton caught five passes for 91 yards to set a Packer receiving yardage record for a single season with 1,361 yards in 62 catches. Beside Lee's ball-hawking defense, Packer rookie S Tom Flynn intercepted his NFC-leading ninth pass of the season. Minnesota was shut out until late in the third quarter when Darrin Nelson scored on a 4-yard run. Viking CB Willie Teal dashed 53 yards after intercepting Campbell with six minutes to go, making it 38-14.
GREEN BAY - 10 21 7 0 - 38
MINNESOTA - 0 0 7 7 - 14
1st - GB - Epps, 21-yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - GB - Del Greco, 30-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-0
2nd - GB - Ivery, 5-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 17-0
2nd - GB - West, 2-yard pass from Dickey (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 24-0
2nd - GB - Dickey, 1-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 31-0
3rd - MINN - Darrin Nelson, 4-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick) GREEN BAY 31-7
3rd - GB - Lofton, 26-yard pass from Campbell (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 38-7
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
1984 IN REVIEW: The Packers selected another former player from the Lombardi era to try and turn the franchise around. Forrest Gregg has been a head coach with Cleveland (1975-77) and Cincinnati (1980-83) before coming back to Green Bay on December 26, 1983. During the course of the 1984 season, Gregg made several changes after the Packers started 1-7. After trading Jan Stenerud to the Vikings, Eddie Garcia was given the kicking job, struggled, and was replaced in the middle of the season by Al Del Greco. Eddie Lee Ivery missed the first six games of the season with a knee injury, then teamed up with Gerry Ellis, as both players passed the 500-yard mark in rushing. Randy Wright was drafted from Wisconsin and became the heir apparent to QB Lynn Dickey, after David Whitehurst was released and Rich Campbell found wanting. Hank Bullough was brought in to rebuild the defense, but left for the USFL. Dick Modzelewski took over, and the Packer defense allowed 130 less points that they did in 1983.
1984 PRE-SEASON RESULTS (2-2) - AUGUST
4 at Dallas Cowboys L 17-31 0- 1-0 43,371
11 M-CHICAGO BEARS W 17-10 1- 1-0 48,253
18 at Los Angeles Rams L 24-27 1- 2-0 41,185
25 G-INDIANAPOLIS COLTS W 34-17 2- 2-0 54,979
1984 REGULAR SEASON RESULTS (8-8) - SEPTEMBER (1-4)
2 G-ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (0-0) W 24-23 1- 0-0 53,738 Dickey
9 at Los Angeles Raiders (1-0) L 7-28 1- 1-0 46,269 Dickey
4 at New Orleans Saints (4-5) W 23-13 3- 7-0 57,426 Dickey
11 M-MINNESOTA VIKINGS (3-7) W 45-17 4- 7-0 52,931 Dickey
18 M-LOS ANGELES RAMS (7-4) W 31- 6 5- 7-0 52,031 Dickey
22 at Detroit Lions (3-8-1) L 28-31 5- 8-0 63,698 Dickey
DECEMBER (3-0)
2 G-TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (4-9) W 27-14 6- 8-0 46,800 Dickey
9 at Chicago Bears (9-5) W 20-14 7- 8-0 59,374 Wright
16 at Minnesota Vikings (3-12) W 38-14 8- 8-0 51,197 Dickey
August 4: Dallas 31, Green Bay (0-1) 17
(DALLAS) - Fullback Timmy Newsome scampered four yards for a tiebreaking touchdown in the fourth quarter Saturday night as the Cowboys defeated the Packers. With the score tied at 17, Newsome capped a 52-yard drive with 9:39 to go and spoiled Forrest Gregg's debut as the Packers' head coach. Rookie running back Johnnie Salters added the insurance touchdown with 2:35 left on a 3-yard run. The two fourth-quarter Cowboy scores were produced by a team of reserve players and were directed by Gary Hogeboom, who dueled starting quarterback Danny White to a virtual draw in the Dallas quarterback battle.
GREEN BAY - 0 14 3 0 - 17
DALLAS - 14 0 3 14 - 31
1st - DAL - Tony Dorsett, 5-yard run (Rafael Septien kick) DALLAS 7-0
1st - DAL - Ron Springs, 4-yard pass from Danny White (Septien kick) DAL 14-0
4th - DAL - Timmy Newsome, 4-yard run (Septien kick) DALLAS 24-17
4th - DAL - Johnnie Salters, 3-yard run (Septien kick) DALLAS 31-17
August 11: Green Bay (1-1) 17, Chicago 10
(MILWAUKEE) - Gerry Ellis rushed for one touchdown and Rich Campbell passed to Paul Coffman for another to lead the Packers. The Packers took a 7-0 lead 1:55 into the second quarter on Ellis' 1-yard run. Ellis keyed the eight-play, 74-yard drive with a 49-yard ran on a draw play to the Chicago 12. Two downs later, CB Mike Richardson interfered on Lynn Dickey's 8-yard pass to John Jefferson in the end zone, taking the ball to the 1, and Ellis scored on the next play. The Packers got the ball back less than two minutes later when rookie linebacker John Dorsey recovered Jim McMahon's fumbled snap at the Bears' 20.
CHICAGO - 0 3 7 0 - 10
GREEN BAY - 0 14 0 3 - 17
2nd - GB - Ellis, 1-yard run (Garcia kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - GB - Coffman, 18-yard pass from Campbell (Garcia kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
2nd - CHI - Vince Abbott, 31-yard field goal GREEN BAY 14-3
3rd - CHI - Jack Cameron, 97-yard kickoff return (Eric Schubert kick) GR BAY 14-10
4th - GB - Garcia, 27-yard field goal GREEN BAY 17-10
August 18: Los Angeles Rams 27, Green Bay (1-2) 24
(LOS ANGELES) - Eric Dickerson made a comeback from injury by rushing for 107 yards and scoring two touchdowns as the Los Angeles Rams beat the Packers. Ron Brown, who signed a multi-year contract with the
Rams last Thursday, just five days after being part of the United States' gold medal-winning 400-meter relay team in the Olympic Games, made an auspicious debut. The fleet wide receiver didn't enter the game until four minutes remained in the third quarter. On one play, the final one of the period, he showed his deep-threat capabilities by catching a 58-yard pass from backup Rams quarterback Jeff Kemp. The play set up a 25-yard field goal by Chuck Nelson early in the fourth quarter, giving the Rams a 27-10 lead at the time and, ultimately, the game's deciding points.
GREEN BAY - 3 7 0 14 - 24
LA RAMS - 7 7 10 3 - 27
1st - LA - Dickerson, 35-yard run (Mike Lansford kick) LA RAMS 7-0
2st - GB - Garcia, 26-yard field goal LA RAMS 7-3
2nd - LA - Dickerson, 34-yard run (Lansford kick) LA RAMS 14-3
3rd - LA - Chuck Nelson, 48-yard field goal LA RAMS 17-10
3rd - LA - Barry Redden, 34-yard run (Nelson kick) LA RAMS 24-10
4th - LA - Nelson, 25-yard field goal LA RAMS 27-10
4th - GB - Childs, 4-yard pass from Wright (Garcia kick) LA RAMS 27-17
4th - GB - Cassidy, 15-yard pass from Campbell (Garcia kick) LA RAMS 27-24
August 25: Green Bay (2-2) 34, Indianapolis 17
(GREEN BAY) - Lynn Dickey passed for 116 first-half yards and one touchdown Saturday night to power the Packers over the Colts. Dickey completed 7 of 10 passes with a touchdown to James Lofton after one of several Colts' miscues. Dickey was replaced just before half. His replacement, rookie Randy Wright, completed all four of his passes for 50 yards and a touchdown before the end of the half. The highlight for the Colts was a 30-yard scoring pass from Art Schlichter to Tracy Porter.
INDIANPOLIS - 3 0 0 14 - 17
GREEN BAY - 17 14 3 0 - 34
1st - GB - Ellis, 2-yard run (Garcia kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - IND - Raul Allegre, 30-yard field goal GREEN BAY 7-3
1st - GB - Garcia, 43-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-3
1st - GB - Ellis, 2-yard run (Garcia kick) GREEN BAY 17-3
2nd - GB - Lofton, 12-yard pass from Dickey (Garcia kick) GREEN BAY 24-3
2nd - GB - Jefferson, 5-yard pass from Wright (Garcia kick) GREEN BAY 31-3
3rd - GB - Garcia, 22-yard field goal GREEN BAY 34-3
4th - IND - Tracy Porter, 30-yard pass from Art Schlichter (Allegre kick) GB 34-10
4th - IND - Randy McMillan, 2-yard run (Allegre kick) GREEN BAY 34-17
1984 PACKERS DRAFT (May 1-2, 1984)
RND-PCKNAMEPOSCOLLEGENOTES
1 12 Alphonso Carreker DE Florida St
2 39 Traded to San Diego in John Jefferson trade
3 72 Donnie Humphrey DE Auburn
4 99 John Dorsey LB Connecticut
5 126 Tom Flynn S Pittsburgh
6 153 Randy Wright QB Wisconsin
7 181 Daryll Jones DB Georgia
8 207 Traded to Denver in Greg Boyd trade
9 240 Traded to Kansas City in Charlie Getty trade
10 267 Gary Hoffman T Santa Clara
11 294 Mark Cannon C TX-Arlington
12a 313 Lenny Taylor WR Tennessee (A)
12b 323 Mark Emans LB Bowling Green
A-From San Diego in Derrel Gofourth trade
1984 USFL SUPPLEMENTAL DRAFT (June 5, 1984)
RND-PCKNAMEPOSCOLLEGENOTES
1 12 Buford Jordan RB McNeese State New Orleans
2 39 Chuck Clanton DB Auburn Birmingham
3 72 John Sullivan DB California Oakland
Bold - Played for the Green Bay Packers
THE USFL SUPPLEMENTAL DRAFT
After seeing the United States Football League continue to raid their rosters and pluck off their draft picks, the NFL held a supplemental draft of players from the USFL and the CFL on June 5, 1984. 84 players were picked during the three-round selection meeting, 75 from the USFL, eight from the CFL and one, Duan Hanks, who was a free agent who had last participated in the Philadelphia Stars camp before being cut. NFL clubs tabbed 20 members of the Los Angeles Express including top pick Steve Young by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Green Bay selected three players:
* 1st round - RB Buford Jordan - A first-round pick in the 1984 USFL draft, Jordan led the New Orleans Breakers in rushing his rookie season with 1276 yards and 8 touchdowns. The following year, after the team moved to Portland, he again led the team in rushing with 876 yards and 5 touchdowns. Joining the Packers shortly after the USFL ended their season, he was one of the final training camp cuts (September 17). He would join the Saints in 1986 and play seven years in New Orleans, but never rushed for more than 207 yards in any one season.
* 2nd round - DB Chuck Clanton - Clanton picked off ten passes in 1984 for the Birmingham Stallions and returned three for scores. In 1985, Clanton had an even bigger season, intercepting 16 passes and being named USFL Defensive Player of the Year. He would finish with the second most interceptions in USFL history, two behing Luther Bradley, who played an extra year. On December 3, 1985, Clanton joined the Packers and would play in three games at the end of the season. He would be released on August 19, 1986.
* 3rd round - DB John Sullivan - After a pedestrian career in the USFL, the former Oakland Invader sat out the 1985 NFL season, then joined the Packers in the 1986 training camp. He would play six games with Green Bay before being released on October 18. Ironically, he would be picked up on waivers by San Diego, after they released a former Packer fan favorite - Mike "Mad Dog" Douglass. He would play nine games with the Chargers, then one game the following year with the 49ers before his career came to an end.
Like many of their draft operations in the 1970s and 1980s, the Packers would miss on their picks. Green Bay, in picking Jordan, passed up on several USFL players who went on to productive NFL careers - WR Ricky Sanders (483 catches and 37 touchdowns), LB Vaughan Johnson (4-time Pro Bowler), DE William Fuller (4-time Pro Bowler with 100.5 career sacks) and RB Albert Bentley (2355 rushing yard and 19 touchdowns in eight NFL seasons).
1984 PACKER TRADES - TRANSACTIONS
MAY 16 - Signed TE Henry Childs
JUL 17 - Traded K Jan Stenerud to MINNESOTA for a 1985 7th-round draft choice (LB Eric Wilson)
AUG 20 - Cut QB David Whitehurst, P John Christopher, DE Wayne Jones, LB Dan Fuller, LB Mark Emans (12th round), LB Calvin Favron and NT Charles Johnson
AUG 21 - Cut DE Byron Braggs. Placed OG Leotis Harris on reserve-failed physical list. Placed WR Lenny Taylor on injured reserve
AUG 23 - Placed WR WR Marvin Neal on waivers. Signed NT Tony DeLuca
AUG 27 - Released OG Ron Sams, FB Mike Meade, C Larry Rubens, DE Greg Boyd, NT Rich Turner and LB Jim Laughlin. Released TE Ed West, LB John Pointer, NT Tony DeLuca and DB Emmuel Thompson. Placed OT Gary Hoffman on injured reserve
AUG 28 - Placed RB Eddie Lee Ivery on injured reserve
AUG 30 - Placed S Johnnie Gray on injured reserve. Re-signed TE Ed West
SEPT 18 - Claimed OL Blake Moore off waivers from CINCINNATI. Released TE Henry Childs
SEPT 27 - Waived DB Dwayne O'Steen. Signed S Mike McLeod (EDMONTON-CFL)
OCT 6 - Placed TE Gary Lewis on injured reserve. Activated RB Eddie Lee Ivery from injured reserve
OCT 17 - Placed K Eddie Garcia on injured reserve. Signed K Al Del Greco
OCT 23 - Waived OL Syd Kitson. Signed OG Keith Uecker off waivers from DENVER
DEC 12 - Placed QB Randy Wright on injured reserve. Signed NT Tony DeLuca
