(PHOENIX) - John Elway threw two first-half touchdown passes and Rich Karlis and Mike Clendenen each kicked fourth quarter field goals for the Broncos, who are 1-1 after losing their opener in London last week. Elway lofted a 35-yard strike to a diving Steve Watson at the goal line 4:35 into the game and hit Mark Jackson on a 13 yard touchdown pass with 5:35 left in the second quarter to give the Broncos a 14-7 halftime lead. Green Bay botched a chance in the opening quarter as Brent Fullwood, on his first professional play, returned a kickoff 98 yards only to fumble at the 2-yard line The ball rolled out of bounds in the end zone.
DENVER - 7 7 0 6 - 20
GREEN BAY - 0 7 0 7 - 14
1st - DEN - Steve Watson, 35-yard pass from John Elway (Karlis kick) DENVER 7-0
(MADISON) - Reserve QBs Doug Williams and Mark Rypien each passed for a touchdown, while Green Bay's QBs threw five first half interceptions Saturday. Williams, who took over for Jay Schroeder after the Redskins held a 17-0 lead, hit Derek Holloway on a 47-yard scoring pass with less than a minute to go before half. A 1-yard pass from Rypien to Reggie Branch capped an 83-yard scoring drive in the third quarter. Green Bay had 7 turnovers, including losing two of three fumbles. Randy Wright, starting his first game after a 15-day training season holdout, threw one interception before Forest Gregg lifted him for Chuck Fusina. Wright completed three of 10 passes for 14 yards. Fusina had three passes picked off and lost a fumble before being replaced by Don Majkowski. The four quarterbacks, including David Woodley, completed nine of 32 for 46 yards.
WASHINGTON - 10 13 7 3 - 33
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 0 - 0
1st - WAS - Jess Atkinson, 42-yard field goal WASHINGTON 3-0
1st - WAS - Rick Badanjek, 1-yard run (Atkinson kick) WASHINGTON 10-0
2nd - WAS - Timmy Smith, 11-yard run (Atkinson kick) WASHINGTON 17-0
2nd - WAS - Derek Holloway, 47-yd pass fr Doug Williams (Kick failed) WASH 23-0
3rd - WAS - Reggie Branch, l-yd pass from Mark Rypien (Atkinson kick) WASH 30-0
4th - WAS - Atkinson, 33-yard field goal WASHINGTON 33-0
August 29: Cincinnati 28, Green Bay (0-3) 20
(GREEN BAY) - Boomer Esiason threw second half touchdown passes Saturday night to Eddie Brown and
Los Angeles Raiders (1-0) 20, Green Bay Packers (0-1) 0
(GREEN BAY) - Marcus Allen rushed for 136 yards on a career-high 33 carries and Vann McElroy returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown to lead the Los Angeles Raiders to a 20-0 victory over the Green Bay Packers. The Raiders intercepted QB Randy Wright three times in their NFL season-opening victory over the Packers, who were bogged down by their own mistakes, including 12 penalties for 72 yards. Wright, booed by Green Bay fans, completed eight of 21 passes for 99 yards before being replaced in the fourth quarter by rookie Don Majkowski. Sunday's loss was the first time the Packers had been shut out in 122 games, dating back to December 10, 1978. Allen had 97 yards on 19 carries in the first half and the Raiders grabbed a 7-0 halftime lead on his 1-yard touchdown with 2:12 left in the second quarter. McElroy grabbed an overthrown pass intended for Green Bay TE Ed West and raced in for the touchdown that gave the Raiders a 14-0 lead with 7:29 to go in the third quarter. Raiders LB Matt Millen took the ball out of teammate Lionel Washington's lap for Los Angeles' third interception late in the third quarter, setting up Chris Bahr's 40-yard field goal that made it 17-0 with 14:10 left in the game. Barr hit another field goal of 27 yards with 3:07 to go after the Raiders, behind backup QB Marc Wilson, reached the Packers' 3-yard line before being stopped. Wilson played the second half after starter Rusty Hilger injured his left shoulder in the first half. Los Angeles got its halftime lead as Allen shredded the Packer defense on a 49-yard drive late in the second quarter. He went up the middle for 14 yards and then outside for 17 on the first two plays of the drive. On a third down from the one, he dove in for the touchdown. The Packers' most serious scoring threat came on the game's opening series when they reached the Los Angeles 26. but Mike Haynes intercepted at the 6-yard line when Wright threw as he was being hit.
LOS ANGELES RAIDERS - 0 7 7 6 - 20
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 0 - 0
2nd - LA - Marcus Allen, 1-yard run (Chris Bahr kick) LA RAIDERS 7-0
3rd - LA - Vann McElroy, 35-yard interception return (Bahr kick) LA RAIDERS 14-0
4th - LA - Bahr, 40-yard field goal LOS ANGELES RAIDERS 17-0
4th - LA - Bahr, 27-yard field goal LOS ANGELES RAIDERS 20-0
September 20 : Green Bay Packers (0-1-1) 17, Denver Broncos (1-0-1) 17 (OT)
(MILWAUKEE) - Denver's Rich Karlis missed a 40-yard field goal attempt with 13 seconds left in overtime and the Broncos and Green Bay Packers played to a muddy 17-17 tie. Denver's Dennis Smith recovered a fumble by Kenneth Davis with 1:06 left at the Packers' 35. On second down, Broncos QB John Elway picked up his own fumble and ran 14 yards to the 23 with 13 seconds left. But following a timeout, Karlis' kick sailed left The Packers managed only two more plays before the game ended. With 1:15 left in overtime, Packers LB Brian Noble stopped a Broncos drive by intercepting Elway at the Green Bay 24 and returning it 10 yards. But Davis fumbled the ball back on the next play. Rookie Don Majkowski, starting his first NFL game, hit 10 of 20 passes for 121 yards, Elway was 30 of 48 for 285 yards. The Broncos had six turnovers. Elway, who was intercepted three times, led the Broncos on an 18-play, 80-yard drive that consumed over eight minutes of the final quarter and tied the game 17-17. Steve Sewell carried in for the touchdown from the 2 on a fourth-down reverse. The touchdown, with 5.53 left, came as a cold rain began pounding County Stadium. Both teams had trouble with the footing thereafter, although the rain's intensity decreased in the overtime. Green Bay LB John Anderson came up with his second fumble recovery to stop a Broncos drive with two minutes left in regulation time as Denver TE Clarence Kay caught a pass and lost the ball at the Packers 30.
DENVER - 0 3 7 7 0 - 17
GREEN BAY - 7 7 0 3 0 - 17
1st - GB - Fullwood, 2-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - GB - Carruth, 7-yard pass from Majkowski (Del Greco kick) GR BAY 14-0
2nd - DEN - Rich Karlis, 38-yard field goal GREEN BAY 14-3
3rd - DEN - Gene Lang, 3-yard run (Karlis kick) GREEN BAY 14-10
4th - GB - Del Greco, 32-yard field goal GREEN BAY 17-10
4th - DEN - Steve Sewell, 2-yard run (Karlis kick) TIED 17-17
October 4 : Green Bay Packers (1-1-1) 23, Minnesota Vikings (2-1) 16
(MINNESOTA) - Alan Risher, stockbroker-turned-quarterback for the NFL strike, paid dividends for the Green Bay Packers, passing for one touchdown and running for another in a 23-16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings before a record-low crowd of 13,911. Mostly there was silence in the Metrodome and when there was noise, it was often laughter. The game between NFC Central rivals had been a 63,000-seat sellout before the strike. But the replacement teams were plagued by penalties, fumbles, stumbles, poor punts and dropped passes. Risher, a New Orleans stockbroker who last played in 1985, threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Lavalle Thomas in the first quarter and had a 13-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, helping the Packers, 1-1-1, to a 20-7 halftime lead.
GREEN BAY - 7 13 0 3 - 23
MINNESOTA - 0 7 7 2 - 16
1st - GB - Thomas, 30-yard pass from Risher (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - GB - Zendejas, 35-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-0
2nd - GB - Zendejas, 43-yard field goal GREEN BAY 13-0
2nd - MIN - James Brim, 63-yd pass from Tony Adams (Dale Dawson kick) GB 13-7
2nd - GB - Risher, 13-yard run (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 20-7
3rd - MIN - Brim, 38-yard run (Dawson kick) GREEN BAY 20-14
4th - MIN - Safety, Joe Stepanek sacked Risher in the end zone GREEN BAY 20-16
4th - GB - Zendejas, 34-yard field goal GREEN BAY 23-16
October 11 : Detroit Lions (1-3) 19, Green Bay Packers (1-2-1) 16 (OT)
(GREEN BAY) - Despite a supportive crowd of 35,779, the Green Bay Packers lost 19-16 to the Detroit Lions in overtime. Mike Prindle kicked a 31-yard field goal with 2:34 left in overtime to boost the Lions before a boisterous Lambeau Field crowd. Prindle missed a 42-yarder wide right earlier in sudden death. The winning kick closed a 66-yard scoring drive in which Green Bay was penalized 15 yards for pass interference on CB Chuck Washington. The game was played before one of the largest crowds to turn out for a battle between strike teams, with attendance totaling 35,779 at 57,093-seat Lambeau Field. Fans roared encouragement and displayed banners supporting the Packers' strike team, referred to by coaches and management as Team B. Fans called them "Killer Bees" after they defeated Minnesota last week. "For a while, I wasn't sure who they were rooting for," Green Bay coach Forrest Gregg said. "But once they got into it, they found out they (the players) were a bunch of guys who wanted to play hard and give (the fans) something to yell about." But 32 regular players were spread out at all entrances .to the stadium parking lot before the game to try to discourage attendance. The game set a Packer record when it lasted 4:09, mainly due to 29 penalties and numerous injuries.
DETROIT - 3 0 3 10 3 - 19
GREEN BAY - 0 6 0 10 0 - 16
1st - DET - Mike Prindle, 23-yard field goal DETROIT 3-0
2nd - GB - Zendejas, 39-yard field goal TIED 3-3
2nd - GB - Zendejas, 28-yard field goal GREEN BAY 6-3
3rd - DET - Prindle, 32-yard field goal TIED 6-6
4th - GB - Summers, 10-yard pass from Risher (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 13-6
4th - DET - Darrell Grymes, 7-pass from Todd Hons (Prindle kick) TIED 13-13
4th - DET - Prindle, 27-yard field goal DETROIT 16-13
4th - GB - Zendejas, 45-yard field goal TIED 16-16
OT - DET - Prindle, 31-yard field goal DETROIT 19-16
October 18 : Green Bay Packers (2-2-1) 16, Philadelphia Eagles (1-4) 10 (OT)
(GREEN BAY) - The Green Bay Packers were just beginning to thrive on strike replacement football, and their fans were certainly not being short-changed. It couldn't end soon enough, though, for the Philadelphia Eagles. The Packers, 0-1-1 before the strike and 2-2-1 now, won their second game in three tries in the replacement season, going into overtime for a second straight week before beating the Eagles, 16-10, on James Hargrove's five-yard run with 9:56 left. The loss made Philadelphia 0-3 in strike substitute games, 1-4 overall. "The one thing I can say about these players is that they gave a full and honest effort at all times," Packers coach Forrest Gregg said. Gregg decides today whether some of the replacements are invited to remain on an inactive list. Hargrove's run capped a 10-play 76-yard drive on the Packers' only possession of overtime, featuring passes of 12 and 27 yards from QB Alan Risher to Lee Morris. Morris, cut in training camp, caught six passes for 132 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown pass-play, while Risher completed 15 of 23 passes for 236 yards. Sunday's victory was the Packers' first at Lambeau Field since 1985. The Eagles' Dave Jacobs hit a 44-yard field goal with 3:58 left to tie the game at 10-10, and then the teams played to a comedy of errors in the final two minutes of regulation. In one stretch of four plays, there were five penalties, including consecutive offsetting penalties. The Packers took a 10-7 lead in the third quarter as Risher tossed a 46-yard touchdown pass to Morris, who shook two tackles on his way to the end zone. Philadelphia took a 7-0 first quarter lead before 35,842 at Lambeau Field. Some of the crowd chanted "B team, B team" at the game's conclusion. Troy West intercepted Risher on the Packers' second series and the Eagles, behind QB Scott Tinsley, drove 85 yards, with Alvin Ross running the final five with 5:29 remaining in the first quarter. Tinsley, who was intercepted four times, completed five passes during the drive. The Packers cut it to 7-3 at the half on Max Zendejas' 42-yard field goal, making him seven for seven during the replacement season.
PHILADELPHIA - 7 0 0 3 0 - 10
GREEN BAY - 0 3 7 0 6 - 16
1st - PHIL - Alvin Ross, 5-yard pass from Scott Tinsley (Dave Jacobs kick) PHIL 7-0
2nd - GB - Zendejas, 42-yard field goal PHILADELPHIA 7-3
3rd - GB - L.Morris, 46-yard pass from Risher (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 10-7
4th - PHIl - Jacobs, 44-yard field goal TIED 10-10
OT - GB - Hargrove, 5-yard run GREEN BAY 16-10
October 25: Green Bay Packers (3-2-1) 34, Detroit Lions (1-5) 33
(DETROIT) - Green Bay's Al Del Greco kicked a 45-yard field goal with one minute remaining and Detroit's Eddie Murray was wide from the same distance as time expired as the Packers held on for a 34-33 victory over the Lions. The Packers, many of whom practiced regularly during the 24-day players' strike, had a 24-0 lead early in the second quarter over the rusty Lions. Green Bay led 31-16 at the half. But Detroit's defense tightened in the second half and the offense, on the arm of Chuck Long, found its stride. The Lions finally took a 33-31 lead on a 2-yard run by Garry James with 3:02 remaining. But the Packers, behind the passing of Don Majkowski, drove 42 yards in nine plays for Del Greco's field goal. Majkowski, a 10th-round draft pick making his second start, completed 19 of 27 passes for 323 yards and one touchdown with one interception. Long hit 33 of 47 for 362 and three TDs with no interceptions.
GREEN BAY - 21 10 0 3 - 34
DETROIT - 0 16 3 14 - 33
1st - GB - Fullwood, 1-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - GB - Stanley, 70-yard pass from Majkowski (Del Greco kick) GR BAY 14-0
1st - GB - Davis, 39-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 21-0
2nd - GB - Del Greco, 22-yard field goal GREEN BAY 24-0
2nd - DET - Carl Bland, 11-yard pass from Chuck Long (Eddie Murray kick) GB 24-7
2nd - GB - Davis, 28-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 31-7
2nd - DET - Pete Mandley, 12-pass from Long (Murray kick) GREEN BAY 31-14
2nd - DET - Safety, George Jamison tackled Stanley in the end zone GB 31-16
3rd - DET - Murray, 23-yard field goal GREEN BAY 31-19
4th - DET - Mandley, 22-pass from Long (Murray kick) GREEN BAY 31-26
4th - DET - Garry James, 2-yard run (Murray kick) DETROIT 33-31
4th - GB - Del Greco, 45-yard field goal GREEN BAY 34-33
November 1: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3) 23, Green Bay Packers (3-3-1) 17
(MILWAUKEE) - For a second straight week, the Buccaneers and QB Steve DeBerg built a 20-0 lead against an NFC Central opponent only to watch it slither away. Against the Bears last week, the Bucs couldn't hold on, losing 27-26, but this week they prevailed 23-17 over the Packers. Tampa Bay stunned the Packers with three quick third-quarter scores, then withstood a strong relief appearance by Green Bay QB Randy Wright. DeBerg drove the Bucs 84 yards for a touchdown to open the second half. A minute later he threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Gerald Carter after a Green Bay fumble. Green Bay was penalized 13 times for 85 yards, losing 2 of 5 fumbles. Tampa Bay had 8 penalties for 67 yards. Leading 3-0 at halftime, Tampa Bay moved 84 yards on 11 plays with DeBerg sending passes of 12 yards to Calvin Magee and 12 and 20 yards to Mark Carrier. Jeff Smith's 1-yard run capped the 5 1/2-minute drive. Packers QB Don Majkowski fumbled on the second play after the touchdown, teammate Rich Moran picked it up but also fumbled and the Bucs' Mike Stensrud recovered at the Green Bay 5. On first down, DeBerg hit Carter with the Bucs' second touchdown in a little more than a minute, making it 17-0 with 8:21 left in the quarter. When Green Bay's Kelly Cook fumbled the kickoff out of bounds at his own 1, the Packers had to punt from the 3. The Bucs then moved in for a 36-yard field goal by Donald Igwebuike for a 20-0 lead. Wright replaced Majkowski, who completed only 4 of 13 passes for 43 yards, while Wright had 13 of 19 for 161 yards.
TAMPA BAY - 0 3 17 3 - 23
GREEN BAY - 0 0 3 14 - 17
2nd - TB - Donald Igwebuike, 48-yard field goal TAMPA BAY 3-0
3rd - TB - Jeff Smith, 1-yard run (Igwebuike kick) TAMPA BAY 10-0
3rd - TB - Gerald Carter, 5-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Igwebuike kick) TB 17-0
3rd - TB - Igwebuike, 36-yard field goal TAMPA BAY 20-0
3rd - GB - Del Greco, 36-yard field goal TAMPA BAY 20-3
4th - TB - Igwebuike, 46-yard field goal TAMPA BAY 23-3
4th - GB - Neal, 4-yard pass from Wright (Del Greco kick) TAMPA BAY 23-10
4th - GB - Fullwood, 1-yard run (Del Greco kick) TAMPA BAY 23-17
November 8 : Chicago Bears (7-1) 26, Green Bay Packers (3-4-1) 24
(GREEN BAY) - Kevin Butler kicked a 52-yard field goal on the final play of the game as the Bears rallied to beat the Packers for their third comeback victory in as many games. Green Bay's Al Del Greco connected on a 47-yard field goal with a minute left to give the Packers a 24-23 lead. But Bears QB Jim McMahon brought Chicago to the Packers' 35 with passes of 21 yards to Ron Morris and 20 yards to Dennis McKinnon. After three straight incompleted passes, Butler hit his fourth field goal of the game. Butler, who also missed two field goals in the first half, matched his career-long with the game-winning 52-yarder. After the kick, Butler turned and "flipped the bird" to Packer coach Forrest Gregg, in effect saying "see you later" to the coach. Green Bay, which led 21-13 at the half, fell to 3-4-1. Butler put the Bears ahead 23-21 with 3:59 to go by making a 24-yard field goal. Green Bay QB Randy Wright, making his first start since the season opener, then moved the Packers to the Bears' 29 and Del Greco, who had two earlier misses, made a 47-yard field goal into a stiff wind.
CHICAGO - 7 6 0 13 - 26
GREEN BAY - 14 7 0 3 - 24
1st - CHI - Neal Anderson, 59-yd pass from McMahon (Kevin Butler kick) CHI 7-0
1st - GB - Fullwood, 2-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 14-7
2nd - CHI - Butler, 27-yard field goal GREEN BAY 14-10
2nd - CHI - Butler, 29-yard field goal GREEN BAY 14-13
2nd - GB - Epps, 26-yard pass from Wright (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 21-13
4th - CHI - Walter Payton, 1-yard run (Butler kick) GREEN BAY 21-20
4th - CHI - Butler, 24-yard field goal CHICAGO 23-21
4th - GB - Del Greco, 47-yard field goal GREEN BAY 24-23
4th - CHI - Butler, 55-yard field goal CHICAGO 26-24
November 15 : Seattle Seahawks (6-3) 24, Green Bay Packers (3-5-1) 13
(SEATTLE) - QB Dave Krieg and Eugene Robinson scored touchdowns in the final 2:08 of the first half, erasing a 13-7 Green Bay lead, and the Seattle Seahawks beat the Packers 24-13 in a mistake-filled game. The Seahawks' Curt Warner scored on a 57-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter for Seattle's first points. With 123 yards rushing, Warner had his second 100-yard rushing game of the season. The Packers had to play the second half without their No. 1 quarterback, Randy Wright. They lost Wright on the next-to-last play of the first half with a sprained right ankle, and Green Bay was unable to score after rookie Don Majkowski took over. There were 10 turnovers in the game, five by each team, including three interceptions thrown by Krieg. Seattle led 21-13 at halftime after Robinson and Krieg scored their touchdowns in a span of 1:25. Trailing 13-7, Seattle went ahead 14-13 when Robinson scored as a member of the Seahawks' special teams. After rookie Tony Burse blocked a Don Bracken punt, Robinson picked up the ball on the Green Bay 8 and went into the end zone. The Seahawks made it 21-13 with 43 seconds left in the first half when Krieg, unable to find a receiver on a third-and-goal, scrambled into the end zone from the 8. Krieg's score was set up when Green sacked Wright, causing him to fumble, and Paul Moyer recovered the ball and returned it 6 yards to the Green Bay 8. Max Zendejas replaced Al Del Greco as the Packers K, and continued his impressive streak. He kicked two field goals in the loss to Seattle, and would eventually make the first ten of his Packer career, a team record.
GREEN BAY - 3 10 0 0 - 13
SEATTLE - 0 21 3 0 - 24
1st - GB - Zendejas, 31-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
2nd - SEA - Curt Warner, 57-yard run (Norm Johnson kick) SEATTLE 7-3
2nd - GB - Paskett, 47-yard pass from Wright (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 10-7
2nd - GB - Zendejas, 48-yard field goal GREEN BAY 13-7
2nd - SEA - Dave Krieg, 8-yard run (Johnson kick) SEATTLE 21-13
4th - SEA - Johnson, 24-yard field goal SEATTLE 24-13
November 22 : Green Bay Packers (4-5-1) 23, Kansas City Chiefs (1-9) 3
(KANSAS CITY) - Randy Wright relieved an ineffective Don Majkowski and threw 2 second-half touchdown passes to Frankie Neal that helped Green Bay hand the staggering Chiefs their ninth straight loss. Majkowski, a rookie who started while Wright nursed an injured ankle, hit only 2 of 11 passes in the first half. Wright threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Neal following a missed Kansas City field goal in the third period and added a 26-yard scoring strike to the rookie WR 55 seconds later when the Chiefs (1-9) fumbled the kickoff. The Packers (4-5-1) snapped a three-game losing string as the Chiefs, with the NFL's worst record, extended their franchise-record losing streak. Kansas City has not won since opening day. Their offense has not scored a touchdown in 13 quarters, going back to the third period of their Nov. 1 game against the Bears.
GREEN BAY - 7 0 13 3 - 23
KANSAS CITY - 0 0 3 0 - 3
1st - GB - Carruth, 6-yard run (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
3rd - KC - Nick Lowery, 34-yard field goal GREEN BAY 7-3
3rd - GB - Neal, 13-yard pass from Wright (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 14-3
3rd - GB - Neal, 26-yard pass from Wright (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 20-3
4th - GB - Zendejas, 40-yard field goal GREEN BAY 23-3
November 29 : Chicago Bears (9-2) 23, Green Bay Packers (4-6-1) 10
(CHICAGO) - Neal Anderson and Thomas Sanders each scored a touchdown, and Kevin Butler kicked three field goals, one of which broke a 10-10 halftime tie, as the Bears beat the Packers. Anderson grabbed a 20-yard pass from Jim McMahon in the first half and Sanders ran 7 yards for his touchdown in the fourth quarter. Butler connected on field goals of 21, 27 and 52 yards. The victory gave the Bears a 9-2 record as they retained their two-game lead in the NFC Central. Green Bay fell to 4-6-1 and was eliminated from title consideration. The two teams battled to a 10-10 tie in the first half, and the Bears turned two key plays into scores in the second half. Todd Bell blocked a Max Zendejas field goal attempt in the third quarter, and the Bears turned it into a tiebreaking 27-yard field goal by Butler. Maurice Douglass intercepted a Randy Wright pass late in the third quarter and the Bears then drove 54 yards for a touchdown capped by Thomas' 7-yard run up the middle. Midway in the fourth quarter the Packers drove to the Chicago 20. Zendejas attempted a 37-yard field goal, which was blocked by Al Harris but the Bears fumbled the recovery attempt and Brian Noble recovered for Green Bay on the Chicago 46. The Packers managed to get down to the Chicago 21 before giving the ball up on downs. Butler then booted his 52-yard field goal with 2:44 left in the game. The Packers scored on their first possession. Wright and Walter Stanley combined on a 66-yard pass to the Chicago 3-yard line. The Packers needed three plays before Brent Fullwood scored from the 1-yard line for a 7-0 lead. Late in the first quarter, John Holland intercepted a McMahon pass deep in Bear territory but the Packers were stopped and Zendejas' 42-yard field goal attempt was wide, breaking his string of 10 straight. The Bears took over and marched 75 yards for the tying touchdown on a 20-yard pass from McMahon to Anderson. McMahon also completed three other passes in the drive for 49 yards. On Green Bay's next possession, Dave Duerson intercepted a Wright pass. But the Bears gave the ball right back when McMahon fumbled the snap and Noble recovered on the Chicago 41-yard line. Fullwood helped move it to the Chicago 4-yard line. Zendejas kicked a 22-yard field goal which was nullified by a penalty against John Dorsey. Zendejas then connected from the 32. Late in the half, the Bears moved to the Green Bay 4-yard line and with time running out, Butler kicked a 21-yard field goal for the 10-10 halftime tie. Walter Payton gained only 22 yards in his final game against Green Bay.
GREEN BAY - 7 3 0 0 - 10
CHICAGO - 0 10 3 10 - 23
1st - GB - Fullwood, 1-yard run (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - GB - Zendejas, 32-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-7
2nd - CHI - Butler, 21-yard field goal TIED 10-10
3rd - CHI - Butler, 27-yard field goal CHICAGO 13-10
4th - CHI - Thomas Sanders, 7-yard run (Butler kick) CHICAGO 20-10
4th - CHI - Butler, 52-yard field goal CHICAGO 23-10
December 6 : San Francisco 49ers (10-2) 23, Green Bay Packers (4-7-1) 12
(GREEN BAY) - Joe Montana completed his first 17 passes, giving him an NFL record, and also passed for two touchdowns and ran for another as the San Francisco 49ers beat the Green Bay Packers 23-12. The 49ers, 10-2, clinched their fifth straight playoff berth behind Montana's performance, which included a 57-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice with 7:32 left that put the game out of reacH. Montana's 17 straight completions Sunday, coupled with five straight the week before against Cleveland, broke the NFL record of 20 straight held by Ken Anderson. Montana's two touchdown passes give him a career- High 29 for the season, while Rice has caught a scoring pass in 10 straight games, one short of the NFL record. Montana, the league's top passer, completed 26 of 35 passes for 296 yards, including 19 of 22 in the first half. The 49ers also came up with three second-half interceptions and a fumble recovery to thwart the Packers, who are 4-7-1. Green Bay closed within 16-12 on Paul Ott Carruth's 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter following an interception by Green Bay's Dave Brown. But Max Zendejas missed the extra point. Ronnie Lott then picked off two Randy Wright passes, the second at the 49ers 9-yard line with 10:26 left. After the Packers' Walter Stanley fumbled a punt, Montana passed to Rice, who raced past three Green Bay defenders to complete the 57-yard scoring play. Montana threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Tom Rathman in the first quarter to make it 7-0. He completed his 15th straight pass, a 5-yarder to Roger Craig, to tie the record early in the second quarter. Two plays later, he ran a quarterback draw 10 yards to give the 49ers a 13-0 lead. Montana's 10-yard pass to Ron Heller set the record and a 34-yarder to John Taylor set up Ray Wersching's 25-yard field goal that made it 16-3. The Packers got first-half field goals of 30 and 45 yards from Zendejas.
SAN FRANCISCO - 7 9 0 7 - 23
GREEN BAY - 0 6 6 0 - 12
1st - SF - Tom Rathman, 5-yd pass from Montana (Ray Wersching kick) SF 7-0
2nd - SF - Montana, 10-yard run (Kick failed) SAN FRANCISCO 13-0
2nd - GB - Zendejas, 30-yard field goal SAN FRANCISCO 13-3
2nd - SF - Wersching, 25-yard field goal SAN FRANCISCO 16-3
2nd - GB - Zendejas, 45-yard field goal SAN FRANCISCO 16-6
3rd - GB - Carruth, 1-yard run (Kick failed) SAN FRANCISCO 16-12
4th - SF - Jerry Rice, 57-yard pass from Montana (Wersching kick) SF 23-12
December 13 : Green Bay Packers (5-7-1) 16, Minnesota Vikings (7-6) 10
(MILWAUKEE) - Kenneth Davis ran 7 yards for a touchdown with 1.09 to play, capping a 72-yard drive and giving the Green Bay Packers a 16-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings, whose wild card playoff hones were stalled by the loss, fell to 7-6. Green Bay is 5-7-1. The first and biggest play of the game-winning drive that began with 5.59 left was a 33-yard pass from Randy Wright to Ed West. Davis also had a 12-yard pass reception before breaking into the end zone on a third down and 7. The Packers were penalized for a personal foul on the extra point and Max Zendejas missed the conversion kick from 35 yards, making it 16-10. That miss gave the Vikings one last chance. But out of timeouts, Minnesota was finally stopped on a fourth and 1 at its own 40 when Darrin Nelson was thrown for a loss with 39 seconds remaining.
MINNESOTA - 7 0 0 3 - 10
GREEN BAY - 0 7 3 6 - 16
1st - MIN - Anthony Carter, 40-yd pass fr Kramer (Chuck Nelson kick) MINN 7-0
3rd - GB - Zendejas, 47-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-7
4th - MIN - Nelson, 34-yard field goal TIED 10-10
4th - GB - Davis, 7-yard run (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 16-10
December 19 : New York Giants (5-9) 20, Green Bay Packers (5-8-1) 10
(NEW YORK) - The battle for NFC playoff berths lost one of its contenders Saturday when the Packers were beaten by the Giants on two touchdown passes by Phil Simms. The loss dropped Green Bay to 5-8-1 with one game left, and left Minnesota, St. Louis and the Rams to battle for the final wild-card berth. The Packers went into the game with slim hopes for their first postseason appearance in five years, but Simms and the Giants defense were the chief spoilers. Simms became the Giants' all-time leader in passing yardage before being injured. Simms completed 21-of-26 passes for 233 yards and hit HB Lee Rouson with a 26-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter and flipped a 1-yard TD pass to TE Zeke Mowatt in the third period. Despite being plagued by injuries early in his career, Simms now has passed for 19,551 yards in NFL nine seasons with New York, breaking the club record of 19,488 career yards set by Charlie Conerly between 1948 and 1961. The Giants defense never let the Packers get in the game, allowing them only four first downs in the first half and surrendering a 26-yard field goal by Max Zendejas late in the third quarter after New York built a 20-0 lead. Green Bay got its only touchdown with 2:32 left on a 3-yard option pass by Paul Ott Carruth to Jessie Clark. It was set by a 48-yard punt return by Walter Stanley. The nationally televised game attracted only 51,013. There were 25,719 no-shows.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 3 7 - 10
NEW YORK GIANTS - 0 13 7 0 - 20
2nd - NYG - Joe Morris, 3-yard run (Kick failed) NEW YORK GIANTS 6-0
2nd - NYG - Lee Rouson, 26-yard pass from Phil Simms (Raul Allegre kick) NY 13-0
3rd - NYG - Zeke Mowatt, 1-yard pass from Simms (Allegre kick) NY 20-0
3rd - GB - Zendejas, 26-yard field goal NEW YORK GIANTS 20-3
4th - GB - Clark, 3-yard pass from Carruth (Zendejas kick) NY GIANTS 20-10
December 27 : New Orleans Saints (12-3) 33, Green Bay Packers (5-9-1) 24
(NEW ORLEANS) - Morten Andersen kicked four first-half field goals and Dalton Hilliard sparked a three-touchdownc second half as the Saints closed out the team's most successful season with a victory over Green Bay. The Saints, twice 8-8 but never a winner in 20 previous seasons, go into their first playoff game with a 12-3 record and nine straight victories, the longest active winning streak. Andersen's field goals were good from 31, 52 and 48 yards in the first quarter and 32 yards in the second quarter. The Saints trailed 17-12 at halftime after the Packers scored on two touchdown passes from Don Majkowski to Walter Stanley and a 24-yard field goal by Max Zendejas. The touchdown passes, both in the first quarter, covered 29 and 39 yards. Hilliard raced 23 yards with a draw play in the third quarter to set up a three-yard touchdown sweep by Rueben Mayes that put the Saints ahead for the first time at 19-17. After Majkowski put the Packers back on top briefly 24-19 with a 20-yard pass to Phillip Epps with 2:35 left in the third quarter, Hilliard returned the ensuing kickoff 74 yards to the Green Bay 20-yard line and Bobby Hebert hit John Tice with a five-yard touchdown pass three plays later. The scoring pass put the Saints ahead 26-24 with 1:27 left in the third quarter and Hilliard capped a 53-yard fourth quarter drive with a one-yard touchdown dive to clinch the victory.
GREEN BAY - 14 3 7 0 - 24
NEW ORLEANS - 9 3 14 7 - 33
1st - NO - Morten Andersen, 31-yard field goal NEW ORLEANS 3-0
1st - GB - Stanley, 29-yard pass from Majkowski (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 7-3
1st - GB - Stanley, 39-yard pass from Majkowski (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 14-3
1st - NO - Andersen, 52-yard field goal GREEN BAY 14-6
1st - NO - Andersen, 48-yard field goal GREEN BAY 14-9
2nd - GB - Zendejas, 24-yard field goal GREEN BAY 17-9
2nd - NO - Andersen, 32-yard field goal GREEN BAY 17-12
3rd - NO - Rueben Mayes, 3-yard run (Andersen kick) NEW ORLEANS 19-17
3rd - GB - Epps, 20-yard pass from Majkowski (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 24-19
3rd - NO - Mike Tice, 5-yard pass from Bobby Hebert (Andersen kick) NO 26-24
4th - NO - Dalton Hilliard, 1-yard run (Andersen kick) NEW ORLEANS 33-24
NAMENOPOSHGTWGTCOLLEGEYRPRAGEGHOW ACQUIRED
John Anderson 59 LB 6- 3 228 Michigan 10 10 31 12 1978 Draft - 1st round
Jerry Boyarsky 61 NT 6- 3 290 Pittsburgh 2 7 28 12 1986 FA - Buffalo
Don Bracken 17 P 6- 0 211 Michigan 3 3 25 12 1985 FA
Dave Brown 32 CB 6- 1 197 Michigan 1 13 34 12 1987 Trade - Seattle
Robert Brown 93 DE 6- 2 267 Virginia Tech 6 6 27 12 1982 Draft - 4th round
Ross Browner 79 DE 6- 3 265 Notre Dame 1 10 33 11 1987 FA - Cin (1986)
Mark Cannon 58 C 6- 3 270 TX-Arlington 4 4 25 12 1984 Draft - 11th round
Alphonso Carreker 76 DE 6- 6 271 Florida State 4 4 25 12 1984 Draft - 1st round
Paul Ott Carruth 30 RB 6- 1 220 Alabama 2 2 26 12 1986 FA - Birm (USFL)
Bill Cherry 69 C 6- 4 277 Middle Tenn St 2 2 26 12 1986 FA
*-Max Zendejas 8 K 5-11 184 Arizona 1 2 23 7 1987 FA - Wash (1986)
* - Also played in replacement games
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
1987 PACKERS REPLACEMENT ROSTER
NAMENOPOSHGTWGTCOLLEGEYRPRAGGHOW ACQUIRED
Aric Anderson 53 LB 6- 2 220 Iona 1 1 22 3 1987 FA
Todd Auer 72-98 LB 6- 1 230 Western Illinois 1 1 22 3 1987 FA
Warren Bone 72 DE 6- 4 265 Texas Southern 1 1 22 1 1987 FA
David Caldwell 73 NT 6- 1 261 TCU 1 1 22 3 1987 FA
Putt Choate 57 LB 6- 0 225 SMU 1 1 30 2 1987 FA - San An (USFL)
*-Steve Collier 92-70-74 T 6- 7 342 Bethune-Cookman 1 1 24 3 1987 FA
Chuck Compton 41 DB 5-10 190 Boise State 1 1 22 2 1987 FA
Travis Simpson 67 OL 6- 3 272 Oklahoma 1 1 23 3 1987 FA
Wes Smith 84 WR 6- 0 190 East Texas 1 1 24 1 1987 FA
John Sterling 33 RB 6- 2 203 Cent St-Oklahoma 1 1 22 2 1987 FA
Carl Sullivan 95 DE 6- 4 248 San Jose State 1 1 25 3 1987 FA - Oak (USFL)
Don Summers 86 TE 6- 4 235 Boise State 1 3 26 3 1987 FA - Denver (1985)
Lavale Thomas 45 RB 6- 0 205 Fresno State 1 1 23 1 1987 FA
*-Keith Uecker 70 G 6- 5 284 Auburn 3 5 27 1 1984 FA - Denver (1983)
Vince Villanucci 64 NT 6- 2 265 Bowling Green 1 1 23 2 1987 FA
Calvin Wallace 93 DE 6- 2 230 W. Virginia Tech 1 1 22 1 1987 FA
Chuck Washington 18-38 DB 5-11 186 Arkansas 1 1 23 3 1987 FA
Lee Weigel 25 RB 5-11 220 UW-Eau Claire 1 1 23 2 1987 FA
Kevin Willhie 35 RB 5-11 208 Oregon 1 1 24 3 1987 FA
*-Max Zendejas 8 K 5-11 184 Arizona 1 2 23 3 1987 FA - Wash (1986)
* - Also played in regular games
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
Forrest Gregg Resigns as Head Coach (January 15, 1988)
(GREEN BAY) - With Forrest Gregg gone, the job of head coach of the Green Bay Packers is wide open to all applicants, the president of the NFL club says. "I have a completely open mind; I have nobody specific in mind at all," Robert Parins said after Gregg left the Packers on Thursday for SMU, his alma mater. Gregg guided the team for four seasons that were mediocre at best and departed with an unfulfilled goal. "He had high hopes of doing something great. It's a dream that just didn't turn out,"' Packers fan Rose Phillips said as she sipped coffee at Martha's Coffee Club not far from downtown Green Bay. Gregg had hoped to return the Packers to a consistent winner when he came back to Green Bay for the 1984 season, three seasons after taking the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl. But the former Packers' offensive tackle, called by Vince Lombardi "quite simply the finest player I have ever coached," fell short when he left Thursday with one year to go on a five-year contract. The Packers were 8-8 his first two seasons, slipped to 4-12 in 1986 after a housecleaning of veteran players and were 5-9-1 (3-8-1 in non-strike games) this past season. "I would have liked him to be here for next year because he's got things on the right course," Packers S Mark Murphy said. "We've got some good people. We'll just have to wait and see about a new coach. There will be an adjustment period. But I don't think it will stop our progress." To begin the search for a successor, Parins called Tom Braatz, vice president of football operations, back from Hawaii where he was scouting the Hula Bowl. "I can't even visualize anything in terms of time," Parins said. "I remember four years ago I indicated we would take our time but when Forrest's name came up it was quite easy. Before that it was very difficult. I don't think we have to be in a hurry. If there is any urgency it might be in assimilating a staff for a prospective coach," he said.
Lindy Infante Named Head Coach (February 3, 1988)
(GREEN BAY) - Lindy Infante, the offensive coordinator who helped the Cleveland Browns to consecutive appearances in the AFC championship game, took over Wednesday as head coach of the Green Bay Packers. "I didn't take this job to be here two or three years and be a loser," Infante told a news conference. "We'll work our tails off. We'll be a winner." Infante, 47, signed a five-year contract, the details of which were not released. Tom Braatz, Packers executive vice president of football operations, said Infante's expertise on offense is what made him attractive. "Over the last four or five years ... he's been highly regarded as one of the best offensive coordinators in the NFL," Braatz said. "Offense, naturally, is his No. 1 strength," said Braatz. "He's innovative on that side of the ball." Infante said the Packers' coaching job would be the last of his career. "If I can't get it done, then it is probably time to look for something else," he said. Infante said he would call the plays next season, and did not expect to name an offensive coordinator. Green Bay struggled on offense last season when it finished 5-9-1, but Infante said that didn't worry him. "We'll be as multiple an offense as the players allow us to be once we get a system installed," he said. "I believe a wide variety of things on offense will get the job done." Infante was the Packers' second choice to replace Forrest Gregg, who resigned last month after four years to become head coach at Southern Methodist University. Michigan State Coach George Perles last week turned down a reported five-year contract worth S2.25 million. "I've been the second choice before in other jobs, but it's not going to have any effect," Infante said. " It didn't make me feel second best to anybody. I know what I can do."
1987 IN REVIEW: Two different teams took the field for the Green Bay Packers in 1987. The regular players opened the season 0-1-1, then went on strike. For three weeks, replacement players took part in NFL games. The Packers' "B" team went 2-1. When the regulars returned, they struggled to a 3-7 record down the stretch. QB Randy Wright held out in training camp, as did first-round draft choice Brent Fullwood. Wright was replaced on numerous occasions by rookie QB Don Majkowski. Fullwood gained just 274 yards on the season. Off the field, DE Charles Martin was waived in September after a bar fight, and CB Mossy Cade was sent to prison in August for sexual assault. Tom Braatz was named executive vice president in January, the first time since 1958 that control of the team was divided between the head coach and another person. As for head Forrest Gregg, he resigned on January 15, 1988 to become head coach at his alma mater, SMU. Braatz hired Lindy Infante to restore the pride in Packerland.
25 at Detroit Lions (1-4) W 34-33 3- 2-1 27,278 Majkowski
NOVEMBER (1-4)
1 M-TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (3-3) L 17-23 3- 3-1 50,308 Majkowski
8 G-CHICAGO BEARS (6-1) L 24-26 3- 4-1 53,320 Wright
15 at Seattle Seahawks (5-3) L 13-24 3- 5-1 60,963 Wright
22 at Kansas City Chiefs (1-8) W 23- 3 4- 5-1 34,611 Majkowski
29 at Chicago Bears (8-2) L 10-23 4- 6-1 61,638 Wright
DECEMBER (1-3)
6 G-SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (9-2) L 12-23 4- 7-1 51,118 Wright
13 M-MINNESOTA VIKINGS (7-5) W 16-10 5- 7-1 47,059 Wright
19 at New York Giants (4-9) L 10-20 5- 8-1 51,013 Wright
27 at New Orleans Saints (11-3) L 24-33 5- 9-1 68,364 Majkowski
* - Replacement Game
1987 PRE-SEASON RESULTS (0-4) - AUGUST (0-3)
15 Denver Broncos (at Phoenix) L 14-20 0- 1-0 67,500
22 MADISON-WASHINGTON REDSKINS L 0-33 0- 2-0 64,768
29 G-CINCINNATI BENGALS L 20-28 0- 3-0 44,515
SEPTEMBER (o-1)
5 M-CLEVELAND BROWNS L 24-30(OT) 0- 4-0 37,707
1987 REGULAR SEASON RESULTS (5-9-1) - SEPTEMBER (0-1-1)
13 G-LOS ANGELES RAIDERS (0-0) L 0-20 0- 1-0 54,983 Wright
20 M-DENVER BRONCOS (1-0) T 17-17(OT) 0- 1-1 50,624 Majkowski
OCTOBER (3-1)
4 at Minnesota Vikings (2-0) W 23-16 1- 1-1 13,911 Risher *
Cris Collinsworth, leading the Bengals over the Packers. Esiason, who did not play in the first half, connected with Collinsworth on a 35-yard touchdown pass with 7:37 to go for the final score after the Packers had moved to within one point a minute earlier on Al Del Greco's 38-yard field goal. Esiason hit Brown with a 12-yard touchdown pass to cap an 80-yard drive on the opening series of the second half. It gave the Bengals a 21-10 lead but Packers' rookie Don Majkowski brought Green Bay back by leading a 97-yard drive in 16 plays.
CINCINNATI - 7 7 7 7 - 28
GREEN BAY - 7 3 0 10 - 20
1st - GB - Davis, 8-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
September 5: Cleveland 30, Green Bay (0-4) 24 (OT)
(GREEN BAY) - Linebacker Mike Junkin ran back an interception 21 yards for a touchdown to give the Cleveland Browns a victory over the Green Bay Packers. With 9:52 left in overtime, Junkin intercepted a pass from Randy Wright that was intended for wide receiver Keith Paskett. Cleveland took a 17-7 halftime lead before Wright rallied the Packers. Wright led the Packers on consecutive scoring drives of 77,95 and 50 yards to give Green Bay a 24-17 lead with 11:36 left in the game. Wright completed 14 of 25 passes for 201 yards and two interceptions in the second half. But Browns quarterback Gary Danielson directed a 60-yard drive, scrambling the final 8 yards into the end zone. Jeff Jaeger's kick tied the score at 24-24 with 8:37 left.
CLEVELAND - 3 14 0 7 6 - 30
GREEN BAY - 0 7 10 7 0 - 24
1st - CLE - Jeff Jaeger, 25-yard field goal CLEVELAND 3-0
2nd - GB - Carruth, 6-yard pass from Majkowski (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 7-3
2nd - CLE - Tim Manoa, 35-yard run off fake punt (Jaeger kick) CLEVELAND 10-7
4th - GB - Carruth, 1-yard run (Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 24-17
4th - CLE - Gary Danielson, 8-yard run (Jaeger kick) TIED 24-24
OT - CLE - Mike Junkin, 21-yard interception return CLEVELAND 30-24
1987 PACKERS DRAFT (April 28-29, 1987)
RND-PCKNAMEPOSCOLLEGENOTES
1 4 Brent Fullwood RB Auburn
2 41 Johnny Holland LB Texas A&M
3a 61 Dave Croston T Iowa
3b 69 Scott Stephen LB Arizona St (A)
3c 71 Frankie Neal WR Fort Hays St (B)
4 89 Lorenzo Freeman DT Pittsburgh
5 115 Traded to San Diego in 1985 Mossy Cade trade
6 145 Willie Marshall WR Temple
7a 172 Tony Leiker DT Stanford
7b 191 Bill Smith P Mississippi (C)
8 198 Jeff Drost DT Iowa
9 228 Gregg Harris G Wake Forest
10 255 Don Majkowski QB Virginia
11 282 Patrick Scott WR Grambling
12a 312 Traded to Seattle in 1986 Dan Ross trade
12b 335 Norman Jefferson DB LSU (D)
A-From Atlanta Falcons B-From LA Raiders in James Lofton trade C-From Cleveland in 1985 John Jefferson trade D-From NY Giants in Phil McConkey trade
Bold - Played for the Green Bay Packers
1987 Packers Yearbook
1987 Packers Media Guide
Raiders at Packers Program - 13 September
49ers at Packers Program - 6 December
1987 PACKER TRADES - TRANSACTIONS
APRIL 14 - Traded WR James Lofton to LA RAIDERS for a 1987 3rd-round choice (WR Frankie Neal) and a 1988 4th-round choice (NT Rollin Putzier)
APRIL 28 - Traded a 1987 2nd-round draft choice to ATLANTA for a 1987 2nd-round choice (LB Johnny Holland) and a 1987 3rd-round choice (LB Scott Stephen)
AUGUST 26 - Traded a 1988 11th-round choice to SEATTLE for DB Dave Brown
EAU CLAIRE MAN RELISHES TIME WITH PACKERS
SOURCE: Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, 9-7-2008
When the 1987 strike began, Lee Weigel was coaching running backs at UW-Eau Claire under coach Jim Lind. Weigel called Packers personnel director Tom Braatz to set up a tryout. He and another former Blugold, lineman Kevin Fitzgerald, drove to Green Bay, caught about 10 passes in front of coaches and quickly became Green Bay Packers. "I thought there would be a lot more to it than that," he said. The Packers had enough linemen, so they threw some passes to Fitzgerald. He caught them all and was signed as a tight end, Weigel recalled.
Those three weeks put Weigel in the books forever as a Green Bay Packer. He didn't play in the first strike game at Minnesota, a victory in front of just 13,911 fans. However, he played twice at Lambeau Field. A fullback, he carried the ball 10 times for 26 yards and caught one pass for 17 yards. He was paid $3,500 a week, about one-fifth of the NFL average salary but not bad money for a young man just out of college. He paid off some school loans and bought a sports car with his windfall. Weigel, a Marshfield native, was playing for the team he followed as a kid - a team coached by a Packers legend, Forrest Gregg, who remained the head coach despite the strike. Gregg wound up quitting after the season. "Gregg treated us like we were one of the regular players. He made you feel welcome and like a professional," Weigel said. "Everybody just loved him. He did everything in his power to make us winners."
The players were bused in and out of the stadium to avoid confrontations with striking players, Weigel said. Occasionally during practice, however, eggs would be lobbed over the fences, presumably by the striking players, and Gregg then would move the practice inside, Weigel said. Weigel thought of himself - and still does - as a Packer, not just a fill-in player. "It was my opportunity to get my foot in the door. The fans wanted to see someone wearing the green-and-gold. They frowned on the veterans because they were getting too greedy," Weigel said of the strike.
He recalling running onto the field to the cheers of 35,000 Packers fans - only a half-filled stadium but much larger crowds than he expected and about 10 times the size he was accustomed to seeing at Carson Park while playing for UW-Eau Claire. Weigel's goal wasn't just to play on the strike team. He wanted to impress the coaches and stay on, as a couple of replacements did, when the strike was over.
"On that one catch (for 17 yards), I should have done more with that one. If I break the tackle and score maybe they keep me. You look back and think about things like that," Weigel said, recalling the team meeting Gregg held to tell them the strike was over and they were done.
Coming out of UW-Eau Claire in 1985, Weigel believed he had NFL ability. He was a small-college All-American at tailback for Coach Link Walker's teams, one of which won the 1983 state conference title behind Weigel and quarterback Jess Cole, a Mondovi native and former UW-Madison recruit. Weigel, a power back, broke most Blugold rushing records with three 1,000-yard seasons, 4,105 career yards and a 279-yard game. He carried the ball a school-record 944 times but lost only six fumbles. Weigel wasn't selected in the NFL draft in April 1986 but signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys. They had planned to keep six running backs. He was the sixth. He expected to make the team until the Cowboys picked up Herschel Walker, who starred in the rival United States Football League until it folded. "I would have made the roster," Weigel said. "I made room for (Walker)."
However, Weigel played in several scrimmages and at fullback blocked for Cowboys star tailback Tony Dorsett. Weigel also remembers scoring a few touchdowns in those scrimmages. "I thought I belonged," Weigel said. After he was cut by the Cowboys, he flew back to Eau Claire. The next day his father died. "I didn't think about football at that point. Family came first. It was kind of a blow," said Weigel, who then returned home to help take his father's place for a time on the family farm near Marshfield. He continued to work out and to contact NFL teams.
Weigel, who had 4.54-second speed in the 40-yard dash, had tryouts in 1988 with the Miami Dolphins and in the Canadian Football League, but they were his last attempts at playing pro football. He began working in the concrete business in the Marshfield area and was an assistant coach at Marshfield High School. Eventually, he started Tiger Paw Concrete (named after his Marshfield Tigers) and returned to Eau Claire about six years ago. He works mostly solo on residential and commercial jobs, doing flatwork such as sidewalks, basements and driveways.
As Weigel played at a neighborhood park last week with his children, both were wearing Packers jerseys. Someday he'll be able to tell them about his 24 days as a Packer, and maybe they can pull on his old jersey. "To play at Lambeau was a dream come true," Weigel said. "To get a taste of it, I was real fortunate."
THE REPLACEMENT PLAYERS WHO PLAYED AFTER THE STRIKE
* LB Jim Bob Morris - In the strike opener, with 1:10 to play, Morris flagged down an Tony Adams pass on the Packers' 4 and maneuvered 74 yards down the right sideline to the Minnesota 23 before being run to earth with 56 seconds to play, clinching a 23-16 win. He went on to lead the team with three interceptions.
* QB Alan Risher - After completing 44-of-74 passes for 564 yards and three touchdowns, Risher was kept on the roster, but only appeared for one more play (November 22 against Kansas City), before being released in December.
* OT Steve Collier - Collier was best known for wearing four numbers in his only season as a Packer. Collier tried three different numbers in three replacement games in 1987 and a fourth as a member of the regular roster. One of those numbers - 92 - was later retired for Reggie White.
* WR Lee Morris - After catching 16 passes in the three strike games, Morris stuck around, but was placed on the injured reserve in early November without ever appearing in a regular game
* WR Patrick Scott - Scott had been drafted in the 11th round, cut in training camp, then brought back for the strike. After the strike was settled, he caught one more pass. In 1988, Scott caught 28 passes for 354 yards and one TD.
* OL Keith Uecker - Technically, he did not stick after the strike ended. He was the first Packer to cross the line, doing so on October 14 and playing in the last replacement game. He would have an injury-riddled season, but play with Green Bay through 1991.
* K Max Zendejas - He made 10 straight field goals, leading the team to release Al Del Greco in November. In 1988, Zendejas made only 9 of 16 field-goal attempts and missed a 24-yarder with 11 seconds left in a 20-17 loss to Washington, leading to his release in October 1988.
