Max Zendejas 8 K 5-11 184 Arizona 2 3 24 8 1987 FA - Wash (1986)
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
September 4: Los Angeles Rams (1-0) 34, Green Bay Packers (0-1) 7
(GREEN BAY) - Jerry Gray and Los Angeles went on the defensive, smothering sloppy Green Bay in a game filled with Packer mistakes. Gray returned an interception 47 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the third quarter to give the Rams an insurmountable 31-0 lead and send Packers' coach Lindy Infante to a lopsided loss in his Green Bay debut. "Our pass rush is what did it for us," said Gray after the Rams sacked Green Bay starter Randy Wright 6 times and his fourth- quarter replacement, Don Majkowski, once. The Packers fell apart from the outset, as Norman Jefferson returned the opening kickoff 46 yards only to fumble the ball away. That was just the beginning. Green Bay lost 4 fumbles in the game, including 3 in the first quarter, and was intercepted 3 times. Two of those early fumbles led to Ram touchdowns and a 21-0 halftime lead, as QB Jim Everett passed for two scores in the first half. "From the outset, we had too many mistakes, turnovers. We certainly were our own worst enemy," Infante said.
LOS ANGELES RAMS - 7 14 10 3 - 34
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 7 - 7
1st - LA - Greg Bell, 1-yard run (Mike Lansford kick) LOS ANGELES RAMS 7-0
2nd - LA - Bell, 3-yard pass from Jim Everett (Lansford kick) LA RAMS 14-0
2nd - LA - Henry Ellard, 11-yard pass from Everett (Lansford kick) LA RAMS 21-0
3rd - LA - Lansford, 33-yard field goal LOS ANGELES 24-0
3rd - LA - Jerry Gray, 47-yard intereception return (Lansford kick) LA RAMS 31-0
4th - GB - West, 17-yard pass from Majkowski (Zendejas kick) LA RAMS 31-7
4th - LA - Lansford, 29-yard field goal LOS ANGELES 34-7
September 11 : Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) 13, Green Bay Packers (0-2) 10
(GREEN BAY) - Donald Igwebuike kicked a 28-yard field goal on the final play as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended a nine- game losing streak by beating the Green Bay Packers 13-10. Igwebuike kicked his second field goal of the game after Vinny Testaverde drove the Bucs 56 yards in the final four minutes. The Bucs began the winning drive at their own 34 with 4:43 to go after the Packers' Max Zendejas was wide to the right on a 52-yard field goal try. Testaverde kept the drive alive with a 6- yard pass to Jeff Smith on third down and a 22-yarder to Bruce Hill that carried Tampa Bay to the Packers' 22. Testaverde then ran for 15 yards to the seven. Two running plays gained three yards and, after Testaverde was thrown for a six-yard loss on third down, Igwebuike hit the game-winner. It was Tampa Bay's first victory since beating Green Bay on Nov. 1, 1987 at Milwaukee. The Bucs rallied from a 10-0 first quarter deficit to tie the game at halftime. Chris Washington recovered a fumble by Brent Fullwood at the Packers' 49 and the Bucs scored seven plays later on Lars Tate's 2-yard run. Testaverde's 22-yard pass to Smith to the five was the big play.
TAMPA BAY - 0 10 0 3 - 13
GREEN BAY - 10 0 0 0 - 10
1st - GB - Zendejas, 50-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
1st - GB - Fullwood, 30-yard pass from Wright (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 10-0
2nd - TB - Lars Tate, 2-yard run (Donald Igwebuike kick) GREEN BAY 10-7
2nd - TB - Igwebuike, 53-yard field goal TIED 10-10
4th - TB - Igwebuike, 53-yard field goal TAMPA BAY 13-10
September 18 : Miami Dolphins (1-2) 24, Green Bay Packers (0-3) 17
(MIAMI) - Dan Marino threw two touchdown passes and Miami's special teams took advantage of Green Bay mistakes as the Dolphins beat the Packers 24-17. Marino, who became the 45th NFL quarterback to exceed 20,000 career passing yards, threw touchdown passes of 25 and four yards but threw two interceptions. The Dolphins special teams blocked a punt and returned another 29 yards, and both plays resulted in first-half touchdowns.
GREEN BAY - 0 14 3 0 - 17
MIAMI - 17 7 0 0 - 24
1st - MIA - Faud Reveiz, 29-yard field goal MIAMI 3-0
1st - MIA - Lorenzo Hampton, 2-yard run (Reveiz kick) MIAMI 10-0
1st - MIA - Mark Clayton, 25-yard pass from Dan Marino (Reveiz kick) MIA 17-0
3rd - GB - Zendejas, 36-yard field goal MIAMI 24-17
September 25 : Chicago Bears (3-1) 24, Green Bay Packers (0-4) 6
(GREEN BAY) - Neal Anderson ran for two touchdowns and the visiting Bears struck for 17 points in the final five minutes of the first half to beat the winless Green Bay Packers 24-6. The Bears, 3-1, sacked Randy Wright five times and intercepted him twice, including once in the end zone by Shaun Gayle to stop a fourth-quarter drive. Chicago scored on a 45- yard run by Anderson with 5:20 to go in the first half to take a 7-6 lead. The Bears scored again four minutes later after LB Ron Rivera intercepted Wright at the Green Bay 26. Wright's pass, on the first scrimmage play after Anderson's scoring run, bounced off Chicago's Mike Richardson and into Rivera's hands. Wright was horrible, as he completed just 19 of 41 passes for 242 yards and two interceptions. The Packers lost to the Bears for the seventh straight time.
CHICAGO - 0 17 0 7 - 24
GREEN BAY - 6 0 0 0 - 6
1st - GB - Fullwood, 2-yard run (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 6-0
2nd - CHI - Neal Anderson, 45-yard run (Kevin Butler kick) CHICAGO 7-6
2nd - CHI - Anderson, 4-yard run (Butler kick) CHICAGO 14-6
2nd - CHI - Butler, 35-yard field goal CHICAGO 17-6
4th - CHI - Thomas Sanders, 5-yard run (Butler kick) CHICAGO 24-6
October 2 : Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3) 27, Green Bay Packers (0-5) 24
(TAMPA BAY) -Tampa Bay's Donald Igwebuike kicked a 44-yard field goal with 12 seconds left and Vinny Testaverde overcame four interceptions with 300 passing yards as the Bucs edged the Green Bay Packers 27-24. Igwebuike kicked a 28-yard field goal with three seconds left three weeks ago as the Bucs beat Green Bay 13-10 for their only other victory in five games. The Packers, who led 24-17 with less than two minutes to play, dropped to 0-5 to remain the only winless team in the NFL. The Bucs scored the tying touchdown with 1:52 left on a 19-yard pass from Testaverde to Bruce Hill. The score capped an eight-play, 72-yard drive that got rolling with a 22-yard pass on third down and 18 from Testaverde to Mark Carrier. After Hill's score, Green Bay was limited to three plays and a punt. Starting from the Tampa Bay 43-yard line, Testaverde passed 26 yards to Hill and six yards to Jeff Smith before the Bucs used their last time out to get Igwebuike into the game for his winning kick.
GREEN BAY - 3 7 7 7 - 24
TAMPA BAY - 0 10 0 17 - 27
1st - GB - Zendejas, 44-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
2nd - TB - Donald Igwebuike, 45-yard field goal TIED 3-3
3rd - GB - Fullwood, 1-yard run (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 17-10
4th - TB - Lars Tate, 1-yard run (Igwebuike kick) TIED 17-17
4th - GB - Wright, 1-yard run (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 24-17
4th - TB - Bruce Hill, 19-yd pass fr Vinny Testaverde (Igwebuike kick) TIED 24-24
4th - TB - Igwebuike, 44-yard field goal TAMPA BAY 27-24
October 9: Green Bay Packers (1-5) 45, New England Patriots (2-4) 3
(MILWAUKEE) - Brent Fullwood ran for three second-half touchdowns and Green Bay's defense intercepted five passes as the Packers routed the New England Patriots 45-3 for their first victory of the season. Green Bay, 1-5, scored two touchdowns in the final five minutes of the second quarter to take a 17-3 halftime lead in getting first-year Coach Lindy Infante his first Packer victory. Fullwood ran 33 yards to make it 24-3 in the third quarter, then added scoring runs of 7 and 31 yards in the fourth period to finish with a career-high 118 yards on 14 carries. Kenneth Davis' 8-yard run with 2:59 to go capped the scoring as the Packers produced their most points since a 45-17 win over Minnesota in 1984. New England QB Doug Flutie, making his fourth NFL start, had trouble throwing over Packer linemen and linebackers all afternoon as the Patriots dropped to 2-4. Flutie, scrambling madly and throwing passes from all angles, was intercepted three times and also had three passes either batted down or tipped. He was replaced late in the third quarter by veteran Steve Grogan, who was intercepted twice before Flutie returned to the game in the fourth quarter. Green Bay QB Don Majkowski, starting for the injured Randy Wright, passed for one touchdown and ran for another in leading the Packers to their 17-3 halftime advantage. He completed 18 of 26 passes for 210 yards.
NEW ENGLAND - 3 0 0 0 - 3
GREEN BAY - 0 17 7 21 - 45
1st - NE - Teddy Garcia, 43-yard field goal NEW ENGLAND 3-0
2nd - GB - Zendejas, 25-yard field goal TIED 3-3
2nd - GB - Majkowski, 2-yard run (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 10-3
2nd - GB - Hackett, 2-yard pass from Majkowski (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 17-3
3rd - GB - Fullwood, 33-yard run (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 24-3
4th - GB - Fullwood, 7-yard run (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 31-3
4th - GB - Fullwood, 31-yard run (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 38-3
4th - GB - Davis, 8-yard run (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 45-3
October 16 : Green Bay Packers (2-5) 34, Minnesota Vikings (4-3) 14
(MINNESOTA) - Don Majkowski passed for 243 yards and Max Zendejas tied a club record with four field goals as the 10-point underdog Packers took advantage of 15 Minnesota penalties for a 34-14 victory over the Vikings. LB Tim Harris recorded a safety, blocked a punt for a touchdown and had two sacks as Green Bay, 2-5, pulled off its second straight upset after an 0-5 start. Minnesota, 4-3, had almost twice as much penalty yardage (129) as rushing yardage (67) in its fourth -straight unimpressive performance since winning at Chicago last month. The Vikings also committed five turnovers in losing for the fifth time in six Metrodome meetings with the Packers. Majkowski completed 19 of 32 passes in his second consecutive victorious start for injured Randy Wright. Zendejas made up for missing his first extra-point attempt by connecting from 37, 22, 36 and 45 yards to tie a team record. Majkowski hit Walter Stanley for 43 yards on the Packers' first play. A roughing the passer penalty kept the drive alive for Brent Fullwood's 2-yard touchdown run and a 6-0 lead. Two offside penalties and Majkowski's 25-yard pass to Phillip Epps set up Zendejas' 37-yarder with three seconds left in the first quarter. Minnesota's Reggie Rutland recovered a Majkowski fumble but fumbled right back to Green Bay at the Vikings' 22, setting up Keith Woodside's 6-yard touchdown run for a 16-point advantage.
GREEN BAY - 9 7 8 10 - 34
MINNESOTA - 0 7 0 7 - 14
1st - GB - Fullwood, 2-yard run (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 6-0
1st - GB - Zendejas, 37-yard field goal GREEN BAY 9-0
2nd - GB - Woodside, 6-yard run (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 16-0
2nd - MINN - Leo Lewis, 46-yd pass fr Wade Wilson (Chuck Nelson kick) GB 16-7
3rd - GB - Zendejas, 22-yard field goal GREEN BAY 19-7
3rd - GB - Safety, T.Harris sacked Wilson in the end zone GREEN BAY 21-7
3rd - GB - Zendejas, 36-yard field goal GREEN BAY 24-7
4th - MINN - Allen Rice, 3-yard run (Nelson kick) GREEN BAY 24-14
4th - GB - Zendejas, 45-yard field goal GREEN BAY 27-14
4th - GB - T.Harris, 10-yard return of a blocked punt (Zendejas kick) GB 34-14
October 23 :Washington Redskins (5-3) 20, Green Bay Packers (2-6) 17
(MILWAUKEE) - The Washington Redskins remember when Max Zendejas used to frustrate them with inaccurate kicking. Sunday, he overjoyed them with the same thing. Zendejas missed a 24-yard field goal to the left with 11 seconds to play Sunday, allowing the Redskins to escape with a 20-17 triumph over the Green Bay Packers. "I slipped a little and that made me just hit the ball to the left," Zendejas said. "I just had some trouble adjusting to that turf. I kicked it and just slid and hit the top of the ball." Washington, 5-3, allowed the Packers to stay in the game despite holding the ball for 40:01. Green Bay (2-6) lost after winning two consecutive games. Zendejas kicked for the Redskins during the 1986 season, but missed 5 extra points and connected on only 9 of 14 field goal attempts. He was released the following summer and picked up by Green Bay in 1987 during the players' strike. Green Bay coach Lindy Infante refused to blame Zendejas for the loss. Doug Williams, starting for the first time in five weeks since undergoing an appendectomy, threw touchdown passes of 21 yards to Art Monk and 13 yards to Kelvin Bryant. After the surgery Williams was replaced by Mark Rypien, who was named the team's starter for this week, but was unable to play because of bruised ribs. Williams completed 25 of 43 passes for 225 yards with 1 interception. The Redskins outgained Green Bay 385 yards to 202. Rookie Chip Lohmiller hit a 20-yard field goal with 10:59 remaining to give the Redskins a 20-17 lead. Washington rallied from a 17-10 deficit, using 7:02 and 9:46 on two drives to score 10 points. Zendejas also missed a 46-yard attempt in the fourth quarter and connected on a 34-yarder in the second quarter. Kelvin Bryant fueled Washington's offense with 140 yards on 27 carries plus 9 receptions for 70 yards with 1 touchdown. Don Majkowski threw 2 Packers touchdown passes to Keith Woodside, a 49-yarder in the second quarter and an 8-yarder to give the Packers a 17-10 lead early in the second half. Majkowski was 8 of 25 for 134 yards with no interceptions. Lohmiller also hit a 33-yard field goal in the first quarter.
WASHINGTON - 10 0 7 3 - 20
GREEN BAY - 7 3 7 0 - 17
1st - WASH - Chip Lohmiller, 33-yard field goal WASHINGTON 3-0
1st - WASH - Art Monk, 21-yd pass fr Doug Williams (Lohmiller kick) WASH 10-0
3rd - WASH - Kelvin Bryant, 13-yd pass from Williams (Lohmiller kick) TIED 17-17
4th - WASH - Lohmiller, 20-yard field goal WASHINGTON 20-17
October 30 : Buffalo Bills (8-1) 28, Green Bay Packers (2-7) 0
(BUFFALO) - FS Mark Kelso returned an interception 78 yards for a touchdown and DE Leon Seals recovered a fumble for another score as the Buffalo Bills battered the Green Bay Packers 28-0. The Bills sacked Green Bay QB Don Majkowski six times and forced the Packers, who entered the game with the NFL's best giveaway-takeaway ratio, into four turnovers as Buffalo improved its AFC East-leading record to 8-1. LB Cornelius Bennett led the Buffalo defense with 2 1/2 sacks, while LB Shane Conlan and DE Bruce Smith added one each as the Packers dropped to 2-7. The Bills limited the Packers to 17 yards rushing in 19 carries and harassed Majkowski into completing only 11 of 29 attempts for 54 yards. Buffalo, meanwhile, rushed for 197 yards, with rookie Thurman Thomas accounting for 116 on 23 carries. Buffalo also got touchdowns on a 2- yard run by Robb Riddick and a 1-yard pass from Jim Kelly to TE Butch Rolle. After taking a 14-0 lead at the half, the Bills used Kelso's third-quarter interception to end any hopes of a Green Bay comeback. Kelso picked off an overthrown Majkowski pass at the Buffalo 22, cut to the left side of the field and ran untouched into the end zone. Kelso, who tied for the AFC lead in interceptions last year with six, has five this year. Seals' score came in the game's final two minutes when he picked up a Paul Ott Carruth fumble at the Green Bay 7 and stumbled into the end zone.
November 6 : Atlanta Falcons (3-7) 20, Green Bay Packers (2-8) 0
(ATLANTA) - Chris Miller passed for 177 yards, including a 45-yard scoring strike to Gene Lang, as the Falcons snapped an eight-game home field losing streak with a victory over the Packers. It was the first shutout by the Falcons since a 35-0 victory over New Orleans in 1982, and it gave Atlanta a two-game winning streak for the first time since going 4-0 at the start of the 1986 season. The Packers fell to 2-8 with their third loss in a row and their second consecutive shutout after being blanked 28-0 by Buffalo last week. It was the first time since 1925 the team had been whitewashed in consecutive games. Miller, who completed 15 of 25 passes with two interceptions, capped a 72-yard scoring drive on Atlanta's second possession with his 45-yard pass to Lang with 7:14 left in the opening quarter. Lang made a leaping catch at the goal line in a battle with defender Mark Murphy. The Falcons took advantage of seven Green Bay turnovers - four pass interceptions and three fumbles. Robert Moore's 5-yard return of an interception set up a 71-yard drive that gave the Falcons a 14-0 lead less than a minute into the second quarter. Miller completed three of four passes for 38 yards in the drive that ended on John Settle's 1-yard run. The drive was kept alive by two big penalties on the Packers - a 5-yarder on a punting situation for having 12 men on the field, and a 17-yard infraction to the 1 when Murphy was called for pass interference in the end zone. Atlanta's other scoring came on field goals by Greg Davis of 52 and 43 yards. The 52-yarder tied a club record set by Mick Luckhurst, and came on the final play of the first half after Rick Bryan recovered Don Majkowski's fumble nine seconds before halftime. The other came with 1:55 left to play.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 0 - 0
ATLANTA - 7 10 0 3 - 20
1st - ATL - Gene Lang, 45-yard pass from Chris Miller (Greg Davis kick) ATL 7-0
2nd - ATL - John Settle, 1-yard run (Davis kick) ATLANTA 14-0
2nd - ATL - Davis, 52-yard field goal ATLANTA 17-0
4th - ATL - Davis, 43-yard field goal ATLANTA 20-0
November 13 : Indianapolis Colts (6-5) 20, Green Bay Packers (2-9) 13
(GREEN BAY) - The Indianapolis Colts stopped a last-second drive at the 2-yard line to beat the Green Bay Packers 20-13 for their fifth straight victory. The Colts' Harvey Armstrong batted down a Don Majkowski pass on the final play, after the Packers had driven 47 yards following their recovery of an onside kick with 37 seconds left. Majkowski's 3-yard touchdown pass to Aubrey Matthews with 42 seconds to go, Green Bay's first touchdown in 13 quarters, brought the Packers to within seven points. Ken Stills recovered the onside kick and Majkowski moved the Packers to the Colts' 4-yard line with passes of 20 yards to Patrick Scott and 23 yards to Sterling Sharpe. A holding penalty on the Colts moved the ball to the 2 but Armstrong reached up and knocked down the pass to foil the Packers' comeback bid. Both of Chandler's touchdown passes, a 24-yarder to Mark Boyer and a 4-yarder to Matt Bouza, came after fumbles by the Packers, now 2-9 after their fourth straight defeat. Green Bay lost four fumbles. Indianapolis, 6-5, matched the longest winning streak in 11 years for the franchise. Chandler hit Boyer with the 24-yarder with 5:49 to go in the third quarter to give Indianapolis a 20-3 lead. The score came three plays after Chris Goode scooped up a fumble by the Packers' Ed West and returned it to the Green Bay 29. Chandler threw the 4-yarder to Bouza with 1:08 left in the second quarter for a 13-3 halftime lead. That touchdown, and one of two field goals by Dean Biasucci, were set up by Packers fumbles as Green Bay's offense continued to sputter. Armstrong recovered a fumble by the Packers' Clint Didier at the Green Bay 29 and Chandler hit Albert Bentley with a 21-yard pass over the middle, moving the ball to the 4. On the next play he passed to Bouza in the corner of the end zone for the touchdown. Biasucci hit field goals of 20 and 25 yards in the second quarter. The second one gave the Colts a 6-3 lead and came eight plays after Goode recovered a fumble by the Packers' Keith
Woodside at the Green Bay 38. The Packers got a 22-yard field goal from Dale Dawson in the first quarter, giving them their first points after nine scoreless quarters. The scoring drive was aided by three penalties against the Colts.
INDIANAPOLIS - 0 13 7 0 - 20
GREEN BAY - 3 0 0 10 - 13
1st - GB - Dawson, 22-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
2nd - IND - Dean Biasucci, 20-yard field goal TIED 3-3
2nd - IND - Biasucci, 25-yard field goal INDIANAPOLIS 6-3
2nd - IND - Matt Bouza, 4-yard pass from Chris Chandler (Biasucci kick) IND 13-3
3rd - IND - Mark Boyer, 24-yard pass from Chandler (Biasucci kick) IND 20-3
4th - GB - Dawson, 20-yard field goal INDIANAPOLIS 20-6
4th - GB - Matthews, 3-yard pass from Majkowski (Dawson kick) IND 20-13
November 20 : Detroit Lions (3-9) 19, Green Bay Packers (2-10) 9
(MILWAUKEE) - Eddie Murray kicked four field goals and Scott Williams scored on a 1-yard run with 5:12 left as the Detroit Lions beat the Green Bay Packers 19-9 to give Wayne Fontes a victory in his first game as interim head coach. The Lions took a 9-0 halftime lead on three Murray kicks and then clinched the victory with Williams' touchdown that capped an 11-play, 52-yard drive against the punchless, penalty-prone Packers. Leading 16-3, Murray added a fourth field goal, a 26-yarder, with three minutes left after Bennie Blades recovered a Packer fumble with 4:49 remaining. The Packers got their only touchdown with 10 seconds left when Don Majkowski passed three yards to Aubrey Matthews. Green Bay, 2-10 and in sole possession of the NFC Central Division cellar, has now scored only 22 points and two touchdowns in its last four games. The Packers have lost five straight. Detroit, last in the league in total offense entering the game, moved the ball on the ground all day against the Packers in breaking a three-game losing streak. Fontes was named interim coach last week after Darryl Rogers was fired.
DETROIT - 3 6 0 10 - 19
GREEN BAY - 0 0 3 6 - 9
1st - DET - Eddie Murray, 42-yard field goal DETROIT 3-0
2nd - DET - Murray, 37-yard field goal DETROIT 6-0
2nd - DET - Murray, 19-yard field goal DETROIT 9-0
3rd - GB - Dawson, 32-yard field goal DETROIT 9-3
4th - DET - Scott Williams, 1-yard run (Murray kick) DETROIT 16-3
4th - DET - Murray, 26-yard field goal DETROIT 19-3
4th - GB - Matthews, 3-yard pass from Majkowski (Kick failed) DETROIT 19-9
November 27 : Chicago Bears (11-2) 16, Green Bay Packers (2-11) 0
(CHICAGO) - Neal Anderson's 80-yard touchdown run in the third quarter led Chicago to a 16-0 victory over the Green Bay Packers, but the game cost the Bears the services of QB Mike Tomczak and DE Richard Dent. It was the Bears' fourth straight triumph as they clinched at least a wildcard playoff spot with a 11-2 record The Packers fell to 2-11 with their sixth straight defeat. Tomczak suffered a separation of his left, non-throwing shoulder with a minute left in the first half, and was replaced by Jim Harbaugh. Dent suffered a broken bone in his left ankle early in the second half. Late in the third quarter, Chicago CB Vestee Jackson intercepted a pass from Don Majkowski on the Chicago 2-yard line. The Bears worked the ball to the 20 before Anderson, who had scored Chicago's previous touchdown on a 1-yard run in the first quarter, broke away for his 80-yard touchdown run, the longest of his career. Originally, the officials said he was knocked out on the 1-yard line by CB Dave Brown, but after review of replay tape, it was ruled he scored by diving into the end zone. The Bears scored a safety with 4:22 left in the game when Majkowski stepped out of the end zone attempting to pass. The Bears took the opening kickoff and marched 70 yards in 14 plays for a touchdown and the only score of the first half. Tomczak completed four passes in the drive for 43 yards. He hit Ron Morris with a 14-yard pass to the Green Bay 19-yard line on a third-and- seven situation. Tomczak followed with an 11-yard pass to Cap Boso. Anderson had a 6-yard gain before he finally went over for the touchdown on a 1-yard sweep to the right. The Packers came right back with their only scoring opportunity in the first half. Majkowski completed a 36-yard pass to Perry Kemp to the Chicago 29 but Dean Dorsey's 48-yard field goal attempt was short.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 0 - 0
CHICAGO - 7 0 7 2 - 16
1st - CHI - Neal Anderson, 1-yard run (Kevin Butler kick) CHICAGO 7-0
3rd - CHI - Anderson, 80-yard run (Butler kick) CHICAGO 14-0
4th - CHI - Safety, Majkowski stepped out of the end zone CHICAGO 16-0
December 4 : Detroit Lions (4-10) 30, Green Bay Packers (2-12) 14
(DETROIT) - Devon Mitchell took an interception 90 yards, the NFL's longest interception return of the season, as the Detroit Lions, taking advantage of six Green Bay turnovers, beat the Packers 30-14. The battle among the NFC also-rans improved the Lions to 4-10, 2-1 under interim coach Wayne Fontes. The Packers, extending their losing streak to seven games, fell to 2-12. Two of Green Bay's last three games have been losses to Detroit. Rusty Hilger, getting his seventh start in the past eight weeks, completed 11 of 25 for 141 yards with no interceptions for Detroit. Green Bay veteran Randy Wright, getting his first start since Week 5 in place of injured Don Majkowski, completed 29 of 52 for 284 yards and two touchdowns - a 4-yarder to Ed West and a 24-yarder to Sterling Sharpe. Wright also gave up three interceptions, one of which was Mitchell's return.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 14 - 14
DETROIT - 10 17 0 3 - 30
1st - DET - Eddie Murray, 26-yard field goal DETROIT 3-0
1st - DET - Pete Mandley, 21-yard run (Murray kick) DETROIT 10-0
2nd - DET - Murray, 23-yard field goal DETROIT 13-0
2nd - DET - Devon Mitchell, 90-yard interception return (Murray kick) DET 20-0
2nd - DET - Garry James, 2-yard run (Murray kick) DETROIT 27-0
4th - GB - West, 4-yard pass from Wright (Dorsey kick) DETROIT 27-7
4th - DET - Murray, 23-yard field goal DETROIT 30-7
4th - GB - Sharpe, 24-yard pass from Wright (Dorsey kick) DETROIT 30-14
December 11 : Green Bay Packers (3-12) 18, Minnesota Vikings (10-5) 6
(GREEN BAY) - Tim Harris and the Packers left the Vikings out in the cold and out of the running for the NFC Central Division title. The Packers defense, led by Harris, and a frozen, slippery turf knocked the feet out from under the Vikings, who saw their five-game winning streak broken by an 18-6 Green Bay victory. Minnesota, 10-5, must face Chicago next week with a wild-card playoff berth on the line. The Bears clinched the Central crown with a victory Sunday over Detroit. "This was a real important win for us," said Harris, who made two sacks and also tackled Wade Wilson for a safety in the fourth quarter, the second time this season he'd caught the Vikings QB for two points. Green Bay, 3-12, broke a seven-game losing streak with its second win over the Vikings this season. Sunday's victory also was the Packers' first in a non-strike game at Lambeau Field since Dec 1,1985. The Vikings had not given up a touchdown in 17 quarters entering the game and had outscored their opponents 167-26 during the five-game winning streak. Don Majkowski, filling in for injured starter Randy Wright, hit Patrick Scott with an 11-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the third quarter to give the Packers a 16-3 lead against the league's top-ranked defensive team.
MINNESOTA - 0 3 0 3 - 6
GREEN BAY - 7 3 6 2 - 18
1st - GB - Woodside, 2-yard run (Dorsey kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - MINN - Chuck Nelson, 28-yard field goal GREEN BAY 7-3
2nd - GB - Dorsey, 20-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-3
3rd - GB - Scott, 11-yard pass from Majkowski (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 16-3
4th - MINN - Nelson, 37-yard field goal GREEN BAY 16-6
4th - GB - Safety, Weddington and Harris tackled Wilson in the end zone GB 18-6
December 18 : Green Bay Packers (4-12) 26, Phoenix Cardinals (7-9) 17
(GREEN BAY) - Don Majkowski threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns as the Green Bay Packers avoided their worst record in 30 years by beating the Phoenix Cardinals, 26-17. A loss by the Packers would have given them the No 1 pick in the college draft in April, but their victory turned the top choice over to the Dallas Cowboys, who finished 3-13 to Green Bay's 4-12. They would select QB Troy Aikman, the Packers would select offensive lineman Tony Mandarich. Detroit would select RB Barry Sanders third, and LB Derrick Thomas went to Kansas City fourth. Green Bay won its second straight game and avoided their worst season since going 1-10-1 in 1958. Phoenix, 7-9, lost its fifth straight game and suffered its fourth consecutive losing season. Majkowski put the Packers ahead to stay at 20-17 on a 10-yard touchdown pass to FB Larry Mason 4:47 before halftime. Majkowski hit TE Clint Didier on a 2-yard scoring toss with 5:55 left in the third quarter to make it 26-17. Curtis Burrow, signed last Wednesday as Green Bay's fourth place-kicker this season, missed two conversions and had a 49-yard field goal attempt blocked. Al Del Greco was wide right on a 20-yard field goal try with 4:17 remaining in the game after a Cardinal drive stalled at the Packer 1.
GREEN BAY - 13 7 6 0 - 26
PHOENIX - 7 10 0 0 - 17
1st - GB - Pitts, 63-yard punt return (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 6-0
1st - GB - Woodside, 3-yard run (Burrow kick) GREEN BAY 13-0
1st - PHO - Stump Mitchell, 4-yard run (Al Del Greco kick) GREEN BAY 13-7
2nd - PHO - Del Greco, 20-yard field goal GREEN BAY 13-10
2nd - GB - Mason, 10-yard pass from Majkowski (Burrow kick) GREEN BAY 20-17
3rd - GB - Didier, 2-yard pass from Majkowski (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 26-17
1988 IN REVIEW: The young Packers continued to struggle under new head coach Lindy Infante. Infante had earned an eviable reputation as an offensive coordinator, most recently with Cleveland, and had been a head coach in the USFL. The young Packers had problems with the new offensive system, and the offense lagged all season, wasting several strong efforts by an improving defense. The team would get off to a 0-5 start, and after back-to-back wins would go on a 7 game losing streak to drop them to 2-12. However the team would end the year on a positive note by winning their last 2 games for a 4-12 record, but lose out on the top pick of the 1989 college draft.
16 at Minnesota Vikings (4-2) W 34-14 2- 5-0 59,053 Majkowski
23 M-WASHINGTON REDSKINS (4-3) L 17-20 2- 6-0 51,767 Majkowski
30 at Buffalo Bills (7-1) L 0-28 2- 7-0 79,176 Majkowski
NOVEMBER (0-4)
6 at Atlanta Falcons (2-7) L 0-20 2- 8-0 29,952 Majkowski
13 G-INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (5-5) L 13-20 2- 9-0 53,492 Majkowski
20 M-DETROIT LIONS (2-9) L 9-19 2-10-0 44,327 Majkowski
27 at Chicago Bears (10-2) L 0-16 2-11-0 62,026 Majkowski
DECEMBER (2-1)
4 at Detroit Lions (3-10) L 14-30 2-12-0 28,124 Wright
11 G-MINNESOTA VIKINGS (10-4) W 18- 6 3-12-0 48,892 Wright
18 at Phoenix Cardinals (7-8) W 26-17 4-12-0 44,586 Majkowski
1988 PRE-SEASON RESULTS (1-2-1) - AUGUST (1-2-1)
6 G-NEW YORK GIANTS L 3-34 0- 1-0 41,455
13 at Indianapolis Colts L 21-25 0- 2-0 53,720
19 M-KANSAS CITY CHIEFS T 21-21 0- 2-1 32,361
27 MADISON-NEW YORK JETS W 27-24 1- 2-1 42,098
1988 REGULAR SEASON RESULTS (4-12) - SEPTEMBER (0-4)
4 G-LOS ANGELES RAMS (0-0) L 7-34 0- 1-0 53,769 Wright
11 G-TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (0-1) L 10-13 0- 2-0 52,584 Wright
18 at Miami Dolphins (0-2) L 17-24 0- 3-0 54,409 Wright
25 G-CHICAGO BEARS (2-1) L 6-24 0- 4-0 56,492 Wright
OCTOBER (2-3)
2 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3) L 24-27 0- 5-0 40,003 Wright
9 M-NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-3) W 45- 3 1- 5-0 51,932 Majkowski
August 6: New York Giants 34, Green Bay (0-1) 3
(GREEN BAY) - Perry Williams returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown and Jeff Hostetler, Joe Morris and George Adams had scoring runs Saturday night as the New York Giants smothered the Packers. New York's victory spoiled the Packer coaching debut of Lindy Infante, whose quarterbacks, Marc Wilson, Randy Wright and Blair Kiel, spent most of the night eluding a strong pass rush. The Packers advanced over midfield only four times during the game - twice in the first quarter and twice in the closing minutes. Hostetler quarterbacked the Giants to a 20-3 halftime lead. Starter Phil Simms played the third quarter while Jeff Rutledge and Mike Perez shared the fourth for the Giants. Hostetler hit Mark Ingram with a 56-yard pass to set up his own touchdown run of three yards that gave the Giants a 13-3 lead with 5:30 to go in the second quarter.
NY GIANTS - 6 14 7 7 - 34
GREEN BAY - 3 0 0 0 - 3
1st - GB - Hugo Castellanos, 34-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
3rd - NYG - Joe Morris, 1-yard run (Allegre kick) NY GIANTS 27-3
4th - NYG - George Adams, 12-yard run (Allegre kick) NY GIANTS 34-3
August 13: Indianapolis 25, Green Bay (0-2) 21
(INDIANAPOLIS) - Once again, the winners were unhappy and the losers happy. "It was a win, but we have worlds and worlds and worlds of room to improve in," said Indianapolis' Ron Meyer, whose team got inside the Packer 10-yard line eight times but scored just one TD, on a six-yard pass from Jack Trudeau to Albert Bentley with 18 seconds left in the half. The other seven times, they had two passes intercepted an settled for five field goals from Dean Biasucci, who also had a 52-yarder, giving him six for the game. But Lindy Infante viewed things more positively after a 34-3 loss to the Giants last week. "I honestly feel there's a light at the end of the tunnel," he said, "and I don't think it's, a train anymore. This team came an awful long way from last week.
GREEN BAY - 7 7 0 7 - 21
INDIANAPOLIS - 0 13 6 6 - 25
1st - GB - Fullwood, 28-yard run (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - IND - Dean Biasucci, 27-yard field goal GREEN BAY 7-3
2nd - IND - Biasucci, 18-yard field goal GREEN BAY 7-6
2nd - GB - Majkowski, 3-yard run (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 14-6
2nd - IND - Albert Bentley, 6-yard pass from Jack Trudeau (Biasucci kick) GB14-13
3rd - IND - Biasucci, 52-yard field goal INDIANAPOLIS 16-14
3rd -IND - Biasucci, 37-yard field goal INDIANAPOLIS 19-14
4th -IND - Biasucci, 20-yard field goal INDIANAPOLIS 22-14
4th - GB - Collins, 15-yard pass from Kiel (Zendejas kick) INDIANAPOLIS 22-21
4th -IND - Biasucci, 22-yard field goal INDIANAPOLIS 25-21
August 19: Green Bay (0-2-1) 21, Kansas City 21 (OT)
(MILWAUKEE) - Randy Wright seemed to be the odd man out, at least for the starting job as quarterback of the Packers. Then came Friday night. Make that the fourth quarter with the Packers trailings 21-7. Enter Wright, who drove Green Bay to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns and an eventual 21-21 overtime tie. "I came in fighting for my job," said Wright, who completed 11 of 24 passes, including a 43-yard touchdown pass to top draft choice Sterling Sharpe. Lindy Infante will name his starting quarterback for the regular season Monday. Neither Marc Wilson, who played the first half and was intercepted twice, nor Don Majkowski, who was l-for-7 in the third quarter with minus yards passing, was impressive Friday. In the overtime, the Chiefs reached the Packers 32 on their first possession behind Frank Seurer, only to be turned away by a holding penalty. That was the deepest penetration either team made. Kansas City had a 434-250 edge in total yardage.
KANSAS CITY - 7 14 0 0 0 - 21
GREEN BAY - 0 3 7 2 0 - 21
1st - KC - Jonathan Hayes, 6-yard pass Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick) KC 7-0
September 27: Green Bay (1-2-1) 27, New York Jets 24
(MADISON) - Don Majkowski and Paul Ott Carruth rallied Green Bay to two fourth-quarter touchdowns Saturday. Carruth ran 11 yards for a touchdown with 6:27 left for the winning score as Lindy Infante got his first Green Bay coaching victory. Carruth's run capped a 76-yard drive and came less than three minutes after the Jets' Bobby Humphrey returned a kickoff 103 yards to give New York a 24-20 lead. The Jets, trailing 13-0 at the half, scored 17 straight third quarter points as Ken O'Brien and Al Toon hooked up on two touchdown passes. O'Brien's 29- yard pass to Toon with 1:38 left in the third quarter gave New York a 17-13 lead. But Majkowski, battling Marc Wilson for the Packers' backup quarterback spot, entered the game in the fourth quarter and immediately led a 74-yard drive in 10 plays, scrambling twice himself for gains of 14 and 16 yards.
NY JETS - 0 0 17 7 - 24
GREEN BAY - 3 10 0 14 - 27
1st - GB - Zendejas, 50-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
2nd - GB - Zendejas, 35-yard field goal GREEN BAY 6-0
2nd - GB - Sharpe, 16-yard pass from Wright (Zendeias kick) GREEN BAY 13-0
3rd - NYJ - Pat Leahy, 45-yard field goal GREEN BAY 13-3
3rd - NYJ - Al Toon, 9-yard pass from Ken O'Brien (Leahy kick) GREEN BAY 13-10
3rd - NYJ - Toon, 29-yard pass from O'Brien (Leahy kick) NY JETS 17-13
4th - NYJ - Bobby Humphrey, 103-yard kickoff return (Leahy kick) NY JETS 24-20
4th - GB - Carruth, 11-yard run (Zendejas kick) GREEN BAY 27-24
1988 PACKERS DRAFT (April 24-25, 1988)
RND-PCKNAMEPOSCOLLEGENOTES
1 7 Sterling Sharpe WR S. Carolina
2 34 Shawn Patterson DE Arizona State
3 61 Keith Woodside RB Texas A&M
4a 88 Rollin Putzier NT Oregon (A)
4b 89 Chuck Cecil S Arizona
5 116 Darrell Reed LB Oklahoma
6 144 Nate Hill DE Auburn
7 173 Gary Richard CB Pittsburgh
8 200 Patrick Collins RB Oklahoma
9 228 Neal Wilkinson TE James Madison
10 256 Bud Keyes QB Wisconsin
11 284 Traded to Seattle in Dave Brown trade
12 312 Scott Bolton WR Auburn
A-From LA Raiders in James Lofton trade
Bold Italics - Played for the Green Bay Packers
1988 Packers Yearbook
1988 Packers Media Guide
Rams at Packers Program - 4 September
Buccaneers at Packers Program - 11 September
Packers at Dolphins Program - 18 September
Packers at Bills Program - 30 October
Packers at Bears Program - 27 November
PACKER FINANCES IN THE 1980s AND 1990s
While the Green Bay Packers remained a profitable franchise in the 1980s, the handwriting was clearly on the wall. The war with the USFL and the increasing costs of doing business were putting a strain on the future of the team. The team turned a $2.09 million profit in 1985, and followed that up with a $3.08 million profit the following fiscal year. The team was also building up its reserves in order to compete in the free agency market.
With the USFL ending its war in 1985, the team was able to cut its payroll 15 percent, and was aiming to cut it another 10 percent in 1987. The team also took steps to increase its revenue, when, in 1985, 72 suites were added to Lambeau Field, which increased the facility's capacity to 56,926. The suites sold out in hours. Five years later, the Packers spent $8.263 million to erect 36 new suites and 1,920 club seats in south end zone. The construction added 2,617 total seats and capacity increased to 59,543. The final expansion prior to the renovation of 2001-2003 came in 1995, when Green Bay spent $4.7 million to enclose the north end zone with 90 more suites, which added 1,347 to increase capacity to 60,890.
By 1990, the net worth of the franchise was estimated at over $125 million. Revenue from television rights had continued to climb, so that in 1990 the team pulled in $25 million from broadcast rights, and reported a profit of $2 million. Team presidernt Robert Harlan significantly boosted the team's income by aggressively marketing the Packers logo and opening a Packer Pro Shop to sell Packers gear and paraphernalia. The team was losing roughly $2.5 million a year by playing home games in nearby Milwaukee and Madison, whose stadiums did not have lucrative luxury seats. Beginning in 1995, the Packers played all their regular season home games at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
The world of NFL financing also changed in the late 1980s. The Plan B free agency was a type of free agency that became active in the National Football League in February 1989. Plan B free agency permitted all teams in the NFL to preserve limited rights of no more than 37 total players a season. If a player was a protected Plan B free agent, he was incapable of signing with another team without providing his old team the first opportunity to sign him again. The rest of the players were left unprotected, liberated to negotiate contracts with the rest of the teams in the league. The system lasted for three season, when eight players sued the NFL in U.S. federal court, and, in 1992, a jury found that Plan B violated antitrust laws and awarded damages to the players. The decision led to the NFL's adoption of a salary cap in 1994, a maximum amount of money each team can pay its players. The cap is determined via a formula based on the revenue that all NFL teams receive during the previous year.
By the late 1990s, Harlan announced that the corporation had a negative cash flow in 1998 and expected the same in 1999. Noting that every other team in the league would have either new or improved stadiums by 2003, which would include year-round revenue sources such as restaurants and shops, Harlan petitioned Wisconsin state legislators for help in 'saving the franchise.' The result - the expansion of the Lambeau Field and the creation of a "total experience for fans" to what it is today, and the positioning of the franchise to compete in the 21st century.
