1978_Green_Bay_Packers_season
1978 Green Bay Packers season
NFL team season
The 1978 Green Bay Packers season was their 60th season overall and their 58th season in the National Football League (NFL). The team posted an 8–7–1 record under coach Bart Starr, earning them a second-place finish in the NFC Central division. This marked the first season the Packers were above .500 since 1972. The Packers got off to a 6–1 start. However, most of the wins came against weaker teams, and once the schedule toughened up the Packers struggled winning only one and tying one of their next six games. After a big win in Tampa Bay over the Buccaneers, the 8–5–1 Packers still had a shot at a NFC Central Title. However, the team would lose both of their final games, closing out with a 31–14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams and at 8–7–1 finished in a first-place tie with Minnesota. Since the Packers' record against the Vikings was 0–1–1 due to a 10–10 tie and a 21–7 loss, Green Bay missed the playoffs as the Eagles also leap-frogged the Packers for the final Wild Card spot, which the Packers would've still clinched at minimum regardless of the Vikings' result for the NFC Central.
| 1978 Green Bay Packers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Bart Starr |
| Home field | Lambeau Field Milwaukee County Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–7–1 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| |
NFL draft
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | James Lofton | Wide receiver | Stanford |
| 1 | 26 | John Anderson | Linebacker | Michigan |
| 2 | 34 | Michael Hunt | Linebacker | Minnesota |
| 3 | 62 | Estus Hood | Cornerback | Illinois State |
| 5 | 116 | Mike Douglass | Linebacker | San Diego State |
| 5 | 128 | Willie Wilder | Running back | Florida |
| 6 | 144 | Leotis Harris | Guard | Arkansas |
| 7 | 172 | George Plasketes | Linebacker | Ole Miss |
| 8 | 200 | Dennis Sproul | Quarterback | Arizona State |
| 9 | 228 | Keith Myers | Quarterback | Utah State |
| 10 | 256 | Larry Key | Running back | Florida State |
| 10 | 259 | Mark Totten | Center | Florida |
| 11 | 284 | Terry Jones | Defensive tackle | Alabama |
| 12 | 312 | Eason Ramson | Tight end | Washington State |
- Green indicates future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Coffman | Tight end | Kansas State |
| Rick Peot | Punter | Wisconsin–Stevens Point |
Roster
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 3 | at Detroit Lions | W 13–7 | 1–0 | Pontiac Silverdome | 51,187 |
| 2 | September 10 | New Orleans Saints | W 28–17 | 2–0 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 54,336 |
| 3 | September 17 | Oakland Raiders | L 3–28 | 2–1 | Lambeau Field | 55,903 |
| 4 | September 24 | at San Diego Chargers | W 24–3 | 3–1 | San Diego Stadium | 42,755 |
| 5 | October 1 | Detroit Lions | W 35–14 | 4–1 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 54,601 |
| 6 | October 8 | Chicago Bears | W 24–14 | 5–1 | Lambeau Field | 56,267 |
| 7 | October 15 | Seattle Seahawks | W 45–28 | 6–1 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 52,712 |
| 8 | October 22 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 7–21 | 6–2 | Metropolitan Stadium | 47,411 |
| 9 | October 29 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 9–7 | 7–2 | Lambeau Field | 55,108 |
| 10 | November 5 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 3–10 | 7–3 | Veterans Stadium | 64,214 |
| 11 | November 12 | Dallas Cowboys | L 14–42 | 7–4 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 55,256 |
| 12 | November 19 | at Denver Broncos | L 3–16 | 7–5 | Mile High Stadium | 74,965 |
| 13 | November 26 | Minnesota Vikings | T 10–10 (OT) | 7–5–1 | Lambeau Field | 51,737 |
| 14 | December 3 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 17–7 | 8–5–1 | Tampa Stadium | 67,754 |
| 15 | December 10 | at Chicago Bears | L 0–14 | 8–6–1 | Soldier Field | 34,306 |
| 16 | December 17 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 14–31 | 8–7–1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 42,500 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text
Week 2 vs. New Orleans Saints
- Network: CBS
- Announcers: Bill Mazer, Hank Stram, Nick Buoniconti
David Whitehurst fired four touchdown passes, three to rookie James Lofton on plays covering 42, 47 and 18 yards, and Terdell Middleton rushed for 114 yards to lead The Green Bay Packers to victory and a 2–0 start for the first time since 1969. Whitehurst a second-year quarterback, completing 10 of 15 passes for the young Packers. His other scoring pass was a nine-yarder to Rich McGeorge early in the fourth quarter.
Week 6 vs Bears
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: October 8
- Game time: 2:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C)
- Game attendance: 56,267
- Box Score
Week 8 at Vikings
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota
- Date: October 22
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 47,411
- TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson and Paul Hornung
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
| NFC Central | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Minnesota Vikings(3) | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 5–2–1 | 7–4–1 | 294 | 306 | L2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 5–2–1 | 6–5–1 | 249 | 269 | L2 |
| Detroit Lions | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–4 | 5–7 | 290 | 300 | W2 |
| Chicago Bears | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–5 | 7–5 | 253 | 274 | W2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–6 | 3–11 | 241 | 259 | L4 |
- Terrell Middleton, NFC leader in touchdowns [1]
- NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 448
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