1978 Green Bay Packers season

NFL team season December 2024 March 2026 Green Bay Packers 1978 8–7–1 2nd NFC Central Bart Starr Lambeau FieldMilwaukee County Stadium Did not qualify Packers seasons 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. Off-season NFL draft 1978 NFL draft 1978 Green Bay Packers 1 6 James Lofton Wide receiver Stanford yes yes yes 1 26 John Anderson Linebacker Michigan yes 2 34 Mike Hunt Linebacker Minnesota yes 3 62 Estus Hood Cornerback Illinois State yes 5 116 Mike Douglass Linebacker San Diego State yes 5 128 Willie Wilder Running back Florida no 6 144 Leotis Harris Guard Arkansas yes 7 172 George Plasketes Linebacker Ole Miss no 8 200 Dennis Sproul Quarterback Arizona State yes 9 228 Keith Myers Quarterback Utah State no 10 256 Larry Key Running back Florida State no 10 259 Mark Totten Center Florida no 11 284 Terry Jones Defensive tackle Alabama yes 12 312 Eason Ramson Tight end Washington State no yes yes Undrafted free agents + 1978 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegePaul CoffmanTight endKansas StatePat HealyRunning backColgateWalt LandersRunning backClark AtlantaRick PeotPunterWisconsin–Stevens PointPaul RudzinskiLinebackerMichigan StateHoward SampsonDefensive backArkansas Personnel Roster 1978 Green Bay Packers 19 Bobby Douglass 17 David Whitehurst 31 Jim Culbreath 40 Reggie Harrison 34 Terdell Middleton 48 Nate Simpson 33 Barty Smith 26 Eric Torkelson 85 Elmo Boyd 80 James Lofton y 43 Aundra Thompson 20 Walter Tullis 82 Paul Coffman y 81 Rich McGeorge 57 Derrel Gofourth G 69 Leotis Harris y G 71 Melvin Jackson American football G 68 Greg Koch T 54 Larry McCarren C 56 Rick Nuzum C 58 Randy Pass C 73 Gerald Skinner T 78 Tim Stokes T 70 Bob Barber American football DE 75 Carl Barzilauskas DT 77 Mike Butler American football DE 78 Ezra Johnson DE 63 Terry Jones defensive tackle y DT 74 Dave Roller DT 50 Jim Carter American football MLB 53 Frank Chesley y OLB 65 Mike Douglass American football y OLB 51 Jim Gueno OLB 55 Mike Hunt American football y MLB 66 Paul Rudzinski y OLB 52 Gary Weaver OLB 28 Willie Buchanon CB 24 Johnnie Gray FS 38 Estus Hood y CB 46 Steve Luke SS 29 Mike McCoy cornerback CB 36 Howard Sampson y SS 21 Steve Wagner American football FS 11 David Beverly 13 Chester Marcol 60 John Anderson American football y LB IR 10 Lynn Dickey QB IR 79 Mark Koncar T IR 42 Walt Landers y RB IR 84 Steve Odom WR IR 64 Rick Scribner football player G IR 16 Dennis Sproul y QB IR 44 Willie Wilder y RB IR Regular season 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 Green Bay Packers 1978 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Six: Chicago Bears (3–2) at Green Bay Packers (4–1) October 8 2:00 p.m. Bears 0 0 0 14 Packers 0 3 14 7 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin 56,267 40 F C Gordon McCarter CBS Box Score First quarter No scoring Second quarter GB – Chester Marcol 41-yard field goal. Packers 3–0. Third quarter GB – Terdell Middleton 2-yard run (Chester Marcol kick). Packers 10–0. GB – Steve Luke 63-yard interception return (Chester Marcol kick). Packers 17–0. Fourth quarter CHI – James Scott 15-yard pass from Bob Avellini (Bob Thomas kick). Packers 17–7. GB – James Lofton 58-yard pass from David Whitehurst (Chester Marcol kick). Packers 24–7. CHI – James Scott 17-yard pass from Bob Avellini (Bob Thomas kick). Packers 24–14. Top passers CHI – Bob Avellini – 23/37, 224 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT GB – David Whitehurst – 6/12, 88 yards, TD Top rushers CHI – Walter Payton – 19 rushes, 82 yards GB – Terdell Middleton – 16 rushes, 64 yards, TD Top receivers CHI – James Scott – 9 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TD GB – James Lofton – 2 receptions, 65 yards, TD Week 8 at Vikings Green Bay Packers 1978 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: Green Bay Packers (6–1) at Minnesota Vikings (3–4) October 22 2:00 p.m. CDT Packers 0 7 0 0 Vikings 0 14 0 7 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 47,411 51 F C CBS Lindsey Nelson and Paul Hornung Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter No scoring Second quarter MIN – Chuck Foreman 16-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Rick Danmeier kick). Vikings 7–0. GB – Terdell Middleton 3-yard run (Chester Marcol kick). Tied 7–7. MIN – Ahmad Rashad 4-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Rick Danmeier kick). Vikings 14–7. Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter MIN – Ahmad Rashad 15-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Rick Danmeier kick). Vikings 21–7. Top passers GB – David Whitehurst – 18/30, 120 yards, INT MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 26/43, 262 yards, 3 TD Top rushers GB – Terdell Middleton – 15 rushes, 81 yards, TD MIN – Chuck Foreman – 24 rushes, 46 yards Top receivers GB – Barty Smith – 6 receptions, 54 yards MIN – Rickey Young – 7 receptions, 73 yards Standings Awards and records Terrell Middleton, NFC leader in touchdownsNFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, 0-7611-2480-2, p. 448 References External links 1978 Green Bay Packers at Pro-Football-Reference.com Category:Green Bay Packers seasons Green Bay Packers Green Category:Long stubs with short prose