1978 Green Bay Packers season
Head coachBart Starr
Home fieldLambeau Field
Milwaukee County Stadium
Results
Record8–7–1
Division place2nd NFC Central
Playoff finishDid not qualify

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 7–21 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

Main article: 1978 NFL Draft
1978 Green Bay Packers 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

Undrafted free agents

1978 Undrafted Free Agents of note
Player Position College
Paul Coffman Tight end Kansas State

Personnel

Roster

1978 Green Bay Packers roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad



Rookies in italics

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

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

Week Six: Chicago Bears (3–2) at Green Bay Packers (4–1)
Period 1 2 34Total
Bears 0 0 01414
Packers 0 3 14724

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
Game information

Week 8 at Vikings

Week Eight: Green Bay Packers (6–1) at Minnesota Vikings (3–4)
Period 1 2 34Total
Packers 0 7 007
Vikings 0 14 0721

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

Game information

Standings

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

Awards and records

References

  1. ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 448

External links


Green Bay Packers seasons
Green Bay Packers
1978 NFL season
Categories