1983 New England Patriots season
OwnerBilly Sullivan
General managerPatrick Sullivan
Head coachRon Meyer
Home fieldSullivan Stadium
Results
Record8–8
Division placeT-2nd AFC East
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersP Rich Camarillo
CB Raymond Clayborn
RB Tony Collins
G John Hannah
T Brian Holloway
AP All-ProsG John Hannah (1st team)
P Rich Camarillo (2nd team)

The 1983 New England Patriots season was the franchise's 14th season in the National Football League and 24th overall. The Patriots played inconsistently all season, but at 8–7 had a chance for a playoff spot with a win in their final game of the season in Seattle. The Patriots would have problems with turnovers as rookie quarterback Tony Eason was swallowed up in a 24–6 loss to the Seahawks.

In the first week of December, in shocking conditions with sleet and snow,[1] the Patriots’ game with wild card contender New Orleans Saints saw just one score set up by Ricky Smith returning the Saints’ initial kickoff to the 3-yard line. As of 2023, this game remains the most recent 7–0 result in NFL history,[2] with only three games since seeing just one score,[3] all three of which a single field goal was the only score.[note 1]

Draft

Main article: 1983 NFL Draft
1983 New England Patriots draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 15 Tony Eason  Quarterback Illinois
2 47 Darryal Wilson  Wide receiver Tennessee
3 74 Stephen Starring  Wide receiver McNeese State
3 80 Steve Moore  Guard Tennessee State
4 101 Johnny Rembert *  Linebacker Clemson
5 118 Smiley Creswell  Defensive end Michigan State
5 128 Darryl Lewis  Tight end Texas-Arlington
6 155 Mike Bass  Placekicker Illinois
7 187 Craig James *  Running back Southern Methodist
8 214 Ronnie Lippett  Cornerback Miami (FL)
9 233 Ricky Williams  Running back Langston
9 240 Mark Keel  Tight end Arizona
10 264 James Williams  Tight end Wyoming
10 265 Toby Williams  Defensive end Nebraska
10 267 Tom Ramsey  Quarterback UCLA
11 292 Steve Parker  Wide receiver Abilene Christian
11 294 Calvin Eason  Defensive back Houston
12 319 Waddell Kelly  Running back Arkansas State
12 326 Andy Ekern  Offensive tackle Missouri
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Staff

New England Patriots 1983 staff
Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

 

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning – LeBaron Caruthers

Roster

1983 New England Patriots 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 4 Baltimore Colts L 23–29 0–1 Sullivan Stadium 45,526
2 September 11 at Miami Dolphins L 24–34 0–2 Miami Orange Bowl 59,343
3 September 18 New York Jets W 23–13 1–2 Sullivan Stadium 43,182
4 September 25 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 28–23 2–2 Three Rivers Stadium 58,282
5 October 2 San Francisco 49ers L 13–33 2–3 Sullivan Stadium 54,293
6 October 9 at Baltimore Colts L 7–12 2–4 Memorial Stadium 35,618
7 October 16 San Diego Chargers W 37–21 3–4 Sullivan Stadium 59,016
8 October 23 at Buffalo Bills W 31–0 4–4 Rich Stadium 60,424
9 October 30 at Atlanta Falcons L 13–24 4–5 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 47,546
10 November 6 Buffalo Bills W 21–7 5–5 Sullivan Stadium 42,604
11 November 13 Miami Dolphins W 17–6 6–5 Sullivan Stadium 60,771
12 November 20 Cleveland Browns L 0–30 6–6 Sullivan Stadium 40,987
13 November 27 at New York Jets L 3–26 6–7 Giants Stadium 48,620
14 December 4 New Orleans Saints W 7–0 7–7 Sullivan Stadium 24,579
15 December 11 at Los Angeles Rams W 21–7 8–7 Anaheim Stadium 46,503
16 December 18 at Seattle Seahawks L 6–24 8–8 Kingdome 59,688
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Standings

AFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Miami Dolphins(2) 12 4 0 .750 6–2 9–3 389 250 W5
New England Patriots 8 8 0 .500 4–4 6–6 274 289 L1
Buffalo Bills 8 8 0 .500 4–4 7–5 283 351 L2
Baltimore Colts 7 9 0 .438 3–5 5–9 264 354 W1
New York Jets 7 9 0 .438 3–5 4–8 313 331 L2

Notes

  1. ^ These 3–0 scores occurred in 1993 when the Jets defeated the Redskins, in 2007 when the Steelers defeated the Dolphins, and in 2023 when the Vikings defeated the Raiders

References

  1. ^ ‘Kickoff Return Practices Pay Off as Patriots Slip Past Saints 7–0’; St. Petersburg Times, December 5, 1983, p. 5C
  2. ^ Pro Football Reference; Games with Final Score 7–0
  3. ^ Pro Football Reference; Games with Final Score 3–0

See also

Categories