1972 Green Bay Packers season
| 1972 Green Bay Packers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Dan Devine |
| Home field |
Lambeau Field Milwaukee County Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–4 |
| Division place | 1st NFC Central |
| Playoff finish |
Lost Divisional Playoffs (Redskins, 16–3) |
The 1972 Green Bay Packers season was their 53rd season in the National Football League. The club posted a 10–4 record under second-year head coach Dan Devine, earning them the NFC Central division title. The Packers returned to the playoffs after a four-year drought; their most recent division title was in 1967, completing that postseason with a decisive win in Super Bowl II in January 1968.
In 1972, Green Bay entered the penultimate regular season game at Minnesota on December 10 with an 8–4 record. The Vikings (7–5) had won the season's earlier game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay by breaking a fourth quarter tie with two interceptions for touchdowns.[1] This time, the Packers overcame a 7–0 halftime deficit at Metropolitan Stadium with 23 unanswered points to clinch the division title.[2][3][4] Running back John Brockington became the first in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons,[5] and did it again the following season.
Placekicker Chester Marcol established an NFL rookie record for field goals in a season (since broken).[6] It was the fifteenth and final season of hall of fame linebacker Ray Nitschke.
The Packers' next division title came 23 years later, in 1995.
Offseason
In February 1972, running back (and punter) Donny Anderson was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for MacArthur Lane.[7][8] Hall of fame quarterback Bart Starr retired as a player in July;[9][10] he was the quarterbacks coach and play caller in 1972. (He then pursued business interests and was a color analyst for CBS, then became Green Bay's head coach after the 1974 season.)[11][12][13]
NFL Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Willie Buchanon | Cornerback | San Diego State |
| 1 | 11 | Jerry Tagge (From San Diego Chargers) | Quarterback | Nebraska |
| 2 | 34 | Chester Marcol | Kicker | Hillsdale |
| 4 | 86 | Eric Patton | Linebacker | Notre Dame |
| 6 | 138 | Nathaniel Ross | Cornerback | Bethune-Cookman |
| 6 | 147 | Bob Hudson | Running Back | Northeastern State |
| 7 | 163 | Bill Bushong | Defensive Tackle | Kentucky |
| 8 | 190 | Leland Glass | Wide Receiver | Oregon |
| 10 | 242 | Keith Wortman | Guard | Nebraska |
| 11 | 266 | David Bailey | Wide Receiver | Alabama |
| 12 | 294 | Mike Rich | Running Back | Florida |
| 13 | 319 | Jesse Lakes | Running Back | Central Michigan |
| 14 | 246 | Larry Hefner | Linebacker | Clemson |
| 15 | 371 | Rick Thone | Wide Receiver | Arkansas Tech |
| 16 | 398 | Charles Burrell | Defensive Tackle | Arkansas AM&N |
- Yellow indicates a future Pro Bowl selection
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 17 | at Cleveland Browns | W 26–10 | 1–0 | Cleveland Stadium | |
| 2 | September 24 | Oakland Raiders | L 20–14 | 1–1 | Lambeau Field | |
| 3 | October 1 | Dallas Cowboys | W 16–13 | 2–1 | Milwaukee County Stadium | |
| 4 | October 8 | Chicago Bears | W 20–17 | 3–1 | Lambeau Field | |
| 5 | October 16 | at Detroit Lions | W 24–23 | 4–1 | Tiger Stadium | |
| 6 | October 22 | Atlanta Falcons | L 10–9 | 4–2 | Milwaukee County Stadium | |
| 7 | October 29 | Minnesota Vikings | L 27–13 | 4–3 | Lambeau Field | |
| 8 | November 5 | San Francisco 49ers | W 34–24 | 5–3 | Milwaukee County Stadium | |
| 9 | November 12 | at Chicago Bears | W 23–17 | 6–3 | Soldier Field | |
| 10 | November 19 | at Houston Oilers | W 23–10 | 7–3 | Astrodome | |
| 11 | November 26 | at Washington Redskins | L 21–16 | 7–4 | RFK Stadium | |
| 12 | December 3 | Detroit Lions | W 33–7 | 8–4 | Lambeau Field | |
| 13 | December 10 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 23–7 | 9–4 | Metropolitan Stadium | |
| 14 | December 17 | at New Orleans Saints | W 30–20 | 10–4 | Tulane Stadium | |
Playoffs
Green Bay met the NFC East champion Washington Redskins (11–3) in the divisional playoffs on Christmas Eve at RFK Stadium. The Packers practiced the week before at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.[14][15] The two teams had played four weeks earlier at the same venue; the Redskins won by five points on November 26,[16] and were favored by in the playoff game by 4½ points.[14] The results were similar, as Green Bay scored first but lost again in D.C., this time by thirteen points, 16–3.[17][18]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | December 24, 1972 | at Washington Redskins | L 16–3 | RFK Stadium | |
Standings
| NFC Central | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Green Bay Packers | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 5–1 | 8–3 | 304 | 226 | W3 |
| Detroit Lions | 8 | 5 | 1 | .607 | 2–4 | 6–5 | 339 | 290 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 4–2 | 6–5 | 301 | 252 | L2 |
| Chicago Bears | 4 | 9 | 1 | .321 | 1–5 | 3–7–1 | 225 | 275 | L1 |
Roster
| Green Bay Packers roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive Backs
Special Teams
Rookies and first-year players in italics | ||||||
Awards, records, and honors
- Chester Marcol, NFL rookie record (since broken), most Field Goals in one year by a rookie, (32)
- Willie Buchanon – AP Defensive Rookie of the Year
References
- ↑ Lea, Bud (October 30, 1972). "Vikings pick Packer pockets". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part2.
- ↑ "Packers win division title". Milwaukee Sentinel. December 11, 1972. p. 1, part 1.
- ↑ Lea, Bud (December 11, 1972). "Vikings fall; the Pack is back!". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
- ↑ "Green Bay smothers Viks for 'Black-Blue' NFL title". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. December 11, 1972. p. 12.
- ↑ "Playoffs shaping in pro grid play". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. December 11, 1972. p. 17.
- ↑ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 409
- ↑ Johnson, Chuck (November 7, 1973). "Shuffled off to St. Louis, Anderson scores as a Card". Milwaukee Journal. p. 14-part 2.
- ↑ Lea, Bud (February 23, 1972). "Donny tells of rift with Devine". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1-part 2.
- ↑ "Starr, 38, quits as Packer player". Milwaukee Journal. July 21, 1972. p. 1, part 1.
- ↑ "Injuries finally end Bart Starr's career". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. July 22, 1972. p. 4B.
- ↑ Lea, Bud; Hofmann, Dave (December 24, 1974). "Starr to be named today". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
- ↑ Kupper, Mike (December 24, 1974). "Starr, Packers, make it official". Milwaukee Journal. p. 1, part 1.
- ↑ Hofmann, Dale (December 25, 1974). "Starr pledges fresh start". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
- 1 2 Lea, Bud (December 22, 1972). "Packers sharpen key weapons". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
- ↑ Lea, Bud (December 23, 1972). "Pressure mounts, Packers keep cool". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
- ↑ Lea, Bud (November 27, 1972). "Packers get skinned". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
- ↑ Lea, Bud (December 25, 1972). "Redskins burst Packer bubble". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
- ↑ "'Skins old men advance to finals". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. December 25, 1972. p. 1F.