1983 Green Bay Packers season

The 1983 Green Bay Packers season was their 65th season overall and their 63rd in the National Football League. The team finished with an 8–8 record under ninth-year head coach Bart Starr to finish second in the NFC Central division. The team set an NFL record for most overtime games played in one season with five,^[1] winning two and losing three. On Monday Night Football in October, Green Bay defeated the Washington Redskins, 48–47, in what was at the time the highest-scoring game in MNF history. It was voted one of the ten best Packer games and is featured on the NFL Films collection, "The Green Bay Packers Greatest Games."

1983 Green Bay Packers season
Head coach	Bart Starr
Home stadium	Lambeau Field Milwaukee County Stadium
Results
Record	8–8
Division place	2nd NFC Central
Playoffs	Did not qualify
← 1982 Packers seasons 1984 →

Green Bay hovered around the .500 mark all season. Entering their final regular season game on December 18 at Chicago, the Packers (8–7) could secure a playoff berth with a victory. Green Bay scored a touchdown to take a one-point lead with just over three minutes in the game, and Chicago running back Walter Payton was sidelined with a wrist injury. The Bears returned the kickoff to their 38 and drove fifty yards, down to the Packer twelve, with 1:17 remaining. Although Green Bay had all three of its timeouts, they opted not to use any, and the Bears kicked a winning 22-yard field goal with ten seconds on the clock. Green Bay fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, and the Los Angeles Rams (9–7) gained the final playoff slot.^[2][3]

Starr was fired the following day by team president Robert Parins, ending a 26-year association with the team as a player and coach.^[4][5] Former player Forrest Gregg, the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, was hired before the end of the week, announced on Christmas Eve.^[6][7] Gregg had led the Bengals to Super Bowl XVI two years earlier, but had less success in his four seasons in Green Bay, then left for his alma mater SMU in Dallas in January 1988.^[8]

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1983 NFL draft

1983 Green Bay Packers draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	11	Tim Lewis	Cornerback	Pittsburgh
2	48	Dave Drechsler	Guard	North Carolina
4	104	Mike Miller	Wide receiver	Tennessee
5	132	Brian Thomas	Running back	Pittsburgh
6	160	Ron Sams	Guard	Pittsburgh
7	188	Jessie Clark	Running back	Arkansas
8	216	Carlton Briscoe	Running back	McNeese State
9	243	Robin Ham	Center	West Texas State
10	253	Byron Williams	Wide receiver	Texas–Arlington
10	271	Jimmy Thomas	Defensive back	Indiana
11	299	Bucky Scribner	Punter	Kansas
12	327	John Harvey	Linebacker	USC
Made roster

Undrafted free agents

1983 Undrafted free agents of note

Player	Position	College
Tom Bishop	Defensive end	Asland
Jim Ettari	Nose tackle	The Citadel
Joe Rudzinski	Linebacker	Notre Dame

Personnel

Staff

1983 Green Bay Packers staff

Front office President – Robert J. Parins Corporate assistant to the president – Bob Harlan Director of player personnel – Dick Corrick Head coaches Head coach – Bart Starr Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Bob Schnelker Offensive backs – John Brunner Receivers – Lew Carpenter Offensive line – Ernie McMillan Assistant offensive line – Bill Meyers

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – John Meyer Defensive line – Doc Urich Linebackers – Monte Kiffin Defensive backs – Ross Fichtner Special teams coaches Special teams – Dick Rehbein

^[9]

Roster

1983 Green Bay Packers roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 19 Rich Campbell 12 Lynn Dickey 17 David Whitehurst Running backs (RB) 33 Jessie Clark 31 Gerry Ellis 25 Harlan Huckleby 39 Mike Meade 20 Chet Winters Wide receivers (WR) 88 Ron Cassidy 85 Phil Epps 83 John Jefferson 80 James Lofton Tight ends (TE) 82 Paul Coffman 81 Gary Lewis

Offensive linemen (OL) 61 Dave Drechsler G 77 Charlie Getty T 65 Ron Hallstrom T 74 Tim Huffman G 64 Syd Kitson G 68 Greg Koch T 54 Larry McCarren C 58 Larry Rubens C 67 Karl Swanke T Defensive linemen (DL) 72 Greg Boyd DE 73 Byron Braggs DE 93 Robert Brown DE 99 Charles Johnson NT 90 Ezra Johnson DE 91 Daryle Skaugstad NT 79 Ron Spears DE

Linebackers (LB) 59 John Anderson OLB 52 George Cumby ILB 57 Mike Curcio ILB 53 Mike Douglass OLB 62 Jim Laughlin ILB 56 Cliff Lewis OLB 51 Guy Prather OLB 55 Randy Scott ILB 50 Rich Wingo ILB Defensive backs (DB) 24 Johnnie Gray SS 38 Estus Hood CB 21 Mike Jolly FS 22 Mark Lee CB 26 Tim Lewis CB 37 Mark Murphy FS 44 Dwayne O'Steen CB Special teams (ST) 11 Eddie Garcia K 13 Bucky Scribner P 10 Jan Stenerud K

Reserve 60 Calvin Favron LB (IR) 69 Leotis Harris G (IR) 40 Eddie Lee Ivery RB (NF-Ill.) 63 Terry Jones NT (IR) 29 Mike McCoy CB (IR) 35 Del Rodgers RB (NF-Inj.) 70 Ron Sams G (IR) 75 Richard Turner NT (IR) Rookies in italics 49 active

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 6	Cleveland Browns	L 20–21	0-1	Lambeau Field	Recap
2	August 12	at Seattle Seahawks	L 21–28	0-2	Kingdome	Recap
3	August 20	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 14–27	0-3	Veterans Stadium	Recap
4	August 27	St. Louis Cardinals	W 39–27	1-3	Lambeau Field	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	September 4	at Houston Oilers	W 41–38 (OT)	1–0	Astrodome	44,073	Recap
2	September 11	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 21–25	1–1	Lambeau Field	55,154	Recap
3	September 18	Los Angeles Rams	W 27–24	2–1	Milwaukee County Stadium	54,037	Recap
4	September 26	at New York Giants	L 3–27	2–2	Giants Stadium	75,308	Recap
5	October 2	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 55–14	3–2	Lambeau Field	54,272	Recap
6	October 9	at Detroit Lions	L 14–38	3–3	Pontiac Silverdome	67,738	Recap
7	October 17	Washington Redskins	W 48–47	4–3	Lambeau Field	55,255	Recap
8	October 23	Minnesota Vikings	L 17–20 (OT)	4–4	Lambeau Field	55,236	Recap
9	October 30	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 14–34	4–5	Riverfront Stadium	53,349	Recap
10	November 6	Cleveland Browns	W 35–21	5–5	Milwaukee County Stadium	54,089	Recap
11	November 13	at Minnesota Vikings	W 29–21	6–5	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	60,113	Recap
12	November 20	Detroit Lions	L 20–23 (OT)	6–6	Milwaukee County Stadium	50,050	Recap
13	November 27	at Atlanta Falcons	L 41–47 (OT)	6–7	Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium	35,688	Recap
14	December 4	Chicago Bears	W 31–28	7–7	Lambeau Field	51,147	Recap
15	December 12	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 12–9 (OT)	8–7	Tampa Stadium	50,763	Recap
16	December 18	at Chicago Bears	L 21–23	8–8	Soldier Field	35,807	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1 at Oilers

See also: 1983 Houston Oilers season

Week One: Green Bay Packers (0–0) at Houston Oilers (0–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Packers	7	21	3	7	3	41
Oilers	10	0	7	21	0	38

at Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas

• Date: September 4
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Indoors (dome)
• Game attendance: 44,073
• Referee: Bob McElwee
• TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Dick Vermeil
• Box Score, Box Score

Game information

First quarter GB – Paul Coffman 25-yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Jan Stenerud kick), 10:31. Packers 7–0. Drive: HOU – Florian Kempf 49-yard field goal, 6:30. Packers 7–3. Drive: HOU – Tim Smith 47-yard pass from Archie Manning (Florian Kempf kick), 2:40. Oilers 10–7. Drive: Second quarter GB – John Jefferson 5-yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Jan Stenerud kick), 8:55. Packers 14–10. Drive: GB – John Jefferson 13-yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Jan Stenerud kick), 0:51. Packers 21–10. Drive: GB – Gerry Ellis 11-yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Jan Stenerud kick), 0:30. Packers 28–10. Drive: Third quarter HOU – Earl Campbell 7-yard run (Florian Kempf kick), 9:08. Packers 28–17. Drive: GB – Jan Stenerud 46-yard field goal, 4:36. Packers 31–17. Drive: Fourth quarter HOU – Earl Campbell 8-yard run (Florian Kempf kick), 11:05. Packers 31–24. Drive: HOU – Earl Campbell 1-yard run (Florian Kempf kick), 4:23. Tie 31–31. Drive: GB – James Lofton 74-yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Jan Stenerud kick), 4:13. Packers 38–31. Drive: HOU – Larry Moriarty 2-yard run (Florian Kempf kick), 0:48. Tie 38–38. Drive: Overtime GB – Jan Stenerud 42-yard field goal, 9:05. Packers 41–38. Drive: Top passers GB – Lynn Dickey – 27/31, 333 yards, 5 TD, int HOU – Archie Manning – 22/34, 348 yards, TD, 2 int Top rushers GB – Eddie Lee Ivery – 12 rushes, 71 yards HOU – Earl Campbell – 27 rushes, 123 yards, 3 TD Top receivers GB – James Lofton – 8 receptions, 154 yards, TD HOU – Tim Smith – 8 receptions, 197 yards, TD

Lynn Dickey completed 27 of 31 passes, including 18 straight at one point during the game, for 333 yards and four touchdowns and Jan Stenerud's 42-yard field goal with 9:05 left in overtime give the Packers a successful opening day victory.

Week 16 at Bears

Week 16: Green Bay Packers (8–7) at Chicago Bears (7–8)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	7	7	0	7	21
Bears	7	0	7	9	23

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Date: December 18
• Game time: 1:00 p.m.
• Game weather: 1 °F (−17 °C)
• Game attendance: 35,807
• Referee: Red Cashion
• Pro-Football-Reference.com, The Football Database

Game information

First quarter CHI – Willie Gault 35-yard pass from Jim McMahon (Bob Thomas kick), 9:24. Bears 7–0. GB – Lynn Dickey 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 8:10. Tie 7–7. Second quarter GB – James Lofton 31-yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Jan Stenerud kick), 3:05. Packers 14–7. Third quarter CHI – Dennis McKinnon 22-yard pass from Jim McMahon (Bob Thomas kick), 6:35. Tie 14–14. Fourth quarter CHI – Jim McMahon 6-yard run (kick failed), 4:34. Bears 20–14. GB – Paul Coffman 5-yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Jan Stenerud kick), 3:08. Packers 21–20. CHI – Bob Thomas 22-yard field goal, 0:10. Bears 23–21. Top passers GB – Lynn Dickey – 10/30, 262 yards, 2 TD, 4 int CHI – Jim McMahon – 14/25, 162 yards, 2 TD, 2 int Top rushers GB – Jessie Clark – 7 rushes, 61 yards CHI – Walter Payton – 30 rushes, 148 yards Top receivers GB – Paul Coffman – 4 receptions, 122 yards, TD CHI – Willie Gault – 2 receptions, 50 yards, TD

Standings

NFC Central
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Detroit Lions(3)	9	7	0	.563	7–1	8–4	347	286	W1
Green Bay Packers	8	8	0	.500	4–4	6–6	429	439	L1
Chicago Bears	8	8	0	.500	4–4	7–7	311	301	W2
Minnesota Vikings	8	8	0	.500	4–4	4–8	316	348	W1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	2	14	0	.125	1–7	1–11	241	380	L3

Statistics

Passing

Player	Attempts	Completion	Percentage	Yards	Avg	Long	TD	Int	Rating
Lynn Dickey	484	289	59.7%	4458	9.21	75	32	29	87.3

Receiving

Player	Receptions	Yards	Average	TD	Long
James Lofton	58	1300	22.4	8	74
John Jefferson	57	830	14.6	7	36
Paul Coffman	54	814	15.1	11	74
Gerry Ellis	52	603	11.6	2	56

Rushing

Player	Attempts	Yards	avg	TD	Long
Gerry Ellis	141	696	4.9	4	71
Eddie Lee Ivery	86	340	4.0	2	21
Jessie Clark	71	328	4.6	0	42
Harlan Huckleby	50	182	3.6	4	20

Defensive

Player	Sacks	INT'S	Yards	Average	TD	Long
John Anderson	4.5	5	54	10.8	1	27t
Greg Boyd	2.0	0	0	0.0	0	0
Byron Braggs	5.5	0	0	0.0	0	0
George Cumby	2.0	0	0	0.0	0	0
Mike Douglass	5.5	0	0	0.0	0	0
Johnnie Gray	0.0	2	5	2.5	0	5
Charles Johnson	3.5	0	0	0.0	0	0
Ezra Johnson	14.5	0	0	0.0	0	0
Mike Jolly	0.0	1	0	0.0	0	0
Jim Laughlin	0.0	1	22	22.0	0	22
Mark Lee	0.0	4	23	5.8	0	15
Cliff Lewis	2.0	0	0	0.0	0	0
Tim Lewis	0.0	5	111	22.2	0	46
Randy Scott	0.0	1	12	12.0	0	12

Records

• Lynn Dickey, club record, most passing yards in one season, 4,458. First NFC Quarterback to ever throw for over 4,000 yards^{[citation needed]}
• NFL record, most overtime games played in one season, (5)^{[citation needed]}