1972 Green Bay Packers season

The 1972 Green Bay Packers season was their 54th season overall and their 52nd season in the National Football League. The team finished with 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 (and qualified for the first time since Vince Lombardi departed as head coach); their most recent division title was in 1967, completing that postseason with a decisive win in Super Bowl II in January 1968.

1972 Green Bay Packers season
Head coachDan Devine
Home fieldLambeau Field
Milwaukee County Stadium
Results
Record10–4
Division place1st NFC Central
Playoff finishLost Divisional Playoffs
(at Redskins) 3–16

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 playoff appearance would come in 1982, and their next division title came 23 years later, in 1995.

Offseason

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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 returned to the Packers as their head coach in the 1975 season.)[11][12][13]

NFL draft

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1972 Green Bay Packers draft
RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollege
17Willie BuchanonCornerbackSan Diego State
111Jerry Tagge (From San Diego Chargers)QuarterbackNebraska
234Chester MarcolKickerHillsdale
486Eric PattonLinebackerNotre Dame
6138Nathaniel RossCornerbackBethune-Cookman
6147Bob HudsonRunning backNortheastern State
7163Bill BushongDefensive tackleKentucky
8190Leland GlassWide receiverOregon
10242Keith WortmanGuardNebraska
11266David BaileyWide ReceiverAlabama
12294Mike RichRunning BackFlorida
13319Jesse LakesRunning BackCentral Michigan
14246Larry HefnerLinebackerClemson
15371Rick ThoneWide ReceiverArkansas Tech
16398Charles BurrellDefensive TackleArkansas AM&N
  • Yellow indicates a future Pro Bowl selection

Undrafted free agents

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1972 Undrafted Free Agents of note
PlayerPositionCollege
Bob KrollDefensive backNorthern Michigan

Roster

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1972 Green Bay Packers roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists

Practice squad

Regular season

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Schedule

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In week 3, the Packers defeated the defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys in Milwaukee, improving their all-time record to 7–1 over Dallas; the sole loss was in 1970.

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendance
1September 17at Cleveland BrownsW 26–101–0Cleveland Stadium75,771
2September 24Oakland RaidersL 14–201–1Lambeau Field56,263
3October 1Dallas CowboysW 16–132–1Milwaukee County Stadium47,103
4October 8Chicago BearsW 20–173–1Lambeau Field56,263
5October 16at Detroit LionsW 24–234–1Tiger Stadium54,418
6October 22Atlanta FalconsL 9–104–2Milwaukee County Stadium47,967
7October 29Minnesota VikingsL 13–274–3Lambeau Field56,263
8November 5San Francisco 49ersW 34–245–3Milwaukee County Stadium47,897
9November 12at Chicago BearsW 23–176–3Soldier Field55,701
10November 19at Houston OilersW 23–107–3Astrodome41,752
11November 26at Washington RedskinsL 16–217–4RFK Stadium53,039
12December 3Detroit LionsW 33–78–4Lambeau Field56,263
13December 10at Minnesota VikingsW 23–79–4Metropolitan Stadium49,784
14December 17at New Orleans SaintsW 30–2010–4Tulane Stadium65,881
Monday (October 16)

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Playoffs

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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]

WeekDateOpponentResultVenueAttendance
DivisionalDecember 24, 1972at Washington RedskinsL 16–3RFK Stadium53,140

Standings

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NFC Central
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
Green Bay Packers1040.7145–18–3304226W3
Detroit Lions851.6072–46–5339290W1
Minnesota Vikings770.5004–26–5301252L2
Chicago Bears491.3211–53–7–1225275L1

Awards, records, and honors

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References

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Sources