1981 Green Bay Packers: A Second Half Surge Sets The Stage

Bart Starr’s coaching tenure wasn’t going well. The Hall of Fame quarterback took over his old team in 1975. The team appeared to turn a corner in 1978, when they nearly made the playoffs. But they plummeted to five-win campaigns in 1979 and 1980. The 1981 Green Bay Packers started much the same way and looked hopeless. But they made a strong run, nearly made the postseason, and set the stage for more success a year later.

James Lofton was one of the best receivers in the NFL and he was an All-Pro in 1981, catching 71 passes for nearly 1,300 yards. Early in the season, Green Bay swung a deal for San Diego’s Pro Bowl wideout John Jefferson. Over 13 games, Jefferson would catch 39 balls and average better than 16 yards a pop.

Lofton and Jefferson were a potent tandem, and the receiving corps was rounded out by tight end Paul Coffman and versatile running back Gerry Ellis, who caught 65 balls, while also running for 860 yards.

Lynn Dickey was the man who orchestrated it all. His 58% completion rate was ninth in the league, and the 7.3 yards-per-attempt was 11^th. Even his 17-15 TD/INT ratio wasn’t as bad as it would look in today’s game—in that era, a 4.2% interception rate was still middle of the league.

Where Green Bay was lacking was in the meat areas—they lacked any Pro Bowl talent on either the offensive line or the entire defense. The offensive playmakers were still enough to get the Packers to 14^th in a 28-team NFL for points scored. But the defense, even with Mark Lee and Maurice Harvey intercepting six passes each, only ranked 20^th in points allowed.

Green Bay opened the season in Chicago. Lofton caught eight balls for 179 yards, and Ellis’ 17 carries for 94 yards outpaced the Bears’ great running back Walter Payton. The Packers chiseled out a 16-9 win.

The Atlanta Falcons had been the NFC’s 1-seed in 1980 and would contend deep into the season for the playoffs this year. They came north for Green Bay’s home opener. The Packers took a 17-0 lead after three quarters, as the defense intercepted four passes. But Dickey threw three picks of his own, and the fourth quarter saw a dramatic collapse. With the score tied 17-17, Dickey threw a Pick-6. Then the Falcons returned a fumble for a touchdown. Green Bay took a bad 31-17 loss.

A road trip to Los Angeles saw the negative momentum continue. In a game that was penalty-laden both ways, Dickey was sacked five times and two good drives bogged down inside the 10-yard line. The Packers lost 35-23 to a Ram team that, after several years of contention, would sink to 6-10 this year.

Green Bay hosted Minnesota in Milwaukee’s old County Stadium, where the Packers played three home games every year through 1994. Jefferson was in the fold, and fans got a taste of what the passing offense would become—Jefferson and Lofton combined for 15 catches and 222 yards receiving. But the fans also got a taste of what the defense and offensive line actually was—Green Bay was outrushed 157-71, and an early 10-0 lead turned into a decisive 30-13 loss.

The Packers were reeling when they went to the Meadowlands to face a New York Giants team who would loom over them down the stretch. Dickey was sharp, going 17/22 for 208 yards. Green Bay got the running game going, with a 148-41 rush edge. A 27-14 win stopped the bleeding.

Tampa Bay was a division rival in the alignment of the era, as the Bucs shared the NFC Central with the four current teams of the NFC North. And Tampa would be in contention this year. Dickey threw four interceptions in a 21-10 loss at Lambeau.

The schedule didn’t get any easier with the San Francisco 49ers coming in. This was the year the combo of head coach Bill Walsh and quarterback Joe Montana had their breakout, ultimately winning the first of four Super Bowls in the decade. On a wet and windy day in Milwaukee, the Packers couldn’t get their hands on the football. San Francisco ran 79 plays to just 43 for Green Bay, and the result was a 13-3 loss.

A road trip to Detroit, another team that would contend in the NFC Central was up next. Dickey was knocked out with a back injury. David Whitehurst came on and played well, going 20/36 for 243 yards. But the Pack couldn’t run the ball and they ultimately lost a back-and-forth battle, 31-27.

They were 2-6 and their starting quarterback was injured. It’s counterintuitive, but it’s here where the narrative of the early 1980s Green Bay Packers starts to change.

Whitehurst was still in the lineup against a subpar Seattle Seahawks team the following week in Lambeau. When he threw an early Pick-6, the faithful could be forgiven if they thought “here we go again.” But Whitehurst bounced back with a 19/31 for 205 yards afternoon. And Ellis pounded away, gaining 127 yards on 23 carries. Trailing 24-21, the Pack scored took over late and won 34-24.

The Giants came into Milwaukee for a rematch (the schedule format of the time had the prior year’s last-place teams in the NFC East and NFC Central play twice). Green Bay’s defense and special teams struck early. Estus Hood had a 41-yard Pick-6, and Lee took a punt 94 yards to the house. It was 20-0 after the first quarter. The Packers nearly collapsed—in spite collecting seven turnovers, they found themselves trailing 24-23. But they got a late field goal and won by two.

Chicago visited Lambeau Field, with Whitehurst still starting. While Payton ran for 105 yards, the Green Bay defense intercepted three passes, two by Lee. They won their third straight, 21-17.

But a road trip to Tampa just prior to Thanksgiving was a disaster. Whitehurst also got knocked out. Rich Campbell, the sixth overall pick in that year’s draft, got his first chance at substantive playing time. He threw four interceptions, the defense was gashed for over 200 rushing yards, and the Pack got hammered, 37-3.

They were 5-7, but there was no great team in the NFC Central. Minnesota led the way at 7-5, with Tampa and Detroit at 6-6. There were two wild-card spots available. While the runner-up in the Dallas/Philadelphia race in the NFC East seemed like a lock for one, the only other contenders were the Giants and Falcons, each 6-6 themselves.

All of which is to say that Green Bay was only one game out of the playoffs, and the division title wasn’t yet off the table. That was the landscape as they went to Minnesota for a must-win game.

The Vikings still played their home games outdoors, at old Metropolitan Stadium. Dickey was back in the lineup. Green Bay dug an early hole, falling behind 14-0. But Dickey got rolling—he went 18/33 for 294 yards and three touchdowns. Jefferson caught seven balls for 159 yards. Five different defenders intercepted passes. A huge 35-23 win meant that all four Central Division contenders were within a game of each other.

Another must-win game was up at home against Detroit. Dickey continued to roll. He went 20/31 for 279 yards and made no mistakes. Jefferson caught eight balls for 113 yards, while Lofton added four more catches for 90 yards. Green Bay won 31-17. They were all the way back to .500, at 7-7. While Tampa led the division at 8-6, the Packers were tied with the Lions, Vikings, Giants, and Falcons for the final wild-card spot.

The surge continued at lowly New Orleans. Dickey was razor-sharp, 19/21 for 218 yards. He threw five touchdown passes to four different receivers. Harvey picked off two passes. The result was a 35-7 rout. Tampa Bay lost to fall to 8-7. Minnesota continued their fade, losing to fall to 7-8. So did Atlanta.

Thus, the scenario was this—even though it was a three-way tie atop the division with the Buccaneers, Packers, and Lions, that option was off the table. Green Bay’s tiebreaker position was poor and Tampa-Detroit were going head-to-head. The winner would take the division crown.

But the Packers did control their fate for the wild-card. Moreover, Philadelphia was going through a collapse of their own. Even though the Eagles led the wild-card race at 9-6, Green Bay could win a tiebreaker with Philly. And while the Giants were 8-7 and had the tiebreaker on the Pack, New York had to play Dallas in the season finale.

The biggest challenge was the opponent—the New York Jets were also playing to get into the postseason. The game would be on the road. When the Giants upset the Cowboys on Saturday, it brought a new dimension into the matchup—a Jets win would put both themselves and their crosstown rivals in the playoffs. The entire city of New York was fired up for Green Bay’s arrival.

Shea Stadium was known for its swirling winds, and they were gusting at 21mph. The temperatures were a cold 24 degrees. It wasn’t ideal for a passing offense like Green Bay’s. And the Packer offensive line, problematic in any cases, was going against one of the great pass rushes in the game—the Jets’ “New York Sack Exchange.”

It was a disaster. Dickey was sacked nine times. He couldn’t get the ball downfield, finishing 12/33 for 96 yards. Green Bay only got 45 rushing yards. They got hammered 28-3, and it actually could have been worse—of the nine combined fumbles between the teams, the Packers recovered seven of them. The late-season push was over.

The good news is that the second half run presaged a good 1982 season. In the strike-shortened year, the Packers made the playoffs and won a game. The stage for that was set in 1981.