1979 Green Bay Packers season

The 1979 Green Bay Packers season was their 61st season overall and their 59th in the National Football League. The team posted a 5–11 record under coach Bart Starr, earning them a fourth-place finish in the NFC Central division. The offense was still one of the worst in the NFL and the defense could not pick up the slack, ending with the least effective defense against the run.

The only notable win the Packers had was a 27–14 victory on a Monday night against the New England Patriots, the first night game at Lambeau Field (previous night games had to be played at Milwaukee County Stadium, since Lambeau Field's original light standards were insufficient for night broadcasts). The Packers also defeated the archrival Minnesota Vikings at home for the first time since 1970.

President – Dominic Olejniczak Vice President – Robert J. Parins Corporate General Manager – Bob Harlan Director of Player Personnel – Dick Corrick Head coaches

Head Coach/General Manager – Bart Starr Offensive coaches

Quarterbacks – Zeke Bratkowski Offensive Line – Bill Curry & Ernie McMillan Receivers – Lew Carpenter | | | Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator/Asst. Head Coach – Dave Hanner Defensive Line – Fred von Appen Linebackers – John Meyer Defensive Backs – Dick LeBeau Special teams coaches

Special Teams – Dick Rehbein |

Quarterbacks (QB) 10 Lynn Dickey 17 David Whitehurst Running backs (RB)

42 Walt Landers 34 Terdell Middleton 30 Ricky Patton 48 Nate Simpson 26 Eric Torkelson Wide receivers (WR)

88 Ron Cassidy 80 James Lofton 89 Aundra Thompson 87 Walter Tullis Tight ends (TE)

82 Paul Coffman 83 John Thompson

Offensive linemen (OL) 57 Derrel Gofourth G 69 Leotis Harris G 71 Melvin Jackson G 63 Greg Koch T 79 Mark Koncar T 54 Larry McCarren C 76 Tim Stokes T 65 Mike Wellman C 73 Steve Young T Defensive linemen (DL)

70 Bob Barber DE 77 Mike Butler DE 99 Charles Johnson DT 90 Ezra Johnson DE 63 Terry Jones DT 72 Kit Lathrop DT

Linebackers (LB) 59 John Anderson OLB 53 Mike Douglass OLB 51 Jim Gueno OLB 62 Joe McLaughlin MLB 58 Paul Rudzinski MLB 61 Dave Simmons OLB 52 Gary Weaver OLB 50 Rich Wingo MLB Defensive backs (DB)

24 Johnnie Gray FS 38 Estus Hood CB 46 Steve Luke SS 29 Mike McCoy CB 36 Howard Sampson CB/S 20 Wylie Turner CB 21 Steve Wagner SS Special teams (ST)

11 David Beverly P 19 Tom Birney K

Reserve

32 Steve Atkins RB (IR) 75 Carl Barzilauskas DT (IR) 55 Mike Hunt LB (IR) 40 Eddie Lee Ivery RB (IR) 39 Sammy Johnson RB (IR) 85 Bobby Kimball WR (IR) 13 Chester Marcol K (IR) 78 Casey Merrill DE/DT (IR) 56 Rick Nuzum C (IR) 33 Barty Smith RB (IR) 47 Mark Thorson S (IR) Rookies in italics | Quarterbacks (QB) 10 Lynn Dickey 17 David Whitehurst Running backs (RB)

42 Walt Landers 34 Terdell Middleton 30 Ricky Patton 48 Nate Simpson 26 Eric Torkelson Wide receivers (WR)

88 Ron Cassidy 80 James Lofton 89 Aundra Thompson 87 Walter Tullis Tight ends (TE)

82 Paul Coffman 83 John Thompson | | Offensive linemen (OL) 57 Derrel Gofourth G 69 Leotis Harris G 71 Melvin Jackson G 63 Greg Koch T 79 Mark Koncar T 54 Larry McCarren C 76 Tim Stokes T 65 Mike Wellman C 73 Steve Young T Defensive linemen (DL)

70 Bob Barber DE 77 Mike Butler DE 99 Charles Johnson DT 90 Ezra Johnson DE 63 Terry Jones DT 72 Kit Lathrop DT | | Linebackers (LB) 59 John Anderson OLB 53 Mike Douglass OLB 51 Jim Gueno OLB 62 Joe McLaughlin MLB 58 Paul Rudzinski MLB 61 Dave Simmons OLB 52 Gary Weaver OLB 50 Rich Wingo MLB Defensive backs (DB)

24 Johnnie Gray FS 38 Estus Hood CB 46 Steve Luke SS 29 Mike McCoy CB 36 Howard Sampson CB/S 20 Wylie Turner CB 21 Steve Wagner SS Special teams (ST)

11 David Beverly P 19 Tom Birney K | | Reserve

32 Steve Atkins RB (IR) 75 Carl Barzilauskas DT (IR) 55 Mike Hunt LB (IR) 40 Eddie Lee Ivery RB (IR) 39 Sammy Johnson RB (IR) 85 Bobby Kimball WR (IR) 13 Chester Marcol K (IR) 78 Casey Merrill DE/DT (IR) 56 Rick Nuzum C (IR) 33 Barty Smith RB (IR) 47 Mark Thorson S (IR) Rookies in italics | | Quarterbacks (QB) 10 Lynn Dickey 17 David Whitehurst Running backs (RB)

42 Walt Landers 34 Terdell Middleton 30 Ricky Patton 48 Nate Simpson 26 Eric Torkelson Wide receivers (WR)

88 Ron Cassidy 80 James Lofton 89 Aundra Thompson 87 Walter Tullis Tight ends (TE)

82 Paul Coffman 83 John Thompson | | Offensive linemen (OL) 57 Derrel Gofourth G 69 Leotis Harris G 71 Melvin Jackson G 63 Greg Koch T 79 Mark Koncar T 54 Larry McCarren C 76 Tim Stokes T 65 Mike Wellman C 73 Steve Young T Defensive linemen (DL)

70 Bob Barber DE 77 Mike Butler DE 99 Charles Johnson DT 90 Ezra Johnson DE 63 Terry Jones DT 72 Kit Lathrop DT | | Linebackers (LB) 59 John Anderson OLB 53 Mike Douglass OLB 51 Jim Gueno OLB 62 Joe McLaughlin MLB 58 Paul Rudzinski MLB 61 Dave Simmons OLB 52 Gary Weaver OLB 50 Rich Wingo MLB Defensive backs (DB)

24 Johnnie Gray FS 38 Estus Hood CB 46 Steve Luke SS 29 Mike McCoy CB 36 Howard Sampson CB/S 20 Wylie Turner CB 21 Steve Wagner SS Special teams (ST)

11 David Beverly P 19 Tom Birney K | | Reserve

32 Steve Atkins RB (IR) 75 Carl Barzilauskas DT (IR) 55 Mike Hunt LB (IR) 40 Eddie Lee Ivery RB (IR) 39 Sammy Johnson RB (IR) 85 Bobby Kimball WR (IR) 13 Chester Marcol K (IR) 78 Casey Merrill DE/DT (IR) 56 Rick Nuzum C (IR) 33 Barty Smith RB (IR) 47 Mark Thorson S (IR) Rookies in italics | |

The Packers versus Bears game of week 15 was used in an episode of That '70s Show ("Street Fighting Man") and was part of the seventh season. Eric invites his father, Red, to the game at Lambeau Field. Oddly, the Packers win in this episode, as opposed to real life, where they lost. Eric refers to the Bears as the "underdogs", when the Packers would have likely been the underdogs in the game, since the Packers were 4–10 heading into the game and the Bears were 9–5 heading to the game.

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