# 1978 Green Bay Packers season

The 1978 Green Bay Packers season was their 60th season overall and their 58th season in the National Football League (NFL). The team posted an 8–7–1 record under coach Bart Starr, earning them a second-place finish in the NFC Central division. This marked the first season the Packers were above .500 since 1972. The Packers got off to a 6–1 start. However, most of the wins came against weaker teams, and once the schedule toughened up the Packers struggled winning only one and tying one of their next six games. After a big win in Tampa Bay over the Buccaneers, the 8–5–1 Packers still had a shot at a NFC Central Title. However, the team would lose both of their final games, closing out with a 31–14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams and at 8–7–1 finished in a first-place tie with Minnesota. Since the Packers' record against the Vikings was 0–1–1 due to a 10–10 tie and a 21–7 loss, Green Bay missed the playoffs as the Eagles also leap-frogged the Packers for the final Wild Card spot, which the Packers would've still clinched at minimum regardless of the Vikings' result for the NFC Central.

## Off-season
### NFL draft

1978 Green Bay Packers draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 6 | James Lofton * $^†$ | Wide receiver | Stanford |
| 1 | 26 | John Anderson | Linebacker | Michigan |
| 2 | 34 | Mike Hunt | Linebacker | Minnesota |
| 3 | 62 | Estus Hood | Cornerback | Illinois State |
| 5 | 116 | Mike Douglass | Linebacker | San Diego State |
| 5 | 128 | Willie Wilder | Running back | Florida |
| 6 | 144 | Leotis Harris | Guard | Arkansas |
| 7 | 172 | George Plasketes | Linebacker | Ole Miss |
| 8 | 200 | Dennis Sproul | Quarterback | Arizona State |
| 9 | 228 | Keith Myers | Quarterback | Utah State |
| 10 | 256 | Larry Key | Running back | Florida State |
| 10 | 259 | Mark Totten | Center | Florida |
| 11 | 284 | Terry Jones | Defensive tackle | Alabama |
| 12 | 312 | Eason Ramson | Tight end | Washington State |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

### Undrafted free agents

1978 Undrafted Free Agents of note :
| Player | Position | College |
| Paul Coffman | Tight end | Kansas State |
| Rick Peot | Punter | Wisconsin–Stevens Point |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | September 3 | at Detroit Lions | W 13–7 | 1–0 | Pontiac Silverdome | 51,187 |
| 2 | September 10 | New Orleans Saints | W 28–17 | 2–0 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 54,336 |
| 3 | September 17 | Oakland Raiders | L 3–28 | 2–1 | Lambeau Field | 55,903 |
| 4 | September 24 | at San Diego Chargers | W 24–3 | 3–1 | San Diego Stadium | 42,755 |
| 5 | October 1 | Detroit Lions | W 35–14 | 4–1 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 54,601 |
| 6 | October 8 | Chicago Bears | W 24–14 | 5–1 | Lambeau Field | 56,267 |
| 7 | October 15 | Seattle Seahawks | W 45–28 | 6–1 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 52,712 |
| 8 | October 22 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 7–21 | 6–2 | Metropolitan Stadium | 47,411 |
| 9 | October 29 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 9–7 | 7–2 | Lambeau Field | 55,108 |
| 10 | November 5 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 3–10 | 7–3 | Veterans Stadium | 64,214 |
| 11 | November 12 | Dallas Cowboys | L 14–42 | 7–4 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 55,256 |
| 12 | November 19 | at Denver Broncos | L 3–16 | 7–5 | Mile High Stadium | 74,965 |
| 13 | November 26 | Minnesota Vikings | T 10–10 (OT) | 7–5–1 | Lambeau Field | 51,737 |
| 14 | December 3 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 17–7 | 8–5–1 | Tampa Stadium | 67,754 |
| 15 | December 10 | at Chicago Bears | L 0–14 | 8–6–1 | Soldier Field | 34,306 |
| 16 | December 17 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 14–31 | 8–7–1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 42,500 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text

### Week 2 vs. New Orleans Saints

* Network: CBS
* Announcers: Bill Mazer, Hank Stram, Nick Buoniconti
David Whitehurst fired four touchdown passes, three to rookie James Lofton on plays covering 42, 47 and 18 yards, and Terdell Middleton rushed for 114 yards to lead The Green Bay Packers to victory and a 2–0 start for the first time since 1969. Whitehurst a second-year quarterback, completing 10 of 15 passes for the young Packers. His other scoring pass was a nine-yarder to Rich McGeorge early in the fourth quarter.

### Week 6 vs Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Packers | 0 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 24 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: October 8
* Game time: 2:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C)
* Game attendance: 56,267
* Referee: Gordon McCarter
* TV: CBS
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring
Second quarter
GB – Chester Marcol 41-yard field goal. Packers 3–0.
Third quarter
GB – Terdell Middleton 2-yard run (Chester Marcol kick). Packers 10–0.
GB – Steve Luke 63-yard interception return (Chester Marcol kick). Packers 17–0.
Fourth quarter
CHI – James Scott 15-yard pass from Bob Avellini (Bob Thomas kick). Packers 17–7.
GB – James Lofton 58-yard pass from David Whitehurst (Chester Marcol kick). Packers 24–7.
CHI – James Scott 17-yard pass from Bob Avellini (Bob Thomas kick). Packers 24–14.
Top passers
CHI – Bob Avellini – 23/37, 224 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
GB – David Whitehurst – 6/12, 88 yards, TD
Top rushers
CHI – Walter Payton – 19 rushes, 82 yards
GB – Terdell Middleton – 16 rushes, 64 yards, TD
Top receivers
CHI – James Scott – 9 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TD
GB – James Lofton – 2 receptions, 65 yards, TD :

### Week 8 at Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Vikings | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota
* Date: October 22
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C)
* Game attendance: 47,411
* TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson and Paul Hornung
* Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring
Second quarter
MIN – Chuck Foreman 16-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Rick Danmeier kick). Vikings 7–0.
GB – Terdell Middleton 3-yard run (Chester Marcol kick). Tied 7–7.
MIN – Ahmad Rashad 4-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Rick Danmeier kick). Vikings 14–7.
Third quarter
No scoring
Fourth quarter
MIN – Ahmad Rashad 15-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Rick Danmeier kick). Vikings 21–7.
Top passers
GB – David Whitehurst – 18/30, 120 yards, INT
MIN – Fran Tarkenton – 26/43, 262 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
GB – Terdell Middleton – 15 rushes, 81 yards, TD
MIN – Chuck Foreman – 24 rushes, 46 yards
Top receivers
GB – Barty Smith – 6 receptions, 54 yards
MIN – Rickey Young – 7 receptions, 73 yards :

## Standings

NFC Central :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Minnesota Vikings$^{(3)}$ | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 5–2–1 | 7–4–1 | 294 | 306 | L2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 5–2–1 | 6–5–1 | 249 | 269 | L2 |
| Detroit Lions | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–4 | 5–7 | 290 | 300 | W2 |
| Chicago Bears | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–5 | 7–5 | 253 | 274 | W2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–6 | 3–11 | 241 | 259 | L4 |

## Awards and records

* Terrell Middleton, NFC leader in touchdowns