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1968 Green Bay Packers season

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50th season in franchise history

1968 Green Bay Packers season
General managerVince Lombardi
Head coachPhil Bengtson
Home fieldLambeau Field
Milwaukee County Stadium
Results
Record6–7–1
Division place3rd Central
Playoff finishDid not qualify

The 1968 Green Bay Packers season was their 50th season overall and the 48th season in the National Football League. Under first-year head coach Phil Bengtson, the team finished with a 6–7–1 record, third place in the four-team Central Division of the Western Conference.

It was the Packers' first losing season in a decade, and marked a turning point in team history, starting a long period of futility and decline known as the "Gory Years". From 1968 through 1991, Green Bay had only five winning seasons (1969, 1972, 1978, 1982, 1989), made the playoffs twice (1972, 1982), with one win (1982).

A few weeks after winning Super Bowl II in January 1968, Vince Lombardi stepped down as head coach but remained as general manager, and longtime defensive coordinator Bengston was promoted. Lombardi left after the season for the Washington Redskins.

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1968 NFL/AFL draft
1968 Green Bay Packers draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 5 Fred Carr *  Linebacker Texas at El Paso
1 26 Bill Lueck  Guard Arizona
3 67 Billy Stevens  Quarterback Texas at El Paso
3 81 Dick Himes  Tackle Ohio State
4 92 Brendan McCarthy  Running back Boston College
4 108 John Robinson  Wide receiver Tennessee State
5 121 Steve Duich  Tackle San Diego State
5 137 Francis Winkler  Defensive end Memphis State
6 164 Walter Chadwick  Running back Tennessee
7 191 Andy Beath  Defensive back Duke
8 218 Tom Owens  Guard Missouri-Rolla
9 245 Bob Apisa  Running back Michigan State
10 260 Rick Cash  Tackle Northeast Missouri State
10 272 Ron Worthen  Center Arkansas State
11 299 Gordon Rule  Defensive back Dartmouth
12 325 Dennis Porter  Tackle Northern Michigan
13 353 Frank Geiselman  Wide receiver Rhode Island
14 380 John Farler  Wide receiver Colorado
15 407 Ridley Gibson  Defensive back Baylor
16 434 Al Groves  Tackle St. Norbert
17 461 Ken Rota  Running back North Dakota State
      Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Roster

1968 Green Bay Packers roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve None: N/A

Rookies in italics

Schedule

Main article: 1968 NFL season
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
1 September 15 Philadelphia Eagles W 30–13 1–0 Lambeau Field 50,861
2 September 22 Minnesota Vikings L 13–26 1–1 Milwaukee County Stadium 49,346
3 September 29 Detroit Lions L 17–23 1–2 Lambeau Field 50,861
4 October 6 at Atlanta Falcons W 38–7 2–2 Atlanta Stadium 58,850
5 October 13 Los Angeles Rams L 14–16 2–3 Milwaukee County Stadium 49,646
6 October 20 at Detroit Lions T 14–14 2–3–1 Tiger Stadium 57,302
7 October 28 at Dallas Cowboys W 28–17 3–3–1 Cotton Bowl 74,604
8 November 3 Chicago Bears L 10–13 3–4–1 Lambeau Field 50,861
9 November 10 at Minnesota Vikings L 10–14 3–5–1 Metropolitan Stadium 47,644
10 November 17 New Orleans Saints W 29–7 4–5–1 Milwaukee County Stadium 49,644
11 November 24 at Washington Redskins W 27–7 5–5–1 D.C. Stadium 50,621
12 December 1 at San Francisco 49ers L 20–27 5–6–1 Kezar Stadium 47,218
13 December 7 Baltimore Colts L 3–16 5–7–1 Lambeau Field 50,861
14 December 15 at Chicago Bears W 28–27 6–7–1 Wrigley Field 46,435

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Season summary

Week 1 vs Eagles

See also: 1968 Philadelphia Eagles season Week One: Philadelphia Eagles (0–0) at Green Bay Packers (0–0)
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Eagles 3 3 0713
Packers 7 14 6330

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

  • Date: September 15
  • Game attendance: 67 °F (19 °C)
  • Box Score
Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • GB – Carroll Dale 12-yard pass from Bart Starr (Jerry Kramer kick). Packers 14–3. Drive:
  • PHI – Sam Baker 17-yard field goal. Packers 14–6. Drive:
  • GB – Boyd Dowler 55-yard pass from Bart Starr (Jerry Kramer kick). Packers 21–6. Drive:

Third quarter

  • GB – Jerry Kramer 17-yard field goal. Packers 24–6. Drive:
  • GB – Jerry Kramer 22-yard field goal. Packers 27–6. Drive:

Fourth quarter

  • PHI – Gary Ballman 2-yard pass from King Hill (Sam Baker kick). Packers 27–13. Drive:
  • GB – Jerry Kramer 35-yard field goal. Packers 30–13. Drive:
Top passers
  • PHI – King Hill – 16/35, 196 yards, TD, INT
  • GB – Bart Starr – 14/18, 220 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
Top receivers

Week 14

A win by the Packers was important because a Bears loss means that The Minnesota Vikings clinched the Central Division title and their first ever playoff berth.

1 234Total
• Packers 7 1470 28
Bears 10 0017 27
  • Date: December 15
  • Location: Wrigley Field
  • Game weather: 22 °F (−6 °C), wind 7 mph
Scoring summary
1CHIMac Percival 14-yard field goalBears 3–0
1GBBoyd Dowler 72-yard pass from Zeke Bratkowski (Mike Mercer kick)Packers 7–3
1CHIDick Gordon 48-yard pass from Jack Concannon (Mac Percival kick)Bears 10–7
2GBJim Grabowski 67-yard pass from Don Horn (Mike Mercer kick)Packers 14–10
2GBChuck Mercein 1-yard run (Mike Mercer kick)Packers 21–10
3GBBoyd Dowler 25-yard pass from Don Horn (Mike Mercer kick)Packers 28–10
4CHIRonnie Bull 8-yard run (Mac Percival kick)Packers 28–17
4CHIMac Percival 26-yard field goalPackers 28–20
4CHIDick Gordon 51-yard pass from Jack Concannon (Mac Percival kick)Packers 28–27

Standings

NFL Central
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Minnesota Vikings 8 6 0 .571 4–2 6–4 282 242 W2
Chicago Bears 7 7 0 .500 3–3 5–5 250 333 L1
Green Bay Packers 6 7 1 .462 1–4–1 2–7–1 281 227 W1
Detroit Lions 4 8 2 .333 3–2–1 4–5–1 207 241 L1
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

References

  1. Pro-Football-Reference.com

External links

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Italics indicates NFL Championship (1920–69) or Super Bowl (1966–) appearance
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