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.
Offseason Draft
Undrafted free agents
+ 1979 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeVarian BristowTight endJohnson C. SmithSteve BrothersDefensive backBaylorKyle GrossartQuarterbackOregon StateCarlos HendersonDefensive backEastern MichiganRandy HughleyLinebackerWyomingBobby KimballWide ReceiverOklahomaJohn KellyTight endC. W. PostVince McCoyTight endTennessee StateScott O'BrienDefensive endWisconsin–SuperiorJames PickensDefensive BackMichiganMichael RiekerQuarterbackLehighRon SmithLinebackerClemsonBob UnruhKickerWheaton
Roster and Coaches Staff
Roster
Regular season
Schedule Week Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 at Chicago Bears L 3–6 Soldier Field 0–1 56,515 2 New Orleans Saints W 28–19 Milwaukee County Stadium 1–1 53,184 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 21–10 Lambeau Field 1–2 55,498 4 at Minnesota Vikings L 27–21 (OT) Metropolitan Stadium 1–3 46,524 5 New England Patriots W 27–14 Lambeau Field 2–3 52,842 6 at Atlanta Falcons L 7–25 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 2–4 56,184 7 Detroit Lions W 24–16 Milwaukee County Stadium 3–4 53,930 8 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 3–21 Tampa Stadium 3–5 67,186 9 at Miami Dolphins L 7–27 Orange Bowl 3–6 47,741 10 New York Jets L 22–27 Lambeau Field 3–7 54,201 11 Minnesota Vikings W 19–7 Milwaukee County Stadium 4–7 52,706 12 at Buffalo Bills L 12–19 Rich Stadium 4–8 39,679 13 Philadelphia Eagles L 10–21 Lambeau Field 4–9 50,023 14 at Washington Redskins L 21–38 RFK Stadium 4–10 51,682 15 Chicago Bears L 14–15 Lambeau Field 4–11 54,207 16 at Detroit Lions W 18–13 Pontiac Silverdome 5–11 57,376
Season summary
Week 2: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 15: vs. Chicago Bears
Standings
In popular media 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.List of That '70s Show episodes#Season 7: 2004.E2.80.932005 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.
References
Sportsencyclopedia.com