1972 Green Bay Packers season
| 1972 Green Bay Packers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Dan Devine |
| Home field |
Lambeau Field Milwaukee County Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–4 |
| Division place | 1st NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Redskins, 16–3) |
The 1972 Green Bay Packers season was their 53rd season in the National Football League. The club posted a 10–4 record under second-year head coach Dan Devine, earning them the NFC Central division title. The Packers returned to the playoffs after a four-year drought; their most recent division title was in 1967, completing that postseason with a decisive win in Super Bowl II in January 1968.
In 1972, Green Bay entered the penultimate regular season game at Minnesota on December 10 with an 8–4 record. The Vikings (7–5) had won the season's earlier game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay by breaking a fourth quarter tie with two interceptions for touchdowns. This time, the Packers overcame a 7–0 halftime deficit at Metropolitan Stadium with 23 unanswered points to clinch the division title. Running back John Brockington became the first in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, and did it again the following season.
Placekicker Chester Marcol established an NFL rookie record for field goals in a season (since broken). It was the fifteenth and final season of hall of fame linebacker Ray Nitschke.
The Packers' next division title came 23 years later, in 1995.
In February 1972, running back (and punter) Donny Anderson was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for MacArthur Lane.Hall of fame quarterback Bart Starr retired as a player in July; he was the quarterbacks coach and play caller in 1972. (He then pursued business interests and was a color analyst for CBS, then became Green Bay's head coach after the 1974 season.)
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