The Green Bay Packers entered the 1972 season full of uncertainty and hope. The Packers were coming off a disappointing 4-8-2 record in Dan Devine’s first season as head coach. They were determined that the 1972 season would be different. The new season got off to a strong start thanks to two rookies who helped the Packers to a new direction in their very first NFL game. We look back at the impressive debuts of rookies Willie Buchanon and Chester Marcol and how they sparked the Packers 1972 season in their NFL debuts.
How Willie Buchanon and Chester Marcol Sparked the Packers 1972 Season: The Buildup
The Packers went 4-2 in the preseason in 1972 as they attempted to bounce back from last year. Scott Hunter won the quarterback job, with the recently retired Bart Starr taking over as quarterbacks coach to mentor his fellow Alabama alum.
The Packers were counting on two of their high draft picks to make a difference for the team. They selected Buchanon in the first round to bolster their secondary. The San Diego State alum was a fast and smart cover corner. In the second round, Green Bay added Marcol to solve its kicking woes that had persisted since Don Chandler retired after the 1967 season. Both players would make their NFL debuts in this game.
The Browns were coming off a 9-5 season and were the defending AFC Central champions. They lost in the divisional round of the 1971 playoffs to the Baltimore Colts. The Browns had a quarterback controversy between veteran Bill Nelson and second-year man Mike Phipps.
A warm, 74 degree day in Cleveland made for good weather although there were 17 mile per hour wind gusts which could have an impact on the passing and kicking games.
A See Saw First Half
Buchanon wasted no time in making an impact. On Cleveland’s third play from scrimmage, he stepped in front of a Nelson pass intended for receiver Frank Pitts. The rookie corner returned the pick 11 yards to the Browns 22. That set up the first score of the game. Hunter faked a handoff to MacArthur Lane and threw to tight end Rich McGeorge on a down and out pattern. The Browns defense bit on the fake and McGeorge ran untouched into the end zone. Marcol booted the extra point and the Packers led 7-0.
The Browns responded and scored the next 10 points. After a Don Cockroft field goal made it 7-3, the Cleveland special teams came up with a big play. Defensive tackle Jerry Sherk blocked a long field goal try by Marcol which Clarence Scott scooped up and returned 55 yards for a touchdown. The Packers trailed 10-7 early in the second quarter.
“I kicked it too slow and too low,” Marcol admitted after the game. “It wasn’t the way I envisioned starting my professional career. But I was done missing.”
The Packers bounced back quickly. Marcol made his next field goal try, this one from 41 yards out. It was his first pro field goal. That tied the game 10-10.
Right before the half, Hunter found McGeorge again on a similar pattern, this time from two yards out. McGeorge was open in the end zone. The score gave the Packers a 17-10 halftime lead. Unfortunately, these two catches would be the only ones for McGeorge in 1972 as he suffered a season-ending knee injury the following week.
How Willie Buchanon and Chester Marcol Sparked the Packers 1972 Season: The Packers Pull Away
The Packers pulled away in the second half. They emphasized their running game featuring Lane and big John Brockington who was coming off a strong rookie season that saw him gain more than 1,000 yards. He opened the 1972 season with 83 yards on 23 carries. Lane added 45 yards on the ground and also caught two passes for 63 yards including a 49-yard catch that tilted the field.
Marcol kicked three more field goals of 19, 49, and 17 yards to make the final score 26-10. The Green Bay defense played well. In addition to Buchanon, safety Jim Hill and linebacker Dave Robinson also intercepted passes. Robinson’s set up the final field goal of the game. The Packers held Cleveland to 188 total yards for the game, and the Browns offense did not score a touchdown.
Hunter finished the game by completing 7-of-17 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
The Aftermath
The win over a playoff team gave this young Packers team a confidence boost.
“You always like to get off to a good start,” Devine said. “With the schedule we have this year, I think it’s important we get off to a good start.”
The four kicks allowed Marcol to tie a team record with four field goals in a game, tying Paul Hornung and Jerry Kramer in that department. Marcol would earn All Pro honors after leading the NFL in field goals and points.
Buchanon finished the season with four interceptions and three fumble recoveries. He earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Both rookies made a huge impact in their first NFL games.
The Packers went on to finish the season with a 10-4 record and won the NFC Central Division title. It would be the team’s only playoff appearance of the 1970s. The Browns also finished 10-4 and made the playoffs as the AFC Wild Card.
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