Anybody who saw the Keanu Reeves film, “The Replacements” has an idea what things were like during the 1987 NFL players strike. All of the teams hired replacement players at the last minute and as a result, only one game was missed that year. The replacements ended up playing three games which to this day, count in the NFL standings. Their statistics are there alongside the regular players. Green Bay Packers head coach Forrest Gregg put together this team, and they came together quickly to win two of their three games. Today we look back at the Packers replacement team who went out in dramatic fashion with an overtime win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Packers Replacement Team Went Out in Dramatic Fashion: The Buildup

The Packers regular team had low expectations entering the 1987 campaign. This was Gregg’s fourth season as head coach. The team had a 4-12 record in 1986 and weren’t expected to be substantially better in 1987. The regular team got off to a 0-1-1 start before the strike started.

After a one-week delay to sign players, the replacement Packers took the field. The replacements were former college stars who didn’t make NFL lineups and former NFL players. Teams scrambled to fill rosters and tried to find any players who they had connections with.

The Packers replacement team beat the Vikings 23-16 in their first outing and then lost a close game to the Lions in overtime, 19-16. The strike was finally settled shortly before the replacement players third game against the Eagles, but it was so late in the week that the league decided the replacements would play one more game together before they would return to their prior lives.

The Eagles were coached by Buddy Ryan, the defensive mastermind of the 1985 Bears squad that won the Super Bowl. The Eagles were 1-1 before the strike, but their replacement team lost their first two games by a combined 51 points.

A Defensive First Half

On a cool, 46-degree day at Lambeau Field, the two teams took the field for their final game before the regular players returned. Both teams went three-and-out on their opening drives in what would become a mistake filled game.

On the second drive, Packers quarterback Alan Risher was intercepted by Philadelphia’s Troy West. The Eagles drove down the field and scored on a five-yard run by Alvin Ross. Late in the first quarter, the Packers trailed 7-0.

On their next drive, the Packers got a 61-yard run by Kevin Willhite. They reached the Eagles 27 before Risher was picked off again and the score remained 7-0.

Midway through the second quarter, the Packers started another drive. It was set up by a 36-yard punt return by Patrick Scott. A late hit added 15 more yards and set the Green Bay offense up at the Eagles 20. But the offense couldn’t move the ball closer, and the Packers settled for a 42-yard field goal by Max Zendejas. The teams entered the locker room at halftime with the Eagles ahead 7-3.

Packers Replacement Team Went Out in Dramatic Fashion: A Sloppy Second Half and a Dramatic Finish

The teams continued to struggle to move the ball. Midway through the third quarter, Jim Bob Morris intercepted Eagles quarterback Scott Tinsley and returned the ball to the Philadelphia 47. A couple of plays later, Risher found Lee Morris for a 46-yard touchdown. Green Bay led 10-7.

More turnovers and penalties followed but the Eagles managed to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter. A 26-yard punt by Bill Renner of the Packers gave Philadelphia the ball at the Green Bay 45. That led to a 44-yard field goal by Dave Jacobs and the game was all tied 10-10 after regulation time.

The Packers received the overtime kickoff. Scott fumbled the return but managed to recover so the drive started at the Packers 24. Risher mixed runs and passes to move the ball downfield. He opened the drive with a 12-yard pass to Lee Morris. Then Larry Morris ran three times in the next four plays for 13 total yards. In between, Risher threw to running back Jimmy Hargrove for six more.

The key play in the drive was a 27-yard completion to Lee Morris that got the ball to the Eagles 18. After a three-yard run by Larry Morris, Risher kept it simple. He handed off to Hargrove on three straight plays that gained three, seven and five yards. The final run scored the final touchdown the replacement Packers would ever score. Green Bay won 16-10 and improved their record to 2-2-1.

A Bittersweet Win

The game was full of turnovers. Green Bay intercepted four passes and recovered one fumble. But the Packers also turned the ball over four times. The Packers committed eight penalties in the game, but the Eagles topped them by committing 10.

Receiver Lee Morris finished the game with 132 yards on six catches and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Willhite ran 16 times for exactly 100 yards. It was the first 100-yard rushing game for the Packers since the Snow Bowl against the Bucs late in the 1985 campaign.

“We wanted to show we were a good team despite the ridicule and being called scabs,” Hargrove said after the game. “We wanted to go out as winners in our last game.”

“You almost feel like crying,” Willhite added. “It took a while, but we came together… Maybe we’re not the “A” Team, but we proved ourselves.”

“This is an experience I will cherish for a lifetime,” Scott added.

Packers Replacement Team Went Out in Dramatic Fashion: The Aftermath

Some of the replacement players hoped they could stay with the team after the regular players returned. “They know that I can run, that I can perform,” Willhite told reporters. “Hopefully, they will make some decisions down the line that I can play here, or if not, someplace else.”

Nine former replacement players were signed by the Packers to stay on the roster. They included Risher, Zendejas, Lee Morris, Scott, Jim Bob Morris, linebacker Jim Melka, offensive tackle Steve Collier, center Vince Rafferty and tackle Bob Gruber.

Gregg hoped having strike-breakers and union members on the team wouldn’t become an issue. “We have mature adults on this team, and I think they are people who understand reason,” Gregg said. “I think the leadership within our football team will keep this thing well in hand. I don’t expect them to automatically love each other. Just because I do, I don’t expect both sides to come together. I don’t know how long things will last but I expect a compromise.”

The Packers finished the season with a 5-9-1 record. The replacement players ended up with a better record at 2-1 than the real team who went 3-8-1. After the season, Gregg left the Packers to take over as athletic director of his alma mater at SMU.

The Packers “B” team may not be household names these days. But they had their moment in the sun, and they went out as winners.

 

 

 

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