After all of the turkey and stuffing are ingested in the afternoon, NFL fans get a bonus treat in 2024 as the Green Bay Packers are set to take on the Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving night at Lambeau Field. The two teams have only faced each other 16 times in their histories, and the Dolphins hold a 10-6 edge in their series.
The first meeting took place on December 19, 1971. A then Orange Bowl-record crowd of 76,812 in Miami witnessed the regular season finale for both squads; the Packers were playing out the string and had one eye on the game and the other on their vacation plans as they limped into South Florida with a 4-7-2 mark and no hopes of the playoffs.
On the other hand, the Dolphins were flying high with a 9-3-1 record and one season away from a perfect 1972 season under head coach Don Shula, their best regular season in their young history, and were readying themselves for a deep post-season run.
With those variables in place, the Vegas oddsmakers made Miami a seven-point favorite. Although the outcome of the game proved the prognosticators correct, the game was competitive for more than half.
The true takeaway from this game 53 years ago was that it signified the final game for arguably one of the greatest to ever wear a Green Bay Packers uniform.
December 19, 1971: The Last-Ever Game For Bart Starr For The Green Bay Packers
Entering the 1971 NFL season, Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr was 37 years old and entering his 16th season wearing the green and gold. He was no longer the full-time starter; the torch was passed to rookie Scott Hunter, who was drafted in the sixth round of that year’s draft. Hunter started 10 of the Packers’ 14 games in 1971, but with Green Bay well out of the playoff hunt, the time was right to send a legend out to lead the Pack one last time.
Starr would be making only his third start of the season, and he was winless in his first two home losses to the New Orleans Saints and a road tie against the St. Louis Cardinals. The old magic he once possessed betrayed him; he would end his final season with zero touchdown passes. But, head coach Dan Devine, in a respectful homage to the man who led the Lombardi-era Packers to five NFL Championships in the 1960s, allowed his grizzled signal caller one last moment in the sun.
The Green Bay Packers Kept It Close, But The Dolphins Pulled Away In The Second Half
The Packers struck first against the Dolphins, converting a short 14-yard field goal by Tim Webster to take a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. Miami’s Garo Yepremian answered with two successful kicks of his own, a 26-yarder in the first quarter to tie the game, and a 27-yard boot in the second quarter to lead the Dolphins to a 6-3 halftime lead.
After Webster made the score even in the third quarter with a 24-yard effort, the Dolphins scored 21 unanswered points behind the punishing ground attack of running backs Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick, who each scored 1-yard touchdown plunges. Miami tacked on a special teams touchdown when Curtis Johnson returned a blocked Webster field goal attempt 47 yards for the game’s final score, making the final tally 27-6.
See Also: Video Recap of The 1971 Packers-Dolphins Game
Starr Era Over But Will Never Be Forgotten
Despite ending his career on a low note against the Dolphins, Bart Starr left behind a legacy that will not be forgotten by Packers Nation as long as there is a team in Green Bay.
Once a 17th-round pick, Starr persevered and developed into a Hall of Fame quarterback and one of the most beloved and decorated players in Green Bay Packers history. His five league championships, 1966 NFL Most Valuable Player, and the MVP of the first two Super Bowls are just a few of the accolades bestowed on Starr, and because of them, his number 15 will never be worn again by any Packers’ player.
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