1983 New England Patriots season
| 1983 New England Patriots season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Billy Sullivan |
| General manager | Patrick Sullivan |
| Head coach | Ron Meyer |
| Home field | Sullivan Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–8 |
| Division place | T-2nd AFC East |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | P Rich Camarillo CB Raymond Clayborn RB Tony Collins G John Hannah T Brian Holloway |
| AP All-Pros | G John Hannah (1st team) P Rich Camarillo (2nd team) |
The 1983 New England Patriots season was the franchise's 14th season in the National Football League and 24th overall. The Patriots played inconsistently all season, but at 8–7 had a chance for a playoff spot with a win in their final game of the season in Seattle. The Patriots would have problems with turnovers as rookie quarterback Tony Eason was swallowed up in a 24–6 loss to the Seahawks.
In the first week of December, in shocking conditions with sleet and snow,[1] the Patriots’ game with wild card contender New Orleans Saints saw just one score set up by Ricky Smith returning the Saints’ initial kickoff to the 3-yard line. As of 2023, this game remains the most recent 7–0 result in NFL history,[2] with only three games since seeing just one score,[3] all three of which a single field goal was the only score.[note 1]
Draft
[edit]| 1983 New England Patriots draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | Tony Eason | Quarterback | Illinois | |
| 2 | 47 | Darryal Wilson | Wide receiver | Tennessee | |
| 3 | 74 | Stephen Starring | Wide receiver | McNeese State | |
| 3 | 80 | Steve Moore | Guard | Tennessee State | |
| 4 | 101 | Johnny Rembert * | Linebacker | Clemson | |
| 5 | 118 | Smiley Creswell | Defensive end | Michigan State | |
| 5 | 128 | Darryl Lewis | Tight end | Texas-Arlington | |
| 6 | 155 | Mike Bass | Placekicker | Illinois | |
| 7 | 187 | Craig James * | Running back | Southern Methodist | |
| 8 | 214 | Ronnie Lippett | Cornerback | Miami (FL) | |
| 9 | 233 | Ricky Williams | Running back | Langston | |
| 9 | 240 | Mark Keel | Tight end | Arizona | |
| 10 | 264 | James Williams | Tight end | Wyoming | |
| 10 | 265 | Toby Williams | Defensive end | Nebraska | |
| 10 | 267 | Tom Ramsey | Quarterback | UCLA | |
| 11 | 292 | Steve Parker | Wide receiver | Abilene Christian | |
| 11 | 294 | Calvin Eason | Defensive back | Houston | |
| 12 | 319 | Waddell Kelly | Running back | Arkansas State | |
| 12 | 326 | Andy Ekern | Offensive tackle | Missouri | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Staff
[edit]| New England Patriots 1983 staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
Roster
[edit]Regular season
[edit]Schedule
[edit]| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 4 | Baltimore Colts | L 23–29 | 0–1 | Sullivan Stadium | 45,526 | |
| 2 | September 11 | at Miami Dolphins | L 24–34 | 0–2 | Miami Orange Bowl | 59,343 | |
| 3 | September 18 | New York Jets | W 23–13 | 1–2 | Sullivan Stadium | 43,182 | |
| 4 | September 25 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 28–23 | 2–2 | Three Rivers Stadium | 58,282 | |
| 5 | October 2 | San Francisco 49ers | L 13–33 | 2–3 | Sullivan Stadium | 54,293 | |
| 6 | October 9 | at Baltimore Colts | L 7–12 | 2–4 | Memorial Stadium | 35,618 | |
| 7 | October 16 | San Diego Chargers | W 37–21 | 3–4 | Sullivan Stadium | 59,016 | |
| 8 | October 23 | at Buffalo Bills | W 31–0 | 4–4 | Rich Stadium | 60,424 | |
| 9 | October 30 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 13–24 | 4–5 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 47,546 | |
| 10 | November 6 | Buffalo Bills | W 21–7 | 5–5 | Sullivan Stadium | 42,604 | |
| 11 | November 13 | Miami Dolphins | W 17–6 | 6–5 | Sullivan Stadium | 60,771 | |
| 12 | November 20 | Cleveland Browns | L 0–30 | 6–6 | Sullivan Stadium | 40,987 | |
| 13 | November 27 | at New York Jets | L 3–26 | 6–7 | Giants Stadium | 48,620 | |
| 14 | December 4 | New Orleans Saints | W 7–0 | 7–7 | Sullivan Stadium | 24,579 | |
| 15 | December 11 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 21–7 | 8–7 | Anaheim Stadium | 46,503 | |
| 16 | December 18 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 6–24 | 8–8 | Kingdome | 59,688 | |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
Standings
[edit]| AFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Miami Dolphins(2) | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 389 | 250 | W5 |
| New England Patriots | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 6–6 | 274 | 289 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 7–5 | 283 | 351 | L2 |
| Baltimore Colts | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–5 | 5–9 | 264 | 354 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–5 | 4–8 | 313 | 331 | L2 |
Notes
[edit]- ^ These 3–0 scores occurred in 1993 when the Jets defeated the Redskins, in 2007 when the Steelers defeated the Dolphins, and in 2023 when the Vikings defeated the Raiders
References
[edit]- ^ ‘Kickoff Return Practices Pay Off as Patriots Slip Past Saints 7–0’; St. Petersburg Times, December 5, 1983, p. 5C
- ^ Pro Football Reference; Games with Final Score 7–0
- ^ Pro Football Reference; Games with Final Score 3–0
See also
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