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 2017, this game remains the most recent 7–0 result in NFL history,[2] with only two games since seeing just one score,[3] both a single field goal.[note 1]

Draft

Main article: 1983 NFL Draft
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

New England Patriots 1983 staff
Front Office

Head Coaches

Offensive Coaches

 

Defensive Coaches

Special Teams Coaches

Strength and Conditioning

Roster

1983 New England Patriots roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad



Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Attendance
1 September 4 Baltimore Colts L 29–23 0—1 45,526
2 September 11 at Miami Dolphins L 34–24 0—2 59,343
3 September 18 New York Jets W 23–13 1—2 43,182
4 September 25 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 28–23 2—2 58,282
5 October 2 San Francisco 49ers L 33–13 2—3 54,293
6 October 9 at Baltimore Colts L 12–7 2—4 35,618
7 October 16 San Diego Chargers W 37–21 3—4 59,016
8 October 23 at Buffalo Bills W 31–0 4—4 60,424
9 October 30 at Atlanta Falcons L 24–13 4—5 47,546
10 November 6 Buffalo Bills W 21–7 5—5 42,604
11 November 13 Miami Dolphins W 17–6 6—5 60,771
12 November 20 Cleveland Browns L 30–0 6—6 40,987
13 November 27 at New York Jets L 26–3 6—7 48,620
14 December 4 New Orleans Saints W 7–0 7—7 24,579
15 December 11 at Los Angeles Rams W 21–7 8—7 46,503
16 December 18 at Seattle Seahawks L 24–6 8—8 59,688

Standings

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

  1. ^ These 3–0 scores occurred in 1993 when the Jets defeated the Redskins and in 2007 when the Steelers defeated the Dolphins.

References

  1. ^ ‘Kickoff Return Practices Pay Off as Patriots Slip Past Saints 7–0’; St. Petersburg Times, December 5, 1983, p. 5C
  2. ^ Pro Football Reference; Games with Final Score 7–0
  3. ^ Pro Football Reference; Games with Final Score 3–0

See also