The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team that has played since 1919 and played professionally in the National Football League since 1921. As winners of Super Bowl XLV, they are the defending NFL champions.
Contents |
The Green Bay Packers were founded on August 11, 1919 by Curly Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun. [1] Lambeau solicited funds for uniforms from his employer, the Indian Packing Company. He was given $250 for uniforms and equipment, on the condition that the team be named for its sponsor. Today, "Green Bay Packers" is the oldest team name still in use in the NFL.[2]
The Packers became a professional franchise when they joined the newly formed American Professional Football Association on August 27, 1921. However, the franchise was revoked by the league at the end of the season when the Packers were revealed to have used college players in a game. As it turned out, the man who told the league of this was George Halas of the Chicago Staleys, who changed their name to the Bears the following year. This incident signaled the start of the infamous Packers-Bears rivalry. Lambeau appealed to the league and they allowed the franchise to be reinstated, though Lambeau had to pay the league entry fee of $50 to do so. Further troubles threatened to add more debt to the team, but local businessmen, known as the "Hungry Five," got behind the team and formed the Green Bay Football Corporation in 1923, which continues to run the franchise to this day.
The Packers are now the only publicly owned company with a board of directors in American professional sports (although other teams, such as the Atlanta Braves [Liberty Media, previously Time Warner], New York Rangers [Cablevision], the Carolina Hurricanes [Compuware], the Seattle Mariners [Nintendo of America], and the Toronto Blue Jays [Rogers Communications] are directly owned by publicly traded companies). Typically, a team is owned by one person, partnership, or corporate entity; thus, a "team owner." It has been speculated that this is one of the reasons the Green Bay Packers have never been moved from the city of Green Bay, a city of only 102,313 people in the 2000 census.[3]
By comparison, the typical NFL football city's population is in the millions. The Packers, however, have long had a large following throughout Wisconsin and the Midwest; in fact, for decades, the Packers played three (one pre-season, two regular-season) home games each year in Milwaukee, first at the State Fair Park fairgrounds, then at Milwaukee County Stadium. The Packers did not move their entire home schedule to Green Bay until 1995.
The reason for ending the series of Milwaukee games, according to team president Robert Harlan, was the larger capacity of Lambeau Field and the availability of luxury boxes, which were not available at Milwaukee County Stadium.[4] County Stadium's replacement, Miller Park, then being planned, was always intended to be a baseball-only stadium instead of a multipurpose stadium.
Based on the original "Articles of Incorporation for the (then) Green Bay Football Corporation" put into place in 1923, if the Packers franchise was sold, after the payment of all expenses, any remaining monies would go to the Sullivan-Wallen Post of the American Legion in order to build "a proper soldier's memorial." This stipulation was enacted to ensure the club remained in Green Bay and that there could never be any financial enhancement for the shareholders. At the November 1997 annual meeting, shareholders voted to change the beneficiary from the Sullivan-Wallen Post to the Green Bay Packers Foundation.
In 1950, the Packers held a stock sale to again raise money to support the team. In 1956, area voters approved the construction of a new stadium, owned by the city. As with its predecessor, the new field was named City Stadium, but after the death of founder Lambeau in 1965, on September 11, 1965, the stadium was renamed Lambeau Field.
Another stock sale occurred late in 1997 and early in 1998. It added 105,989 new shareholders and raised over $24 million, money used for the Lambeau Field redevelopment project. Priced at $200 per share, fans bought 120,010 shares during the 17-week sale, which ended March 16, 1998. As of June 8, 2005, 111,921 people (representing 4,749,925 shares) can lay claim to a franchise ownership interest. Shares of stock include voting rights, but the redemption price is minimal, no dividends are ever paid, the stock cannot appreciate in value, and stock ownership brings no season ticket privileges.
No shareholder may own over 200,000 shares, a safeguard to ensure that no individual can assume control of the club. To run the corporation, a board of directors is elected by the stockholders. The board of directors in turn elect a seven-member Executive Committee (officers) of the corporation, consisting of a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and three members-at-large. The president is the only officer to draw compensation; The balance of the committee is sitting "gratis."
The team's elected president represents the Packers in NFL owners meetings unless someone else is designated. During his time as coach, Vince Lombardi generally represented the team at league meetings in his role as general manager, except at owners-only meetings.
The Packers have won 13 league championships, more than any other American professional football team. They have also won 4 Super Bowls. Their arch-rivals the Chicago Bears are second, with nine NFL championships (including one Super Bowl). The historical rivalry with Chicago extends to the Hall of Fame - the Packers have the second most Hall of Famers (21, behind the Bears' 26). The Packers are also the only team to win three straight NFL titles, which they did twice (1929–1931 and 1965–67).
Following their 1944 championship, the Packers finished 6-4 in 1945 and 6-5 in 1946. After the NFL established a uniform 12-game season in 1947, Green Bay won six games, lost five, and had one tie. The team only won three games in 1948 and began to experience financial problems, which worsened in the 2-10 1949 season. Afterwards, Curly Lambeau stepped down as head coach. A bond drive was issued in 1950, which raised $118,000 for the struggling team. Gene Ronziani replaced Lambeau as coach, and the team began using the green and gold colored uniforms that have been worn ever since. But Green Bay still only won three games that season and in 1951. They reached 6-6 in 1952 and nearly made the postseason, but were kept out by a loss to Detroit.
During this period, the issue of a new stadium began to crop up. City Stadium was an extremely inadequate facility, seating only 25,000. Players also had to use the locker rooms at the local high school. In order to improve revenue, the Packers began playing one or two home games a year at the newly-constructed Milwaukee County Stadium, a practice that continued until 1995.
The first game played at MCS was a 27-0 shutout at the hands of Cleveland, after which the Packers finished 1953 2-7-1 and Gene Ronziani resigned. Verne Llewellyn took over as GM in 1954 and Lisle Blackbourn of Marquette University was hired as HC, but the Packers still only won four games that season. A 6-6 record in 1955 again put the team in postseason contention, but a loss to the Bears sent them home. The Packers fell back to 4-8 in 1956, a season most noteworthy for the drafting of University of Alabama QB Bart Starr.
Meanwhile, the NFL threatened to force the Packers to move to Milwaukee if they didn't get a more adequate stadium. The city of Green Bay approved a bond issue to build a new facility in 1956, and New City Stadium was completed in time for the 1957 season, with Vice President Nixon attending the dedication ceremony and opening game as the Packers defeated Chicago 21-17. But the season proved another disappointing 3-9 campaign, and Lisle Blackbourn resigned as head coach. Ray "Scooter" MacLean replaced him, but the Packers collapsed to a league-worst 1-10-1 record in 1958.
Green Bay's struggles in the years after World War II were due to a number of reasons. The small town environment made it hard to attract players. Some were also lost to the CFL and to military service. In addition, the Board of Directors was engaged in constant micromanagement of the team.
Following the abysmal 1958 season, Vince Lombardi was hired as head coach. He had previously been an assistant coach for the Giants and had been unsuccessful in several attempts at acquiring a head coaching position. Upon assuming his new job, Lombardi famously said "As of now, I'm in charge." This meant that he and his assistants would take care of personnel decisions from now on, while the Board of Directors would limit their activities to the business side of the franchise. Another lesser change was Lombardi's introduction of the familiar Packers helmet logo that has been used to the present day.
Several other factors helped the Packers return to success in the following decade. After Pete Rozelle became NFL Commissioner in 1959, he made sure that every franchise got all its games broadcast on television, as up to that point only big-market teams like the Bears and Giants enjoyed this privilege. TV helped raise revenue for small-market teams like Green Bay, and also because of the introduction of revenue sharing, which ensured that no NFL franchise would have to worry about bankruptcy.
The Lombardi era got off to a promising start when the Packers shut out Chicago on the 1959 opener, ultimately finishing 7-5 for their first winning record in 12 years. A 21-0 shutout of Washington on November 22 was the last Packers game to date that did not sell out.
In 1960, the Packers finished 8-4 and won their first division title since 1944. They also contested the championship game for the first time since that year against Philadelphia. The Eagles were playing on their home turf at Franklin Field however, and they won the championship game 17-14. It would be Vince Lombardi's only postseason loss.
After an 11-3 record in the newly-expanded 14-game season, the Packers again won their division and went to the 1961 championship game, this time at New City Stadium. They shut out the Giants 27-0 for the team's first title since 1944 and their 7th total.
The Packers would do even better in 1962, winning 13 of 14 games, including 11 in a row. This included a rematch with the Eagles in Franklin Field. Green Bay avenged the 1960 championship game by snuffing their opponent 41-0 in a game widely referred to as "Lombardi's Revenge". It would be the last Packers victory in Philadelphia until 2010. They reached the championship game again, this time in Yankee Stadium. On a frigid December day, Green Bay ground down the Giants 16-7 to win a second straight title.
A three-peat eluded Green Bay in 1963 as RB Paul Hornung was suspended by the league for betting on games. Without him, the team still finished 11-2-1, but was swept by the Bears, who won the division and ultimately the championship. The Packers were then forced into the embarrassing situation of having to go to Miami for the so-called "Playoff Bowl", an exhibition game the NFL held every January during 1960-69 between the second-place finishers of each conference. They beat Cleveland 40-23, but Vince Lombardi was not happy about it, calling the Playoff Bowl "The Shit Bowl. A loser's game for losers. Because that's all second place is."
The Packers appeared to have run out of gas in 1964, winning only eight games, losing five, and having one tie. Once again they had to contest the meaningless Playoff Bowl in Miami, this time with the Cardinals, who won 24-17. Lombardi was again infuriated, calling it "a rinky-dink game in a rinky-dink town between two rinky-dink teams."
During the 1965 off-season, Curly Lambeau died and the Packers renamed New City Stadium Lambeau Field in his honor. The Packers rebounded by winning ten games and losing three, but the season ender with San Francisco was a tie, forcing them to play the Colts in Baltimore to determine the conference champion. In a close defensive struggle, the two teams tied at 10-10 and went into overtime, where Green Bay won it on a 25-yard FG. Afterwards, they returned home to host Cleveland for the championship games, winning it 23-12.
The Packers of the 1960s were one of the most dominant NFL teams of all time. Coach Vince Lombardi took over a last-place team in 1959 and built it into a juggernaut, winning five league championships over a seven-year span culminating with victories in the first two Super Bowls. During the Lombardi era, The Packers had a group of legendary stars: the offense was led by quarterback Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Carroll Dale, Paul Hornung and Jerry Kramer; the defense was led by the likes of Willie Wood, Ray Nitschke, Dave Robinson, and Herb Adderley.
The greatness of the Packers of the '60s really began one year earlier with the hiring of head coach Vince Lombardi. In their first game under Lombardi on September 27, 1959, the Packers beat the heavily favored Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field. The Packers got off to a 3–0 start but lost the next five and then won their last four games to achieve their first winning season since 1947.
The next year, the Packers, led by Paul Hornung's 176 points, won the NFL West Title and played in the NFL Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles at Philadelphia. In a see-saw game the Packers trailed the Eagles by four points late in the game. The Packers began their final drive, aiming for glory, but it was not to be as Chuck Bednarik tackled Jim Taylor just nine yards short of the goal line as time ran out. In the locker room after the game, Lombardi told his men that this would be the last time the Packers would lose the championship game with him at the helm. That prediction became fact, as the Packers would never again lose the NFL Championship game under Lombardi.
The Packers returned to the NFL Championship game the following season, as they faced the New York Giants. This time the game was no contest as the Packers exploded for 24 2nd quarter points as Paul Hornung, having recently returned from the Army, scored an NFL Championship record 19 points as the Packers beat the Giants to win their first NFL Championship since 1944.
Not resting on their 1961 Championship, the Packers stormed back the following season, jumping out to a 10–0 start en route to an amazing 13–1 season. The Packers faced the Giants in a much more brutal championship game than the previous year, but the Packers prevailed on the surprising foot of Jerry Kramer and the determined running of Jim Taylor. The Packers beat the Giants 16–7 and Titletown U.S.A. reigned supreme.
After a two-year absence from championship football, the Pack was back in 1965. They won some crucial games, including a 42–27 win over the Baltimore Colts, a contest in which Paul Hornung (coming back from a betting scandal and injuries) scored five touchdowns. The Packers would again beat the Colts in a playoff for the Western Conference title. The game would be remembered for Don Chandler's controversial field goal in which the ball possibly went wide right, but the official raised his arms to grant the three points. That disputed win earned the Packers a trip to the NFL Championship game, where Hornung and Taylor ran through the Cleveland Browns, helping the Packers defeat the Browns to earn their 3rd NFL Championship under Lombardi.
1966 would prove one of the most important years ever for both the Packers and the NFL as a whole. In 1959, Lamar Hunt and several others, frustrated at the league's lack of interest in expansion, began a rival organization, the American Football League. The AFL was initially laughed at by the NFL, but by 1965 were a serious competitor and began engaging in bidding wars for top college players. This culminated in the New York Jets offering Alabama QB Joe Namath a then unheard of $400,000 contract. During the spring of 1966, NFL and AFL heads met and agreed to an eventual merger into one big league, but only when the latter was deemed up to parity. Until then, the champions of both leagues would meet on a neutral site in January to determine the ultimate champion.
The Packers meanwhile had one of the finest seasons in franchise history, finishing 12-2 and with Bart Starr being named league MVP. They met the Eastern Conference winner Cowboys in Lambeau Field for the NFL championship. This celebrated game saw the Packers win 34-27.
1967 marked Vince Lombardi's final triumph. The Packers team was visibly aging, and they finished 9-4-1. However, they still proved all-but-invincible at home as they beat the 12-1 Rams in Lambeau Field to again contest the league championship with Dallas. This game became known as the "Ice Bowl" due to the frigid weather conditions. But once again, Green Bay prevailed with a score of 21-17. They now had to face the AFL champions (this time the Oakland Raiders) in Miami's Orange Bowl. By this point, Lombardi and the team were much more confident of victory as they easily beat Oakland 33-14.
After the game was over, Vince Lombardi announced that he was stepping down as head coach, although he would retain the title of general manager. Phil Bengston took his place.
Predictably, the 1968 season did not see an impressive performance from the Packers (6-7-1) as Bengston proved unable to fill Lombardi's shoes and key players retired. Meanwhile, an exhausted Vince Lombardi announced his retirement from football altogether, and Phil Bengston assumed the GM position. The Packers improved to 8-6 in 1969, but players continued to retire.
Green Bay only won six games in 1970. Meanwhile, Vince Lombardi had been seduced out of retirement by the Redskins, who made him HC and 50% owner of that team. He led them to an 8-6 record in 1969, thus preserving his streak of having never coached a team to a losing season. However, Lombardi fell ill with cancer during the 1970 off-season and died at the age of 57.
The newly-merged NFL named the Super Bowl trophy in his honor, and the street in front of Lambeau Field was named Lombardi Avenue. Meanwhile, the Packers finished 1970 6-8, which included being shut out by Detroit twice. Dejected at his inability to match the standards of his illustrious predecessor, Phil Bengston resigned as HC. Dan Devine assumed the job and began the task of replacing the '60s players with fresh, young talent. Bart Starr himself was the last to go after starting in only four games during 1971 in which he threw three interceptions, scored one rushing touchdown, and had 24 completions in 45 attempts. Most of the work in 1971 was done by newly drafted QB Scott Hunter, and at the close of the season, Starr retired at the age of 36.
For over a quarter century after Lombardi left the Packers, they had little success. Poor drafting of players was a key reason. To cite a few examples, in the first round of the 1972 draft, when future Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris was still available, the Packers instead chose mediocre quarterback Jerry Tagge. In 1981, when no fewer than three future Hall of Fame defenders were still available -- Ronnie Lott, Mike Singletary, and Howie Long, the Packers chose another mediocre quarterback, Rich Campbell. Finally, in 1989, when such future legends as Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, and Derrick Thomas were available, the Packers chose offensive lineman Tony Mandarich. Though rated highly by nearly every professional scout at the time, Mandarich's performance failed to meet expectations.
Although the Packers would not have winning success until 1992, there were moments when the Packers at times resembled the old Packer days of the 1960s. In 1972, led by workhorse running backs John Brockington and new Packer MacArthur Lane, and a sturdy defense that featured rookie Willie Buchanon, the Packers clinched the NFC Central Division Title with a 10–4 record. That team would lose to the Washington Redskins 16-3. In 1975 under new head coach Bart Starr the Packers won only 4 games, but one of those wins came at home, as the Packers beat the eventual 1975 NFC Champion Dallas Cowboys 19–17 on October 19.
1976 was another losing campaign, with the Packers only achieving a 5-9 record, the lowest in their division. The team dropped back to a 4-10 season in 1977. The frequent changes of quarterbacks during this period was indicative of Green Bay's troubles. When the NFL expanded the regular season to 16 games the following year, the team won six of its first seven matches, but largely due to an easy schedule. After the Packers began facing tougher opponents, the wins dried up and the final record for 1978 was 8-7-1.
The Packers had another 1,000 yard rusher in Terdell Middleton: he rushed for 1,116 yards. In the early 1980s, the Packers had a star-studded aerial attack led by quarterback Lynn Dickey and wide receivers James Lofton and John Jefferson.
While the 1978 season had raised the morale of Packers fans, it did not last, for 1979 saw the team finish with a 5-11 record, and a 5-10-1 showing during the injury-plagued 1980 season. In 1981, the Packers came close to the playoffs, but lost the final game of the season, a road match against the New York Jets, and ending up with an 8-8 record.
After the 1982 season was reduced to nine games by a players' strike, the NFL held a special playoff tournament with the eight best teams in each conference. The 5-3-1 Packers qualified for this, routing the Cardinals 41-16, but in the next round lost to the Cowboys 36-27. Another 8-8 season the following year led to the dismissal of Bart Starr as head coach. Forrest Gregg succeeded him, but after two more 8-8 seasons, he decided to cut several aging players and start over with fresh rookies. The rejuvenated Packers produced a 4-12 record in 1986, as was typical of a rebuilding period.
Another strike affected the NFL in 1987, resulting in a 15-game season. During the strike, the league used substitute players. The Packers fill-ins won one game and lost two before the regulars returned, but in the end the struggling team managed only a 5-9-1 record. Afterwards, Forrest Gregg resigned and was replaced by Lindy Infante. Still did the team struggle, going 4-12 in 1988.
With such a weak record, the Packers gained the privilege of first-round draft picks during the 1989 off-season. They selected Michigan State offensive tackle Tony Mandarich, who was getting considerable publicity due to his huge 325-pound frame. Mandarich (who later admitted to using steroids in college) proved a poor choice in the end, and after three seasons of mediocre performance was cut. The 1989 campaign was the best in 17 years, with the Packers compiling a 10-6 record (including a victory over the eventual Super Bowl Champion San Francisco 49ers), but still missing the playoffs. There followed another two losing seasons, with 6-10 and 4-12 records. A general overhaul took place during the 1992 off-season, with Mike Holmgren replacing Lindy Infante. Most importantly however, the Packers acquired second-year quarterback Brett Favre from the Atlanta Falcons.
Favre would get off to a slow start, losing five of his first seven games, but afterwards won six in a row. The Packers finished 1992 with a 9-7 record. In the 1993 off-season, the team signed free-agent defensive end Reggie White. After another slow start, the Packers swept ahead for a 9-7 record, reaching the playoffs for the first time in eleven years. In the NFC wild card round, they faced the Detroit Lions, who had beaten them earlier in the season. In a close game, Favre led the team to a 24-28 victory, but in the divisional playoff round Green Bay was overwhelmed 27-17 by the Dallas Cowboys, the eventual Super Bowl winner. Brett Favre would also make the Pro Bowl following that season.
The 1994 season was a near-rerun of the previous year. Again the Packers went 9-7, beat the Lions 16-12 in the NFC wild card round, and lost the divisional game 35-7 to the Cowboys. In 1995, Favre continued to cement his reputation as one of the NFL's finest quarterbacks, passing for 4,413 yards and scoring 38 touchdown passes during the team's 11-5 regular season. The Packers reached the top of the NFC Central division for the first time since 1971. However, they still had to go through the wildcard round, overpowering Atlanta 27-10. The divisional round saw them knock out the defending Super Bowl champion 49ers 27-17, but were once again frustrated by the Cowboys, who beat them 38-27 in the NFC Championship game and went on to win another Super Bowl title.
As the 1996 season began, the Packers were more determined than ever to reach the Super Bowl. Beginning with an eight-game winning streak, they faced the hated Cowboys during Week 11 on a Monday Night game. The Packers suffered a smarting loss, the score being 21-6. After this, they won the last five regular season games, finishing with a record of 13-3. Reaching the top of the NFC Central division, they were able to skip the wild card round this time. In the divisional playoff, they easily defeated San Francisco at Lambeau, with a score of 35-14. Meanwhile, the Cowboys had lost to the Carolina Panthers, and so the Packers would have to face this two-year old expansion team in the NFC Championship match. The Packers easily beat them 30-13 to advance to Super Bowl XXXI.
Facing Green Bay in the New Orleans Superdome were the AFC champion New England Patriots. In a see-saw game, the Packers gained a 27-14 lead at halftime, which they never lost despite a valiant effort by their opponent. The final score was 35-21, and Green Bay had won its first championship since 1967.
The defending champions would have an easy go of the 1997 season, which saw a record of 13-3. Brett Favre passed for 3,867 yards and was named the league's MVP third year in a row. In their fifth consecutive playoff appearance, the Packers rolled over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-7 in the divisional round, then beat the 49ers 23-10 in the NFC Championship to make the Super Bowl for the second year in a row.
Playing in San Diego, the Packers would this time engage the Denver Broncos, who had lost in all their previous Super Bowl appearances. In a game that was even more see-saw than SB XXXI, Denver had taken the lead in the fourth quarter, with a score of 24-17. Denver took its final lead with under 2 minutes in the game when Head Coach Mike Holmgren intentionally allowed Terrell Davis to score the go ahead touchdown. In the final minute of the game, Brett Favre threw a desperate pass at wide receiver Bill Schroeder, but it failed and the Broncos walked home with the Lombardi Trophy.
Still playing strong football, the Packers compiled an 11-5 record in 1998, but suffered several key injuries. They made the playoffs for the sixth year in a row, but this time as a wild card. Once again, Green Bay faced its perennial foe the San Francisco 49ers, but luck would not be on their side this time, as they lost a close game, the score being 30-27. Afterwards, Mike Holmgren stepped down as head coach and was succeeded by Ray Rhodes. The Packers only managed an 8-8 showing in 1999 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1992, despite a high-scoring season-ending performance against Arizona in an attempt to win a potential points-scored tiebreaker. Rhodes was quickly dumped and replaced by Mike Sherman. In 2000, the Packers finished 9-7, but again did not make the playoffs.
Green Bay rebounded nicely in 2001, going 12-4 and returning to the playoffs as a wild card. Per established practice, they challenged the 49ers and beat them 25-15, avenging their playoff loss three years earlier. There would be no Super Bowl appearance though, as Green Bay was crushed by the St. Louis Rams in the divisional round 45-17. Favre threw a record six interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. The following year began strongly, with the Packers starting 8-1. Divisional realignment had placed them along with Minnesota, Chicago, and Detroit in the new NFC North. Being the only team in their division to achieve a record above .500 in 2002, the Packers seemed a virtual shoo-in for the first-round bye. However, the final game of the season was lost at home to the Jets, which gave Green Bay the #3 NFC seed and forced them to go through the wild card round. The playoffs would have a humiliating end as the Packers were routed 27-7 by the Atlanta Falcons on a snow-covered Lambeau Field for the franchise's first-ever home playoff loss.
2003 began rather badly. Lambeau Field had been renovated that year, but in the season opener, the Packers lost to the Vikings 30-25. Brett Favre suffered several injuries during the season as well as the death of his father on the eve of a Monday Night trip to Oakland which he won in impressive fashion, trouncing the Oakland Raiders 41-7. The Packers went into the final week needing to win and for the Vikings to lose to win the NFC North and to get the last playoff spot. The Packers beat the Denver Broncos while the Arizona Cardinals rallied in the final seconds to beat the Vikings, giving the Packers the NFC North championship with an 11-5 record. The wild card round saw a fierce struggle with the Seattle Seahawks, which tied 27-27 and went into overtime. Defensive back Al Harris caught a pass from Seattle and ran for a 52-yard touchdown, giving the Packers the win. In the divisional round however, the Packers lost to Philadelphia. The game was tied 17-17 at the end of the 4th quarter and went into overtime, where Favre threw a pass up into the air that was intercepted by Eagles FS Brian Dawkins. Several plays later, the Eagles kicked a field goal and won 20-17.
In 2004, Green Bay compiled a 10-6 season and reached the playoffs as a wildcard, but lost to the Vikings 31-17 in the first-ever playoff meeting between the two rivals.
During the 2005 off-season, the team drafted QB Aaron Rodgers from California. Rodgers was intended to be the eventual successor to Brett Favre, by now 36 and showing his age by turning in a poor performance that year. Despite a devastating 52-3 win over New Orleans in Week 5, Favre threw a NFL-record 29 interceptions. Injuries caused the team further problems, and the season ended with a 4-12 record, the worst since 1991. This season was notable for two bizarre incidents. The first was during the Week 8 game in Cincinnati where a fan ran out onto the field and grabbed the ball from Favre, and during Week 12 in Philadelphia where another fan ran out and scattered the ashes of his dead mother into the air.
Head Coach Mike Sherman was fired at the end of the 2005 season.
It was widely expected that Brett Favre would retire in the 2006 off-season, but he eventually decided to continue playing. In addition, the team hired a new coach, Mike McCarthy. The regular season started badly, with the Packers being shut out at home by the Bears. An uneven stretch followed, and again Green Bay would not reach the playoffs, going 8-8.
2007 witnessed a remarkable resurgence of the Packers. Getting off to a four-game winning streak, he would see a loss to the Bears in Week 5, six straight wins afterwards, a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, and a heavy 35-7 defeat in Chicago. With a 13-3 record, Green Bay emerged at the top of the NFC North and gained a first-round bye in the playoffs. In the divisional round, they rolled over the Seattle Seahawks 42-20 in a snowy home game, then advanced to the NFC Championship. Also played at Lambeau, this game pitted Green Bay against the New York Giants. With below zero temperatures, it was one of the coldest in NFL history, and undoubtedly affected the 38-year old Favre's performance. The game was tied 20-20 at the end of the fourth quarter and went into overtime. After two failed attempts, combined with an interception by Favre, the Giants managed a field goal, bringing the final score to 23-20 and going on to win the Super Bowl.
In March 2008, Brett Favre announced his retirement, and as planned, Aaron Rodgers stepped up as starting quarterback. Before the team publicly declared Aaron Rodgers their quarterback of the future, however, the team asked Favre if he was certain about retirement. If not, he would be welcome to play another year as the face of their franchise. At the time he said he was comfortable with his decision and that he would not be returning to football. But as the summer approached, Favre suddenly decided that he wasn't ready to retire after all, and petitioned NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for a comeback. Goodell granted his request, but the Packers were ready to begin anew with Aaron Rodgers and had no interest in taking Favre back. They went so far as to offer him $25 million to stay in retirement, but he rejected it. There followed a three-week war of words between Favre and the Packers management until he threatened to sign with the Minnesota Vikings. The thought of that caused Green Bay's front office to panic, and they decided that he could join the New York Jets in exchange for a conditional draft pick. Favre complied, signaling the end of his reign in Green Bay and the beginning of the Aaron Rodgers era. The new quarterback got off to a slow start, winning his first two games as starter over Minnesota and Detroit, then losing the next three. Then Green Bay won two against the Seahawks and Colts, afterwards losing to the Titans and Vikings. Aside from a 37-3 victory over Chicago, the rest of the season was one of losses, with a final 6-10 record. Green Bay closed the year on an upbeat note, winning a 31-21 victory over the Lions on a clear, freezing day at Lambeau and giving Detroit a 0-16 winless season.
In August 2009, Brett Favre, after his stint with the Jets, signed with Minnesota, provoking outrage among Packers fans. The regular season got off to a poor start, as the Packers were unable to defeat any opponents with a winning record. In Week 4, the team travelled to the Metrodome to face their former quarterback, losing 30-23. Following easy wins over Detroit and Cleveland, they hosted the Vikings in Week 8. Packers fans burned effigies of Favre, who was greeted by a chorus of boos and obscenities as he stepped onto Lambeau Field in the uniform of Green Bay's hated rival. Minnesota won the game handsomely, the final score being 38-26. The lowest point came a week later, when the Packers lost to the then winless Buccaneers 38-28. After that however, they recovered and swept through the next five games. Following a one-point loss to Pittsburgh, they defeated the Seahawks and Cardinals to secure a wild card in the playoffs. This was the 16th time in the last 17 years that they had won their regular season finale. Having to face Arizona again in the wild card round, the Packers waged a monumental struggle and managed to tie 45-45 at the end of the fourth quarter, sending the game into overtime. Two minutes in, the Cardinals scored a touchdown and ended Green Bay's playoff run. With a final score of 51-45, the game set a record for the highest-scoring playoff game in NFL history. Throughout the season, the Packers struggled with their O-line, which was rated the worst in the league. Aaron Rodgers was sacked 51 times in the regular season and hit 93 times. In the playoff match with Arizona, he took another five sacks and ten hits.
Green Bay's 2010 off-season was mainly concentrated on improving their faulty O-line. On the season opener, the Packers faced an Eagles team that was playing without QB Donovan McNabb for the first time in a decade. However, the O-line failed to deliver again as Aaron Rodgers took three sacks in the first half and also threw an interception. Meanwhile, Philadelphia's new QB Kevin Kolb was pulled with a concussion and replaced by Michael Vick. After a while, the Packers' defense adjusted to him and Green Bay pulled off a 27-20 win, their first in Philadelphia since 1962. Second-year LB Clay Matthews (who knocked Kolb down) delivered an impressive performance in the game. After an easy win over Buffalo in Week 2, the Packers traveled to Chicago for a Monday Night match with their oldest rival. However, Green Bay exhibited very poor discipline and was plagued by numerous penalties, which had been a persistent problem ever since Mike McCarthy became head coach in 2006. The Packers lost the game 20-17. After this loss, the team returned home to face the 0-3 Lions in Week 4. They escaped with a 28-26 win, but it was an embarrassment to have given up that many points to a team that had not won in Green Bay since 1991 and which had won just two games over the last two seasons. The Packers' woes continued in Washington the next week. Clay Matthews ran Donovan McNabb down repeatedly in the first half of the game, but was then pulled with a hamstring sprain. This took most of the pressure off the Redskins' offense and the game tied at 13-13. Two minutes into overtime, Aaron Rodgers threw an interception and was knocked to the ground by Redskins DE Jeremy Jarmon with a concussion. Redskins kicker Graham Gano then booted a 33-yard FG to win the game 16-13. Clay Matthews and other key defensive players were missing from the Week 6 game at home versus Miami, leading to another overtime loss (score of 23-20).
In Week 7, the injury-thinned team hosted Minnesota on Sunday Night. Once again, Brett Favre was booed by the crowd at Lambeau, but the outcome would be different this time as Green Bay took advantage of their opponent's miscues (including three Favre interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown) to win 28-24. Following this emotional game, the Packers gained a surprise 9-0 win over the 6-1 New York Jets by kicking three field goals and shutting an opponent out on the road for the first time since 1991.
In Week 9, the Packers returned home for another Sunday Night match, this time with the struggling 1-7 Cowboys. Green Bay quickly marched out to two touchdowns in the first quarter, en route to a 45-7 crushing of their opponent. Following their bye week, the Packers headed to Minnesota for a rematch with the Vikings, who virtually laid down in much the same manner as Dallas. Green Bay quickly buried them 31-3, causing their coach Brad Childress to be fired. It was the second consecutive game in which the team that lost to the Packers fired their head coach afterwards, as Wade Phillips had been fired by the Cowboys after their loss to the Packers.
Next came a difficult road battle with the 8-2 Falcons, in which the Packers lost a close one 20-17. After routing San Francisco, the Packers headed to Detroit. What looked like an easy win proved anything but when Aaron Rodgers was knocked out with a concussion during a QB sneak and replaced by Matt Flynn. The latter was unable to get anything going as Green Bay lost a defensive struggle 7-3, falling to the Lions for the first time since 2005. Rodgers was then ruled out for the Week 15 game at New England.
Despite dire predictions, the Packers marched out to an early lead and the game remained close throughout. Matt Flynn threw three touchdown passes, but in the end, Tom Brady's greater experience prevailed as the Patriots won 31-27. This game was nonetheless a turning point for the Packers, having been inspired by nearly beating the best team in the NFL when no one gave them a remote chance.
With an 8-6 record, the Packers needed to win their last 2 games to gain the #6 seed, the last seed, in the NFL playoffs. The Packers easily beat the New York Giants at home 45-17 and then hosted the rival Bears for the final game of the season. The Packers won the defensive struggle 10-3, sealing the Packers playoff berth.
In the wild card round, the Packers had to travel to Philadelphia to play the hot Eagles, led by Michael Vick. Aaron Rodgers threw for 3 touchdowns and rookie half back James Starks had a 100+ yard running game. Tramon Williams had an interception in the closing minutes sealing a Packer victory, 21-16.
The next game was against the Falcons in Atlanta. Atlanta was the #1 seed and was favored to beat Green Bay, but the Packers shocked the Atlanta fans by having a 28-14 lead at halftime, with Tramon Williams returning an interception for a touchdown in the final seconds of the first half. The Packers scored on the opening drive of the second half and the Falcons never recovered, as Green Bay rolled to a 48-21 win, sending the Packers to the NFC Championship game.
The NFC Championship game would be against the Bears in Chicago, in what was considered by almost everyone the biggest game ever in the Packers-Bears 90-year old rivalry. The Packers scored on the opening drive on a touchdown run by Aaron Rodgers, and scored again in the second quarter on a run by James Starks, giving the Packers a 14-0 lead at halftime. The defense was able to knock starting quarterback Jay Cutler out of the game with a knee injury and soon after also knocked out back-up Todd Collins. In the 4th quarter, the Bears rallied with 3rd-string quarterback Caleb Hanie. However, two key interceptions, one by B.J. Raji returned for a touchdown, and another by Sam Shields with less than a minute left, sealed the NFC championship for the Packers, who won 21-14.
The Packers would play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV in Arlington, Texas. The Packers struck first with two touchdowns near the end of the first quarter, one on a Jordy Nelson touchdown catch and the other on a Nick Collins interception return. Collins' touchdown marked the 3rd consecutive playoff game in which the Packers had an interception returned for a touchdown. The first half ended with the Packers leading 21-10, but had lost both Charles Woodson and Donald Driver to injury. The Steelers started to rally back, but the Packers defense was able to cause a key fumble late in the game and then stopped the Steelers on their final drive, winning their 4th Super Bowl and their record 13th NFL championship, 31-25. With the win, the Packers joined the Steelers, the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys as the only NFL teams to win at least four Super Bowls.
Despite a lack of practices and training due to a lockout in the off-season, the Packers won a fine victory over New Orleans 42-34 hosting the first game of the 2011 season. After a touch-and-go battle with Carolina in Week 2, the Packers came out on top 30-23. Week 3 saw the rematch with Chicago, in which Green Bay once again prevailed 27-17 to get off to a 3-0 start. Green Bay breezed to another easy win over the Broncos to remain unbeaten at 4-0. The Packers became the only undefeated team in Week 5 when Detroit lost to San Francisco and they beat a winless Rams squad. The Packers then go on to win 4 in a row, and end the first half of the season with a record of 8-0.
In week 12, the Giants posed to be their greatest challenge thus far. The Giants in regulation tie the game at 35 with just minutes left. In the last final minutes, the Packers persevere and win the game off of a field goal. They continued their winning streak into the second half of the season, bringing them to 12-0 and assuring the Packers an appearance in the NFL's 2011 postseason. [5]
Talk of an undefeated season finally ended in Week 15 when the Packers lost in Kansas City. Returning home, they beat an injury-depleted Bears team and while resting their starters in Week 17, Matt Flynn carried Green Bay to a wild shootout victory over Detroit. With a 15-1 finish and the #1 playoff seed, the Packers completed the 2011 regular season with the best record in franchise history.
| American Football Conference | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC East
Buffalo Bills |
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens |
AFC South
Houston Texans |
AFC West
Denver Broncos |
| National Football Conference | |||
| NFC East
Dallas Cowboys |
NFC North
Chicago Bears |
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons |
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals |
| Defunct Teams | |||