2013 Green Bay Packers season

2013 Green Bay Packers season
Head coach	Mike McCarthy
General manager	Ted Thompson
Owner	Green Bay Packers, Inc. (112,158 stockholders)
Home field	Lambeau Field
Local radio	WTMJ (620) Milwaukee WTAQ (1360/97.5) & WIXX (101.1) Green Bay
Results
Record	8–7–1
Division place	1st NFC North
Playoff finish	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (49ers) 20-23
Pro Bowlers	Eddie Lacy, RB
Uniform

The 2013 Green Bay Packers season was the franchise's 94th season in the National Football League, the 95th overall and the eighth under head coach Mike McCarthy. The Packers came into the 2013 season looking to win the NFC North for the 3rd year in a row. They were coming off a 45-31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. The Packers started the 2013 season with a rematch with the 49ers in San Francisco. They lost the game 34-28. After winning their home opener against the Redskins, they lost 34-30 in Cincinnati to the Bengals after they had a 30-14 lead in the 3rd quarter. After the loss, the Packers would win 4 games in a row to sit at 5-2 before losing a Monday Night game at home to the Bears 27-20. In that game, the Packers would lose star quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a broken collarbone in the 1st quarter. He would be replaced by Scott Tolzien and sometimes Matt Flynn. In week 12, the Packers tied the Vikings 26-26. It was Green Bay's first tie since 1987. The Packers would lose the next game 40-10 to the Lions on Thanksgiving to sit at 5-6-1, and looking like being on the verge of missing the postseason for the first time since 2008. The Packers would then beat the Falcons 22-21 to even their record at 6-6-1. The following week, the Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 37-36 in Dallas after they had trailed 26-3 at halftime. The comeback was the largest in franchise history. The Packers would then lose a shootout with the Pittsburgh Steelers 38-31 at home to sit at 7-7-1, the first meeting between the teams since Super Bowl XLV. The next week, the Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 33-28 at Soldier Field to clinch the NFC North in a game in which the winner would've clinched the division. The game was famously well known for a touchdown catch made by Randall Cobb from Aaron Rodgers with less than a minute remaining to seal the win. The play came on a 4th and 8 situation in which Cobb was wide open near the endzone. The Packers entered the playoffs as the 4 seed in the NFC. In the wild card game, they lost 23-20 in a rematch with the 49ers on a Phil Dawson field goal as time expired. The game was one of the coldest in NFL playoff history, with a final temperature of 5°F (-15°C)

Offseason

2013 NFL Draft

2013 Green Bay Packers draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	26	Datone Jones	Defensive End	UCLA
2	61	Eddie Lacy *	Running Back	Alabama	from San Francisco 49ers
4	109	David Bakhtiari *	Offensive Tackle	Colorado	from Miami Dolphins
4	122	JC Tretter	Offensive Guard	Cornell
4	125	Johnathan Franklin	Running Back	UCLA	from Denver Broncos
5	159	Micah Hyde	Cornerback	Iowa
5	167	Josh Boyd	Defensive End	Mississippi State	compensatory selection
6	193	Nate Palmer	Linebacker	Illinois State
7	216	Charles Johnson	Wide Receiver	Grand Valley State	from San Francisco 49ers
7	224	Kevin Dorsey	Wide Receiver	Maryland	from Miami Dolphins
7	232	Sam Barrington	Linebacker	South Florida
Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Notes

• The Packers traded pick No. 55 to receive No. 61 and No. 173 from the San Francisco 49ers.
• The Packers traded pick No. 88 to receive No. 93 and No. 216 from the San Francisco 49ers.
• The Packers traded pick No. 93 to receive No. 109, No. 146 and No. 224 from the Miami Dolphins.
• The Packers traded picks No. 146 and No. 173 to receive No. 125 from the Denver Broncos.
• JC Tretter began the season on the physically unable to perform list.
• Kevin Dorsey began the season on the injured reserve list.

Free agents

Position	Player	Free agency tag	Date signed	2013 team
RB	Cedric Benson	UFA		Free Agent
RB	Ryan Grant	UFA		Free Agent
WR	Donald Driver	UFA	January 30	Retired
WR	Greg Jennings	UFA	March 15	Minnesota Vikings
TE	Tom Crabtree	RFA	March 15	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
C	Evan Dietrich-Smith	RFA	April 12	Green Bay Packers
LB	Robert Francois	RFA	March 15	Green Bay Packers
LB	Brad Jones	UFA	March 21	Green Bay Packers
LB	Erik Walden	UFA	March 12	Indianapolis Colts
LB	Frank Zombo	RFA	April 3	Kansas City Chiefs
CB	Sam Shields	RFA	June 3	Green Bay Packers

RFA: Restricted free agent, UFA: Unrestricted free agent, ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent, FT: Franchise Tag

Regular Season

Starters on Offense

POS	Name	GS	Name	GS	Name	GS	Name	GS
QB	Aaron Rodgers	9	Matt Flynn	4	Scott Tolzien	2	Seneca Wallace	1
RB	Eddie Lacy	15	James Starks	1
FB	John Kuhn	6
WR	Jordy Nelson	16
WR	Jarrett Boykin	8	Randall Cobb	4
WR	James Jones	14
TE	Andrew Quarless	10	Jermichael Finley	5	Ryan Taylor	1
LT	David Bakhtiari	16
LG	Josh Sitton	16
C	Evan Dietrich-Smith	16
RG	T. J. Lang	16
RT	Don Barclay	14	Marshall Newhouse	2

Starters on Defense

POS	Name	GS	Name	GS	Name	GS	Name	GS	Name	GS
LDE	B. J. Raji	16
NT	Ryan Pickett	16
RDE	Johnny Jolly	8	Mike Daniels	1
LOLB	Mike Neal	9	Nick Perry	5	Andy Mulumba	2
MLB	A. J. Hawk	16
MLB	Brad Jones	12	Jamari Lattimore	4
ROLB	Clay Matthews	11	Nate Palmer	2	Nick Perry	1	Mike Neal	1	Andy Mulumba	1
CB	Tramon Williams	16
CB	Sam Shields	14
CB	Davon House	5	Micah Hyde	3	Casey Hayward	1
SS	Morgan Burnett	13	Jerron McMillian	2	Chris Banjo	1
FS	M. D. Jennings	16

Staff

2013 Green Bay Packers staff
	Front office Executive Committee – Board of Directors President/CEO – Mark Murphy Executive Vice President/General Manager/Director of Football Operations – Ted Thompson Vice President of Football Administration/Player Finance – Russ Ball Director of College Scouting – Brian Gutekunst Director of Pro Personnel – Eliot Wolf Assistant Director of Pro Personnel – Tim Terry Senior Personnel Executive – Alonzo Highsmith Head coaches Head Coach – Mike McCarthy Assistant Head Coach/Inside Linebackers – Winston Moss Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator – Tom Clements Quarterbacks – Ben McAdoo Running Backs – Alex Van Pelt Wide Receivers – Edgar Bennett Tight Ends – Jerry Fontenot Offensive Line – James Campen Assistant Offensive Line – Joel Hilgenberg Offensive Assistant/Special Teams – John Rushing			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator – Dom Capers Defensive Line – Mike Trgovac Outside Linebackers – Kevin Greene Secondary - Cornerbacks – Joe Whitt, Jr. Secondary - Safeties – Darren Perry Defensive Quality Control – Scott McCurley Special teams coaches Special Teams Coordinator – Shawn Slocum Special Teams Assistant – Chad Morton Strength and conditioning Strength and Conditioning Coordinator – Mark Lovat Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Thadeus Jackson Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Zac Woodfin

Final roster

2013 Green Bay Packers final roster
	Quarterbacks 12 Aaron Rodgers 10 Matt Flynn 16 Scott Tolzien Running backs 22 Kahlil Bell 30 John Kuhn FB 27 Eddie Lacy 44 James Starks Wide receivers 11 Jarrett Boykin 18 Randall Cobb 13 Chris Harper 89 James Jones 87 Jordy Nelson Tight ends 81 Andrew Quarless 85 Jake Stoneburner 82 Ryan Taylor		Offensive linemen 69 David Bakhtiari T 67 Don Barclay T 62 Evan Dietrich-Smith C 70 T. J. Lang G 74 Marshall Newhouse T 78 Derek Sherrod T 71 Josh Sitton G 65 Lane Taylor G 73 JC Tretter G Defensive linemen 93 Josh Boyd DE 76 Mike Daniels DE 95 Datone Jones DE 79 Ryan Pickett NT 90 B. J. Raji NT 98 C. J. Wilson DE 99 Jerel Worthy DE		Linebackers 54 Victor Aiyewa ILB 50 A. J. Hawk ILB 59 Brad Jones ILB 57 Jamari Lattimore ILB 52 Clay Matthews III OLB 55 Andy Mulumba OLB 96 Mike Neal OLB 51 Nate Palmer OLB 53 Nick Perry OLB Defensive backs 32 Chris Banjo FS 42 Morgan Burnett SS 24 Jarrett Bush CB 31 Davon House CB 33 Micah Hyde CB 43 M. D. Jennings FS 28 Sean Richardson SS 20 Jumal Rolle CB 37 Sam Shields CB 38 Tramon Williams CB Special teams  2 Mason Crosby K 61 Brett Goode LS  8 Tim Masthay P		Reserve lists 58 Sam Barrington ILB (IR) 86 Brandon Bostick TE (IR) 75 Bryan Bulaga T (IR) 13 Sederrik Cunningham WR (IR)  6 Kevin Dorsey WR (IR) 88 Jermichael Finley TE (IR) 49 Robert Francois ILB (IR) 23 Johnathan Franklin RB (IR) 26 DuJuan Harris RB (IR) 29 Casey Hayward CB (IR) 97 Johnny Jolly DE (IR) 25 James Nixon CB (IR) 64 Greg Van Roten G (IR)  9 Seneca Wallace QB (IR) 19 Myles White WR (IR) Practice squad 77 Aaron Adams T 63 Lanier Coleman G 35 Antonio Dennard CB 72 Garth Gerhart C  1 Alex Gillett WR 34 Orwin Smith RB 68 Andrew Tiller G 83 Tyrone Walker WR Rookies in italics 53 Active, 15 Inactive, 8 Practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 9	Arizona Cardinals	L 0–17	0–1	Lambeau Field	Recap
2	August 17	at St. Louis Rams	W 19–7	1–1	Edward Jones Dome	Recap
3	August 23	Seattle Seahawks	L 10–17	1–2	Lambeau Field	Recap
4	August 29	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 8–30	1–3	Arrowhead Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 8	at San Francisco 49ers	L 28–34	0–1	Candlestick Park	Recap
2	September 15	Washington Redskins	W 38–20	1–1	Lambeau Field	Recap
3	September 22	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 30–34	1–2	Paul Brown Stadium	Recap
4	Bye
5	October 6	Detroit Lions	W 22–9	2–2	Lambeau Field	Recap
6	October 13	at Baltimore Ravens	W 19–17	3–2	M&T Bank Stadium	Recap
7	October 20	Cleveland Browns	W 31–13	4–2	Lambeau Field	Recap
8	October 27	at Minnesota Vikings	W 44–31	5–2	Mall of America Field	Recap
9	November 4	Chicago Bears	L 20–27	5–3	Lambeau Field	Recap
10	November 10	Philadelphia Eagles	L 13–27	5–4	Lambeau Field	Recap
11	November 17	at New York Giants	L 13–27	5–5	MetLife Stadium	Recap
12	November 24	Minnesota Vikings	T 26–26 (OT)	5–5–1	Lambeau Field	Recap
13	November 28	at Detroit Lions	L 10–40	5–6–1	Ford Field	Recap
14	December 8	Atlanta Falcons	W 22–21	6–6–1	Lambeau Field	Recap
15	December 15	at Dallas Cowboys	W 37–36	7–6–1	AT&T Stadium	Recap
16	December 22	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 31–38	7–7–1	Lambeau Field	Recap
17	December 29	at Chicago Bears	W 33–28	8–7–1	Soldier Field	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Postseason

Playoff round	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
Wild Card	January 5, 2014	San Francisco 49ers (5)	L 20–23	0–1	Lambeau Field	Recap

Game summaries

Regular season

Week 1: at San Francisco 49ers

Week 2: vs. Washington Redskins

Following their loss to the 49ers 28-34 at Candlestick Park in Week 1, the Packers went back home to Lambeau to take on the 0-1 Washington Redskins. On the opening drive, Eddie Lacy suffered a concussion after a helmet-to helmet hit with Brandon Meriweather. He exited the game and James Starks replaced him. The Packers drew first blood with a 28-yard field goal. They then followed it up with a 35-yard TD pass to Randall Cobb on 4th and 3 to take a 10-0 lead. The Packers took advantage of Robert Griffin III's limited mobility and shut out the Redskins' offense in the 1st half. The Packers continued to pile up yards and points, first with a 14-yard TD pass to Jordy Nelson and then with a 3-yard TD pass to Jermichael Finley. By halftime, the Packers had a commanding 24-0 lead. Early in the 3rd quarter, Aaron Rodgers once again connected with Jordy Nelson for a 15-yard TD to take a 31-0 lead. The Redskins finally manage to sustain a drive and capped it off with a 6-yard TD pass to Pierre Garçon. However, the Packers responded with a 32-yard TD run by James Starks to make it 38-7. The Redskins managed to score two more TDs in the 4th quarter, first a 3-yard TD pass to Jordan Reed, then a 9-yard TD pass to Santana Moss (failed 2-point conversion). Up 38-20 with 7:36 remaining in the 4th, the Packers managed to sustain a drive to run out the clock and win their first game of the 2013 season. Aaron Rodgers was 34-42 for 480 yards and 4 TD passes, while James Starks rushed 20 times for 132 yards and 1 TD. Rodgers managed to tie Matt Flynn against Detroit in 2011 for the franchise record of passing yards in a single game (480). With the win, the Packers were 1-1.

Week 3: at Cincinnati Bengals

Both teams each committed four turnovers with Aaron Rodgers throwing two interceptions and Andy Dalton throwing one pick to Sam Shields. Two other Packer turnovers were fumbles with the last fumble came from Johnathan Franklin with Terence Newman returning a fumble return for a touchdown to give the Bengals the lead. With the loss, the Packers fell to 1–2 entering their bye week.

Week 5: vs. Detroit Lions

After the heart-breaking 30-34 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Paul Brown Stadium, the Packers return to action after their Week 4 bye to take on the 3-1 Detroit Lions at Lambeau. Eddie Lacy returned to action after recovering from a concussion in the past two weeks. He had a very productive game, rushing 23 times for 99 yards. After forcing the Lions to punt on their first possession, the Packers struck first with a 26-yard field goal. They followed it up with a 52-yard field goal to take a 6-0 lead. The Lions managed to answer with a 53-yard field goal to go into halftime down 3-6. Early in the 3rd quarter, Randall Cobb rushed to the Lions 22-yard line for a 67-yard gain. From there, the Packers kicked a 31-yard field goal to take a 9-3 lead. Following a Lions 3-and-out, the Packers struck again with an 83-yard TD pass to James Jones to take a 16-3 lead. In the 4th quarter, the Packers added two more field goals, one 42 yards and the other 45 yards, to take a 22-3 lead. The Lions finally find the endzone with a 13-yard TD pass to Kris Durham (failed 2-point conversion) to make it 22-9 with 2:04 remaining. However, the Packers ran out the remaining clock and won. The Packers reach .500 again with a 2-2 record.

Week 6: at Baltimore Ravens

After defeating the Detroit Lions 22-9 at Lambeau Field, the Packers travelled to M&T Bank Stadium to take on the defending Super-Bowl champions Baltimore Ravens. Eddie Lacy had a breakout game, rushing for 120 yards on 23 carries. On the first drive, Lacy rushed for 10- and 37-yard gains before settling for a 45-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Both defenses played exceptionally well in the 1st half, highlighted by Green Bay's 4th down goal-line stand against Bernard Pierce. The Packers suffered severe injuries to the offense, however, as both James Jones and Randall Cobb would exit the game in the 1st half with leg injuries. 4th-string receiver Jarrett Boykin saw extended playing time in the wake of their absences. With less than 20 seconds remaining in the half, Nick Perry forced a Joe Flacco fumble that was returned by Datone Jones to the 13-yard line. From there, the Packers settled for a 31-yard field goal and a 6-0 lead at halftime. After trading punts to begin the 2nd half, Aaron Rodgers' pass intended for Jordy Nelson was intercepted by Jimmy Smith in the endzone. After Baltimore punted, Jarrett Boykin, who struggled in the 1st half, took a screen pass 43 yards to the Baltimore 25. From there, the Packers extended their lead to 9-0 after a 50-yard field goal. Following a 53-yard pass to Marlon Brown, the Ravens settled for a 23-yard field goal. Late in the 3rd quarter, Aaron Rodgers lofted a 64-yard pass to Jordy Nelson to extend their lead 16-3. However, the Ravens stayed in the ballgame with an 11-yard pass to Jacoby Jones. The Packers tried to ice the game with a 31-yard field goal to make it 19-10 with 4:17 remaining in the 4th quarter. However, on 4th and 21, Joe Flacco found a wide open Tandon Doss for 63 yards. It appeared that Jerron McMillian slipped while covering Doss. On the very next play, Flacco found Desmond Clark for an 18-yard TD to make it 19-17 with 2:04 remaining. The Packers preserved the 2-point lead with a 52-yard pass to Jermichael Finley on 3rd and 3 and with a 4-yard run by Eddie Lacy on 3rd and 2. With the 19-17 win, the Packers went above .500 for the first time in the 2013 season with a 3-2 record. After the game, Randall Cobb would be put on IR with designation to return, and James Jones would be out for the next 2 games.

Week 7: vs. Cleveland Browns

After their win against the Baltimore Ravens 19-17, the Packers, wearing their throwback jerseys of blue and yellow, returned home to Lambeau Field to take on the Cleveland Browns. Both James Jones and Randall Cobb would be inactive for the game, and Jarrett Boykin got his first career start. He had a breakout game, catching 8 passes for 103 yards and 1 TD. After forcing the Browns to punt on their opening possession, the Packers quickly struck with a 10-yard TD pass to Jermichael Finley. After Brandon Weeden's pass was intercepted by Davon House on the next drive, the Packers took advantage with a 1-yard TD run by Eddie Lacy to take a 14-0 lead in the 1st quarter. After Cleveland scored on a 46-yard field goal, the Packers responded with a 26-yard field goal to take a 17-3 lead at halftime. In the 3rd quarter, the Browns scored on a 44-yard field goal to make it 17-6. Early in the 4th quarter, the Browns decided to go for it on 4th down and 15 on the Packers 31-yard line. The pass to Jordan Cameron in the endzone was incomplete, and the Packers took over. On the drive, Jermichael Finley was carried off the field on a stretcher after suffering a neck injury. The Packers capped off that drive with a 1-yard TD pass to Jordy Nelson. They followed it up with a 20-yard TD pass to Jarrett Boykin, taking a 31-13 win. About two weeks after the game, Jermichael Finley was put on IR. With the win, the Packers extend their winning streak to 3, and improve to 4-2.

Week 8: at Minnesota Vikings

After defeating the Cleveland Browns 31-13 at Lambeau Field, the Packers travelled to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome to take on the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football. This was the Packers' last game at the Metrodome, for the Minnesota Vikings would play at TCF Bank Stadium for the following two seasons. On the opening kickoff, Cordarrelle Patterson returned the kick 109 yards for a TD. Green Bay responded with a 14 play, 7:24 minute drive that ended with an 11-yard TD pass to Jordy Nelson. After the Vikings punt, the Packers led a 17-play, 8:24-minute drive that ended with a 30-yard field goal. After the Vikings responded with a 36-yard field goal, Aaron Rodgers zipped a 76-yard TD pass to Jordy Nelson. A 93-yard punt return by Micah Hyde made it 24-10 with less than two minutes remaining. The Vikings, aided by a 26-yard pass interference penalty, scored on an 8-yard TD run by Adrian Peterson to make it 24-17 at halftime. On the first possession of the 2nd half, the Packers led another time-consuming drive that ended with a 1-yard TD run by Eddie Lacy. After Christian Ponder was sacked by Mike Daniels on 3rd down, the Packers scored easily against a tired Minnesota defense on a 25-yard run by James Starks to pull a commanding 38-17 lead at the beginning of the 4th quarter. The effective tandem between Eddie Lacy and James Starks salted the game away, and the Vikings brief comeback fell short. The Packers had an overwhelming advantage in time of possession with 40:54 compared to the Vikings' 19:06. The Packers did not punt all night, and they were 2 of 2 on 4th down conversions. With the 44-31 win, the Packers were 5-2.

Week 9: vs. Chicago Bears

After defeating the Minnesota Vikings 44-31 for the last time in the Metrodome, the Packers returned to Lambeau to take on the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. The Bears were without Jay Cutler (groin), so Josh McCown made his first start in the 2013 season. The Packers moved down the field with ease on their first possession, with Rodgers completing a 27-yard pass to Jordy Nelson followed by Eddie Lacy's 16-yard run. However, the drive stalled when Aaron Rodgers was sacked by Shea McClellin on 3rd and 8, so the Packers settled for a 30-yard field goal for the 3-0 lead. Josh McCown then led a drive that ended with a 23-yard TD pass to Brandon Marshall, taking a 7-3 lead. It soon became apparent that Aaron Rodgers couldn't return to the game because of an injury suffered on the McClellin sack. Instead, Seneca Wallace trotted onto the field on the Packers' second possession. It ended with a tipped pass that was intercepted by Julius Peppers. The Bears' punt after their 3-and-out was blocked by Jamari Lattimore and recovered by Chris Banjo, taking possession at the Chicago 32. On the very next play, James Starks bursted through the middle for a 32-yard TD run, taking a 10-7 lead. In the 2nd quarter, the Bears took a 14-10 lead following a 1-yard run by Matt Forte. They added a 24-yard field goal at the end of the half to lead 17-10 at halftime. Early in the 3rd quarter, Eddie Lacy sprinted to the Chicago 1-yard line on a 56-yard gain, and tied the game at 17-17 following a 1-yard run by Lacy. The Packers successfully recover the ensuing onside kick, but had to settle for a 23-yard field goal to take a 20-17 lead. The Bears responded with a 6-yard TD pass to Alshon Jeffery, taking a 24-20 lead. With 9:48 left in the 4th quarter, the Bears sustained an 18 play, 8:58 minute drive that ended with a 27-yard field goal to make it 27-20 with 53 seconds remaining in the game. The Packers tried to make a comeback, but after a 15-yard pass to Jordy Nelson, Seneca Wallace was sacked twice, first by Corey Wootton then by Shea McClellin, and time expired. With the 20-27 loss, the Packers' 6-game winning streak against the Chicago Bears was snapped, and the Packers fell to 5-3. It was confirmed later in the week that Aaron Rodgers suffered a fractured left collarbone, and Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy stated that his playing status will be determined "week to week." He ended up missing 7 weeks, only to make his return against the same Bears in Week 17 for the NFC North Championship.

Week 10: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

After the Packers' first Possession, QB Seneca Wallace exited the game with a groin injury, and was replaced by Scott Tolzien, who threw for 280 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. With the loss, the Packers fell to 5–4.

Week 11: at New York Giants

Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Packers QB Scott Tolzien was benched midway through the 3rd quarter in favor of Matt Flynn. Down 23–7 at the beginning of the 4th quarter, Flynn and the offense tied the game at 23–23 to go into overtime. After the Packers offense scored a field goal in the opening possession, Minnesota was able to answer with a field goal of their own, and after a series of back-and-forth possessions, overtime came to an end at 26–26. It was the first tie between the two teams since 1978. With the tie, the Packers went to 5–5–1.

Week 13: at Detroit Lions

Thanksgiving Day game

Following a rare tie with the Minnesota Vikings 26-26 at Lambeau Field, the Packers travelled to Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving football. Due to Matt Flynn's performance the previous week, he replaces Scott Tolzien and makes his first start for the Packers in the 2013 season. The Lions' opening possession ended at the Green Bay 12 when Clay Matthews forced a Reggie Bush fumble that was recovered by Morgan Burnett. However, the Packers could not capitalize, and the Lions drew first blood with a 27-yard field goal. Following a kickoff that went out-of-bounds, the Packers answered with a 54-yard field goal to tie it at 3-3. The Packers quickly struck again when Nick Perry forced a Matthew Stafford fumble that was returned by Morgan Burnett for a TD for a 10-3 lead. The Lions answered by scoring two TDs, first a 5-yard TD pass to Jeremy Ross, then a 1-yard run by Reggie Bush. Detroit had opportunities for more points before the half, but David Akers missed a 31-yard field goal as the 1st half expired, keeping a 17-10 lead. Following a 3-and-out on Green Bay's opening possession in the 3rd quarter, the Lions scored on a 20-yard TD pass to Calvin Johnson, extending their lead 24-10. Late in the 3rd quarter, Ndamukong Suh sacked Matt Flynn in the endzone, forcing a safety that made it 26-10. The Lions capitalized on their next possession with a 1-yard run by Joique Bell. They followed that up with a 20-yard TD pass to Kevin Ogletree, which extended their lead 40-10. The Packers tried to rally with a 56-yard pass to James Jones, but Matt Flynn fumbled the snap on the next play, and Detroit recovered and ran out the clock. This loss marked Matthew Stafford's first career win against the Packers. It also snapped the Lions' 10-year losing streak on Thanksgiving Day. With the loss, the Packers fell to 5–6–1.

Week 14: vs. Atlanta Falcons

After the heart-numbing loss to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, the Packers returned to snowy Lambeau Field to take on the 3-9 Atlanta Falcons. Matt Flynn made his 2nd start as quarterback. The Packers struck first with a 1 yd. TD run by Eddie Lacy just before the 1st quarter ended. However, the Falcons would answer with a 36 yd. TD pass to Drew Davis, followed by a 2 yd. reception by Tony Gonzalez following a Matt Flynn fumble. The Packers responded with a 40 yd. field goal to make the score 14-10. Late in the 2nd quarter, Green Bay sustained a drive into Atlanta territory. However, on Atlanta's 35 yd. line, Matt Flynn threw a pass that was deflected, intercepted, and returned 71 yd. for a TD by Sean Weatherspoon. There were audible boos as the Packers were down 21-10 at halftime. In the 3rd quarter, Matt Flynn led two drives that both resulted in field goals, making the score 21-16. As the 4th quarter began, Mike Neal forced a Matt Ryan fumble at Atlanta's 25. The Packers capitalized on the turnover with a 2 yd. touchdown reception to Andrew Quarless, gaining the lead 22-21. The Packers' defense held for the rest of the 4th quarter as Atlanta missed a 52 yd. field goal and also turned the ball over on downs at Green Bay's 33. A Jarrett Bush interception at Green Bay's 37 with 11 seconds remaining sealed the win for the Packers. With the win, the Packers recorded their first win since Aaron Rodgers' injury in Week 9. With the win, the Packers are 6-6-1.

Week 15: at Dallas Cowboys

Following a 22-21 comeback win against the Atlanta Falcons, the Packers travelled to AT&T Stadium, the site of Super Bowl XLV, to take on the 7-6 Dallas Cowboys. Matt Flynn made his 3rd start as Aaron Rodgers was deemed not ready to return from a broken collarbone. The two teams traded field goals with their first possessions, but Dallas went on to score 23 unanswered points to take a 26-3 lead at halftime. The 2nd half began with a bang as Eddie Lacy rushed to Dallas' 20 yd. line for a 60-yard gain. Three plays later, Matt Flynn connected with Jordy Nelson for a 13-yard TD. Tony Romo and the Cowboys offense responded with a field goal to make it 10-29 with over 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. On the Packers next drive, Matt Flynn converted two 3rd downs with 22- and 21-yard passes to Andrew Quarless and Jordy Nelson, respectively. Flynn capped the drive with a 3-yard TD pass to Quarless to pull within 12 points. After two incompletions, Tony Romo was sacked by Clay Matthews and Dallas was forced to punt before the end of the 3rd quarter. A good punt return by Micah Hyde gave the Packers offense good field position at the Dallas 22. Early in the 4th quarter, James Starks scored on an 11-yard screen pass and made it 24-29. Dallas countered with a 5-yard TD pass to Dez Bryant to increase their lead back to 12, but Green Bay responded with a 3-yard TD pass to James Jones to make it 31-36. Dallas' next drive ended with an interception by Sam Shields at midfield with 2:50 remaining. The Packers offense led a drive that was capped off by Eddie Lacy's 1-yard TD that took the lead 37-36 with 1:34 remaining. After the failed 2-point attempt, Dallas attempted a field goal drive, but Tony Romo's pass was intercepted by Tramon Williams to seal the 23-point comeback win for the Packers. With the win, not only did the Packers improve to 7–6–1, but following the Detroit Lions' loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night, Green Bay rose to 2nd place in the NFC North, only a half game behind the Chicago Bears.This was also the first time since 1989 that the Packers beat the Cowboys in Dallas, ending a 9-game losing streak at Dallas against the Cowboys.

Week 16: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Following the Packers miraculous 37-36 comeback win against the Dallas Cowboys, the Packers returned to snowy Lambeau Field to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Once again, Aaron Rodgers was inactive and Matt Flynn got the start. The two teams traded TDs in the first quarter, and Eddie Lacy ran 14 yards for a TD at the 2-minute warning. Pittsburgh responded with a 31-yard field goal to make it 10-14 at halftime. In the 3rd quarter, both teams once again traded TDs to make it 17-21. Pittsburgh then took the lead with an 11-yard TD pass to Matt Spaeth. On the Packers' next drive, Matt Flynn collided with Andrew Quarless, disrupting a pass that was intercepted and returned 40 yards for a TD by Cortez Allen to extend their lead 31-21. In the 4th quarter, The Packers managed to tie the game with a 22-yard field goal and a 1-yard run by John Kuhn. With a little less than 3 minutes remaining, Troy Polamalu forced a Matt Flynn fumble at the Packers 17. The Steelers took a 38-31 lead with a 1-yard TD run from Le'Veon Bell. After a 70-yard kick return by Micah Hyde, the Packers were at the Steelers 31-yard line with 1:25 remaining. 3 plays later they reached the Steelers 1-yard line. However, a false start penalty both pushed them back 5 yards and ran 10 seconds off the clock, leaving the Packers with one play to get into the endzone. On the final play, Matt Flynn's pass for Jarrett Boykin was incomplete, and time expired. With the 38-31 loss, The Packers fell to 7-7-1, and their playoff hopes rested on the outcomes of the games played by the Detroit Lions (7-7) and the Chicago Bears (8-6). Detroit lost to the New York Giants 23-20 in OT and was eliminated from playoff contention. Meanwhile, Chicago had an opportunity to clinch the NFC North division with a win over the Eagles on Sunday Night Football, but the Eagles beat the Bears 54–11. This set up a win-and-in matchup between Green Bay (7-7-1) and Chicago (8-7) the following week. The winner would obtain the 4th seed in the NFC playoffs, and the loser would be eliminated from playoff contention.

Week 17: at Chicago Bears

Following the Packers' 38-31 loss to the Steelers and Chicago's 54-11 loss to the Eagles, both Green Bay (7-7-1) and Chicago (8-7) met at Soldier Field in week 17 to compete for the NFC North Championship. The NFC North Champion would enter the NFC playoffs as the 4th seed, while the other team will be eliminated from playoff contention. Three days prior to the game on Dec. 26, Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy announced that Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (collarbone) was cleared to play against the Bears, as well as RB Eddie Lacy (ankle) and WR Randall Cobb (leg), who was activated after staying on IR with designation to return for the past 9 weeks. After forcing a Bears 3-and-out, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers established a 14-play, 75-yard drive that took 7:30 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the Chicago 5, Aaron Rodgers threw an interception to Chris Conte in the endzone. Jay Cutler and the Bears took advantage with a drive that featured a 37-yard pass to Brandon Marshall and was capped off by a 4-yard TD pass to Matt Forte. Early in the 2nd quarter, Aaron Rodgers threw another interception, this time to Tim Jennings at the Chicago 21-yard line. After forcing a 3-and-out, the Packers drove to the Chicago 15 and scored on a 33-yard field goal to make it 3-7. The Packers defense held Chicago to another 3-and-out, and Green Bay had great field position at the Chicago 41. 6 plays later, Julius Peppers forced an Aaron Rodgers fumble that was recovered by Jarrett Boykin and run in 15 yards for a TD. Many players initially believed that it was an incomplete pass, but instant replay upheld the call since Rodgers' hand was empty as he propelled it forward. After the two-minute warning, A. J. Hawk forced an Alshon Jeffery fumble that was recovered and returned to the Chicago 28. The Packers offense could not find the endzone in the final seconds of the 1st half, so they settled for a 27-yard field goal and a 13-7 lead at halftime.

Early in the 3rd quarter, Devin Hester returned a punt 49 yards to the Packers 30, and Matt Forte scored on a 5-yard run to take a 14-13 lead. 4 plays into Green Bay's next drive, James Starks scampered for a 41-yard gain, and 3 plays after that Aaron Rodgers threw a 7-yard TD pass to Randall Cobb to retake the lead at 20-14. Chicago quickly answered with a 1-yard TD run by Matt Forte following a 67-yard pass to Alshon Jeffery. On the Packers' next possession, an 18-yard pass to Andrew Quarless was overruled to be an incomplete pass. Instant replay suggested there was insubstantial evidence to overturn the call, as the tip of the football disappeared between Quarless' forearms and the ground. Therefore, it remained an incomplete pass, and the Packers had to punt. On the Bears' drive, Cutler completed a 33-yard pass to Matt Forte. On 3rd and goal, Cutler threw a 5-yard TD pass to Brandon Marshall to take a 28-20 lead at the start of the 4th quarter. However, Green Bay quickly struck back with a 6-yard TD run by Eddie Lacy to make it 27-28 with 11:38 remaining in the 4th quarter. After fair-catching a punt at the Green Bay 13 with 6:24 remaining, Green Bay steadily drove to the Chicago 48 in 14 plays, converting two 4th downs in the process. The Packers found themselves on 4th down & 8 with 43 seconds remaining. On the play, Aaron Rodgers side-stepped a 7-man blitz led by Bears defensive end Julius Peppers and threw a 48-yard touchdown to a wide open Randall Cobb to take a 33-28 lead with 38 seconds remaining. John Kuhn's cut-block on Peppers gave Rodgers enough room to move to his left and find Cobb. Green Bay failed on the two-point conversion, so Chicago attempted to make one more comeback. After Devin Hester's kickoff return and Martellus Bennett's 15-yard catch, the Bears were at the Green Bay 45-yard line with 24 seconds remaining. On 1st down, Morgan Burnett deflected a Hail-Mary pass intended for Alshon Jeffery. On 2nd down, Brandon Marshall dropped Cutler's pass at the 27-yard line. On 3rd down with 10 seconds remaining, Cutler attempted another Hail-Mary pass intended for Brandon Marshall, but it was intercepted by Sam Shields as time expired. With the 33-28 win, the Green Bay Packers (8-7-1) won their 3rd consecutive NFC North Championship and enter the 2013–14 NFC playoffs as the 4th seed.

The Packers became the only NFC team that clinched their division in the previous season to do so again this season.

Postseason

NFC Wild Card Playoff Game: vs. #5 San Francisco 49ers

Standings

Division

NFC North
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(4) Green Bay Packers	8	7	1	.531	3–2–1	6–5–1	417	428	W1
Chicago Bears	8	8	0	.500	2–4	4–8	445	478	L2
Detroit Lions	7	9	0	.438	4–2	6–6	395	376	L4
Minnesota Vikings	5	10	1	.344	2–3–1	4–7–1	391	480	W1

Conference

NFC[1][2]
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	PD	STK
Division winners
1	Seattle Seahawks	West	13	3	0	.813	4–2	10–2	417	231	186	W1
2	Carolina Panthers	South	12	4	0	.750	5–1	9–3	366	241	125	W3
3	Philadelphia Eagles	East	10	6	0	.625	4–2	9–3	442	382	60	W2
4	Green Bay Packers	North	8	7	1	.531	3–2–1	6–5–1	417	428	-11	W1
Wild cards
5	San Francisco 49ers	West	12	4	0	.750	5–1	9–3	406	272	134	W6
6	New Orleans Saints	South	11	5	0	.688	5–1	9–3	414	304	110	W1
Did not qualify for the playoffs
7	Arizona Cardinals	West	10	6	0	.625	2–4	6–6	379	324	55	L1
8[lower-alpha 1]	Chicago Bears	North	8	8	0	.500	2–4	4–8	445	478	-33	L2
9	Dallas Cowboys	East	8	8	0	.500	5–1	7–5	439	432	7	L1
10[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3]	New York Giants	East	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	294	383	-89	W2
11[lower-alpha 4]	Detroit Lions	North	7	9	0	.438	4–2	6–6	395	376	19	L4
12	St. Louis Rams	West	7	9	0	.438	1–5	4–8	348	364	-16	L1
13	Minnesota Vikings	North	5	10	1	.344	2–3–1	4–7–1	391	480	-89	W1
14[lower-alpha 5]	Atlanta Falcons	South	4	12	0	.250	1–5	3–9	353	443	-90	L2
15	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	4	12	0	.250	1–5	2–10	288	389	-101	L3
16	Washington Redskins	East	3	13	0	.188	0–6	1–11	334	478	-144	L8
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 6]
↑ Chicago defeated Dallas head-to-head (Week 14, 45–28). ↑ The New York Giants and Detroit finished with a better conference record than St. Louis. ↑ The New York Giants defeated Detroit head-to-head (Week 16, 23–20 (OT)). ↑ Detroit finished with a better conference record than St. Louis. ↑ Atlanta finished with a better conference record than Tampa Bay. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

Statistics

Regular season statistical leaders

	Player(s)	Value
Passing Yards	Aaron Rodgers	2,536 Yards
Passing Touchdowns	Aaron Rodgers	17 TDs
Rushing Yards	Eddie Lacy	1,178 Yards
Rushing Touchdowns	Eddie Lacy	11 TDs
Receptions	Jordy Nelson	85 Receptions
Receiving Yards	Jordy Nelson	1,314 Yards
Receiving Touchdowns	Jordy Nelson	8 TDs
Points	Mason Crosby	141 Points
Kickoff Return Yards	Micah Hyde	531 Yards
Punt Return Yards	Micah Hyde	296 Yards
Tackles	A. J. Hawk	118 Tackles
Sacks	Clay Matthews III	7.5 Sacks
Interceptions	Sam Shields	4 INT

statistical values are correct through Week 17.

Best game performances

	Player(s)	Value	Opponent
Passing Yards	Aaron Rodgers	480 Yards	Washington Redskins
Passing Touchdowns	Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn	4 TDs	Washington Redskins, @ Dallas Cowboys
Rushing Yards	Eddie Lacy	150 Yards	Chicago Bears
Rushing Touchdowns	Eddie Lacy	2 TDs	Pittsburgh Steelers
Receiving Yards	James Jones	178 Yards	Washington Redskins
Receiving Touchdowns	Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb	2 TDs	Washington Redskins & @ Minnesota Vikings; @ Chicago Bears
Points	Mason Crosby	16 Points	Detroit Lions
Tackles	Brad Jones	13 Tackles	@ New York Giants
Sacks	A. J. Hawk	3 Sacks	@ Baltimore Ravens
Interceptions	Mike Neal, Sam Shields, Davon House, Tramon Williams, Jarrett Bush, A. J. Hawk	1 INT	Washington Redskins; @ Cincinnati Bengals, @ Detroit Lions, @ Dallas Cowboys & @ Chicago Bears; Cleveland Browns; @ New York Giants, @ Detroit Lions & @ Dallas Cowboys; Atlanta Falcons; Pittsburgh Steelers

statistical values are correct through Week 17.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2013 Green Bay Packers season.

• Official website