Records & History - NFL.com

PACKERS NFL TITLE GAMES & PLAYOFFSCOMMUNITYADMIN. &COACHESVETERANSDRAFT &FREE AGENTS2012 REVIEWPLAYOFFHISTORYLAMBEAUFIELDMISC.PACKERS 37, ATLANTA 201995 NFC Wild Card PlayoffDec. 31 at Lambeau Field, Green BayUtilizing a balanced offensive attack,including Edgar Bennett’s (then) franchiseplayoff-record 108 rushing yards, Green Baytoppled the Falcons on a foggy, 30-degreeafternoon. The Packers had earned their firstNFC Central crown in 23 years.Jeff George’s 65-yard touchdown passto Eric Metcalf gave Atlanta a 7-0 edge threeminutes into the game and stunned thecrowd of 60,453. But the Packers quickly regained control, scoringtwo first-quarter TDs.Green Bay broke open the game midway through the secondperiod, when rookie Antonio Freeman became the first Packersplayer to return a kick for a postseason touchdown, taking a puntback 76 yards. Then, with less than one minute left in the first half,Mark Chmura caught a 2-yard touchdown from Brett Favre, cappinga 14-play, 85-yard drive, extending the lead to 27-10.Favre’s third TD toss – a perfect, lofting spiral to Dorsey Levenswith just under eight minutes left – cemented the issue. Favre completedpasses to nine receivers, while Bennett averaged 4.5 yards onthe ground, with one TD, on 24 attempts.Atlanta . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3 0 10 — 20Packers . . . . . . . . . 14 13 0 10 — 37Atl — Metcalf 65 pass from J.George (Andersen kick)GB — Bennett 8 run (Jacke kick)GB — R.Brooks 14 pass from Favre (Jacke kick)Atl — FG Andersen 31GB — Freeman 76 punt return (bad snap)GB — Chmura 2 pass from Favre (Jacke kick)Atl — Birden 27 pass from J.George (Andersen kick)GB — Levens 18 pass from Favre (Jacke kick)Atl — FG Andersen 22GB — FG Jacke 25PACKERS 27, SAN FRANCISCO 171995 NFC Divisional PlayoffJan. 6, 1996, at 3Com Park, San FranciscoPhysically menacing the 49ers offense,Green Bay shocked the defending SuperBowl champions and advanced to the NFCChampionship for the first time.The victory, especially sweet for SanFrancisco native Mike Holmgren, markedthe coach’s first game against the club thatlaunched his pro coaching career.After the Niners blocked a field goal to end Green Bay’s openingdrive, the Packers defense set the tone for the rest of the game.On San Francisco’s first play, Wayne Simmons drilled fullbackAdam Walker on a screen pass, forcing a fumble that rookie CraigNewsome returned 31 yards for the day’s first points. The Packersthen mounted 62- and 72-yard scoring drives on their next twopossessions; Brett Favre’s touchdown passes to Keith Jackson andMark Chmura, respectively, gave Green Bay a 21-0 second-quarteradvantage.Favre, the NFL’s MVP, completed 21 of 28 passes (75 percent),while Jackson, whose two long receptions over the middle set upPackers scores, caught four for 101 yards. Robert Brooks’ fourcatches totaled 103 yards.The Packers defense forced four turnovers and battered SteveYoung all afternoon, with three sacks and countless knockdowns,forcing him to attempt an NFL playoff-record 65 passes in a futilecomeback bid. Meanwhile, San Francisco’s receiver nonpareil, JerryRice, made 11 receptions but had few yards after the catch.Green Bay posted the only road victory by an NFC team in thedivisional playoffs from 1990-99.Packers . . . . . . . . . 14 7 3 3 — 27San Francisco . . . . 0 3 7 7 — 17GB — Newsome 31 fumble return (Jacke kick)GB — Jackson 3 pass from Favre (Jacke kick)GB — Chmura 13 pass from Favre (Jacke kick)SF — FG Wilkins 21SF — Young 1 run (Wilkins kick)GB — FG Jacke 27GB — FG Jacke 26SF — Loville 2 run (Wilkins kick)DALLAS 38, PACKERS 271995 NFC ChampionshipJan. 14, 1996, at Texas Stadium, IrvingGreen Bay, one win from its first SuperBowl in 28 years, held a fourth-quarterlead before succumbing to the offensivefirepower of the eventual league champions.Emmitt Smith (35-150), behind his massiveoffensive line, rushed for three touchdowns,ending the Packers’ season at TexasStadium for the third straight year.After the Packers converted a blockedpunt into a field goal, Troy Aikman threw two TD passes to MichaelIrvin. Brett Favre answered with two scores of his own – at the timea team postseason-record 73-yard pass to Robert Brooks and aKeith Jackson connection – to vault Green Bay into the lead, 17-14.Dallas added 10 points before halftime, though, to go up 24-17.Green Bay got the second half’s first 10 points, including Favre’s1-yard touchdown pass to Brooks, and held a 27-24 lead at the endof three quarters.But Smith’s talents glistened in the fourth quarter. His two rushingTDs – sandwiched around Larry Brown’s drive-killing interceptionin Dallas territory – gave the Cowboys their third Super Bowlappearance in four years.Packers . . . . . . . . . 10 7 10 0 — 27Dallas . . . . . . . . . . 14 10 0 14 — 38GB — FG Jacke 46Dal — Irvin 6 pass from Aikman (Boniol kick)Dal — Irvin 4 pass from Aikman (Boniol kick)GB — Brooks 73 pass from Favre (Jacke kick)GB — Jackson 24 pass from Favre (Jacke kick)Dal — FG Boniol 34Dal — E.Smith 1 run (Boniol kick)GB — FG Jacke 37GB — Brooks 1 pass from Favre (Jacke kick)Dal — E.Smith 5 run (Boniol kick)Dal — E.Smith 16 run (Boniol kick).PACKERS 35, SAN FRANCISCO 141996 NFC Divisional PlayoffJan. 4, 1997, at Lambeau Field, Green BayJump-started by their special teams,specifically two punt returns by DesmondHoward, the Packers took the first steptoward an eventual berth in Super BowlXXXI by eliminating the 49ers for a secondstraight year. With rain since early morningon a cold and dreary day, the field offeredless-than-ideal footing, and deteriorated intoa quagmire by game’s end. Despite the weather, 60,787 spectators(three no-shows) still showed up.After the 49ers went three-and-out on their first drive, Howardweaved his way through several defenders for a 71-yard touchdownjust 2:15 into the game. Then, midway through the first quarter,Howard broke free on a second punt return, traveling 46 yardsbefore San Francisco tripped him up at its own 7. Moments later,Brett Favre hit Andre Rison on a 4-yard touchdown pass to giveGreen Bay a 14-0 advantage.After an Edgar Bennett TD, the 49ers converted two Green Bayspecial-teams miscues into 14 points, bringing the game backwithin reach. First, a San Francisco punt bounced off Chris Hayes’leg and the 49ers recovered at the Green Bay 26, setting up a TerryKirby touchdown catch. Then, when the Packers failed to field ashort kickoff to open the second half, San Francisco recovered atthe Green Bay 4, and, on the next play, Elvis Grbac’s naked bootlegtrimmed the Packers’ lead to 21-14.To t heir credit, the Packers stormed back on their next possession,going 72 yards in 12 plays, a drive capped when AntonioFreeman recovered Bennett’s fumble in the end zone.Neither team gained many yards in the sloppy conditions. GreenBay racked up only 210 yards, including a club postseason-low 71passing. Bennett was the Packers’ workhorse, running for 80 yardsand two touchdowns on 17 carries. Steve Young’s broken ribs,suffered one week earlier, forced him out after two series and SanFrancisco managed just 196 total yards.476