The rematch with the San Francisco 49ers Sunday at Levi’s Stadium will mark the 8th trip to the NFC Championship Game in Green Bay Packers history. The winner in Santa Clara, California (5:40 CST Kickoff) will represent the conference in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on February 2.
I’ve covered all seven prior NFC title games and thought it would be a good idea to refresh some memories.
1995 Dallas Cowboys 38 Packers 27
At old Texas Stadium, it was getting real old against the Cowboys. Mike Holmgren’s up and coming Packer team was eliminated from the playoffs for the third straight year in Dallas. The first two divisional round games were convincing Cowboy victories but this time, Green Bay had the lead in the 4th quarter as Brett Favre threw touchdown passes of 73 yards to Robert Brooks, 24 to Keith Jackson and a one yarder to Brooks late in the third to go up 27-24. Emmitt Smith cracked the end zone twice, around a key Larry Brown interception and the Cowboys prevailed again. After the game, Holmgren was asked about drawing closer with each game in Dallas and answered, “I’m tired of closing the gap.” The wait for the Super Bowl would last only one more year.
1996 Packers 30 Carolina Panthers 13
Former General Manager Ron Wolf called this his crowning achievement. The Panthers had knocked out the Cowboys the week prior as the Packers, with the league’s top ranked offense and defense with MVP Favre rolled past San Francisco in the mud at Lambeau Field after earning a first round bye. What I remember about this game was the emergency sod job, trucked in from North Carolina no less, and laid down over the quagmire that remained after the 49er victory. The Packers weren’t going to be denied despite a kickoff temperature of 3 degrees below zero. Even though Carolina scored first after a turnover, Dorsey Levens piled up 205 yards of offense and Chris Jacke booted three field goals earning the franchise it’s first title since the Ice Bowl and propelled them on to Super Bowl XXXI and an NFL Championship against the New England Patriots.
1997 Packers 23 San Francisco 49ers 10
Back to back NFC crowns for the Pack thanks to a dominating defensive effort, hounding Steve Young all day. A Eugene Robinson pick and a big return set up Antonio Freeman’s go ahead 27 yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. A 4th down sack of Young set up the Packers in 49er territory and Levens capped his playoff record 114 yard rushing effort with a 5 yard touchdown run to make it 23-3. The Niners only TD came on the ensuing kickoff, returned 95 yards by Chuck Levy. In a cool, damp drizzle, Holmgren and the Packers left the Head Coach’s hometown high and dry, headed for a second straight Super Bowl.
2007 New York Giants 23 Packers 20 (OT)
In just his second season, Mike McCarthy got a resurgent campaign from 37 year old Brett Favre who led the Pack to a 13-3 record and a divisional round win over Seattle. But on another icy night at Lambeau Field (-1), the Giants put up quite a fight. Donald Driver took a pass 90 yards for a touchdown and Donald Lee caught a third quarter score but the Packers needed a field goal early in the 4th to tie the game at 20. New York’s David Tynes missed two kicks in the waning minutes but on the second snap of overtime, Favre’s pass for Driver was underthrown and interceptedf by Corey Webster and that set up Tynes for the 47 yard walk off, game winner. It would be Favre’s last pass as a Packer.
2010 Packers 21 Chicago Bears 14
Just a .500 club with a month to go in the season, the Packers got hot to earn the number 6 seed in the NFC. Road wins at Philadelphia and Atlanta brought Green Bay to Soldier Field to take on the North Division champion Bears. Touchdown runs by Aaron Rodgers and James Starks gave the Packers a 14-0 lead at the half but it was a defensive play by the quarterback that might have saved the day. Looking to finish off another drive in the third quarter, Rodgers was intercepted by Brian Urlacher who only had to elude the quarterback for a 90 yard pick six but Rodgers was just able to trip him up. Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler left with a knee injury but backup Todd Collins couldn’t move the team so third stringer Caleb Hanie came on. Backed up in his own end, Hanie got picked by defensive tackle B.J. Raji who waddled into the end zone from 18 yards out to give the Packers a two score lead. Hanie found Earl Bennett for a 35 yard score but the Packers were able to close it out to reach Super Bowl XLV where the capped the magic carpet ride by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers for their 4th Vince Lombardi Trophy.
2014 Seattle Seahawks 28 Packers 22 (OT)
The Packers were dominating the Seahawks at Century Link Field, leading 13-0 after the first quarter, 16-0 by halftime. Seattle got on the board when ex-Packer punter Jon Ryan pulled off a fake field goal by throwing a 19 yard touchdown pass to Garry Gilliam to make it 16-7. A third Mason Crosby field goal made it 19-7 with just over five minutes to play. I remember going online to take a peak at travel arrangements for the Super Bowl after Morgan Burnett intercepted Russell Wilson. That’s when all hell broke loose. Wilson capped a touchdown drive, Brandon Bostick misplayed the onside kick, Marshawn Lynch broke loose on a 24 yard touchdown run, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix lost coverage on a scrambling hail mary, two point conversion and the Packers were down 22-19 with 1:25 to play. Crosby connected from 48 yards with :11 left to force overtime but Seattle won the toss and never gave it up. Wilson hit Jermaine Kearse for the 35 yard game winner despite great coverage from Tramon Williams and McCarthy and the Packers suffered one of the most humiliating defeats in franchise history.
2016 Atlanta Falcons 44 Packers 21
With a healthy secondary in October, the Packers lost a shootout to the Falcons at the Georgia Dome 33-32. Injuries depleted the defensive backfield by the time the rematch took place in January and Matt Ryan, the league’s MVP took advantage in a big way. He riddled the Packers for three TD passes and even ran one in himself as the Falcons led 24-0 at the half and were never seriously threatened. Aaron Rodgers tossed three scoring strikes, to Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson and Jared Cook but it was too little and way too late, dropping Green Bay’s NFC Championship game record to 3-4.
Number 8 comes Sunday.
