Blast From The Past: Remembering The Packers And Lions 1994 Wildcard Thriller

Over 16 long years ago, the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions actually played in the NFL playoffs.

That isn't a typo, the Detroit Lions have been to the NFL playoffs,

But considering the Lions are an awful 3-40 in their last 43 games, and have a 0-16 season firmly under their belts, I don't blame you if it's hard to picture that scenario even that long ago. 

Nevertheless, the Lions and Packers engineered a playoff thriller in the Pontiac Silverdome on Jan. 8, 1994, and many remember it as a jumping-off point for a Packers team that would become one of the top NFC teams of the 1990's.

As the Packers and Lions face off again this weekend, let's take a look back at one of the signature games in the 159-game rivalry between the two teams.

Setting Up The Playoff Matchup: The Packers' 1993 Season

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

14 Aug 1993: Defensive lineman Reggie White of the Green Bay Packers looks on during a pre-season game against the New Orleans Saints at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. The Saints won the game, 26-17. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Alls

The Packers had finished the 1993 season with a 9-7 record, tied for second in the NFC Central with the 9-7 Minnesota Vikings and one game behind the 10-6 division-winning Lions.

Packers' quarterback Brett Favre seemingly struggled during the season, throwing 19 touchdown passes with 24 interceptions but still made the NFC Pro Bowl roster. (Quick side note: can you imagine a quarterback in 2010 with a 19/24 touchdown to interception ratio making the Pro Bowl? Really shows how much the NFL has changed.)

Green Bay had two rushers over 500 yards in Darrell Thompson (654 yards, three touchdowns) and Edgar Bennett (550 yards and nine touchdowns). Neither rusher had an average over four yards a carry.

Wide Receiver Sterling Sharpe was the offensive star, catching 112 passes for 1274 yards and 11 touchdowns. Tight end Jackie Harris caught 42 passes for 604 yards, and an up-and-coming star Robert Brooks caught 20 passes and had a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

The Packers defense was led by Reggie White (13 sacks), Bryce Paup (11 sacks), and LeRoy Butler (six interceptions). Green Bay's defense recorded 46 sacks on the season, and was the second rated defense based on yards given up.

Favre, Butler, Sharpe, White, and kicker Chris Jacke were all named to the NFC Pro Bowl roster.

Setting Up The Playoff Matchup: The Lions' 1993 Season

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

24 Oct 1993: Running back Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions moves the ball during a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Anaheim Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Lions won the game, 16-13.

As I stated in the previous slide, the Lions took the NFC Central with a 10-6 record. Detroit won the division in the last week of the season, beating the Packers in the Silverdome just six days before the Wild Card game 30-20.

The Lions started three different quarterbacks in 1993, with Rodney Peete starting ten games (6-4), Erik Kramer four (3-1), and Andre Ware two (1-1). Statistically, Kramer had the best season and was the playoff starter against the Packers.

The majority of Detroit's offense went through 25-year-old running back Barry Sanders. Sanders rushed for 1115 yards on just 243 carries and three touchdowns during the season, and was named to the Pro Bowl for his efforts.

Wide receiver Herman Moore caught 61 passes for 935 yards and six touchdowns, and Brett Perriman ended his season with 49 catches for 496 yards. The Lions offense was far from dominant statistically.

Detroit also had a special teams weapon, however. Mel Gray returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and was a feared speedster throughout the season.

And don't forget about 23-year-old kicker Jason Hanson, who is still an active member of the Lions. Hanson made 34 of 43 field goals in 1993.

The Lions defense was anchored by Pro Bowl linebacker Pat Swilling (6.5 sacks, five forced fumbles), and was aided by linebacker Chris Spielman (148 tackles) and defensive end Robert Porcher (8.5 sacks).

A Back And Forth First Half In The Silverdome

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

22 OCT 1995: WIDE RECEIVERS BRETT PERRIMAN #80 HERMAN MOORE #84 AND JOHNNIE MORTON #87 OF THE DETROIT LIONS CELEBRATE A TOUCHDOWN IN THE ENDZONE DURING THE LIONS 36-30 LOSS TO THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS AT RFK STADIUM IN WASHINGTON D.C. Mandatory Credit: D

The Lions opened the scoring with 47-yard field goal from Jason Hanson. Green Bay, playing in its first playoff game in 21 years, was shut out the first quarter.

That zero in the Packers scoring column didn't last, however. Trailing 3-0, Brett Favre found Sterling Sharpe on a 12-yard touchdown pass to give the Packers' their first playoff lead in over two decades.

The division champs would regain the lead as Lions' quarterback Erik Kramer found Brett Perriman on a one-yard touchdown pass that gave Detroit a 10-7 halftime lead.

A slow first half was just a set up for the exciting and memorable second half.

The thousands of fans in the Silverdome and the millions watching on television had no idea what they were about to see.

The beginning of a magical run for the Green Bay Packers was only 28 short minutes away.

Pick Sixes Prove to Be Crucial

George Teague made a huge play for the Packers defense.

Midway through the third quarterback, Brett Favre was picked off by the Lions' Melvin Jenkins, who promptly returned it 15 yards for a touchdown.

With the score 17-7 and their quarterback reeling, the Packers were holding on for their playoff lives.

Favre would not be deterred, however. The young gunslinger lead his Packers' down the field, and countered his interception with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Sharpe. The second Favre-to-Sharpe connection cut the Lions' lead to 17-14 in the third quarter.

Things were starting to look bleak again for the Packers as the Lions were driving deep in Packers territory late in the third quarter.

In a shocking turn of events, however, the Packers' safety George Teague intercepted a Kramer pass in the endzone, and returned it 101 yards for a Packers' touchdown.

The young Packers would take their 21-17 lead into the dramatic fourth quarter.

A Dramatic Fourth Quarter Finale

The young Favre had one miraculous throw left for the Lions.

The Lions, down 21-17, wouldn't go down without a fight. Barry Sanders, who had the best playoff performance of his career with 167 yards rushing, helped march the Lions' offense down the field.

It was the Lions' running Derrick Moore, who rushed for 405 yards during the 1993 season, who ultimately gave the Lions back the lead with a five-yard touchdown scamper.

With 2:00 minutes left in the game, the Packers took over at their own 41-yard line. Down three points, Favre and the Packers desperately needed to get within field goal range of NFL First Team All-Pro Kicker Chris Jacke.

Favre would do the Packers one better, however.

After marching Green Bay to the Lions' 40 yard line, Favre called another passing play for the Packers' offense on 2nd-and-four.

Favre took the snap, and looked left. His receiver was clearly covered, and Favre felt the pressure in the pocket from Lions' defensive end Robert Porcher.

Rolling to his left, Favre finally looked back to the right and to his All-Pro receiver Sterling Sharpe. In what came to be typical Favre-fashion, Brett heaved a missile down the right sidelines that landed right in the breadbasket of a wide open Sharpe in the end zone for a miraculous touchdown connection.

The Packers defense would hold onto their lead, and Green Bay would escape Detroit with a stunning 28-24 victory over the NFC Central Champions.

Visual Proof of The Packers' Game Winning Drive

Just writing about the Packers' final drive just doesn't do it justice. Here's a clip of the drive in its entirety.

As Brent Musberger says, "Favre...goes for the whole thing! TOUCHDOWN! Green Bay leads!".

The more you watch the play, you will realize what an underrated and hopefully unforgotten moment in Packers' history you are watching.

The Packers would go on to lose the following week 27-17 to the Dallas Cowboys, but this moment helped set the stage for a Packers team that would win the Super Bowl three years later.

Final Game Stats and Thoughts

It's a shame that the Packers and Lions rivalry has cooled off in recent years. This was a rivalry that was really starting to get legs in the 1990s before the Lions fell off the face of the earth in the past decade.

The rivalry has a bright future, however. With the Lions finally succeeding in rebuilding their franchise, the Packers and Lions could once again regain some of it's prominence that Favre and Sanders were starting to build way back in 1994.

Here are the final stats from the 1994 Wildcard game:

	GNB	DET
First downs	16	25
Rush-yards-TDs	25-89-0	29-175-1
Comp-Att-Yd-TD-INT	15-26-204-3-1	22-31-248-1-2
Sacked-yards	0-0	4-13
Net pass yards	204	235
Total yards	293	410
Fumbles-lost	2-0	2-0
Turnovers	1	2
Penalties-yards	6-49	5-35