Ranking the Green Bay Packers' Best Games After the Bye
The Green Bay Packers are coming off their bye week and heading into the second half of the 2014 NFL season. Thus far, the Pack is 5-3 and in the thick of the race for the playoffs.
The bye week has been kind to the Packers since it was first introduced in 1990. Green Bay is 16-9 in the game immediately following a bye. The Pack has won five straight and seven of their last eight contests.
Here is a look at the top 10 games played by the Green Bay Packers immediately following the bye. Since these games are from a Packers perspective, the Green and Gold won each of the games on this list. Exciting and last-minute victories get more consideration, as do victories over division or conference rivals. What the game meant in the context of that particular season is also part of the equation.
Honorable mentions include the Packers first-ever game after a bye, a 1990 win 24-10 over the Minnesota Vikings in Milwaukee, led by Don Majkowski and a 37-14 trouncing of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1993, led by Brett Favre.
Feel free to comment on any of the games on this list or to mention one you feel belongs here but was left out.
10. 1996: Packers 13, Buccaneers 7
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It may not have been pretty, but the Packers' 13-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers improved Mike Holmgren's club to 7-1 on the season en route to their first Super Bowl win in 29 years.
The Green Bay offense lacked its usual explosiveness due to injuries to receivers Antonio Freeman and Robert Brooks. Brett Favre was forced to rely on Desmond Howard, Don Beebe and Derrick Mayes to move the sticks.
Dorsey Levens scored the only Green Bay touchdown of the game on a one-yard run, but it was Edgar Bennett who led the ground game, rushing for 93 yards on 20 attempts.
Favre was 19-of-31 for 178 yards but failed to throw a touchdown pass.
Doug Evans and Eugene Robinson each had an interception for the Pack to keep the Tampa Bay offense from getting into a rhythm.
The Bucs still had a chance to win the game late, down by six points in the final minute of the game, but LB Brian Williams and safety LeRoy Butler combined to sack Trent Dilfer on fourth down to clinch the victory for the Packers.
9. 2009: Packers 26, Lions 0
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The Packers were 3-2 entering this game, but they needed a big win to erase the memory of a loss to Favre and the Vikings right before the bye.
Well, the Packers got what they needed when they delivered an old-fashioned butt whipping to the Detroit Lions, beating them 26-0.
Aaron Rodgers helped give the Pack a quick 14-0 lead on first-quarter touchdown strikes to James Jones and John Kuhn. Rodgers finished the day 29-of-37 for 358 yards.
Running back Ryan Grant led the Green Bay ground game with 90 yards on 24 carries.
Kicker Mason Crosby made all four of his field-goal attempts to provide the rest of the points in a game the Lions were never really in.
Donald Driver made Packers history when he made his first reception of the game. It gave him 596 for his career, one more than Sterling Sharpe's franchise record. Driver finished the game with seven catches for 107 yards.
How one-sided was this game? The Packers finished with 435 total yards; the Lions with just 149. The time of possession was 40:48 to 19:12 in favor of Green Bay.
The win was the Packers' 18th straight home win over Detroit, and it got the team back on track after its bitter loss to its former quarterback.
8. 1999: Packers 26, Buccaneers 23
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The 1999 season was a huge disappointment for the Green Bay Packers, but one of the few highlights was a 26-23 win over the Buccaneers in Green Bay. The victory improved the Packers' record to 3-1 on the season which ended with a mediocre 8-8 mark.
Favre led the Packers to a last-minute win for the third time in four games. The veteran quarterback, who had just turned 30, found Antonio Freeman for a 21-yard touchdown toss with just 1:05 left in the game to provide the winning points. It was Freeman's second touchdown catch of the game.
Favre finished the game with 390 yards and two touchdowns, while both Freeman (seven catches, 152 yards) and Bill Schroeder (seven catches, 158 yards) had big receiving days for the Packers.
Dorsey Levens finished with 99 yards rushing on 22 carries, while kicker Ryan Longwell booted three field goals.
The Packers ran out of last-minute heroics, and head coach Ray Rhodes was fired after his only season running the Packers. But on this night, the Pack seemed to be back.
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7. 2012: Packers 24, Lions 20
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This one didn't come easy, but the Packers scored 10 points late in the fourth quarter to defeat the Detroit Lions 24-20.
Rodgers found Randall Cobb late in the fourth quarter to tie the game 20-20 until Mason Crosby's point after attempt (PAT) gave Green Bay a 21-20 lead. A late field goal by Crosby gave the Pack their final margin of victory.
This was the fifth consecutive win for the Packers who improved their record on the season to 7-3.
Green Bay's defense was opportunistic, forcing four turnovers and sacking Matthew Stafford five times.
Cobb led the Packers with nine catches for 74 yards, while James Starks ran 25 times for 74 yards.
The Packers finished the season with an 11-5 mark and won the NFC North title.
6. 1997: Packers 28, Patriots 10
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The Packers traveled up to Foxboro for a Super Bowl rematch in 1997 after their bye week.
Both teams entered the game with 5-2 records, but the New England Patriots were seeking revenge for the Pack's 35-21 win in New Orleans the previous January in Super Bowl XXXI.
Green Bay led 14-10 at halftime on touchdown passes from Favre to Levens and tight end Mark Chmura.
In the third quarter, Favre led his club on an impressive 17 play, 99-yard drive that he capped off with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Brooks.
A three-yard touchdown run by Levens in the fourth quarter rounded out the scoring. Levens rushed for 100 yards and caught seven passes for 40 more.
Favre finished 23-of-34 for 239 yards and three touchdowns.
Patriots starter Drew Bledsoe was intercepted three times, once by Butler, once by Eugene Robinson and once by Brian Williams.
5. 2003: Packers 30, Vikings 27
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Things were not looking good for the Packers before their game against the Vikings. Green Bay was 3-4 entering this showdown with the 6-1 Minnesota Vikings, and to make matters worse, Favre suffered a broken thumb on his throwing hand and was a game-time decision.
Favre managed to play and extended his consecutive games streak to 198. He wasn't at his best, but he was good enough to lead the Packers to a 30-27 win at the Metrodome, a stadium that was often a house of horrors for both Favre and the Pack.
Favre threw for 194 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair of scores to wide receiver Javon Walker.
The real hero of the Packer offense was Ahman Green. The former Nebraska star rushed for 137 yards on 21 carries and caught five passes for 52 yards and a touchdown.
The Vikings made things close with 33 seconds left when quarterback Daunte Culpepper scored on a one-yard run, but safety Darren Sharper recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the win for the Packers.
4. 2001: Packers 21, Buccaneers 20
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The Packers overcame a 17-7 deficit and beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21-17 in what would be the final meeting of these two teams as division rivals.
The Bucs converted three Green Bay turnovers to score all of their points in this game. A pair of interceptions by Favre and a fumble recovery by Warren Sapp put Tampa Bay ahead.
A 63-yard touchdown run by Ahman Green late in the third quarter made it a 17-14 game, but the tough Tampa Bay defense kept the Packers stymied throughout the fourth quarter.
A 49-yard field goal by Martin Gramatica of Tampa Bay made it 20-14 Bucs and meant that Green Bay needed a touchdown to win the game.
The victory came in dramatic fashion when return specialist Allen Rossum ran back a punt 55 yards for a touchdown with just three minutes left. Longwell's extra point gave Green Bay a 21-20 win.
Green was the star of the game for the Packers. He ran for what was then a career-high 169 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries and grabbed six passes for another 49 yards.
The win increased the Packers record to 5-2 en route to a 12-4 finish and a wild-card berth in the playoffs.
3. 2011: Packers 45, Chargers 38
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Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense were at their best in a 45-38 win over the San Diego Chargers.
The game was not as close as the final score indicated. Green Bay led 45-28 midway through the fourth quarter before a pair of late touchdown passes by Philip Rivers pulled San Diego to within seven points.
Rodgers was extremely efficient, completing 21 of 26 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns.
The Packers also scored on two interception returns in the first quarter, a 40-yarder by Charlie Peprah and a 43-yard pick-six by Tramon Williams.
Jordy Nelson grabbed five passes for 105 yards and a touchdown to pace the Green Bay receivers. Jermichael Finley, James Jones and Greg Jennings also caught touchdown passes in this contest.
The victory increased the Packers' record to a perfect 8-0 en route to a 15-1 regular-season mark, the best in franchise history.
2. 2004: Packers 34, Vikings 31
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Ryan Longwell booted a 33-yard field goal as time expired to lead the Packers to a 34-31 win over the Minnesota Vikings. The win left both teams tied for first place in the NFC North with 5-4 records.
The winning drive was set up by a long kick return by Robert Ferguson which gave Green Bay the ball at midfield. Ferguson fumbled, but the Packers recovered and had one last chance to win the game. Favre then led the Packers down to the Minnesota 15 to set up Longwell's game-winner.
Favre threw four touchdown passes in the game to four different receivers. Javon Walker, Tony Fisher, Bubba Franks and William Henderson each found the end zone in this game.
It was the fourth straight win for Green Bay. The Pack overcame a 1-4 start to the season and finished with a 10-6 record, good enough to win the NFC North.
1. 2007: Packers 19, Broncos 13 (OT)
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As far as overtime games go, this one was over pretty quickly. On the first play from scrimmage in overtime, the familiar duo of Favre and Greg Jennings connected on an 82-yard touchdown pass to give the Pack a 19-13 road win over the Denver Broncos. Overtime lasted just 16 seconds.
Favre finished the game 21-of-27 for 331 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His first score was a 79-yard bomb to James Jones that tied the game at 7-7. Both Jennings and Jones finished with more than 100 yards receiving in the game, while Ryan Grant led the Green Bay ground attack with 104 yards.
The Broncos forced overtime on a 21-yard field goal by Jason Elam as time expired. Jay Cutler led Denver on an 89-yard drive that started with just 2:27 left in regulation time.
The win increased the Packers' record to 6-1 on the season. They finished 2007 with a 13-3 mark, good enough for another NFC North title. It was Favre's final season in Green Bay which ended in the NFC Championship Game.
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