1994: Packers Overcome Lions in NFC Wild Card Playoff Game

The NFC Wild Card playoff game on January 8, 1994 featured two NFC Central rivals that had faced each other the week before to finish out the 1993 regular season. In that instance, the Detroit Lions defeated the Green Bay Packers by a 30-20 score, wrapping up the division title with a 10-6 record. The Packers ended up in third at 9-7 to qualify for a Wild Card slot (Minnesota was also 9-7 and got second place thanks to a season sweep of Green Bay).

Detroit was coached by Wayne Fontes and rebounding from a 5-11 record in ’92 after going all the way to the NFC Championship game the year before. RB Barry Sanders, who posted his fifth Pro Bowl season in as many years, was back in action after being lost with a sprained left knee on Thanksgiving that cost him the last five games of the regular season and a shot at the league rushing title. WR Herman Moore was a rising star and WR Brett Perriman was solid on the other side, but quarterback had been a problem area. Following the firing of offensive coordinator Dan Henning after 12 games, Erik Kramer was installed as the starter and performed well. There were injury concerns on defense, which was missing CB Ray Crockett while LB Pat Swilling was playing with a pulled hamstring.

The Packers, in their second season under Head Coach Mike Holmgren, were in the playoffs for the first time since 1982. 24-year-old QB Brett Favre (pictured above), who had taken over the starting job during the previous year, displayed tremendous potential and was named to the Pro Bowl, but was also inconsistent. He gave up four interceptions in the season-ending loss to the Lions, giving him a league-leading 24 in all, against 19 touchdowns. WR Sterling Sharpe was a consensus first-team All-Pro who caught a NFL-high 112 passes for 1274 yards and 11 TDs, but none of the other receivers were exceptional, nor were the running backs. The defensive line was anchored by DE Reggie White, while Bryce Paup recorded 11 sacks from the outside linebacker position and SS LeRoy Butler was an All-NFL selection.  

There were 68,479 fans in attendance for the late Saturday afternoon contest at the Pontiac Silverdome. The teams exchanged punts to start the game before the Lions drove to the Green Bay 17 thanks to a pass from Erik Kramer to Brett Perriman that covered 18 yards in a third-and-12 situation and a 25-yard run by Barry Sanders. However, Kramer’s pass intended for Herman Moore was intercepted by CB Terrell Buckley.

The Packers had to punt following the ensuing series and the Lions again drove into Green Bay territory, advancing 50 yards in nine plays and not coming up empty. Kramer completed four passes, three of them to Perriman, and a pass interference penalty added nine yards. But Detroit was backed up by a false start penalty, a sack, and a run by Sanders that lost two yards, and while a throw to TE Rodney Holman was completed, it could not overcome a third-and-20 situation. Jason Hanson kicked a 47-yard field goal on the last play of the opening period.

The Packers started off the second quarter by putting together a 13-play, 80-yard possession. Brett Favre was successful on four passes and had a ten-yard run along the way. Two of the completions were to Sterling Sharpe, the last of which was good for a 12-yard touchdown. Chris Jacke added the extra point to put the visitors in front by 7-3.

The next Detroit series got off to a less-than-promising start when WR Mel Gray, normally an outstanding kick returner, fumbled on the return. The ball bounced back to hit his face mask and went out of bounds at the six yard line. Kramer hit on two passes, to Holman for 16 yards and Perriman for 12, and Sanders took off around end for a gain of 44 yards to the Green Bay 20. A false start moved the Lions back and, following an incomplete pass, Sanders ran for seven yards. Facing third-and-eight, Perriman caught a pass from Kramer for 13 yards to reach the five. Two carries by Sanders got the ball to the one, and from there Kramer threw to Perriman once more for a TD. Hanson’s point after made it a 10-7 tally with just over two minutes remaining in the first half, and that was the score at the intermission.

The teams started the third quarter by again trading punts. The Packers were pinned back at their five and Favre threw a pass that was intercepted by CB Melvin Jenkins and returned 15 yards for a TD. Hanson’s conversion put the Lions ahead by ten points at 17-7.

Green Bay responded by driving 72 yards in seven plays. Favre completed four passes, including one to TE Ed West for 23 yards and the last to Sharpe for a 28-yard touchdown. Jacke’s extra point reduced the home team’s lead to 17-14.

The Lions came back with Kramer throwing to Perriman for 19 yards, an unnecessary roughness penalty that picked up 15 yards on what had been an incompletion, and then another pass to Perriman for 31 yards to the Green Bay eight. Following a three-yard carry by Sanders, Kramer went to the air again, but this time FS George Teague intercepted in the end zone and returned it 101 yards for a TD. Jacke tacked on the PAT, and in stunning fashion the Packers were in the lead by 21-17.

As the game headed into the fourth quarter, the Lions put together a 15-play, 89-yard series. Kramer completed four passes and Sanders had a 13-yard run that set up a five-yard touchdown carry by RB Derrick Moore. Hanson added the extra point and Detroit was back in front at 24-21.

The Packers had a short possession and punted and the Lions drove to their 44 before they had to punt in turn. There was 2:26 left on the clock as the Green Bay offense regained possession at its 29. Favre threw a screen pass to RB Edgar Bennett for 12 yards and to West for nine. A run by Bennett picked up four more yards and Favre tossed a short pass to Sharpe for another six. On the next play, Favre was forced to scramble and found Sharpe, alone in the end zone thanks to a blown coverage, for a 40-yard touchdown (pictured below). Jacke’s extra point put Green Bay back in front by four points with 55 seconds to play.

The Lions, following a kickoff return of just eight yards by Gray, weren’t able to move past their own 20 in the remaining time and the Packers won by a final score of 28-24.

Detroit had wide leads in total yards (410 to 293) and first downs (25 to 16), and was especially dominant on the ground (175 to 89). However, the Lions turned the ball over twice, both in Green Bay territory, to one by the Packers, who also recorded the only four sacks of the game. Special teams were a factor as Corey Harris averaged 29.7 yards on three kickoff returns while Mel Gray was held to 11.0 yards on four returns.

Brett Favre completed 15 of 26 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns while giving up one interception. Sterling Sharpe had 5 catches for 101 yards and all three of the TDs. Darrell Thompson led the Packers with 41 yards on 12 carries and added 32 yards on three pass receptions and Edgar Bennett rushed for 30 yards on 9 attempts while catching two passes for 21 yards. On defense, two of the sacks were accounted for by Reggie White.

For the Lions, Barry Sanders (pictured above) showed no ill effects from his layoff with 169 yards on 27 carries. Brett Perriman caught 10 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. Erik Kramer was successful on 22 of 31 throws for 248 yards and a TD, but gave up two interceptions.

Following the dramatic win against Detroit, the Packers lost to the Cowboys the next week by a 27-17 score. But after the long postseason dry spell, 1993 marked the first of six straight playoff appearances, two of which resulted in Super Bowl appearances, won of them a victory. The Lions reached the playoffs after each of the next two seasons, losing in the Wild Card round each time, including to the Packers again the next year.

1994: Cowboys Overcome Packers for NFC Divisional Playoff Win

The Dallas Cowboys, winners of the Super Bowl following the 1992 NFL season, were strong again in ’93 and posted a conference-best 12-4 record in topping the NFC East. Rebuilt into a championship team by Head Coach Jimmy Johnson, the Cowboys had an offense constructed around QB Troy Aikman (pictured at right), RB Emmitt Smith, and WR Michael Irvin. The defense set a club record by allowing just 21 touchdowns and featured DT Russell Maryland, MLB Ken Norton, CB Kevin Smith, and FS Thomas Everett. Dallas faced the Green Bay Packers in a NFC Divisional Playoff game on January 16, 1994 as they sought to defend their title.

Green Bay was in the postseason for the second straight year under Head Coach Mike Holmgren, again posting a 9-7 record to finish third in the NFC Central but qualify for a Wild Card spot. In his second year as a starter, QB Brett Favre was still a work in progress who suffered with inconsistency (he was intercepted a league-leading 24 times) but was selected to the Pro Bowl. WR Sterling Sharpe caught 112 passes and TE Jackie Harris was a fine pass-catching tight end, but the running game was mediocre.  The defense was anchored by All-Pro DE Reggie White and also contained pass rushing LB Bryce Paup and SS LeRoy Butler. The Packers defeated the division-rival Lions in the Wild Card round to advance to the Divisional playoff against the Cowboys.

It was a mostly-cloudy day with 64,790 in attendance at Texas Stadium. The Packers got an apparent early break when Emmitt Smith, who was still recovering from a shoulder separation, fumbled after being hit by LB Tony Bennett and Butler recovered at the Dallas 43. But Green Bay gave the ball right back on the next play when Favre fumbled while being sacked by DE Tony Tolbert and DE Leon Lett recovered the ball for the Cowboys. The teams traded punts and, following a short series for Dallas, a fake punt on fourth-and-one failed to pick up the necessary yardage and Green Bay took over in Cowboys territory at the 28. This time the Packers got on the board but, after advancing 16 yards in seven plays, they had to settle for Chris Jacke kicking a 30-yard field goal.

The Cowboys were driving as the opening period ended, but early in the second quarter Butler intercepted an Aikman pass. However, the Packers lost yardage in three plays and punted, and Dallas put together an eight-play, 68-yard scoring series. Aikman completed four passes, the last to WR Alvin Harper for a 25-yard touchdown. Ed Murray added the point after and it was 7-3.

The Packers started off their next possession from deep in their own territory when CB Corey Harris fumbled the ball out of bounds at the four on the kickoff return. However, following a short run on first down, Favre threw to TE Darryl Ingram for seven yards and then hit Sterling Sharpe for a 48-yard gain to the Dallas 39. Green Bay advanced to the 31, from where Jacke’s 49-yard field goal try was unsuccessful when it hit the right upright.

The Cowboys came back with a 10-play, 45-yard series. Aikman had completions to Smith for 22 yards and to Irvin for 11 and 13 yards before the drive stalled at the Green Bay 23. Murray made good on a 41-yard field goal attempt that made it 10-3 with 28 seconds remaining in the half. The scoring wasn’t over, however, as Harris again lost the ball when stripped by DB Kenneth Gant on the kickoff return and safety Joe Fishback recovered the fumble for Dallas at the Green Bay 15. Aikman threw to Irvin for eight yards and then to TE Jay Novacek for six yards and a TD. The Cowboys went into halftime with an enhanced 17-3 lead.

The Packers had the first possession in the third quarter and punted, but got a break on defense when CB Terrell Buckley intercepted an Aikman pass at the Green Bay 40. Favre quickly passed them into Dallas territory and RB Darrell Thompson gained 12 yards on two carries, but the drive stalled at the 37. The Packers attempted to convert a fourth-and-eight situation, but Favre’s completion to TE Ed West gained only six yards.

The Cowboys made the most of the reprieve and went 69 yards in six plays. An 18-yard Aikman-to-Irvin completion had another 15 yards tacked on due to a face mask penalty and Aikman connected with Irvin again with a well-thrown pass to the back of the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown.

Down 24-10, the Packers came back with a scoring drive of their own. Favre completed four straight passes after facing a third-and-six situation at his own 22, the longest to Thompson for 30 yards. The nine-play, 82-yard series ended with Favre throwing to WR Robert Brooks for a 13-yard TD. With the extra point added, it was a 14-point game with just over a quarter remaining.

Following a punt by the Cowboys early in the final period that was returned 43 yards by Brooks, Favre was immediately picked off by DE Charles Haley after his pass was deflected by DE Jim Jeffcoat. Dallas moved down the field, going 47 yards in 9 plays, highlighted by a nine-yard Aikman completion to Novacek on a third-and-six play and another throw to Irvin that picked up 27 yards. The Packers stiffened and, on a third down play at the Green Bay 15, Aikman was sacked by Bryce Paup. However, Murray added a 38-yard field goal and the Cowboys had managed to run 5:33 off the clock.

With Favre throwing on every play, the Packers drove from their own 15 to the Dallas 15. But the thirteenth play of the possession ended with SS Darren Woodson intercepting a pass at the five to essentially nail down the win. Green Bay scored a touchdown in the last two minutes as Favre threw to Sharpe from 29 yards out, but it was a case of too little, too late. Dallas won by a score of 27-17.

The Cowboys had the edge in total yards (381 to 358) and first downs (23 to 19). Neither team gained much on the ground (97 yards on 27 attempts for Dallas, 31 yards on 13 carries for Green Bay) and the Packers sacked Aikman four times, to just two sacks of Favre. However, the Packers also turned the ball over on four occasions, to three by Dallas, and the Cowboys took better advantage of their breaks.

Troy Aikman completed 28 of 37 passes for 302 yards with three touchdowns against two interceptions. Michael Irvin (pictured above) led the Dallas receivers with 9 catches for 126 yards and a TD. Emmitt Smith gained 60 yards on 13 rushing attempts.

For the Packers, Brett Favre (pictured below) was successful on 28 of 45 throws, going 20 of 34 in the second half alone, for 331 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. RB Edgar Bennett, who gained just three yards on six carries, led the receivers with 9 catches for 53 yards while Sterling Sharpe gained 128 yards on his 6 receptions and scored a touchdown. Darrell Thompson was the leading rusher with 28 yards on 7 attempts.

“I thought our defense played a very fine first half,” said Mike Holmgren. “That’s why that touchdown near the end of the first half hurt so much.”

“That was probably the biggest play of the game,” said Thomas Everett of the fumble referenced by Holmgren that set up the score before halftime. “We did a good job. We needed something like that, because it was a tight game.”
 

“You’ve just got to give them all the credit in the world,” summed up Green Bay DE Matt Brock. “They play like world champs.”

The Cowboys went on to defeat the 49ers for the NFC title for the second straight year and then won the Super Bowl over the Buffalo Bills, also for the second year in succession. Jimmy Johnson left as head coach, to be succeeded by Barry Switzer, and while Dallas put together another 12-4 record in 1994, the club fell short in the NFC title game. The Packers were 9-7 for the third straight year in ’94, again qualifying for the postseason as a Wild Card and falling once again to the Cowboys at the Division level. Things would change regarding the relative status of the two teams later in the decade, particularly as Brett Favre improved, but at this point Dallas was the superior club.

1994: Andre Reed Catches 15 Passes as Bills Hold Off Packers

The Buffalo Bills, under Head Coach Marv Levy, had won four straight AFC titles from 1990 through ’93 but after getting off to a 5-3 start in 1994 had lost two straight contests and were just 5-5 as they hosted the Green Bay Packers on November 20. Age and the resulting wear-and-tear were beginning to catch up to 34-year-old QB Jim Kelly and seventh-year RB Thurman Thomas, although the other vital cog in the offense, WR Andre Reed (pictured above), was coming back successfully from an off-year in 1993. The defense, although it still contained outstanding performers in DE Bruce Smith, LB Cornelius Bennett, and FS Henry Jones, was no longer as formidable as it had once been – and Smith was out for the game with the Packers due to a shoulder injury.

Green Bay, with Mike Holmgren at the helm for the third year, was a team moving in the opposite direction. Coming off their first postseason appearance in eleven years, the Packers had an up-and-coming quarterback in Brett Favre, an excellent wide receiver in Sterling Sharpe, and a defensive line anchored by the All-Pro DE Reggie White. Moreover, the Packers were on a roll, having won their previous three games, and came into the contest at Buffalo with a 6-4 record.

There was a crowd of 79,029 at Rich Stadium. The Bills had first possession and drove 78 yards in nine plays, the big one a 26-yard Kelly completion to WR Billy Brooks to the Green Bay 12 yard line and capped by a five-yard scoring carry by Thurman Thomas.

Following a punt by the Packers, Buffalo put together another long 15-play drive that covered 80 yards. Kelly completed eight passes along the way, including the final one to Andre Reed for 15 yards and another TD. The Bills were up by 14-0 after a quarter of play.

The Packers still couldn’t get into Buffalo territory on offense and had to punt. Once more the Bills had a long series of 14 plays for 66 yards, helped along by a defensive pass interference penalty that nullified an incompletion in a third-and-six situation. The methodical drive reached the Green Bay five, but this time the Bills were unable to penetrate the end zone as Kelly was sacked by DE Sean Jones for a 14-yard loss. They settled for a 38-yard field goal by Steve Christie to extend the lead to 17-0.

The teams traded punts as the Packers finally held the Buffalo offense to a three-and-out series, but a pass by Brett Favre was intercepted by CB Mickey Washington who returned it 36 yards to the Green Bay 13. Two plays later Kelly passed to Reed for a 10-yard touchdown and the Bills were seemingly in complete command at 24-0.

With time running out in the second quarter, the Packers responded with a scoring drive of 60 yards in five plays. All were pass completions by Favre, including a 29-yard TD throw to Sterling Sharpe. However, Chris Jacke’s extra point attempt was blocked and the score remained 24-6. It wasn’t the end of the first half scoring as the Bills, taking over with 58 seconds on the clock, went 42 yards in five plays, the most notable a Kelly completion to WR Russell Copeland for 35 yards. Christie kicked a 51-yard field goal on the last play of the half and it was 27-6 at the intermission.

The Packers narrowed the margin with their first series in the third quarter. Favre completed eight passes as Green Bay went 70 yards in 11 plays, the last one for a five-yard touchdown to RB Edgar Bennett. This time the extra point attempt was successful and the tally now stood at 27-13.

The Bills made it to midfield on their ensuing possession and punted. Helped by Favre passes and an 18-yard run by Bennett, the Packers went 77 yards in eight plays and once again it was Favre passing to Sharpe, this time for a 26-yard TD. With the extra point it was 27-20 and the visitors were back in the game entering the fourth quarter.

It seemed as though the momentum was surely in Green Bay’s favor when a Kelly pass was intercepted by CB Terrell Buckley, who returned it 26 yards to give the Packers good starting field position at the Buffalo 49. However, they were unable to advance as Favre threw three straight incomplete passes and they were forced to punt.

The Bills responded with another long, methodical drive. Kelly converted two third downs with passes to Reed and, while Thomas was unable to gain anything on the ground, Buffalo reached the Green Bay seven. But Christie’s 25-yard field goal try hit the right upright and was no good, keeping the Packers just seven points behind with over six minutes still on the clock.

Once again Buffalo’s defense held and the Packers punted from their 30. Trying to run the clock out, the Bills converted a third-and-nine play on their next series on another Kelly throw to Reed that covered 15 yards. After reaching the 50, Buffalo finally punted and pinned the Packers down at their 10 yard line with 2:25 remaining thanks to an outstanding play by special teams star Steve Tasker to drop WR Robert Brooks in his tracks before he could make any sort of return.

There was no stunning comeback for Green Bay on this day. With the crowd roaring, Favre tossed an incompletion, was sacked for a nine-yard loss back to the one and, fading back on a third-and-19 play, a holding penalty not only nullified a great catch by WR Anthony Morgan for an apparent 27-yard gain but, because it occurred in the end zone, gave Buffalo two points and forced the Packers to have to kick the ball away. That was all the Bills needed as they ran out the clock for a 29-20 win.

The Bills dominated in total yards (455 to 266), first downs (27 to 18), and time of possession (38:23 to 21:37). Each team turned the ball over once.

Andre Reed set a club record with 15 catches for 191 yards that included two touchdowns. Jim Kelly (pictured at right) completed 32 of 44 passes for 365 yards with two TDs and an interception. Thurman Thomas had a rough outing, gaining 80 yards on 31 carries (2.6 avg.) while scoring once – he also added 25 yards on four pass receptions.

For Green Bay, Brett Favre was successful on 22 of 40 throws for 214 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Sterling Sharpe had 5 catches for 86 yards that included two TDs. Robert Brooks gained 40 yards on his 5 pass receptions and Edgar Bennett also caught 5 passes, for 22 yards and a TD, while leading the club in rushing with 45 yards on 8 carries.

“They (the Bills) just got after us,” said Mike Holmgren. “They just dominated the first half. We just couldn’t do anything about what they were doing early on.”

The victory over the Packers did not signal resurgence by the Bills – they won only one more game and finished a disappointing fourth in the AFC East at 7-9, which was the club’s first losing record since 1987. Green Bay lost its next two contests but recovered to end up at 9-7 for the third straight year, good enough for second place in the NFC Central and a Wild Card berth in the playoffs. The Packers edged Detroit in the first round before losing to Dallas at the Divisional level.

Andre Reed caught a career-high 90 passes for 1303 yards (14.5 avg.) and eight touchdowns. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the seventh consecutive year.

Jim Kelly, who missed two games, completed a NFL career-high 63.6 percent of his passes for 3114 yards with 22 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Brett Favre ranked second in the league in passing (90.7 rating) while achieving new highs for yards (3882) and TD passes (33) – numbers that would quickly be surpassed in the MVP seasons that followed.

1989: Packers Come From Behind to Defeat Saints

The Green Bay Packers had not been over .500 in the six consecutive seasons prior to 1989, and that had been in the strike-shortened 1982 campaign. In their first year under Head Coach Lindy Infante in ’88, they had gone 4-12. The club had signed 20 free agents in the offseason, more than any other team in the NFL. Of the holdovers, WR Sterling Sharpe had led the Packers in pass receiving as a rookie and LB Tim Harris had 13.5 sacks and led the team in tackles.

The Packers lost their opening game in ’89 to Tampa Bay and on September 17 hosted the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field. After years of underachieving, New Orleans had gone to the postseason for the first time in 1987 under Head Coach Jim Mora and followed up with a 10-6 record in ’88. They missed the playoffs, but it was still a respectable showing for a club that had not posted a winning record in its first 20 seasons.

The Saints took control from the start, scoring on their first three possessions. After receiving the opening kickoff, they drove 77 yards in eight plays with QB Bobby Hebert throwing a 32-yard touchdown pass to WR Lonzell Hill. The Packers went three-and-out and the Saints took eight plays to score again, in a 56-yard possession that was highlighted by a 15-yard pass from Hebert to WR Floyd Turner and 21-yard carry by RB Dalton Hilliard. Hilliard capped the drive with a three-yard TD run. Packers QB Don Majkowski (pictured above) tossed an interception to end the next possession shortly before the conclusion of the first quarter, which finished with New Orleans ahead by 14-0.

Two plays into the second quarter, the Saints extended their lead to 21-0 when Hebert tossed a one-yard touchdown pass to TE Hoby Brenner. After an exchange of punts, Green Bay finally got on the board. Majkowski threw passes of 11 yards to WR Perry Kemp and 20 yards to TE Ed West and RB Brent Fullwood ran in for a TD from a yard out. But New Orleans managed one more drive prior to the end of the half that culminated in a 38-yard Morten Andersen field goal and the Saints took a 24-7 lead into halftime.

The Packers began to climb out of the hole with their first possession in the third quarter. Majkowski completed all seven of his passes in a 14-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Fullwood scoring his second touchdown of the game on a four-yard run. After New Orleans went three-and-out in its possession and punted, Majkowski completed five more passes in a six-play drive with West hauling in a three-yard touchdown catch. Green Bay was now only down by three points, 24-21.

The Saints weren’t done yet, however, as Hebert led them on a six-play possession of their own that included passes of 13 and 28 yards to WR Eric Martin and concluded early in the fourth quarter with a 24-yard scoring throw to Hill. The Packers responded with yet another scoring possession, going 78 yards in five plays as West caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Majkowski. It was again a three-point game at 31-28.


New Orleans came back with a long, 12-play possession that ran more than eight minutes off the clock and resulted in a 32-yard Andersen field goal. Green Bay struck quickly when they got the ball back with Majkowski passing to WR Jeff Query
(pictured at right) for a 35-yard gain to the Saints’ 45 yard line. But three plays later they faced a fourth-and-17 situation with under two minutes remaining to play. Majkowski again went to Query along the sideline, and the resulting 23-yard gain kept the drive alive. It ended with Majkowski throwing a three-yard touchdown pass to Sharpe, and with the successful extra point, Green Bay took the lead at 35-34 with 1:31 left on the clock.

The one-point margin held up when Hebert immediately went to the air and his long pass was intercepted by CB Van Jakes; Green Bay was able to run out the clock.


The Packers accumulated 490 total yards in their comeback victory to 367 for New Orleans. Don Majkowski completed 25 of 32 passes for 354 yards with three TDs and an interception. There were plenty of pass receiving stars as Sterling Sharpe (pictured at left) caught 8 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown, Ed West contributed 6 receptions for 87 yards and two scores, and Jeff Query made four catches for 84 yards, including the big plays in the final drive. Brent Fullwood also had a notable game rushing, gaining 125 yards on 18 carries with two TDs.

In defeat, Bobby Hebert tossed 32 passes, completed 23 of them for 282 yards and, like his Green Bay counterpart, with three touchdowns and one picked off. Lonzell Hill had 6 pass receptions for 90 yards and two TDs. However, the Saints didn’t gain as much on the ground, as Dalton Hilliard led the club with 43 yards on 13 attempts with a score.

It was the first sign of rejuvenation for the Packers, who ended up going 10-6 and finishing second (due to tiebreakers) in the NFC Central. They just missed the postseason. Meanwhile, New Orleans fell to a disappointing 9-7 and third place in the NFC West.

Don Majkowski had easily the best season of his career. He led the league in pass attempts (599), completions (353), and yards (4318) while firing 27 touchdown passes (third in the NFL) against 20 interceptions. The third-year quarterback out of Virginia was named to the Pro Bowl and received second-team All-NFL recognition from the Associated Press.

Sterling Sharpe led the NFL with 90 pass receptions and ranked second with 1423 yards and 12 touchdowns. He received All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition, but unlike Majkowski there were better years ahead.

The Packers would regress to being a losing club again in 1990 and ’91, Infante’s last year as head coach. It would take the arrival of Infante’s successor, Mike Holmgren, and a young quarterback named Brett Favre in 1992 before Green Bay would begin to win again with consistency.