Remembering the Most Frustrating Playoff Losses in Packers History

The Green Bay Packers have won more NFL championships than any other franchise. Thirteen times the Packers have emerged victorious and captured a title. That includes six wins under Curly Lambeau, five titles under Vince Lombardi and one each under Mike Holmgren and Mike McCarthy.

But along with the great championship wins come some difficult playoff losses. Here is a look at the five most frustrating. These are based on expectations, the way the game was lost and what was at stake.

Feel free to mention any other games you feel belong on this list in the comments.

5. 1972 NFC Divisional Playoffs: Redskins 16, Packers 3

The Packers qualified for the playoffs for the only time in the 1970s after winning a divisional title in 1972. Dan Devine’s club won on the strength of a great defense and the productive running of John Brockington and MacArthur Lane.

Redskins coach George Allen devised a defense with five defensive linemen which was designed to stop the Green Bay rushing attack and practically dared the Pack to pass the football. But Devine kept running the ball even though his team had little success. Brockington was held to nine yards on 13 carries while Lane gained 56 yards on 14 attempts.

The Packers led 3-0 on a 17-yard field goal by Chester Marcol in the second quarter, but Washington scored 16 unanswered points and came away with the win.

Had Devine adjusted his offense and thrown the football a bit more, the Packers may have had a chance. All season long, quarterback coach Bart Starr had been calling plays but Devine took over that responsibility for this game. As a result, they lost to Washington and didn’t return to the playoffs for another decade.

4. 1960 NFL Championship Game: Eagles 17, Packers 13

The Packers reached the NFL title game in Lombardi’s second season at the helm and this turned out to be the only playoff game they lost under their legendary head coach.

The Pack outgained Philadelphia 401-296 with running back Jim Taylor gaining 105 yards on 24 carries while Bart Starr completed 21-of-34 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown pass to Max McGee.

The Eagles led 17-13 late in the fourth quarter when the Packers had their final drive. Starr led the team downfield and the Packers had the ball at the Philadelphia 22 with eight seconds left. Starr threw underneath to Taylor who ran to the Eagles eight before being tackled by Hall of Famer Charlie Bednarik. “Concrete Charlie” wouldn’t get off Taylor until the clock had run out and the Eagles won the game.

Lombardi told his team he was proud of them and that they wouldn’t lose another championship game together. He was right about that as the Pack went on to win five titles in the next seven years under Lombardi’s leadership.

3. 2003 NFC Divisional Game: Eagles 20, Packers 17 (OT)

This game was a tough one to watch. The Packers were fresh off their thrilling overtime win over Seattle the previous week on Al Harris’ game-winning interception return.

Brett Favre threw two first quarter touchdown passes to Robert Ferguson and the Packers led 14-0. But Donovan McNabb led the Eagles back to tie it in the fourth quarter before Ryan Longwell’s 24-yard field goal put the Pack ahead 17-14 with 10 minutes left in the game.

Philadelphia was still trailing with 1:12 left in regulation time and they faced a fourth down and 26 at their own 28-yard line. But McNabb found Freddie Mitchell for 28 yards and the Eagles miraculously still had a chance. They tied it on a 37-yard field goal with 10 seconds left and the game headed to overtime.

In overtime, the Packers ran exactly one offensive play. Favre tried to find Javon Walker but was picked off by Brian Dawkins to set up the game winning field goal for Philadelphia. Five plays later, it was over as David Akers won it for the Eagles on a 31-yard field goal.

This was a game the Packers should have won, but the Eagles converted a 4th-and-26 and ended the Packers season.

2. Super Bowl XXXII: Broncos 31, Packers 24

The Packers were heavy favorites to win their second straight Super Bowl in 1997, but instead they fell to the Denver Broncos 31-24 in a seesaw game that earned John Elway his first Super Bowl win.

The Packers couldn’t stop eventual game MVP Terrell Davis who gained 157 yards and scored three touchdowns despite missing the second quarter due to severe migraine headaches. The Packers let Davis score his final touchdown from one-yard out so they could get the ball back with 1:45 left and tie the game with one final drive.

Unfortunately, that drive stalled with 32 seconds left at the Denver 31 yard line when Favre’s fourth down pass for tight end Mark Chmura fell short.

The Packers lost the Super Bowl for the first and only time in their history despite three touchdown passes by Favre and nine catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns by Antonio Freeman.

After the game, Packers GM Ron Wolf was quoted as saying, “We’re a one-year wonder, just a fart in the wind.”

The Packers would not return to the Super Bowl again until the 2010 season when Aaron Rodgers led them to victory in Super Bowl XLV.

1. 2014 NFC Championship Game: Seahawks 28, Packers 22 (OT)

This was a game the Packers had several chances to win but couldn’t quite close the door on the Seahawks.

The Packers led 16-0 at the half, but the lead easily could have been bigger. On the Packers first drive, Aaron Rodgers was intercepted in the end zone by Richard Sherman and the Pack came away empty handed.

Then Ha Ha Clinton-Dix intercepted Russell Wilson deep in Seattle territory but the Packers settled for a field goal despite having the ball 2nd-and-goal from the Seahawks one-yard line.

The Packers put together another drive that got them inside the Seattle 10 but again had to settle for three points when the drive stalled at the Seattle one-yard line.

In all, the Packers forced five turnovers including four interceptions by Wilson but couldn’t quite pull away from the stubborn Seahawks.

Green Bay still led 19-7 with time winding down in the fourth quarter when the Seahawks pulled off a late comeback. A one-yard touchdown run by Wilson made it 19-14 with just 2:13 left in regulation.

The Seahawks then successfully recovered an onside kick that went right through the hands of tight end Brandon Bostick before the Seahawks pounced on it. Four plays later, Marshawn Lynch ran 24 yards for a touchdown and the Packers were trailing 22-19 with just 1:33 left in the game.

The Pack didn’t quit and forced overtime on a 48-yard field goal by Mason Crosby with 19 seconds left. But Seattle won the coin toss in overtime and scored on their first drive, dashing the Packers Super Bowl hopes and leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of Packers fans everywhere.

 

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Comments (56)

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Ferrari-Driver's picture

June 05, 2021 at 12:21 pm

Nothing will ever exceed that loss to the Seahawks. Bostick jumping up in front of Jordy Nelson to botch that game ending play cannot be forgiven.

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TarynsEyes's picture

June 05, 2021 at 12:33 pm

Yes, Bostick screwed up, but all the screw-ups that made that a possible and eventual reality cannot be denied or ignored, which is what happens when Bostick is held as the sole reason for the loss. Bostick was the last screw-up on a long list that had lost the game previous to his.
Do you know what a scapegoat is? It's the player that is blamed for what many others did before him. Bostick does not make other hands clean.

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jlc1's picture

June 05, 2021 at 02:21 pm

Yep and we might as well start with the coaching. McCarthy not having the guts to go for TDs inside the 10. And Zook for spectacularly lousy special teams play. Seattle TD on a fake punt and then Bostick's play. As Belichick says 'just do your job'. Coaching makes you not forget what your job is and the Pack had too little of it in that game.

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jannes bjornson's picture

June 05, 2021 at 02:55 pm

Hawk and House out of position on the fake punt; Burnett with his capitulation kneel down, the gutless play calling in the red zone; Dom's play calls in OT ?; Matthews taking five and no timeout called; Dix absolute whiff on the 2pt duck by Wilson. An accumulation of Ted picks that never should have made a NFL roster and McCarthy watching the house burn down around him--"we like our guys"

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CJ Bauckham's picture

June 05, 2021 at 08:14 pm

by your own definition, bostick is not a scapegoat. no one else made the same mistake he did that night. no one blames him for the mistakes others made. his mistake does not make other hands clean, but it does make his own dirty.

i get the point you're trying to make, but he isn't a scapegoat; he is in fact a contributing factor to the loss and likely the most egregious one

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TarynsEyes's picture

June 05, 2021 at 10:28 pm

He's the scapegoat. He made the last blunder. I didn't infer all the blunders were the same as Bostick, but that many blunders were done and they had afforded the last one to occur, though those previous blunders had already lost the game before the game was final. We all knew it was coming, we all knew GB would lose, it was seen in the blunders before Bostick.

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jannes bjornson's picture

June 06, 2021 at 01:48 pm

A Tight End on the roster who cannot catch. You make the call.

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Ferrari-Driver's picture

June 06, 2021 at 12:28 am

TarynsEyes, excellent points and I fully agree.

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Difer's picture

June 06, 2021 at 12:33 pm

The loss to Seattle was truly a team effort - from the FO down to the coaches and the players. But, hey, they made the playoffs - all the rest was gravy.

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PatrickGB's picture

June 05, 2021 at 12:24 pm

For me the super bowl loss was the hardest on me. I was with a bunch of army friends who were Denver fans for that game and I was so positive that the Packers were a shoe in to win. The other losses were quite hard but did not put me into a funk for months like the loss in the super bowl.

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13TimeChamps's picture

June 05, 2021 at 02:53 pm

I've never understood why Denver was such an underdog in that game. Denver was really talented. They had 3 future HOFers (Elway, Zimmerman and Davis) on offense alone. Plus, IIRC, Davis won league MVP that year as well. That should have been a pick-em game in my opinion.

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splitpea1's picture

June 05, 2021 at 05:12 pm

The Broncos' past Super Bowl history and the fact that an AFC team hadn't won in 13 seasons.

Also there was that drubbing we gave them in the previous season, although Elway didn't play in that game.

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Crankbait's picture

June 06, 2021 at 06:56 am

Denver's defense was heavily juiced. Remember Romanowsky?

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jannes bjornson's picture

June 06, 2021 at 01:50 pm

Just out-coached.

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PeteK's picture

June 06, 2021 at 04:10 pm

DE, Wilkens getting hurt unleashed Davis as he attacked the right side of our D.

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davekenya's picture

June 05, 2021 at 12:42 pm

This is a good list and an appropriate depressing topic! One that also came to mind for me was:

1998 NFC Wild Card Game vs. SF. With 8 seconds left in the game and the 49ers facing 3rd-and-3, San Francisco wide receiver Terrell Owens made a catch in the end zone to complete a 25-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Steve Young, enabling the 49ers to defeat the Packers, 30–27.

During the 49ers' final drive, on their 5th play from scrimmage, Young passed complete to Jerry Rice for a gain of 6 yards to the Packers' 47. However, on the tackle by Bernardo Harris, a clear fumble was forced that was not seen by the officials (with 40 seconds left in the game. On the Fox TV broadcast replay, the ball appeared to be forced out of Rice's hand, punched out by safety Scott McGarrahan, before Rice's knee hit the ground. At the time of this game, instant replay rules were not instated in the NFL, in which the play could be easily challenged and overturned, giving Green Bay the ball.

Both these plays frustrated me greatly in a frustrating loss. I suppose this makes up for GB smacking SF around a couple times in the recent past -- when GB upset the highly favored and regarded 1995 9ers and then Des Howard had his great returns against them in the Mud Bowl game a year later.

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NickPerry's picture

June 06, 2021 at 05:16 am

"Young passed complete to Jerry Rice for a gain of 6 yards to the Packers' 47. However, on the tackle by Bernardo Harris, a clear fumble was forced that was not seen by the officials"

How the officials MISSED that was just unbelievable to me. I still can't watch the end of that game (or the Seattle game) but the 1998 Wild Card Game was just as gut-wrenching for me as the Seattle loss in 2014. It turned out to be Mike Holmgren's last game and to this day I wonder what might have been had the Packers been able to keep Holmgren in Green Bay for as long as McCarthy was there for example. Holmgren and Favre were like bacon & eggs...They just went together.

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Crankbait's picture

June 06, 2021 at 06:59 am

I remember it well, Holmgren didn't even fight the call.
He had already checked out to Seattle.

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dobber's picture

June 05, 2021 at 12:53 pm

"Remembering the Most Frustrating Playoff Losses in Packers History"

I'll fit this into my daily schedule after I roll in razor blades and take a bath in a vat of lemon juice, and before I chop jalapenos and rub my eyes.

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Bearmeat's picture

June 05, 2021 at 05:25 pm

Only jalapeños? I’d personally have opted for habeneros or the ghost peppers…

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ricky's picture

June 05, 2021 at 07:54 pm

Amen. The last thing I need is to re-live all the "almosts" and woulda-coulda-shoulda moments the Packers have had. Bad idea.

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PeteK's picture

June 06, 2021 at 04:13 pm

Hahahaha, the fact that you even thought up that scenario is very concerning, Hahaha.

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splitpea1's picture

June 05, 2021 at 02:38 pm

All playoff losses are frustrating, but I don't know how the 45-31 loss to SF in the 2012 playoffs escaped this list. Although the game was competitive until the late third quarter, the fact that our defense allowed the QB to rush for 181 yards is unforgivable, and in my mind, an eternal black eye for the franchise. 181 yards! To put this in perspective, the next highest total for a QB in a playoff game was Vick vs. the Rams several years earlier with 119.

I don't recall Capers making any halftime adjustments, as this showed itself to be a problem in the first half. The adjustments came in the first regular season game against SF the following year; Kaepernick rushing was a non-factor, but he threw for over 400 yards and Boldin caught over 200 of them.

So those were some pretty dark days for our defense. Although many years have passed since this debacle, we're still not sure we have a defense capable of carrying us through to the Super Bowl and winning--no matter what our current GM postulates.

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jannes bjornson's picture

June 05, 2021 at 03:03 pm

Their philosophy is play soft.

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Crankbait's picture

June 06, 2021 at 07:01 am

Their philosophy has been since 2010.... prevent defense.

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NickPerry's picture

June 06, 2021 at 09:53 am

Another excellent example. That game started so promising with Sam Shields interception return for a TD. I still have nightmares of watching Eric Walden wondering what the hell was going on when Kaepernick was already BEHIND him on that 56 yard TD run. Where's Waldo Walden?

We also can't forget the following year when the Packers hosted the 49ers at Lambeau when the 49ers drove the field to kick the winning FG as time expired. I remember watching that drive, like there was absolutely nothing the Packers defense could do to prevent that. It was inevitable, NOTHING was stopping them.

That was 2013. That was the 3rd year of bad defenses and NO adjustments by Dom Capers yet he was the DC for 3 more years after that. The next year the Seattle meltdown happened and he was STILL there...

It's really unbelievable when you think how long Capers stayed...That was where I wish Ted stepped in and did what Mike McCarthy wouldn't do.

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stockholder's picture

June 05, 2021 at 04:21 pm

I'm going with the 2007 lost to the Giants. So disappointing.

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jurp's picture

June 05, 2021 at 05:27 pm

Favre's last pass as a Packer, a mirror image of his last pass in the NO-MN playoff game.

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Crankbait's picture

June 06, 2021 at 07:04 am

I was there. Totally sucked. The weather defeated the Packers. It was insanely cold just as bad as the ice bowl if not worse.

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jannes bjornson's picture

June 06, 2021 at 01:56 pm

McCarthy stuck to his spread passing attack game plan with minimal running game in 24 below zero weather and gave the Giants four quarters of momentum. No double coverage on Plaxico Buress. No run stop.

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stockholder's picture

June 05, 2021 at 05:20 pm

The biggest changes happen after the loses. Were now faced with another. And every time it has split Packer Nation in 1/2. No matter how you cut it. The loses have had an impact on the roster. So now- Murphy backs Gute. IMO. Murphy you've loved the splits. You have prospered from it more then anyone. But in the meantime. History has shown that it was no easy fix. With your backing of Gute. Rodger's would be Stupid to come back. It isn't that he's stupid. But rather; that you have just " insulted his intelligence." And now you'll tell us how you have to repair the base. And for the good of the franchise and stockholders. Rodgers must go. I say you first!

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jurp's picture

June 05, 2021 at 05:29 pm

Dude, you do realize that you're pissing into the wind, don't you?

You REALLY want a QB building the roster? SMH.

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stockholder's picture

June 05, 2021 at 05:40 pm

You missed the point.

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13TimeChamps's picture

June 05, 2021 at 06:21 pm

The 'loses'....lol

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greengold's picture

June 05, 2021 at 06:27 pm

Another nice WIN by the Brewers today, 7-5 over the Diamondbacks!

GO BUCKS!!!

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Packers0808's picture

June 06, 2021 at 05:42 pm

Who gives a shi-?

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89Chewy's picture

June 05, 2021 at 06:45 pm

These terrible games of ours has a theme in them that our offense couldn't proceed when we needed them to. That 2003 game, everyone remembers the 4th and 26, but they seem to forget we got the ball in overtime before #4 threw another bonehead pick and the defense was keeping McNabb in check until Sherman quit blitzing on the 4th and 26 play. Last year, we intercepted Brady three times but only one score transpired from it. The Seattle game, we caused 5 turnovers, but our offense did nothing to capitalize. We have been too short sighted in improving the offense and we keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. It's time we get some more dynamic offensive players.

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Crankbait's picture

June 06, 2021 at 07:13 am

Can't argue with your assessment. Lots of terrible offensive play calling and lack of production accumulated in the playoff's under both Favre and Rodgers.
A lot of that also has to do with our relatively weak offensive lines we had .
The FO of GB has been riding the backs of their Hall of Fame quarterback's for two decades and therefore just two Super Bowl titles.
Bean counters run the Packers.

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jannes bjornson's picture

June 06, 2021 at 01:59 pm

He tried to throw Donatelle under the bus after the Loss, in typical gutless, sherman fashion.

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PhantomII's picture

June 05, 2021 at 07:09 pm

Maybe this year the most frustrating loss is a team primed for a super bowl run and loss of Rodgers at the wheel.......

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greengold's picture

June 05, 2021 at 07:12 pm

Somebody has to grab the wheel in that case, and you hope he’s a good driver.

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Crankbait's picture

June 06, 2021 at 07:14 am

I do not trust Rodgers in big games anymore. I've seen enough.

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Lphill's picture

June 05, 2021 at 07:25 pm

What a depressing article to begin with .

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greengold's picture

June 05, 2021 at 07:54 pm

Yeah, I’m not reading that. Hot poker in the eye.... I cannot.

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Packers0808's picture

June 06, 2021 at 12:57 pm

Child like, its only a game! Not a matter of life or death! Geez!

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Packers0808's picture

June 05, 2021 at 09:07 pm

Why would you not mention the way Rodgers pissed the game away just last year in the play offs. Three turnovers given to Rodgers and he could not get in the end zone! Rodgers is not a good play off QB!

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HankScorpio's picture

June 06, 2021 at 06:38 am

I was waiting for someone to mention last year. Maybe people are just numbed to it since there is such a long, rich history.

But at home in January vs a Florida team when the opposing QB practically gift wraps the game. That's bad.

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Jgilmor08's picture

June 15, 2021 at 09:34 am

Pissed it away? How about the Bucs going 9-13 on third down? Or despite the three int the D still allowed 31 points.

The bucs had the 5th ranked defense it’s not like they were a mediocre unit. Rodgers completed 79% of his passes, three over 340 yards and had three tds. If the D doesn’t give up that stupid play before halftime instead of being down 3 they are down two scores. First drive out of halftime Jones fumbles then it’s three scores.

In what universe is that pissing away the game? Getting hit the entire game and getting sacked five times isn’t exactly having all day to do whatever he’d like. It’s time to end this narrative that Rodgers is the one to blame in the NFC Championship games. Him and Davante were the only ones who showed up. Jones didn’t even get over 50 yards rushing. It’s not at all difficult to score when a team is defending a one dimensional offense down three scores, yet somehow they still were there to win it at the end. All they needed was the defense to stop Tampa one time but It’s insanely difficult to stop the power running in nickel and dime defense with three down lineman but GB coordinator wanted to show otherwise. At least they were ready to defend the pass when it was third down after 4 straight runs that each grabbed over 4 yards a carry. It was probably Rodgers fault the DB who was so badly out of position on that play that he grabbed the receivers jersey from two feet away?

The defense has given up on average 37 points per game the past three nfc championship games. The defense the Packers went up against on average was ranked number 5 overall. That math doesn’t equal wins regardless of how far the stud QB dragged the mediocre defense in the playoffs.

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Tex49's picture

June 05, 2021 at 09:38 pm

The 51-45 OT loss to the Cardinals was pretty brutal with the fumble that ended it.

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mvprzy's picture

June 05, 2021 at 10:53 pm

The game against Tampa to end the season was it for me. Someone commented that looking back at the games,it seemed the offense failed at key points, not necessarily just the impression of crappy defense lost the game and in hindsight that seems kinda true.

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HankScorpio's picture

June 06, 2021 at 06:42 am

No question about it. Losing Bahk a few weeks earlier obviously hurt them. But when people talk about the #1 ranked offense, all I can think about is how it was not good enough when it counted, even if it was lights out vs the Detroits of the league.

If the aim is to beat up on the Detroits of the league, everything is great. If the aim is higher, there is still room to improve.

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BJP's picture

June 06, 2021 at 06:51 am

So sorry but I’m not reading any sad BS like this today thanks.

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Savage57's picture

June 06, 2021 at 06:59 am

Unfortunately, there's a too-long list of playoff games the Packers found a way to foul the bed.

The most disappointing to me were the divisional and wild card losses to the Giants and the 49ers three years in a row. In each of those games, defenses were confounded by one player (Nicks, Giants and Kaepernick, 49ers) and couldn't find a way to adjust to players who just plain came out and dominated them.

Equally, if not more culpable, in those games was the offense's inability to respond in kind when facing a motivated, capable defense. I realized then, and continue to see to this day, Aaron Rodgers isn't a clutch player who finds a way to deliver when the lights are the brightest and the game means the most. We never see an Aaron Rodgers led team clawing back from deficits in the biggest games. We do, however, see him giving other players the stink-eye, throwing his arms in the air in frustration, and pouting on the bench when they fall short.

He's a front-runner, not a closer. When he's faced with having to shine when it counts, he comes up short. A 1-8 record with a .111 winning percentage in the nine consecutive games the Packers have played and ended their season with since the Super Bowl in '10 provides all the proof needed, fan boy rationalization, "It was the defense's fault", notwithstanding.

And fans are worried if this guy's coming back why? For a shot at running that ignominious record to 1-9?

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Difer's picture

June 06, 2021 at 12:37 pm

I loved Ron Wolf,s comment: After the game, Packers GM Ron Wolf was quoted as saying, “We’re a one-year wonder, just a fart in the wind.”
I'm still laughing.
Go Pack Go.

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egbertsouse's picture

June 06, 2021 at 02:08 pm

The loss to SF during the 2019 playoffs was both frustrating and sad. SF only had to throw only 8 times the entire game. Eight freaking times! That was the football version of the Mike Tyson/Michael Spinks fight.

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PeteK's picture

June 06, 2021 at 04:23 pm

Loss in the playoffs to the Falcons, warm weather indoor team, In the freezing Green Bay weather. First home playoff loss and it wasn't even close.

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