Packers Playoff Defeats: Second Verse, Same as the First
In the second installment of our examination of the Green Bay Packers' playoff losses, it was a similar refrain in who they beat and where they lost. Green Bay was still rising and not a complete product just yet, but it was still disappointing - complete with a loud thud at the end.
The 1994 regular season ended with the Packers again in 2nd place in the NFC Central division with a 9-7 record, this time behind the Minnesota Vikings. However, Green Bay again had the best point differential in the "Black and Blue" division.
Green Bay had to win its final 3 games just to get into the postseason, but the iconic moment happened in the 2nd-to-last game, which was the last time the Packers played an NFL game in Milwaukee.
Down 3 points with time ticking away and no timeouts, Brett Favre took the calculated gamble to head for the end zone, even though head coach Mike Holmgren told him, "Whatever you do, don't run."
The crowd gasped as Favre took off...he dove...and Milwaukee County Stadium shook as #4 landed across the goal line to give Green Bay a 21-17 victory and the inside track to a wild card berth - which they earned a week later.
Among the NFL ranks that year, the Packers scored the 4th-most points and allowed the 5th-fewest, so the team was certainly headed toward legitimate contender status. However, the playoffs would again prove to be a different animal.
Like the previous postseason loss, it was mainly a case of playing a superior team.
Wild Card Round - Making Barry Sanders Disappear:
Packers 16, Lions 12
A rematch of the '93 Wild Card game, this time the Packers played host as the 1st wild card, with the Detroit Lions being the 2nd entrant with the same record.
The Packers' offense took their first possession 76 yards on 14 plays to score first, as Dorsey Levens found pay dirt from 3 yards out. Surprisingly, the offense could only muster 3 field goals the rest of the afternoon, while the defense was phenomenal.
Facing Hall-of-Famer and Offensive Player of the Year, Barry Sanders, Reggie White and company took over the contest. Green Bay swallowed up Sanders and held him to -1 yard rushing on 13 attempts. It was an awe-inspiring performance for the 'D' as Sanders averaged 117 yards per game that year.
Green Bay held Detroit to -4 rushing yards as a team, still a playoff record.
Detroit was kept to just 171 yards of total offense on the hard Lambeau Field surface, while converting only 3 of 15 third down attempts. The Lions offense scored only 10 points (2 came from a safety) and left Green Bay shaking their heads as the Packers knocked them out again.
Divisional Round - Still Too Strong, Dallas Dominates
Cowboys 35, Packers 9
There wasn't much drama in this one as the two-time defending Super Bowl champions scored touchdowns on their first two drives, and a 3rd within the final 20 seconds of the first half, to run Green Bay out of Texas.
Troy Aikman and the passing attack was the problem for a 2nd straight year as he racked up 337 yards, including a 94-yard TD pass to Alvin Harper in the 1st quarter.
Harper, Michael Irvin and Jay Novacek each had over 100 yards receiving and the offensive line - like the previous season - dominated Green Bay's defensive front. Emmitt Smith and Blair Thomas also combined for 114 yards and 3 TDs to help put the game away.
In fairness, the Cowboys had the 2nd-best scoring offense and 3rd-best scoring defense (best in yards) during the regular season, so they were clearly still a better team.
Despite losing the following week in San Francisco, the Dallas dynasty was still intact, and a huge pain in the butt for the Packers. Just wait 'till next year!