Discussions on the Green Bay Packers’ struggles to close out games have understandably resurfaced after the team’s gutting 39-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings this week that resulted in a 22-10 blown lead in the second half. This has been a theme as of late after the Packers blew multiple leads last season, including one against the Bears in the playoffs. While there’s certainly a valid discussion to be had about the team’s issues, I am choosing to cope by remembering happier times when the team was
on the other side of a comeback. So, let’s take a look at the top five comebacks from the Packers since the turn of the century and remember the highs we felt during these moments.
5. Packers vs New Orleans Saints – Sep 24, 2023
Deficit: 17 points
Final Score: 18-17
Jordan Love’s first start at Lambeau Field was a rollercoaster. The Saints defense hadn’t allowed more than 20 points in ten consecutive games heading into this one, which meant a pretty hefty challenge for Love and the offense just three weeks into his first season as a starter. The defensive line carried the defense with four sacks, including three from Rashan Gary, one of which knocked QB Derek Carr out of the game. The Packers offense struggled early, partially due to poor offensive line play (evergreen sentence) and missing some key starters (WR Christian Watson, RB Aaron Jones, LT David Bakhtiari, and G Elgton Jenkins). The offense went scoreless through three quarters, leading to a 17-point deficit heading into the 4th. The Packers’ first touchdown of the day came with 7 minutes left in the game thanks to a Jordan Love scramble on 4th down followed by a successful 2 point conversion. After a three-and-out from the Saints, the Packers went down and scored a touchdown thanks to an incredible catch by Romeo Doubs, who raised his hands into a heart to show his QB some Love. They made the extra point and took an 18-17 lead over the Saints with under three minutes left. In typical fashion, Joe Berry’s defense let the Saints march down to the Packers’ 29-yard line before making a stop. It looked like the Packers were about to go down 20-18 with a minute left. However, the Saints kicker missed the 46-yard field goal wide right, giving the Packers the ball to kneel out the game in victory formation. It became the Packers’ largest 4th quarter comeback in team history and Jordan Love started his career at Lambeau 1-0. CINEMA!
4. Packers vs New York Jets – Sep 14, 2014
Deficit: 18 points
Final Score: 31-24
Week 2, Jets, Geno Smith. No, not this week’s game. The Packers welcomed the Jets to Lambeau Field twelve years ago, and right off the bat the game felt like it was gonna be a long one! On the first play of the game, Aaron Rodgers fumbled the snap, and the Jets recovered, then immediately turned around and scored. Everyone blinked and the Packers were down 21-3 only five minutes into the 2nd quarter. The Packers racked up a few field goals and cut the deficit to 12 points. As the Jets were driving down the field with less than two minutes left in the half, Tramon Williams intercepted Smith at the Packers’ 3-yard line. The Packers then drove 97 yards with 1:53 left on the clock to score a touchdown with seconds left in the half. The Packers took their momentum into the 2nd half and put up two more touchdowns to take the lead, including an 80-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson on the first play of a drive in the 3rd quarter. Those would be the last points scored in the game, as both teams exchanged punts in the 4th.
t-2. Packers @ Detroit Lions – Dec 3, 2015
Deficit: 20 points
Final Score: 27-23
Now we’re talking! Like the Jets game, this one got out of hand fast. The Lions were up 10-0 in the 1st quarter when Rodgers threw a tipped interception that led to another touchdown. The Lions went up 17-0 in the first quarter, and that score held going into halftime before they eventually made it 20-0 in the 3rd quarter. The Packers finally got some rhythm on offense and scored a touchdown after Randall Cobb hopped on a James Starks fumble that flew into the end zone, just like they drew it up! On the first play of the Lions’ next drive, Julius Peppers knocked the ball out of Matthew Stafford’s hand and Jake Ryan hopped on the fumble, setting up Davante Adams’ first touchdown of the season and cutting into the Lions’ lead, making it 20-14. Rodgers added a rushing touchdown late in the 4th, putting the Packers down by just two points. The Packers started their final drive with 23 seconds left. After two incompletions, Rodgers threw the ball to James Jones, who lateraled to Richard Rodgers, who lateraled back to Aaron Rodgers before he was sacked as the clock ticked down to 0. Flags flew out for a face-mask penalty, and the Packers were given one more play and had no choice but to go for the Hail Mary. You know what happened next. “Rodgers…in trouble…he turned 32 yesterday does he have a vintage moment in him?? In the end zone…IT IS CAUGHT…FOR THE WIN!” Rodgers to Rodgers for the walk-off win in Detroit. This is one of those “where were you when this happened” moments. I was in a Packers bar in Chicago drowning myself in a discounted pitcher of Miller Lite trying to calm my nerves.
t-2. Packers vs Chicago Bears – Sep 9, 2018
Deficit: 20 points
Final Score: 24-23
The Packers’ 2nd largest comeback in the 21st century was another “where were you when this happened” game…the “mah knee” game. I was lucky enough to be in the stands to witness this glory in person. Week 1 in 2018 was none other than Bears-Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday Night Football, and boy did this game live up to its time slot. The headlines going into the divisional match-up were already massive. Not only was the Bears organization high on their brand-new head coach, Matt Nagy, but they traded for Khalil Mack in the offseason who the Packers also attempted to trade for. The season as a whole was ultimately a success for the Bears, as they won the division and finished with a winning record for the first time since 2012. However, the Packers (Aaron Rodgers, really) stifled that offseason optimism in Week 1. The Packers were down 10-0 early in the 2nd quarter when the worst possible thing happened: Rodgers immediately grabbed at his knee following a sack. The two-time MVP (at the time) had to be carted off the field, and it felt like the Packers’ season was over before it began. To make matters worse, Khalil Mack turned it up a notch. Mack racked up a sack-fumble on the Packers’ next drive, recovering it himself, and followed that up with a pick-six on the one after that. As a result, the Packers went into the half with a 17-0 deficit and a silently stunned crowd. However, as halftime came to an end and the team ran out of the tunnel, Aaron Rodgers jogged out behind them in full uniform to an eruption of cheers from the crowd. The Bears kicked a field goal on their first drive, making it 20-0. The Packers answered with a field goal of their own, making it 20-3 heading into the 4th quarter. The Packers defense forced the Bears to punt on their next two drives while the Packers scored two touchdowns on theirs, pulling within three points. The Packers defense gave up a “bend don’t break” drive, which led to a Bears field goal making it 23-17, Bears. With less than three minutes left, the Packers had the ball on the Bears’ 20-yard line. On the first play, Rodgers nearly threw a pick that was dropped by Bears CB Kyle Fuller, PHEW. Then, Randall “Bear Killer” Cobb happened. On 3rd and 10, Rodgers threaded the needle to Randall Cobb, who ran 75 yards while dodging tackles for a touchdown. With two minutes left, the Packers took the lead, 24-23. The Packers defense wrapped things up with a Nick Perry (sans clubbed hand) sack-fumble on QB Mitch Trubisky on 4th down. The Packers kneeled it out to finish off one of their most exciting comebacks of all time.
1. Packers @ Dallas Cowboys – Dec 15, 2013
Deficit: 23 points
Final Score: 37-36
The Packers’ largest comeback of all time (tied with a game from 1982) came with backup QB Matt Flynn at the helm. The Packers were 7-6-1 coming into AT&T Stadium facing a 7-7 Cowboys team trying to make a late push to win their division. The Packers started the season 1-2 and were on a 4-game winning streak when Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone against the Bears in Week 9. The Packers lost that game and went winless their next five games, including a tie vs the Vikings (shoutout to the Tolzien Twist Tuddy). This was a must-win for a team hoping to keep its playoff hopes alive, with Rodgers expected to return in the coming weeks. The Packers were able to get a field goal on their first drive, but punted on four of their next five, with the only other drive ending on a Flynn interception. Meanwhile, the Cowboys only punted one time in the first half, racking up four field goals and two touchdowns for a 26-3 lead going into the 2nd half. The Packers started the half with a touchdown drive that was sparked by a 60-yard run by RB Eddie Lacy on the first play of the half. Flynn threw his first of four touchdowns to Jordy Nelson, cutting into the team’s deficit. The defense didn’t give the team a ton of help through the first three quarters as QB Tony Romo threw for a whopping 398 yards on the day. However, they made the plays when they needed them in the 4th quarter. After exchanging touchdowns to start the final quarter of the game, the Packers went down and scored another to cut the lead to 36-31, making it a one-score game with less than five minutes to go. On the next drive, CB Sam Shields made a great pick on Romo after the QB rushed a slant pass due to immediate pressure from OLB Clay Matthews. It gave the Packers great field position and set up a rushing touchdown from Lacy to give the Packers their first lead of the day with 90 seconds left. On the second play of the next Cowboys’ drive, Romo threw what was initially called an incomplete pass but ended up being an incredible interception by CB Tramon Williams. The call was overturned and the Packers took over and kneeled it out. All five drives from the Packers in the 2nd half ended in touchdowns.
There you have it. While the Packers haven’t exactly been on the winning end of the comeback lately, at least we’ve gotten to see the team win some comeback thrillers of their own over the years…right? RIGHT??? (For the love of Lombardi, please just win this weekend.)
