4-Pack! by Kelley Ellert

4 - Pack!

The Green Bay Packers Bring Super Bowl Title Number Four to Titletown, USA!

4 - Pack!

The Green Bay Packers Bring Super Bowl Title Number Four to Titletown, USA!

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Dr. Roger Herrin Phil Saran Tom Zenner Kelley Ellert Matt Storey Brad Botkin Don Kapral Shondasha Vana Ryan Saran Cathy Ehrhardt Beatrice Saran Jayne Greybar Brooke Zenner Lindsay Saran, Brent Herrin AP Images Karla Gonzalez

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Contents

Super Moments And Memories Packerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Super Bowl History 8

A Season Of Destiny Takes Shape 2010 Preseason 14

A Wild Ride 2010 Regular Season 24

Thriller In Philly Wild Card Round Playoff Game At Philadelphia 90

Domination in Atlanta Divisional Round Playoff Game At Atlanta 96

The Kings of the NFC Are Crowned NFC Championship Game At Chicago 102

The Lombardi Trophy Comes Home To Titletown Super Bowl XLV At Cowboys Stadium 108

Picture Perfect Photo Gallery 4

116

Foreword

There are a lot of things the Green Bay Packers organization does better than every other team in the NFL. One, of course, is win Super Bowls. The Packers are smart, and figure if they are going to play in one, they might as well win it, and they’ve done it four times out of five and for that alone they deserve some hardcore kudos. It’s pretty cool when you own the first Super Title, the most recent, a couple in between, and with a roster crafted with just the right mix of superstars, role players, vets, grinders, journeymen, Pro Bowlers and hungry newcomers, there’s a darn good chance we’ll be seeing more Super Celebrations in the coming years. If, and when, it happens again, it won’t go down like the 2010 season and 2011 playoffs. No one can accuse the Pack of taking the easy route to hoisting another Lombardi Trophy into the confetti-coated indoor sky at Cowboys Stadium. The amount of injuries, challenges and land mines along the path to victory lane would have wiped out any other team. It only made this team more cohesive, focused, and lethal. This is a season Green Bay fans will always treasure, and I’m glad we can provide you with a book that will allow you to cherish every single moment of the season forever. Or, at the very least, until the Packers do it again, which if history is our guide, might be as soon as next year. Cheers to a truly great team and an unforgettable season!

Tom Zenner Editor-In-Chief Rylin Media

Super Moments Memories

Packerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Super Bowl History 8

It’s one thing to have an impressive Super Bowl history, which of course the Green Bay Packers certainly do. It’s

quite another when an organization’s legendary head coach, who walked off the field victorious in the very first Super Bowl 44 years ago, is also whom the trophy for the big game is named after. The Packers Super Bowl history is long, rich, and extremely successful. Four times the Packers have brought a Super Bowl title to Green Bay, which is why people around the world refer to it as Titletown. The Packers were victorious in the inaugural game played in the LA Coliseum back in January of 1967, and they left Cowboys Stadium in suburban Dallas Fort Worth in February of 2011 as the reigning champions of the world. The Pack also won two others in between the bookends, and it’s in these games where Packers stars morphed into legends in front of the eyes of the world. Enjoy this look back at the glorious history the Green Bay Packers have enjoyed playing on the biggest stage, in the grandest game, representing the greatest sports fans in the world.

Super Bowl I

Green Bay Packers 35, Kansas City Chiefs 10

January 15, 1967 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

MVP: Bart Starr

Max McGee TD reception 10

Attendance: 61,946

Super Bowl II

Green Bay Packers 33, Oakland Raiders 14 January 14, 1968 at Miami Orange Bowl

Attendance: 75,546 MVP: Bart Starr

Super Bowl XXXI

Green Bay Packers 35, New England Patriots 21 January 26, 1997 at Louisiana Superdome

Attendance: 72,301 MVP: Desmond Howard

Super Bowl XXXII

Green Bay Packers 24, Denver Broncos 31

January 25, 1998 at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego

Attendance: 68,912 MVP: Terrell Davis 13

Destiny

Takes Shape

2010 Preseason

These days, it’s become the championship cliché.

“Nobody thought we could do this.” But for the 2010-2011 Green Bay Packers, that’s just not the case. It’s not even close to the case. In fact, heading into this season, the Packers - on the heels of that historic 2009 playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals in which Aaron Rodgers and company tallied just under 500 yards of offense and a whopping 45 points - were on just about everyone’s short list of legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Plenty of people thought they could do this. And plenty of people were right. Heading into the first preseason game, every team’s goal is to look sharp and stay healthy. For the most part, the Packers did that. They lost the game to the Cleveland Browns 27-24 but the offense was predictably explosive, with Aaron Rodgers completing all but one of his passes. This, of course, was the year Rodgers was supposed to completely step outside Brett Favre’s shadow. Many thought he’d already done that. Whatever the case, Rodgers already had unquestionably pulled off maybe the smoothest replacement of a legendary quarterback in NFL history. Heck, the Broncos are still trying to do it. So are the Dolphins and the Bills. But the Packers, who were just two seasons removed from the Brett Favre era, were already Aaron Rodgers’ team. It was, at least in the public’s opinion, a difficult decision to cut ties with one of the NFL’s greatest players and hand the reins to Rodgers. It was an investment in the future. And in 2011, starting with this first preseason battle with the Browns, the investment paid off huge.

Fun Facts

• This is the second straight year the teams have faced each other in the preseason opener. • The two teams have now met a total of 19 times dating back to 1953. 16

08.14.2010 PACKERS BROWNS

“I was not happy with the way we started the game and that was communicated to our football team. And they’re not happy with the way we started the game. It’s an experience that we need to make sure we learn from. So, it’s a learning experience for our football team.” - Mike McCarthy Packers Head Coach “We’re not happy at all.” - Charles Woodson Packers CB

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 159 yards 1 touchdown Rushing Kregg Lumpkin 42 yards 1 touchdown Receiving Greg Jennings 68 yards 1 touchdown

Oddly enough, the Packers’ second preseason game ended with the same score as their first: 27-24. Only

this time the Pack came out on top, besting Pete Carroll’s Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field. But again, it wasn’t the score of the game that was turning heads. It was the way the Packer offense was marching up and down the field on cruise control. On the first play of the game Rodgers hit Greg Jennings for 56 yards and two plays later he found Jermichael Finleywho was poised to be a matchup nightmare for Packer opponentswith a pass down to the goal-line. And the Cheeseheads know what happened from there, as you could seemingly hear the chants already starting in Lambeau. “Kuuuuuuuuhn!” Only this time John Kuhn got his score through the air rather than bulldozing his way through the line. Rodgers was, again, near perfect as Green Bay threw up 14 first-quarter points (both Rodgers touchdown passes) before giving the starters the rest of the night off. Speaking of nights off, Green Bay took this second preseason game as an opportunity to rest some valuable veterans with all kinds of NFL mileage on their bodies, including Donald Driver and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Charles Woodson. With Woodson, the Packers had six starting defensive players listed as inactive, which made their decent defensive performance against Seattle’s starters a bit more impressive.

08.21.2010 SEAHAWKS PACKERS

“I thought there was a lot of positive film that we’ll have the opportunity to learn from. I thought the start of the offense was what we’re looking for.” - Mike McCarthy Packers Head Coach “We were pleased with the way we came out and started with everybody playing their role and doing their assignments, and we got that [opening] three-and-out. We know that all of our players aren’t here.” - Nick Collins Packers Safety

Numbers Game Passing Matt Flynn 130 yards Rushing Brandon Jackson 80 yards 1 touchdown Receiving Greg Jennings 56 yards

“We’re tough to stop, we have a lot of playmakers.” - Aaron Rodgers Packers QB

Fun Facts

• The Packers traveled over 1,600 miles, the longest trip for the team this season. • This is just the second time in franchise history that the Packers have traveled to Seattle for a preseason contest. • Packers GM Ted Thompson spent five seasons (2000-04) as the Seahawks’ VP of football operations 19

The bright lights of ESPN descended upon Lambeau Field, which meant the entire country would be able to have their first peek at the eventual World Champions as the Packers hosted the Indianapolis Colts on August 26th. The Colts were the defending AFC Champions and

expected to be a Super Bowl contender again in 2010, and many thought this game would provide an indication of whether the Packers were in that class as well. After this night, nobody could doubt that Green Bay belonged in any conversation about Super Bowl contenders this year. Aaron Rodgers gave a preview of his scintillating season to come, throwing three touchdown passes and completing 21-of-29 passes in just one half of football. The Packers led 28-17 at halftime and the points just kept on coming after the half with most of the starters out and the backups getting a chance to strut their stuff in the most important pre-season game of the summer. The Pack scored on their first four possessions of the second half, with backup quarterback Matt Flynn tossing two touchdown passes in that span. It was a big time rout on a summer night in Wisconsin and the players and fans had about as much fun as you can have. It wasn’t just the offense that had a big night either. The Green Bay defense was aggressive and swarming the ball, forcing three turnovers, including two against the Colts starting offensive unit. Safety Morgan Burnett intercepted a Peyton Manning pass in the second quarter and linebacker Frank Zombo forced a fumble on a sack of Manning in the third. The Packers also scored two touchdowns on special teams. Korey Hall recovered a fumble in the end zone on a muffed punt return by the Colts in the second quarter and Jason Chery returned a punt 75 yards for a score in the fourth. When the dust settled, the Packers had posted a dominating 59-24 victory over the Colts. People like to say that preseason games mean nothing, but this one clearly meant something for the Packers. It showed just how good they could be.

Fun Facts • Tara Greene, wife of Packers outside line backers coach Kevin Greene, sang the national anthem

“When we get into a rhythm like we have this preseason on offense, we’re going to be tough to stop, It’s fun.” - Aaron Rodgers

08.26.2010 PACKERS COLTS

• The game was nationally televised. • The 59 points scored were the most by a Green Bay team in the preseason since the Packers posted a 75-0 shutout over the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Crush on Sept. 5, 1938. • Green Bay’s 59-point total was the most by any team in a preseason game since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. 20

Numbers Game

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thought the offense was productive, but the contrast of our identity as a football team is taking the football away, which I felt we did a very good job of tonight.â&#x20AC;? - Mike McCarthy

Passing Aaron Rodgers 195 yards 3 touchdowns Rushing Ryan Grant 36 yards Receiving Jermichael Finley 85 yards 1 touchdown

Green Bay traveled to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City for the preseason finale on September 2. This is the game that most teams have one primary goal---keep the starters healthy. With the games that really mattered just a week or so away, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy was taking no chances and made the decision to rest several of his starters in the final week before the regular season with Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Grant, Charles Woodson, Clay Matthews and others sitting out the game. With Rodgers out, that meant third-year backup Matt Flynn would get the majority of the snaps in the game. Flynn struggled early, as the Packers failed to get a first down on their first four possessions. However, he got rolling in the second quarter and ended up putting together a very solid performance, throwing for 304 yards on 23-of-37 passing. Wide receiver Bret Swain was another of the Packers’ young players to flash his potential in the game, as he caught six passes for 130 yards. The performance helped him secure a roster spot as the team’s fifth wide receiver. Running back Kregg Lumpkin scored Green Bay’s only touchdown of the night on a one-yard run in the third quarter, and Mason Crosby made two field goals of 40-plus yards. Still, it was not enough to overcome a strong start by the Chiefs, who jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first half and then held off a late rally to hand Green Bay a 17-13 defeat. The Packers finished the preseason with a 2-2 record, but the practice games were now over, and it was time to lift the curtain on the regular season on what would eventually be one that Packers fans would never, ever forget. Next up; the season opener against the Eagles.

It was go time!

Fun Facts • For Head Coach Mike McCarthy, the trip to Kansas City is a return to where his NFL coaching career started. McCarthy spent six seasons on the Chiefs’ staff (1993-98). • The last preseason meeting between the teams came on Aug. 4, 2003, in Canton, Ohio, in the annual Hall of Fame game. • The Chiefs won, 9-0 their last pre season game, in a contest that was called with 5:49 left in the third quarter due to severe rain and lightning. 22

09.02.2010 CHIEFS PACKERS

Numbers Game Passing Matt Flynn 304 yards Rushing Kregg Lumpkin 36 yards 1 touchdown Receiving Brett Swain 130 yards

“I think training camp is the final chapter of the process that starts in March and I liked the amount of work that was done and the way it was done and the information we were able to gain out of that. So with that, we’ll form our 2010 team and I’m excited to get to Monday, but between now and then there are tough days for everybody. - Mike McCarthy Packers Head Coach 23

Wild Ride

Green Bay Packers 2010 Regular Season 24

10 Wins

6 Losses

2nd Place Finish in NFC North 25

Storylines abounded in this week 1 matchup. For the Eagles, Donovan McNabb had been shipped to the Washington Redskins in one of the most controversial offseason deals in recent memory. And now young Kevin Kolb had been

handed the reigns. Donovan certainly hadn’t had the career that Brett Favre had, but in many ways Kolb found himself in the same position as Aaron Rodgers just a few years back. People expected Dom Capers to unleash his ultra-aggressive blitzing defense on the young pup and see how he handled it. He didn’t make it through halftime. After knocking Kolb out with a concussion (courtesy of a Clay Matthews tackle, a sign of things to come), the Green Bay defense found itself with a new problem on its hands in the second half: Michael Vick. It was a virtually unsolvable problem that many NFL teams would face over the next four months and in large part, the Packers were just as helpless against Vick as the rest of the league, surrendering more than a hundred yards in rushing and almost 300 total yards in one half of football to the freakishly gifted quarterback. But in a way, it said a lot about Green Bay and what kind of team they had the potential to be. On a day when the offense lost the all-important turnover battle, wasn’t nearly as explosive as normal and the defense was less than its best as well, the Packers still beat a quality NFC East team in the Eagles; who by all accounts would once again be right in the middle of the playoff race. In the always-tough NFC North, Green Bay was going to be dealing with reigning division-champion Minnesota Vikings, who, as everyone knows, nearly pulled off a run to the NFC Championship game in 2010. And with an up-and-coming Chicago team in the mix as well, the Packers were going to have to win games ugly. They were going to play tough, hardnosed defense in cold-weather, late-December games. They knew they needed to be able to win games when Aaron Rodgers and company didn’t put up 40 points and if this game proved nothing else, it proved they could do that. The only problem was that the injury bug that would go on to haunt the Packers all year long was already showing up, as starting tailback Ryan Grant, from whom so much was expected, went out with an ankle injury against the Eagles.

“I thought it was a very gutty performance on both sides of the field and we feel very fortunate to come out of here with a win. This is a tough place to play and it’s a tough football team to play against.” - Mike McCarthy

09.12.2010 EAGLES PACKERS

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 188 yards 2 touchdowns

Rushing Brandon Jackson 63 yards Receiving: Greg Jennings 82 yards 1 touchdown

“I played terrible, probably about as bad as I can play, so that’s a good thing (that we still won). Gotta get better, missed a lot of throws that I make in my sleep, so I’m disappointed about that.” - Aaron Rodgers Packers QB

Fun Facts

• The game marked just the fourth time the in the past 25 years the Packers have started the season on the road. • The Packers have now won 4 straight season opening games. • This was the Packers’ first victory in Philadelphia since 1962. • The Eagles and Packers first met in 1933, the Eagles’ inaugural year in the NFL. • The Packers are the only NFC team to win its season opener each of the past four seasons. 28

“Had a lot of heartbreaks on this field. It feels good to leave this field, finally, with a win.” - Nick Barnett Packers Linebacker “You can always build on wins, we showed some toughness.” - Charles Woodson Packers CB

Heading into the second game of the year, the Packers got the news everyone was dreading: Ryan Grant was done for the year. Suddenly what

looked like one of the most potent offensive attacks in football lost some punch and maybe more importantly, some balance. Experts immediately tagged Green Bay as a one-dimensional, predictable offense, which is the sort of offense most people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t associate with Super Bowl teams. Suddenly, things were in question. Against Buffalo, Brandon Jackson and fullback John Kuhn shared the backfield workload, with Kuhn actually handling more carries. Together they amassed just about 70 yards rushing, which, at least for the time being, was enough of a complement to Rodgers and the passing game to blow out the lowly Bills. Tight end Jermichael Finley topped the 100-yard mark receiving and Rodgers had a QB rating of well over 100. But the story of this game was the defense; in particular, Clay Matthews. For the second consecutive week Matthews tallied three sacks while putting relentless pressure on the quarterback. After an impressive rookie season, the standout USC linebacker was already starting to send shock waves through the league. Aaron Rodgers compared him to Julius Peppers, the all-world pass rusher in Chicago. Did anyone know he was going to put together a season that would have him in the running for Defensive Player of the Year? Maybe. But one thing was for sure: he and his defensive friends were dominant on this day. Sure, it was the lowly Bills. But still, the Packers only led 13-7 heading into halftime. What sparked the second-half surge? A Brandon Chillars interception, which led to a touchdown pass from Rodgers to Donald Driver. The defense didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give up any second-half points after allowing exactly zero net yards to the Bills in the first quarter and Green Bay was out of the gates at 2-0.

09.19.2010 PACKERS BILLS

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 255 yards 2 touchdowns Rushing John Kuhn 36 yards Brandon Jackson 29 yards 1 touchdown Receiving Jermichael Finley 103 yards

Fun Facts • The Packers have started 2-0 under Mike McCarthy 3 times in the past four seasons. • Clay Matthews had 3 sacks and became the first player in Packers history to record consecutive three-sack games. • The Packers have won 4 consecutive home openers. • Clay Matthews’ league-leading six sacks are the most by a Packer in the first two games of the season.

“That’s what we need to do to teams, we need to overwhelm them.” - Ryan Pickett Packers Defensive End

“Just glad (Clay Matthews) is on our team, because he’s a big-time player. We get on him and tease him about missing training camp the last couple years, but we’re just glad he plays on Sundays and plays the way he does.” - Aaron Rodgers Packers QB 33

09.27.2010 CHICAGO PACKERS

For Green Bay, every divisional matchup carries a little extra importance. And all around the league, any time two undefeated teams get together, even if it is just the third week of the season, antennas go up. But when the game is Bears vs. Packers, it’s something entirely different.

This was one of those measuring stick games; the sort of game that people would use as a predictor for the remainder of the season. The perception of these two teams were markedly different heading into this game, as many people considered the Bears’ 2-0 record to be deceiving, even a façade masking a team that was destined for mediocrity. Jay Cutler had something to prove after a rocky first season in Chicago and Brian Urlacher and company seemed to have fallen from the ranks of the top defenses, at least in perception. The Packers, on the other hand, were a team on the rise and despite the injury to Ryan Grant, the first two games of

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 316 yards 2 touchdowns (1 rush, 1 pass) Rushing John Kuhn 31 yards Receiving Jermichael Finley 115 yards

the year did little to dispel that theory. Most everyone outside of Chicago expected the Packers to come out of this game 3-0, even with it being played in Chicagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Soldier Field. So, of course, the Bears won. Or, maybe it would be more accurate to say that the Packers lost, as a late turnover and an unthinkable 18 penalties caused as much of their undoing as anything the Bears did. Rodgers was able to throw for better than 300 yards and the Packers trumped the Bears in nearly every statistical category, including total yards, first downs and time of possession. But the Bears won. They took advantage of a Devin Hester kick return and a long pass interference penalty late in the game to set up Robbie Gouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game-winning field goal with just four seconds to play. This was a bitter pill for Green Bay to swallow. The game did nothing to prove that the Bears were actually a better team, but still, they were the ones who remained undefeated and atop the NFC North. It just goes to show how vitally important each and every game is in the NFL. This game, as it turned out, would be the reason Green Bay had to travel to Chicago instead of playing the NFC Championship game at Lambeau.

Fun Facts • The 18 penalties are a Packers record. The old record was 17, against the Boston Yanks on Oct. 21, 1945. • The game marked the first time since 1962 that both teams entered the game with a 2-0 record. • The teams are now 5-5 against each other on Monday Night Football. • This was the 10th matchup for Green Bay on Monday Night Football against the Bears, the most for the Packers versus any other opponent in the NFL.

“I thought our players had a good week of preparation coming into this. We did not do some things very well in week 1 and Week 2 and we wanted to improve on those things. We’ll take a look at the film, but 17 penalties, that doesn’t cut it, you can’t play football like that so we need to evaluate that and apply that to our preparation for Detroit.” - Mike McCarthy Packers Head Coach 36

“It’s difficult for our football team. We just lost a tough ballgame to a division opponent and it makes you sick.” - Shawn Slocum Packers Special Teams Coach

“Penalties, special teams, didn’t take advantage of our opportunities. When you’re in a game like this and let the other team hang around, anything is liable to happen.” - Nick Collins Packers Safety

Following this victory over the Lions that was a lot closer than most people thought it should be, there were two ways to look at the Packers: Glass half full or half

empty. The glass-half-full people were keeping it simple. The Packers were winning. They were 3-1 in a league where every single game is paramount and wins are beyond coveted. Bottom line. The glass-half-empty people, on the other hand, were looking beyond the wins, two of which had come against winless teams in the Lions and the Bills. The Packers were committing far too many penalties, continually shooting themselves in the foot with costly turnovers and sloppy play. The offense, which everyone expected to pick right up where it had left off in that playoff game at Arizona, had seemingly lost its identity. They had no real threat of a running game and, against Detroit, Aaron Rodgers threw for less than 170 yards while his counterpart threw for more than 300. Heck, the Lions outgained Green Bay by almost 200 yards and held possession of the ball for a full fifteen minutes longer. After the game, head coach Mike McCarthy, when asked about his team’s 3-1 record, responded by saying, “It doesn’t feel like (we’re 3-1), does it?” Nevertheless, they were. And the sign of any good team is that they can win games when they don’t play their best football. In fact, the glasshalf-full people would actually be excited about this, as if the Packers could win games when they were playing this sloppily, just think what they were capable of when this high-octane offense really exploded, which every knew was inevitable. Just wait until the defense pins its ears back and starts dominating the way people thought it had the ability to do. On the note of the defense, Charles Woodson - who returned an interception 48 yards for a touchdown against the Lions - and company were able to keep the Lions out of the end zone, forcing Jason Hanson to kick four second-half field goals. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out how things could’ve turned out if Detroit had punched even one of those in for a touchdown. Plus, the Bears finally lost, putting the Packers in a tie atop the division. After four weeks, regardless of how pretty you’ve looked, what team wouldn’t take that?

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 181 yards 3 touchdowns Rushing John Kuhn 39 yards Receiving Donald Driver 89 yards 1 touchdown

10.03.2010 PACKERS LIONS

“Anybody in the NFL would want to be where we are, 3-1. But in order to be a great team, like the end of last year when we went 7-1, we had a lot of great things going on. We want to get back to that.” - Nick Collins Packers Safety

Fun Facts

• The Packers have now won 20 straight games against the Lions in Wisconsin. • Charles Woodson has now returned an INT for a TD three straight years against the Lions, the first time an NFL player has accomplished that. • No other NFL teams have played every year since 1932, when the Packers and the Lions, then known as the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans, began their series. • Green Bay’s current win streak over the Lions in the state of Wisconsin spans 19 games and eight Lions head coaches. • Charles Woodson’s 48-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter was his eighth career with the Packers. 40

“It was a tough game. It doesn’t matter if it’s a good-looking game, an ugly game, it don’t matter. As long as you win, that’s the main point.” - Charles Woodson

“It’s a win, so we’re happy about that, but offensively, we’ve got to find our identity again.” - Aaron Rodgers Packers QB 41

This was what you might call a complete role reversal. Instead of being the team that didn’t play quite up to snuff but still found a way to win, the Packers were the team that finally played somewhat close to its lofty standards, yet found a way to lose. Yeah, the turnovers and penalties were still a concern. A major concern, in fact. But Aaron Rodgers threw for 293 yards and Brandon Jackson rushed for over 100 yards and the defense, despite surrendering more than 350 yards through the air to Donovan McNabb, held the Redskins to 13 points in regulation. But the Packers just didn’t have many points to show for how easily they moved the ball against Washington, turning the ball over when they looked to be heading for a score and getting down to the one yard line only to be stopped on four consecutive plays early in the second quarter. And that was concerning. Even though a lot of people saw the Redskins as a much-improved team with the offseason additions of new coach Mike Shanahan and new quarterback McNabb, it was quite obvious that they weren’t a team that a supposed Super Bowl team should be losing to. First the Packers were playing poorly but still winning games. Now they were playing decent but losing. It was troubling, and you couldn’t help but think back to 2008, Aaron Rodgers’ first year as starting quarterback, when the Packers played so well and showed so much promise and created such high expectations but always seemed to fall a few points short in what proved to be a disappointing season defined by a slew of losses that could’ve easily been wins. This one fell right into that category, as Mason Crosby had a chance to win it in regulation but his 53-yard field goal hit the upright. A crucial holding penalty then helped set up Graham Gano for the game-winning, or game-losing, field goal in overtime. In addition to all of that, the injuries were continuing to pile up. Clay Matthews was hurt during the Washington game and Rodgers sustained a concussion. Rodgers would have to be evaluated throughout the week to determine his playing status for Week 6 but the major concern was tight end Jermichael Finley’s knee injury. As Packer fans know, he was about to be the second star offensive player to go down with a season-ending injury. You could literally feel the season starting to slip away. But the rest of the script had yet to be written on this season and champions always find a way to overcome and persevere. What defined the 2010 Green Bay Packers is that they refused to allow anything to stop them from reaching their singular goal of winning the Super Bowl. Including injuries, frustrating losses and stumbles along the path to glory.

10.10.2010 REDSKINS PACKERS

“We could very easily be 5-0. We’re losing games that I don’t think we should lose. We’re getting hit with injuries, but at the same time guys need to step up.” - Clay Matthews Packers Linebacker

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 293 yards 1 touchdown Rushing Brandon Jackson 115 yards Receiving James Jones 65 yards

“It was good, but it wasn’t good enough. We lost. Maybe if I had gotten a couple more yards here, a couple more yards there, got a touchdown, maybe we would have won. Who knows? We’ve just got to pick it up on offense.” - Brandon Jackson Packers RB 43

Fun Facts

• Washington hadn’t beaten Green Bay at home since a 38-21 victory at RFK Stadium in 1979. • Green Bay’s 21 sacks as a team through week 5 rank No. 2 in the NFL behind only Tennessee (22). • The Packers have had eight different players record a sack this season. 44

“Outplayed them easily. But ya gotta outscore people, you can’t just out-play ’em. That’s the problem.” - Tramon Williams Packers CB “You have to work your way through points in the season like we’re facing right now, that’s where the character of your team comes out. You get a loss today, a disappointing loss, so we have to go back to work and figure out a way to come back next week and find a way to win.” - Dom Capers Packers Defensive Coordinator

10.17.2010 PACKERS DOLPHINS

For the second consecutive week, Green Bay suffered a defeat in overtime, giving them three losses in its last four games. As

feared, the injuries were simply proving too much to overcome for the moment. Finley was out. Matthews was out. Grant had long since been out. Nick Barnett and Brady Poppinga were also hurting on the defensive side of the ball. And even though the Packers rallied for ten fourth-quarter points to push the game into overtime, there are no moral victories in the NFL. In his post-game analysis, addressing both the Packers’ play as well as their injury situation, ESPN analyst Cris Carter said of Green Bay, “The team they have now, that’s not a Super Bowl team. They’d be lucky to finish .500.” As outlandish as it seems now, it was hard to argue with Carter at the time. Not only were the injuries to key players mounting, but Green Bay’s inability to run the ball consistently was really showing up. The Dolphins out-rushed the Packers 150-76 and, even though Rodgers again threw for more than 300 yards, the production simply wasn’t equating to points. Stuck on 13, Rodgers had to score on a fourth-down QB sneak with 13 seconds remaining just to force overtime. Unable to adequately control the running game, the Green Bay defense also had fits with Brandon Marshall, surrendering 10 receptions and 127 yards to the big receiver. Marshall said he expected Charles Woodson to be shadowing him everywhere he went, but that wasn’t the case. Woodson stayed in the slot most of the game and Marshall took advantage against Tramon Williams, who did come up with an interception. It was an interesting subplot, as people were questioning Williams’ ability to cover guys like Marshall, and plenty of people were starting to question the Packers as a whole. On both accounts, those questions would eventually look pretty foolish. Heading into an emotional matchup with Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings, the Packers found solace in the fact that Chicago had lost to Seattle, keeping the Packers within one game of the Bears.

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 313 yards 2 touchdowns

Rushing Receiving Brandon Jackson Greg Jennings 53 yards 133 yards

Fun Facts • This is only the Dolphins’ fifth visit to Green Bay . • The loss snapped a six- game home winning streak. • Green Bay has lost back- to- back overtime games that both ended with a field goal. • All three of the Packers’ losses this season have come on field goals in the closing seconds or OT.

“We’re 3-3; we’re .500. We’re not excellent, but obviously we’re not terrible. At the end of the day, no one really cares about overtimes, getting blown out, getting beat by one. It’s a loss. What we need to do is find a way to get out of this hole and find a way to fight out of it.” - B.J. Raji Packers Defensive End “Time is of the essence. Every win is important, every loss is important. When it comes down to it every year these are the type of games – this week, last week, Chicago, the type of games you look back and say, man if we could have got that one, where would have possibly, potentially been?” - Greg Jennings Packers WR 48

“It’s disappointing, but I think you’ve got to be realistic. We’re a game back (of Chicago). We still have four division games. We’re getting, hopefully, two studs back on defense, three if you count Clay. We need those guys back. We need to be at full force.” - Aaron Rodgers Packers QB

Even though the Packers had to win their final two games in order to make the playoffs, you could easily argue that this mid-season win over the Vikings was the most pivotal, most crucial win of the regular season. Lose this game and you’re 3-4 and

absolutely reeling. You’ve lost three straight and four out of five, with your only win during that stretch coming against the Lions. Lose this game against Brett Favre and your bitter rivals and all the outside talk might start creeping in, all the injuries might prove too much to overcome, morale might start to fall. But win and all could be right again. In the NFL, one game can do that. Especially for Aaron Rodgers, who had finally beaten Brett Favre. Of course, it didn’t come easy. In fact, Favre appeared to have pulled another miracle comeback when he hit Percy Harvin for the potential game-winning touchdown with just 48 seconds to play. But replay confirmed that Harvin only came down with one foot inbounds, one of three touchdowns that the Vikings had overturned on the day. The entire sate of Wisconsin could finally exhale. The Vikings went into halftime with the lead but the Packer defense was able to intercept Brett Favre twice in the third quarter, one of which Desmond Bishop returned 32 yards for a touchdown. It was the day of the defense that would ultimately turn into maybe the Packers’ biggest strength down the stretch. Sure, they gave up 131 yards to Adrian Peterson, but they also picked off Favre three times. And if ever there were a game that stats were basically irrelevant, this was it. Nobody cared that Rodgers threw for just under 300 yards or that James Jones caught 4 passes for 107. All anyone cared about was the victory. With the rivalry and all the history between Favre and Rodgers and all the other things surrounding this matchup, this game was all emotion, which gave the Packers something to ride as they prepared to close out the first half of the season.

10.24.2010 PACKERS VIKINGS

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 295 yards 2 touchdowns Rushing Brandon Jackson 58 yards 1 touchdown Receiving James Jones 107 yards Greg Jennings 74 yards 1 touchdown

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Definitely a special, special night for us and for me.â&#x20AC;? - Aaron Rodgers Packers QB 51

“Well, I am happy for our fans because they were right there with you. They were incredible tonight, my goodness. You hear them chanting just walking in here still, ‘Go Pack Go.’ They were awesome, they stepped up. They needed this win as much as anybody, so we were glad to give it to them.” - Mike McCarthy Packers Head Coach

Fun Facts

• Donald Driver snapped a streak of 133 consecutive games with a reception. • Brett Favre threw 3 interceptions and was just 16 of 29 passing for 212 yards. • Aaron Rodgers 166 yards passing in the first quarter was his career high for the first quarter. • The 28-24 win over Minnesota was the Packers’ fifth straight game that was decided by four points or less. 52

“Every week you come out with a win is huge, and to do it today with a shutout is even bigger. Who would ever thought that little Ol’ Green Bay could come in here and beat the New York Jets with all the hype they have, all the big names?” - Nick Collins Packers Safety

10.31.2010

PACKERS

This was a statement game for the Packer defense, holding a popular pick for the Super Bowl scoreless on their home field. Clay Matthews said the team wanted to

JETS

come into New York and prove to everybody what the Packers were about. Defensively they did that, creating three turnovers and coming up with crucial plays at the biggest moments of the game. Again, the Packers were less than explosive on offense and that’s putting it kindly. Rodgers only completed 15 of 34 passes for 170 yards (81 of which went to Greg Jennings, who was going to have to assume an even bigger role with the absence of Finley), while the running game only produced 81 yards at barely better than three yards per rush. The only scoring the Packers could muster came from three Mason Crosby field goals - the first of which represented the only first-quarter score the Jets had surrendered all year and the last of which finally iced the game with 27 seconds left. Besides the Buffalo contest, every game the Packers had played in had come down to the wire, the outcome often not decided until the very last drive or even play. They were surviving like a college basketball team in March Madness. Find a way, any way to get through this game, then worry about the next one. For eight weeks the Packers had done exactly that: gotten through. At 5-3 and effectively two games behind the division-leading Chicago Bears and with season-ending injuries to vital players, they certainly hadn’t come through the first half of the season unscathed. But all hope was not lost. Of course, inside the locker room the team still believed they were a legitimate Super Bowl threat. They felt like they’d lost a lot of games that they could’ve easily won. And outside the locker room, people hadn’t completely given up on them. The defense was starting to come around, at times looking dominating. And always, that offense appeared ready to erupt. They hadn’t managed to put everything together yet, but when they did, look out. The only question was: Would they have already dug too big a hole when that time came?

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 170 yards Rushing Brandon Jackson 55 yards Receiving Greg Jennings 81 yards

“We know the type of players we have on this team. We know the type of team that we have. It doesn’t matter what everyone else says or thinks.” - Charlie Peprah Packers Safety

Fun Facts • The game marked the first shutout of the season in the NFL. • The victory marked the Packers first road shutout victory since 1991. • The Packers past two victories have come against teams that each played in the championship game of their conferences last season. • The victory was the first road win against the Jets in franchise history. • Green Bay snapped the Jets’ league-best five-game winning streak. • It was just the fourth time in franchise history that the Packers won a game 9-0. 56

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It feels really good to win on the road against one of the better teams in the AFC and NFL on their turf. The defense really held us up, (we) came through with some clutch drives and we got the field goals. It feels real good.â&#x20AC;? - Greg Jennings

Green Bay’s game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field was the featured game of the week on NBC’s Sunday Night Football on November 7. Costas, Collinsworth, Dan Patrick, Peter King

and the entire Peacock Network had been promoting the game endlessly, as two of the glamour teams of the NFL, who were going in opposite directions, would battle before tens of millions of eyeballs watching across the country. Before the season began, this was expected to be a clash of two of the top teams in the NFC. Instead, the Packers’ dominating performance let the national primetime audience know that only one of these teams was a true Super Bowl contender, as the Packers continued their ascent and the Boys from the Big D continued their free fall. The Packers came into the game on a two-game winning streak, and they were looking to keep it going against the struggling Cowboys, who had a 1-6 record. After a scoreless first quarter, Green Bay began to impose its will in the second. Running back Brandon Jackson caught a touchdown pass and then ran for another score on the team’s next drive to put his team up 14-0. Aaron Rodgers found Greg Jennings for the team’s third touchdown of the quarter and on the ensuing kickoff, the Cowboys fumbled and safety Nick Collins scooped it up and took it in the end zone. The Packers had scored two touchdowns in nine seconds and taken a commanding 28-0 lead. Dallas scored a touchdown just before the half, but it would be their only points of the night. Rodgers’ third touchdown pass of the game went to James Jones in the third quarter. Mason Crosby made a field goal in the fourth and the Packers defense capped off the scoring with star linebacker Clay Matthews intercepting a Jon Kitna pass and taking it back 62 yards for a score.

“You always set out to play a complete game, and we accomplished that tonight.” - Mike McCarthy Packers Head Coach

11.07.2010 PACKERS COWBOYS

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 289 yards Rushing John Kuhn 50 yards Brandon Jackson 42 yards Receiving James Jones 123 yards Greg Jennings 80 yards

Green Bay dominated in every facet of the game in their 45-7 victory. Rodgers threw for 289 yards and three scores. Jones and Jennings combined for 15 catches and two touchdowns, stepping up with key offensive threat Donald Driver missing the game with an injury. The Packers even got their running game going with Jackson and fullback John Kuhn accounting for nearly 100 yards combined. The defense also put together a second straight incredible performance. A week after a shutout of the New York Jets, the Pack forced four turnovers and sacked Kitna four times in holding Dallas to just seven points. The dominating win was the third straight for the Packers, and they went into their bye week with a pretty respectable 6-3 record. The second meeting with NFC North rival Minnesota awaited them in two weeks. But before that, the team would get some much-needed rest.

“You never want to lose going into a bye week, but to put in a performance like this defensively, all around really, great overall performance, feels good going into the bye. We can kind of sit back, put our feet up for a little bit and then once we get back it’s all business.”- Clay Matthews

Fun Facts

• The 45 points matches the most ever scored by Green Bay against the Cowboys. • The Packers scored points off of a takeaway in the 15th straight game at home. That ranks No. 1 in the NFL among current streaks. • Green Bay’s 28 points in the second quarter were the most by the Packers in a quarter since they posted 28 in the second quarter vs. the L.A. Rams (Dec. 20, 1992). • Green Bay was flagged for just two penalties, the fifth game this season with three or fewer penalties. • Green Bay will enjoy its bye in Week 10, the latest bye the Packers have ever had. • The game marked the 290th consecutive sellout at Lambeau Field.

“ We were 3-3 coming off two straight losses in overtime, there was definitely some doubts creeping in, wondering what the last 10 (games) would hold for us, realizing we need to make a push here in the next three games. Then we get a big win against Minnesota, went to New York and beat a very good football team, and then came home and beat a wounded animal in Dallas the way we feel like we’re capable of playing.” - Aaron Rodgers Packers QB 61

11.21.2010 VIKINGS PACKERS

After their bye week, the Packers traveled to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for another muchanticipated meeting with the division rival Vikings on November 21. Three weeks earlier, Green Bay had won a

thriller, 28-24, at Lambeau Field. Now it was time to try to complete the season sweep. Oh, yeah, there was also the rather juicy subplot of going against Brett Favre for what appeared to be the final time ever. As every Packer fan obviously knew, Favre led the Vikings to two wins over the Packers in 2009, but Rodgers had turned the tide in the rivalry with the victory in the first matchup in October. The teams came into the game heading in opposite directions. The Packers were 6-3 and had won three straight, while the Vikings were 3-6, showing signs of spiraling out of control, and on the verge of slipping out of playoff contention and kissing the season goodbye. The Packers had the opportunity to put another nail in the coffin of their division rivals and they took full advantage, seeming to relish the opportunity. The game was tied 3-3 midway through the second quarter, but Green Bay was about to take control and give the scoreboard operator a serious workout. Rodgers led the Packers on an 80-yard drive and capped it off with a touchdown pass to Greg Jennings to take a 10-3 lead. They were just getting started. It was the defenseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turn to make a play next and they did just that, as cornerback Tramon Williams intercepted Favre with just over a minute to go in the first half. That was plenty of time for Rodgers, who went 5-for-5 on the ensuing drive and found James Jones for a touchdown with five seconds left in the half.

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 301 yards 4 touchdowns Rushing Dimitri Nance 37 yards Receiving Greg Jennings 152 yards 3 touchdowns

Halftime didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t slow Rodgers and the offense down at all. It took just six plays on the opening possession of the third quarter for the Packers to find the end zone again, with Rodgers finding Jennings for a beautiful 46-yard catch and run touchdown. The Rodgers-Jennings connection was not done yet, as the two hooked up for a third touchdown in the fourth quarter to finish off the 31-3 victory. Rodgers had thoroughly outplayed the man he backed up for three years, throwing for 301 yards and four scores. Meanwhile, the Packers defense stifled Favre and the Vikings offense all day, holding them to just three points. The Packers had allowed just 10 points in their last three games and for the second time in that span they had kept their opponents out of the end zone. The Packers showed once again during this glorious season that when you put them indoors under a dome, they would dominate. And that themed played out the entire year, culminating on the first Sunday in February in suburban Dallas Fort Worth.

“It’s satisfying to win a division game like the way we did today. Got to say a really big thanks to our fans. They came out in big numbers today. I heard a lot of ‘Go Pack Go’ chants. It’s an important win for us. We’ve won four in a row now and I think we’re getting on a little bit of a roll.” - Aaron Rodgers Packers QB

Fun Facts

• This marked the 100th meeting between the two teams. • Brett Favre had another rough day, finishing 17 of 38. • The game marked Aaron Rodgers first game with four passing touchdowns. • Greg Jennings recorded his first career three-TD. • The Packers now lead the series 51-48-1. • With just one penalty for 5 yards, it was the sixth game this season, and the fourth straight, that Green Bay has been called for three or fewer penalties in a game. 64

“We feel like these last three weeks we are just doing what we should. We are playing how we are supposed to play. I said before we are not where we want to be, but we are getting there. I think that we are not surprised with what we are doing. It’s an effort that we are making, and we don’t want to give up any points. - A.J. Hawk Packers Linebacker

“It’s a big rivalry; it’s been that way for a long time, long before me. Just a little spice has been added to it since Favre has come here last year and they got two wins last year. This year we come back with two of our own. These two states right next to each other, there’s that competition.” - Charles Woodson Packers CB

In one of the most anticipated games of Week 12, the Packers headed into the Georgia Dome for a matchup with the Atlanta Falcons on November 28.

By this point in the season it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the Falcons and Packers would be prominent players in the postseason. They were both young, talented, red hot and looking to flex their muscles in this matchup that lived up to the billing on every level. Green Bay was 7-3 and on a four-game win streak and the Falcons had the NFC’s best record at 8-2 and were undefeated at home. This game also featured a showdown of two of the NFL’s top young quarterbacks, with Aaron Rodgers facing off with Atlanta’s third-year stud Matt Ryan. Fans expected a great game and they were not disappointed. Atlanta got a field goal on its opening drive but Green Bay answered later in the first quarter with a Mason Crosby field goal. Still, the Packers came away from the drive a bit disappointed, as they had the ball inside the 5 but failed to convert a 3rd-and-1. On the Packers’ next drive, they once again moved inside Atlanta’s 5-yard line. However, on 3rd-and-goal at the 1, Rodgers fumbled as he attempted to sneak the ball across the goal line. Atlanta recovered for a touchback to steal away momentum. Green Bay had taken the ball inside the 5 twice, but had just three points to show for it. That would turn out to be a factor in the final score. The Falcons made the Packers pay for the turnover, with Ryan leading his team on an 80-yard drive and throwing a touchdown with eight seconds left in the first half. The Packers tied the game again in the third quarter. Rodgers used two big pass plays to get the ball down to the 1 and this time he finished it off with a touchdown run. However, Atlanta answered again, going on a long touchdown drive of its own to take a 17-10 lead. That is where the score remained when the Packers got the ball at their own 10 with 5:59 remaining. Rodgers then methodically moved his team down the field to the Atlanta 21. Facing a 4th-and-1, he scrambled away from pressure and com-

11.28.2010 ATLANTA PACKERS

pleted a backhanded flip to James Jones for a first down. Four plays later, the Packers faced 4th-and-goal from the 10, and Rodgers delivered some more late-game magic. He moved to his left and fired a touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson for the game-tying score with 56 seconds to play. Overtime appeared likely, but the Falcons used a big kickoff return, a facemask penalty and four completions from Ryan to get in position for a field goal, and Matt Bryant made the clutch game-winner from 47 yards out to hand Green Bay a stinging 20-17 defeat. It was a tough loss for the Packers, but they had competed down to the last second against the NFC’s top team on its home field. If they got another shot at the Falcons in the playoffs, they would be ready. And in two and a half months they proved that they would be.

“It’s discouraging not to win a game we should have won.” - Aaron Rodgers

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 344 yards 1 touchdown Rushing Aaron Rodgers 51 yards 1 touchdown Receiving Greg Jennings 119 yards 67

“Seven-and-four (record). We still have a lot of football in front of us. We need to get this next one. Now we’re into December football. There’s no re-dos, and no, ‘Hey we can get them next week.’” - Mike McCarthy Packers Head Coach

Fun Facts

• With 35 passing attempts, Aaron Rodgers surpassed the 1,500-attempt plateau for his career, the benchmark to qualify for career passer rating in the NFL. • Both teams came into the game riding 4-game win streaks. • The series between the teams is now tied at 13-13. 68

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We could have had the best record in the NFC if we just go out and play our style of football.â&#x20AC;? - Donald Driver Packers WR

The Packers had seen their four-game winning streak come to an end in Atlanta but now they returned home to face the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field on December 5. On paper it looked

like it would be exactly what the Packers needed; a matchup against a clearly outmanned opponent, and that’s exactly what it was. The 49ers came into the game with a 4-7 record but they were just one game back of the lead in the NFC West. Meanwhile, the Packers were also just one game back of the Bears in the NFC North, so this game had definite playoff implications. Nonetheless, the Packers were clearly the more talented and motivated team and it showed on the field. The 49ers had just one road win on the season and they came into the game without star running back Frank Gore, who had been injured in the team’s previous game. However, things were not as easy as expected in the early going. The San Francisco defense held down the highpowered Packers offense in the first quarter and the 49ers made two field goals to take a 6-0 lead. Finally on Green Bay’s fourth drive of the game, they broke through the 49ers defense when Aaron Rodgers found Greg Jennings for a 57-yard touchdown. John Kuhn pounded in from one yard out on the Packers’ next drive and it looked like they were taking control. However, the 49ers answered immediately, when Troy Smith threw a 66-yard touchdown to Vernon Davis on the second play of their ensuing drive. The Packers had a narrow 14-13 lead at halftime and they needed something to give them a spark. Veteran wide receiver Donald Driver was just the man to do it. Early in the third quarter Driver caught a pass from Rodgers and then began to weave his way through the 49ers defense. Breaking tackles and making defenders miss all over the field, Driver bounded 61 yards down the field for a touchdown. The highlightreel touchdown gave the Packers a 21-13 lead and they had all the momentum on their side. San Francisco would get a field goal on their next drive but the Packers offense would not be slowed down now. Rodgers hit Jennings for a 48-yard gain to move inside the 5 and, three plays later, the two connected again for another touchdown. The Packers would go on to win 34-16, dominating in the second half by outscoring San Francisco 20-3. Green Bay survived a challenge from the 49ers and improved to 8-4 on the season, right in the thick of the playoff chase with four weeks of the season remaining.

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 298 yards 3 touchdowns Rushing James Starks 73 yards Receiving Greg Jennings 122 yards 2 touchdowns

12.05.2010 PACKERS 49ERS

“Just guys playing with a lot of energy. Knowing where they’re supposed to be and what they’re doing. Just playing good, tough football and we’ll need that down the stretch in December.”- Charles Woodson Packers CB “Eight-and-four, pretty good record so far, but we’ve got a long ways to go. We all in here know that. Everyone’s up for the challenge.” - Tramon Williams Packers CB

Fun Facts

• The Packers wore a third jersey that is a re-creation of the team’s uniform from 1929, the year of Green Bay’s first world championship when the team finished 12-0-1 under Curly Lambeau.

• This was the Packers ninth straight regular-season victory over San Francisco, and Mike McCarthy improves to 3-0 against the 49ers during his head-coaching tenure. • QB Aaron Rodgers did not throw an interception for the fifth straight game, his career high. • Donald Driver’s 61-yard TD catch in the third quarter was his longest reception of the season. 72

“December football is the most important football. A lot of things can happen, but we control our own destiny.” - Greg Jennings Packers WR “If you’re going to run the ball, you’ve got to get dirty, and you’ve got to get tough. We went full pads this week in the run game, and we made a big emphasis during the week of keeping your pads down and driving with your feet. I think it showed today.” - John Kuhn Packers RB 73

Green Bay went into Ford Field to face the Detroit Lions on December 12 as heavy favorites to leave with their ninth victory of the season. In the past, a trip

into Motown was almost equivalent to a bye week, an automatic win, but the Lions were beginning to develop a bit of a roar and it showed on this frustrating afternoon for the Packers. The Lions were just 2-10 on the season, had lost five straight games and were starting their third-string quarterback. They had lost 10 straight games against the Packers dating back to 2005 and they had lost 19 in a row to NFC North opponents. Everything favored Green Bay, but things did not go as planned. The Packers managed just one first down on their first five possessions and they turned the ball over twice in that span. The game was still scoreless late in the second quarter when Aaron Rodgers broke free for an 18-yard scramble. It was Green Bay’s biggest play of the game thus far, but it came at a significant cost. Rodgers was hit hard on the play, and he would miss the rest of the game with a concussion. The Packers’ high-scoring offense was now without its leader. That would be a problem. After a scoreless first half, backup quarterback Matt Flynn led the Packers on their best drive of the game. They got to the Detroit 24, but the Lions stopped them there and they settled for a Mason Crosby field goal. On their next drive, Flynn drove the Packers down inside the 10, but he threw an interception in the end zone. Green Bay’s fantastic defense did its best to make the 3-0 lead stand up but Detroit finally broke through early in the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass from Drew Stanton to Will Heller. The Packers had one last chance to win the game, driving to the 31 with just over a minute remaining. However, Flynn threw two straight incompletions on third and fourth down, giving the ball back to the Lions and allowing them to run out the clock. The 7-3 defeat shocked the Packers and now they were 8-5 heading into a difficult threegame stretch to finish the season. They also had a bigger concern – the health of their leader and star quarterback.

12.12.2010

PACKERS

LIONS

“Overall, I made some good plays out there, but I had a couple of mental mistakes out there that really cost us. I’ll take full credit for that. We didn’t do the things we needed to win the game, and I’ll take full credit for that.” - Matt Flynn Packers Backup QB

Numbers Game Passing Matt Flynn 177 yards Rushing Aaron Rodgers 25 yards Receiving Andrew Quarless 62 yards

“We always sit up here and try to figure out the playoffs. We’ve got three games left. The biggest thing is to get through these three games and if at the end of the season, where ever we sit, if it’s postseason, then we’re in. If not, we’re out. We can’t do anything. Right now, we’ve got to win the next three games (before we) talk about anything else.” - Donald Driver Packers WR

“You know what? We are (stunned). It’s always tough to lose. People are going to say, ‘it’s the Detroit Lions.’ Well, the Detroit Lions are an NFL team, too, and their record doesn’t reflect how good they really are. They finally got a break today, and unfortunately, it was against us.” - Desmond Bishop Packers

Fun Facts • Less than an hour after the game, workers at Ford Field were removing “LIONS” from the end zones to get the stadium ready to host the New York Giants - Minnesota Vikings matchup that was moved because of the collapse of the Metrodome’s roof. • The three-point performance was the fewest by Green Bay since it was shut out by New England, 35-0, on Nov. 19, 2006. • The Packers registered just 258 yards of total offense, their lowest output since Week 1 of 2009 vs. Chicago, and their 13 first downs matched a season low. 77

The Packers’ final road game of the regular season could not have been a more intimidating prospect, as they went into Gillette Stadium on December 19 to face the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football. A lot of people thought this could possibly be

a preview of the Super Bowl, but first things first, and that was a regular season showdown that the whole world was watching. The Patriots had emerged over the second half of the season as the top team in the NFL. They had an 11-2 record, were on a five-game winning streak and they had just blown out two playoff contenders, the New York Jets and Chicago Bears, in the previous two weeks. They also had not lost a regular season home game in more than two years. On top of all that, the Packers were without star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. After suffering his second concussion of the season the week before, Rodgers would not play in this game. Tom Brady was also playing some of the best football of his career and if you looked at things objectively, it appeared it could turn into a long night. However, right from the opening kickoff, the Packers showed they were not afraid. They opened the game with an onside kick, recovered it, and drove for a field goal. New England scored a touchdown on its opening drive but the Green Bay defense would not allow the high-powered Patriots offense to dominate like they had in previous weeks. On the first play of the second quarter, Flynn connected with James Jones for a 66-yard touchdown and, late in the same quarter, he found Greg Jennings for another touchdown. The Packers led 17-14 at the half and Flynn was making it clear that his team would be OK without Rodgers at the helm. The third quarter saw Flynn make his first mistake, as he had a pass intercepted and returned for a touchdown to put New England in front 21-17. He bounced back immediately though, leading the Packers on a long drive and finishing it off with a touchdown pass to John Kuhn. Another long Packers’ drive brought them down to the 1, but they ultimately had to settle for a field goal. The Patriots would then get a field goal of their own and then the go-ahead touchdown with 7:14 left. Still, Flynn would not let the Packers go down without a fight. He drove his team down the field in position for a winning touchdown, but time was running out. On the game’s final play Flynn had one last chance to get the Packers in the end zone for a winning score but he was sacked and fumbled. Green Bay and its backup quarterback had fought valiantly but they came up just short. The Packers were now 8-6 and their assignment for the final two weeks of the season was very clear and very critical. They had to win both of them to make the playoffs. Another stumble and they’d be watching the postseason games on TV.

Numbers Game Passing Matt Flynn 251 yards 3 touchdowns Rushing Brandon Jackson 99 yards Receiving James Jones 95 yards 1 touchdown

12.19.2010 PATRIOTS PACKERS

Fun Facts • Third-year QB Matt Flynn made his first career NFL start. • Matt Flynn became the first Packers QB to throw three touchdown passes in his first career start since Anthony Dilweg on Sept. 9, 1990. • The game marked the first time the Packers started a QB other than Aaron Rodgers or Brett Favre since Sept. 20, 1992, when Don Majkowski got the opening nod against Cincinnati at Lambeau Field. • Green Bay’s six defeats this season have been by a combined 20 points.

“We thought we matched up pretty well with them, offensively. The plan was to go out there and cut it loose. We didn’t really take the plan down. We ran the ball real well today, so that was a big plus for us. The plan didn’t change because I was in. We went out and went after them.” - Matt Flynn Packers QB

The marquee matchup for Week 16 in the NFL was the showdown between the New York Giants and Packers at Lambeau. Here’s

12.26.2010 PACKERS GIANTS

why, both teams wanted to make the playoffs, and the last time the Giants played in Green Bay was the 2007 NFC Championship Game, and on that frozen night, the Packers left with broken hearts as the Giants won in overtime and went on to win Super Bowl XLII. This meeting once again had significant meaning to both teams. The Giants were 9-5, the Packers were 8-6, and it was obvious the two teams were competing for the final playoff spot in the NFC. The Packers, despite having lost two straight coming into the game, still controlled their own postseason destiny. If they could beat the Giants and then the Chicago Bears the next week, they would be headed to the playoffs. They also welcomed back Aaron Rodgers, who returned from a concussion for the game. On Green Bay’s second drive of the game, Rodgers made it clear he was back in top form, hitting Jordy Nelson for an 80-yard touchdown. He would toss another touchdown pass later in the first quarter to James Jones, and the Packers led 14-0. The Giants answered back, with Eli Manning throwing two touchdowns of his own in the second quarter to tie the game. However, the Packers would take the lead into halftime after a touchdown run by John Kuhn. In the second half, a close game turned into a rout. The Packers were completely dominant. The defense shut down the Giants’ offensive attack. New York running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs each lost fumbles in the third quarter. Jacobs’ fumble came after he had broken a big run, but linebacker Clay Matthews made a terrific hustle play, pursuing him and knocking the ball out of his hands. The fourth quarter was a nightmare for Manning, who threw interceptions on three straight drives. The Packers picked off Manning four times total on the day, assuring he would not be

walking out of Lambeau Field with another win. Meanwhile, Rodgers threw two more touchdowns and Kuhn had another touchdown run in the second half, sending the Packers to a dominating 45-17 victory. Rodgers finished the game with 404 passing yards and four touchdowns, leaving no doubt that he had returned to full health. The Packers were now 9-6 and needed just one win to secure a playoff berth. All that stood in their way was their oldest and most hated rival, the Chicago Bears.

Numbers Game

Passing Rushing Receiving Aaron Rodgers Brandon Jackson Greg Jennings 404 yards 39 yards 142 yards 4 touchdowns Jordy Nelson 124 yards 1 touchdown 83

Fun Facts • Green Bay’s 45 points matched a season high. • The Packers’ six takeaways were a season high and the most by Green Bay since recording six at Chicago on Dec. 31, 2006. • This was the 292nd consecutive sellout at Lambeau Field. • Rodgers’ 404 passing yards were a regular-season career high, and his four TD passes matched his regular-season career best. • FB John Kuhn recorded the first three TD game of his career. 84

“We knew this was going to be a battle that started up front and I don’t need to see the film to say that we definitely commanded that battle.” - Mike McCarthy Packers Head Coach “Obviously we needed to get this one or it was over. For us to put together a performance like that, guys are really confident knowing we can still make this run. Our goal is still ahead of us. Everyone’s goal is to win the Super Bowl, so everyone’s feeling good right now.” - Tramon Williams Packers CB “It starts with the offensive line, they gave me a lot of time early. I think that kinda frustrated (the Giants) a little bit, they weren’t able to bat down balls like they’ve been doing the last four or five games and weren’t really getting to me much.” - Aaron Rodgers Packers QB 85

It all came down to this! The Chicago Bears coming to Lambeau Field to face Green Bay in the regular season finale on January 2, and this latest chapter in the NFL’s oldest and most fierce rivalry meant everything to the 2010 Packers. If they could beat their rivals, they would be headed to the playoffs. If not, they pack

their bags, have their exit interviews, hope there isn’t a lockout and get ready for the 2011 season. To put it simply, there would be no Super Bowl Championship in Cowboys stadium if the Packers didn’t take care of business on this day. The Bears had won the earlier meeting between the two teams, kicking a late field goal to defeat the Packers 2017 in Week 3 at Soldier Field. In that game, the Packers played sloppy, as they were penalized 18 times and turned the ball over twice, including a fumble as they were driving for what would have been a go-ahead score. They knew their mistakes had played a big part in that loss and they were determined not to let that happen again. For the Bears, the regular season finale meant nothing. They had clinched the NFC North title and secured a firstround bye in the playoffs. A big question in the lead up to the game was whether the Bears would sit some of their starters in an effort to stay healthy for the playoffs. However, they played their starters throughout the game. The Packers were going to have to beat Chicago at its best to get in the postseason. What resulted was a classic defensive struggle. Two of the best defenses in the NFL took turns shutting down the opposing offenses. The only scoring of the first half was a field goal by Chicago, leaving Packers behind at halftime in a game they had to win. The second half started ominously for Green Bay, as Aaron Rodgers was intercepted on their first play. However, late in the third quarter, the Packers offense finally hit for a big play. A 33-yard pass from Rodgers to Greg Jennings gave them 1st-and-goal at the 1, but the Bears defense held and all the Packers could do was get a game-tying field goal. On their next drive, they would again get down to the 1 on a big pass play to Jennings. This time, though, Rodgers made sure they cashed it in, throwing a touchdown to Donald Lee on 1st-and-goal to put his team on top for the first time in the game. Now it was up to the defense to send the Packers to the playoffs. The Bears had one last chance to tie the game, getting to the Green Bay 32-yard line with under a minute remaining. Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler fired a pass down the field, but Packers safety Nick Collins was waiting for it, picking it off and sealing the 10-3 victory. Rodgers took a knee to run the clock out and the Green Bay Packers finished off a 10-6 season. It was official! They were headed to the playoffs for the second straight year, and this time they were planning to stay awhile.

01.02.2011 PACKERS BEARS

â&#x20AC;&#x153;In a rivalry game like this, you expect the game to go right down to the end, which it did. You have to give the Packers a lot of credit. They had to come in and win the football game and they made a few more plays than we did today. There were times when we had control. You have to score points though.â&#x20AC;? - Lovie Smith Bears Head Coach

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 229 yards 1 touchdown

Rushing Receiving Aaron Rodgers Greg Jennings 21 yards 97 yards 87

Fun Facts

• The game marked the first time in the history of the series the Bears have visited Green Bay in the season finale. • The packers clinched their 26th postseason appearance in team history. • At 10-6, the Packers posted double-digit wins for the second consecutive season. • Green Bay’s 24 touchdowns allowed this season were the fewest since the 1996 team gave up 19 touchdowns. • Green Bay’s 78 penalties on the season are the fewest in franchise annals since the NFL went to a 16- game schedule in 1978. 88

“We’re a pretty good road team, so we’ll see. That’s what we’ve got to do. Go on the road and go house to house.” - Nick Collins Packers Safety “It’s always good to beat the Bears. Even though they won the division, we beat a division foe, and a win is always good.” - Charles Woodson Packers CB “Obviously, we went into the game knowing that we controlled our own destiny and with a win and we’re in. I think some of us were keeping tabs on the Tampa score. I don’t know if it was deliberately or on accident, none of the scores were up on the board from the games we needed, but I think we figured Tampa won and we had to win.” - Aaron Rodgers Packers QB 89

Thriller in Philly NFC Wild Card Playoffs Green Bay at Philadelphia 90

January 9, 2011

“To come in here, to this environment, is a big win for us. I’m very proud of our football team and the way we played in all three phases, coming down to the end with the big turnover for our defense.” - Mike McCarthy Packers Head Coach

Packers 21

Eagles 16 91

It was a rematch of the first game of the season but it was two entirely different teams. The Packers were coming off

consecutive victories over the Giants and Bears that propelled them into the sixth and final NFC seed and they were hot. Rodgers and the offense had been playing lights out when it mattered most and the defense, led my Matthews and Woodson, had become flat out suffocating, causing many people to say that they had actually become a bigger strength for the Packers than the offense. But could they deal with Michael Vick? In Week 1, they only had to face him for one half of football and he still tallied almost 300 yards of offense all by himself. He had taken the entire league by storm, the electricity back in his legs and a sudden comfort and accuracy in the pocket that made him virtually indefensible. You had two of the top quarterbacks in the league who were hot at the right time and the prevailing opinion was that the winner of this game had a very good shot to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Without question, it was the most highly anticipated matchup of the Wild Card round. In many ways, the game played out like many had in this Packers championship season. Led by rookie running back James Starks’ 123 yards, the offense was very good but not out of this world, and the defense was stout throughout - for the most part containing Michael Vick and his explosive playmakers - and even stouter when it mattered most. Also, like many games this year, the Packers took this thing down to the wire, as the victory wasn’t sealed until Tramon Williams picked off Michael Vick in the end zone with 33 seconds to play. Rodgers had to have been biting his nails on the sideline, as no quarterback wants to be on the sideline with the game on the line. No quarterback wants the game in someone else’s hands. Especially when you’re having to watch Michael Vick. But at the same time, the Packer defense had been up to the challenge at virtually every point during the season and when they got it done, the usually subdued Rodgers finally smiled and sand pumped his fist as he went out to take a knee on the first playoff victory of his career. The Packers were on their way to Atlanta.

01.09.2011 EAGLES PACKERS

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 180 yards 3 Touchdowns Rushing James Starks 123 yards Receiving Donald Driver 56 yards

Fun Facts • The Packers’ win at Philadelphia was their first postseason victory away from Lambeau Field since Jan. 11, 1998. • The 16 points allowed by Green Bay were the fewest given up in a road playoff game since the1997 NFC Championship. •The game was the most-watched Wild Card game in league history. • The game drew 39.3 million viewers, which also ranks it as the most-watched show of the current TV season. • Aaron Rodgers has thrown seven TDs in his two career playoff starts. That’s the most for any player in NFL history in his first two postseason starts. • James Starks 123 yards rushing is the most in the postseason by a rookie in franchise history.

“It feels great. We have had a number of contributions from players who at the beginning of the season were not expected to play big roles for us, so I think that shows what kind of character we have in our locker room.” - Aaron Rodgers Packers Quarterback

â&#x20AC;&#x153;You are expected to produce when your number is called on this team. This season was a process that I had to go through and I am doing better with it. This was a big win for the team. The coaching staff put me in a great situation today and I am really thankful for that.â&#x20AC;? - James Starks Packers Running Back

Domination In

Atlanta

NFC Divisional Playoffs Green Bay At Atlanta January 15, 2011 96

“We are a championship caliber football team. We feel good about who we are, how we played, our brand of football and that is what we are sticking to.” - Mike McCarthy Packers Head Coach

Packers 48

Falcons 21

One down, two to go! But to continue their march to a Super Bowl, the Packers would have to take down the NFC’s top seed that was well rested and almost unbeatable at home. The Packers rolled into Atlanta on January 15th for a prime time game with the Falcons. Winner goes to the NFC Championship game. Loser goes home. The game would be played in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, a place the Falcons had gone 7-1 during the season, and quarterback Matt Ryan was 20-2 at home in his three years with the Falcons. Simply put, the Falcons play well when they are at home. The Packers had already had one chance this season to win in the Georgia Dome but an Atlanta field goal with nine seconds remaining sent Green Bay home with a 20-17 loss. Now they had another chance to slay the Falcons on their home turf and they seemed to welcome and relish the perfect conditions under the roof. Here’s how it went down. Atlanta struck first with a touchdown in the first quarter but the Packers answered with a brilliant 13-play drive, capped with Aaron Rodgers’ touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson, and the score was tied. That tie score didn’t last long, as Falcons’ kick returner Eric Weems took the ensuing kickoff back 102 yards for a touchdown. Atlanta led 14-7, the crowd was rockin’, the Falcons were rolling but, from that point on, the tide turned and it was complete Packer dominance the rest of the way. Rodgers sliced up the Falcons defense through the second quarter and the Packers scored two touchdowns to take a 21-14 lead. Atlanta drove down the field late in the half and was in position to get at least a field goal. However, a sack by Clay Matthews pushed the Falcons out of field goal range, so they called a pass on the next play to get back in range. This proved to be the biggest play of the game as Ryan’s pass was intercepted by Tramon Williams, who returned it 70 yards for a touchdown, as time expired in the half. The Packers had turned what

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 366 yards 4 touchdowns Rushing James Starks 66 yards Receiving Greg Jennings 101 yards Jordy Nelson 79 yards 1 touchdown James Jones 75 yards

01.15.2011 FALCONS PACKERS

may have been only a four-point lead into a 14-point advantage at the half. The air was sucked out of the building and the Packers danced into the locker room looking for the kill. Rodgers made sure the Falcons had no chance to reverse the momentum swing. He continued to carve up the Atlanta defense in the third quarter as the Packers scored two more touchdowns to take a commanding 42-14 lead. Green Bay was shocking the football world, blowing out the Falcons on their home turf. The fourth quarter was nothing more than a swan song for the Packers, who cruised to a 48-21 victory. Rodgers was the star of the night, completing 31-of-36 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns. He had avenged his teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loss to the Falcons during the season in grand style and proven on this night that he was 100% capable of leading his team to a Super Bowl title. He was dominant. The Packers were now just one win away from Super Bowl XLV. The only thing in their way was the same team they had beaten to reach the playoffs two weeks earlier â&#x20AC;&#x201C; their archenemies and fiercest rival Chicago Bears.

Fun Facts

• The victory marked the second time a No. 6 seed beat a No. 1 seed in the NFC. • Combined with the Packers’ Wild Card win at Philadelphia, it was the first time in team history that the Packers won two road playoff games in a postseason. • Aaron Rogers had the second-highest completion percentage in a 300-yard passing game in NFL post season history. • Aaron Rodgers has directed two of the three highest-scoring performances by a road team in NFL post season history. 100

“We felt that we had a really good chance of winning this ballgame. Obviously we played them previously and lost. We hurt ourselves with turnovers in that game. With our defense playing the way that they have been we knew that we had a good shot.” - Greg Jennings Packers WR “We feel good about where we’re at. I know the defense is feeling it. We’ve got playmakers all over the board no matter who we play. No matter what they throw at us, we feel pretty good that we’ve got it together.” - A.J. Hawk Packers Linebacker

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The Kings of the NFC Are Crowned!

NFC Championship Game Green Bay at Chicago January 23rd, 2010 102

Packers 21

Bears 14

Green Bay Advances To TheSuper Bowl!

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It’s only fitting that the NFC Championship and trip to the Super Bowl would come down to a showdown between the two most storied franchises in NFL history.

No rivalry is as great, long or historic, and while this game at Soldier Field was not a thing of beauty that will be remembered for eternity for it’s precision, it doesn’t matter. The Pack went into enemy territory, silenced a hostile crowd, and dominated the game on both sides of the ball. The story line that was played out for weeks was of course the fact that Jay Cutler was not able to finish the game, either by choice or injury, but a big reason the Packers were hoisting the George Halas Trophy after the game is because of the fact their quarterback Aaron Rodgers played the entire game, and made plays when he had the chance. Rodgers ran for a touchdown, and he saved a touchdown with a tackle of Brian Urlacher after he intercepted a Rodgers pass. Numerous other Packers shined on this cold day on the shores of Lake Michigan, including B.J. Raji who ran an interception in for a huge second half touchdown, and the Packers secondary who completely shut down Cutler and his backup Todd Collins, before unknown third teamer Caleb Haney came in and finally moved the team in the fourth quarter. Nobody can accuse the Packers of taking the easy route to Cowboys Stadium and Super Bowl XLV. During their playoff march they won three games on the road, beat the top two seeds and continued to overcome injuries and other tough breaks all season long and never let it slow them down. So on to the first Super Bowl for head coach Mike McCarthy, where he will ironically face the team he grew up idolizing, the Pittsburgh Steelers. And for Rodgers, it’s his chance to follow the former Packer great quarterbacks Bart Starr and Brett Favre and bring home a Lombardi Trophy of his own. And as the Packers prepared to head off to north Texas in search of their fourth Super Bowl Championship, the true reason they are there is because no team handled adversity better and got more contributions from so many different players. It was the ultimate team accomplishment, in the ultimate team game.

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01.23.2011 CHICAGO PACKERS

“This year was just a different year. We were 3-3 at one point. We won four in a row and then lost. We got hurt. We were 8-6, and we had to win five elimination games, and that’s what makes it that much sweeter. You know, having to win those five, but also having to do it with those guys that we didn’t really count on at the beginning of the season.” - Aaron Rodgers Packers Quarterback

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 244 yards 1 rushing touchdown Rushing James Starks 74 yards 1 touchdown Receiving Greg Jennings 130 yards 105

“It’s been a long road, but we’re here now so I’m excited. I’m going to go home and celebrate with my wife and kids and enjoy the moment.” - Donald Driver Packers WR

“I’m numb. It’s a great feeling. I’m just so proud of our football team. It was the typical Green Bay-Chicago game with everything on the line. I’m very proud of our players and very proud of our coaches. We’re fired up and getting ready to go to Dallas and see who our opponent is.” - Mike McCarthy Packers Head Coach 106

“Obviously, the window of opportunity for anybody opens and closes really quickly, so you never know when you are going to get another opportunity. Fortunately for us, this was our second trip to the NFC Championship Game and now we have the opportunity of a life time to bring home the Lombardi Trophy.” - Greg Jennings Packers WR

Fun Facts • The game marked the 182nd meeting between the two teams and just the second time ever in the postseason. • No two franchises in NFL annals have met more than Green Bay and Chicago. • Before this game, the lone playoff meeting between the rivals came on Dec. 14, 1941, at Wrigley Field in Chicago. • This is just the fourth time that both the Packers and Bears have advanced to the playoffs in the same season. • Green Bay is the first NFL team to play road contests against three teams in both the regular season and playoffs in the same season. • The Packers are the first No. 6 seed in the NFC to advance to the Super Bowl. • The Packers have not trailed by more than 7 points at any point in any game this season. 107

The Lombardi Trophy

Comes Home To

Titletown!

Super Bowl XLV Cowboys Stadium February 6, 2011

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“Well, it’s named the Lombardi Trophy for a reason because we play and live in Titletown. We have the best fans, an organization that believes in us and gives us the opportunity to be successful, and I can’t wait to go home and see those fans and bring them the Lombardi Trophy.” - Aaron Rodgers Packers Quarterback

Packers 31

Steelers 25

109

Some things are just meant to be. The Lombardi Trophy coming home to Green Bay is one of them. The Packers

capped off one of the most impressive playoff runs ever, that’s right, ever, with a 31-25 win over the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV that encapsulated the Packers entire season. There has not been a more resilient Super Bowl Champion than the 2010 Packers. It’s a true testament to an amazing group of players and coaches that nothing could get in their way of ending the season at the top of the heap in the NFL. In this game, the Packers overcame injuries, just like they had all season long when they placed over a dozen players on injured reserve. One player that was healthy, and heroic, was quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who in the span of the 5-week postseason transformed himself from one of the top young quarterbacks in the league, to maybe the flat-out best, and without question a living legend in the state of Wisconsin. Rodgers was named “It’s a dream come true. It’s MVP of Super Bowl XLV, and certainly dewhat I dreamt about as a little served it with 304 yards passing and three kid watching Joe Montana touchdowns. and Steve Young, and we just The defense was beyond superb. Even when Charles Woodson, the heart and won the Super Bowl.” soul of the defense was lost with a bro- Aaron Rodgers Packers ken collarbone, the Packers didn’t miss a Quarterback beat. They intercepted a very ineffective Ben Roethlisberger three times, scoring a touchdown on one of the picks when Nick Collins weaved his way into the end zone to give the Pack a 14-zip lead. When the Steelers seemed to have established the momentum in the fourth quarter, Clay Matthews made quite possibly the biggest play of the game, when he forced Rashard Mendenhall to fumble, turning the game around at that point. On a night when Christina Aguilera butchered the National Anthem, the Packers were on key most of the night, especially when it mattered most. The game plan devised by the coaching staff was perfect, and executed flawlessly. The Packers have the second youngest team in the NFL, and they’ll have a collection of injured players coming back in 2011 who will only make this team better. They will enter the 2011 season as the reigning Super Bowl champs, and probably the favorite to repeat. The only question is, with a team loaded with everything needed to be good from top to bottom, are we seeing the beginning of a modern day dynasty? We’ll find out. For now it’s time to celebrate Super Bowl number 4!

02.06.2011 PACKERS STEELERS

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“It’s a game of momentum. We had it at the beginning. They came out in the second half and got it. That fumble (in fourth quarter) was key. It got us some momentum back and we were able to make enough plays to win this game.”- Jordy Nelson Packers Receiver

Numbers Game Passing Aaron Rodgers 24-39 304 yards 3 TD’s Rushing James Starks 52 yards Receiving Jordy Nelson 9 Receptions 140 Yards 1 Touchdown Greg Jennings 4 Receptions 64 Yards 2 Touchdowns Defense Charlie Peprah 10 Tackles Desmond Bishop 8 Tackles Clay Matthews 3 Tackles 1 Fumble Recovery 111

Fun Facts

• The Packers never trailed by more than seven points at any time this entire season. • Rodgers winning over Roethlisberger made it seven of the past 10 years in which a first-time Super Bowl quarterback won the game, a streak that began when Tom Brady’s Patriots beat Kurt Warner’s Rams after the 2001 season. • The Vince Lombardi trophy weighs seven pounds, is 22-inches, is made of brightly polished silver and will sit in a trophy case at 1265 Lombardi Avenue in Green Bay. • Christina Aguilera screwed up the National Anthem before the game. She jumbled the lyrics, singing, “What so proudly we watched at the twilight’s last gleaming,” which is the same line from earlier in the song but inserted the word ‘watched’ instead of the word ‘hailed.’ • The Packers and Steelers combined to set a Super Bowl record for fewest rushing attempts in one game with 36. The Packers only ran the ball 13 times the entire game.

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“I played high school running back, so I know what to do when the ball is in my hands. I made a couple moves to get into the end zone. This is just a dream come true. It’s a dream come true.” - Nick Collins Packers DB “It is awesome. We are so happy and proud to be able to bring a championship to the city of Green Bay. This is great and we are going to celebrate tonight.” - Clay Matthews Packers Linebacker “With Aaron Rodgers, we put this game on his shoulders. From an offensive game plan standpoint he delivered. We faced adversity again today with injuries to Charles Woodson and Donald Driver. Guys stepped up. ...We knew that this was going to be a heavyweight slug match. We knew it was going to come down to the wire. Our defense was good enough time and time again this year and they stepped up and finished the game off.” - Mike McCarthy Packers Head Coach

• NFL officials confirmed that 400 fans that could not be seated at the Super Bowl would receive funds of triple the cost of the face value of the tickets. The tickets initially cost $800 each. • The Packers did not turn the ball over the entire game, the 17th time that has happened in Super Bowl history. • Even before kickoff, Super Bowl Sunday was a big day for Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Jarius Wynn, who was present for the birth of his son at a Dallas-area hospital. • Some Vegas casinos were offering a prop bet on the number of times Fox broadcasters Joe Buck and Troy Aikman would mention Brett Favre during the game. The over/under was 2.5, and Favre’s name was not mentioned a single time. • In an incredible show of confidence, Mike McCarthy had his players fitted for Super Bowl rings after team meetings the night before the Super Bowl. • Attendance was announced at 103,219, just short of the record 103,985 who turned out at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., for the 1980 Super Bowl. 113

“We’ve been a team that has overcome adversity all year, and now our head captain goes down. It was emotional in the locker room. Our No. 1 receiver goes down. More emotions are flying in the locker room, but we find a way to bottle it up and exert it all out here on the field.” - Greg Jennings Packers Receiver

114

“It feels awesome. It’s great to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay. We just kept battling. We had some adversity, we lost some guys to injury and we had some rough plays there. In the third quarter with the penalties our guys just kept fighting. I can’t say enough about them.” - Mike McCarthy Packers Head Coach “You know, it’s only fitting that a Green Bay Packer team wins (with) a world championship defense at the end of the game. But when we win our trophy, that means a lot to us and we can’t wait to bring it back to Green Bay.” - B.J. Raji Packers Lineman

“I was able to get around my guy and make a solid hit right on the football. I wasn’t sure that it had come out until I looked up and saw Desmond (Bishop) with the ball. We have been playing team defense all season and this was just another case of that tonight. I am so proud of our defense.” - Clay Matthews Packers Linebacker “It’s a special honor to be one of the leaders of this football team. But I said it once, I’ll say it again, no one person wins a game by themselves. Individually, it’s the top of the mountain for my sport, my profession. It’s what you dream about as a kid.” - Aaron Rodgers Super Bowl XLV MVP 115

Picture

Perfect

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Super Bowl XLV Photo Gallery

February 6, 2011 Cowboys Stadium Arlington, Texas

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