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Date | January 4, 2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Stadium | Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Favorite | Packers by 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Referee | Bernie Kukar | |||||||||||||||||||||
Attendance | 71,457 | |||||||||||||||||||||
TV in the United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Network | Fox | |||||||||||||||||||||
Announcers | Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Cris Collinsworth |
The 2003 NFC Wild Card playoff game was a National Football League (NFL) playoff game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers on January 4, 2004. The game, which was contested at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, became notable after Seahawks' quarterback Matt Hasselbeck proclaimed "we want the ball and we're going to score!" when the Seahawks won the coin toss before the start of the overtime period. Hasselbeck's comment was picked up on the referee's microphone and was broadcast to the stadium and the television audiences. Hasselbeck subsequently threw an interception that was returned for a game-winning touchdown by Packers' cornerback Al Harris. The score was the first defensive touchdown to win an overtime playoff game in NFL history and has been ranked as one of the best plays in NFL history. The dramatic finish advanced the Packers to the Divisional Round of the playoffs where they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 4th and 26 game.
The Seattle Seahawks finished the 2003 NFL season with a record of 10–6, putting them in 2nd place in the NFC West. The Seahawks won the last two games of the season to secure a playoff berth as a wild card team. [1] The Green Bay Packers also finished the 2003 season with a record of 10–6, enough to win the NFC North. After starting the season 6–6, the Packers finished the regular season on a 4-game winning streak, scoring more than 30 points in each victory. [2] The Packers only won the division after the Minnesota Vikings gave up two late touchdowns to the Arizona Cardinals in the last game of the year. [3] The Seahawks and Packers had met in the regular season, with the Packers securing a 35–13 victory in Week 5 at Lambeau Field. [4] This would be the first postseason match-up within the team's rivalry. [5]
With their higher seeding, the Packers secured homefield advantage and the right to host the game at Lambeau Field. [6] The Packers were favored to win the game by 7 points. [7] Both the Seahawks' head coach and starting quarterback had close ties to the Packers: Mike Holmgren resigned as head coach of the Packers after the 1998 NFL season to become the head coach and general manager of the Seahawks, while Matt Hasselbeck served as the backup quarterback to Brett Favre in 1999 and 2000 before being traded to the Seahawks. [8] [9]
The Packers started the game with the ball, but after a 10-yard catch by Bubba Franks for a first down, the team was stopped and forced to punt. The Seahawks scored first, driving down to the 12-yard line before a Josh Brown field goal put them up 3–0. During the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second, each team exchanged two punts a piece on short drives. After receiving a Seahawks punt, the Packers broke through to tie the game on a 5-play, 37-yard drive culminating in a Ryan Longwell field goal. The Seahawks quickly regained the lead, driving 51 yards before the Packers forced a field goal attempt. Brown again converted, putting the Seahawks up 6–3. After the score, Brett Favre completed a 44-yard pass to Javon Walker on the first play of the drive. Favre completed another pass for 13 yards to Ahman Green and then a play later threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Franks to put the Packers up 10–6. The Seahawks regained possession after the score, but their drive went backwards, as they lost a total of 18 yards on a sack, a fumble and a rush for negative yardage. After the Seahawks punted, the Packers gained 30 yards, with 23 of them coming from a pass to Donald Driver that ended in a Longwell field goal, increasing the Packers' lead to 13–6. The Seahawks again were unable to move the ball near the end of the half, punting back to the Packers who proceeded to kneel the ball to end the half. [10]
The Seahawks began the second half with a 10-play, 74-yard drive. Matt Hasselbeck completed three separate passes each over 10 yards and Shaun Alexander scored on a 4th down rush from the 1-yard line. The extra point brought the score even, 13–13. The Packers started their next drive strong, gaining 20 yards on two plays to put the ball at mid-field, but after two incompletions they were forced to punt. The Seahawks again engineered a long scoring drive, punctuated by a 33-yard catch by Koren Robinson and Alexander's second rushing touchdown, again from the 1-yard line. The Packers got the ball back, down 20–13, but quickly evened the score again. The 12-play, 60-yard scoring drive covered the end of the third quarter and beginning of the 4th quarter. Favre completed all 5 pass attempts, while Green converted a 4th down attempt and then a rushing touchdown from the 1-yard line. With the game tied 20–20, the Seahawks went three-and-out, punting the ball back to the Packers. The Packers methodically moved the ball down the field with a mix of short passes and rushes, before Green rushed for his second touchdown, again from the 1-yard line. Now down 27–20, the Seahawks got the ball back with just over 2 minutes left in the game. Hasselbeck completed three separate passes for 9, 16 and 34 yards to get the Seahawks into scoring position. After a 5-yard penalty gave the Seahawks a first down on the 1-yard line, Alexander scored his third rushing touchdown of the game (all three from the 1-yard line). Brown's extra point evened the score 27–27 with 51 seconds left in the game. After two short completions, Favre founded Walker for a 27-yard catch to put the Packers in field goal range. After a short rush by Green, the Packers called timeout and brought Longwell on for a potential game-winning field goal. Longwell missed the attempt though, sending the game into overtime. [10]
The Seahawks won the coin toss and chose to receive the ball. In selecting to receive the ball, Hasselbeck excitedly exclaimed "We want the ball and we're going to score!" to the referee, which was picked up on the referee's microphone and heard by the crowd at Lambeau Field and over the television broadcast. [11] The Seahawks went three-and-out on their first drive and punted the ball to the Packers, who then also went three-and-out. After the Packers' punt, the Seahawks gained a first down on two short passes. After a rush for -1 yard and an incomplete pass, the Seahawks faced a 3rd down with 11 yards to go. [10] Hasselbeck snapped the ball and almost immediately turned and threw the ball toward the left sideline. Al Harris jumped the route and stepped in front of the intended receiver, Alex Bannister, intercepting the ball at mid-field and returning it for a walk-off touchdown. [11]
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
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Seahawks | 3 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
Packers | 0 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 33 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Game information | ||||
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Much of the post-game analysis focused on Hasselbeck's bold claim after the overtime coin toss and the play made by Harris to win the game. [11] [13] On the final play, the Packers blitzed Hasselbeck, who saw it coming before the snap and audibled to a different play. Harris noticed the audible, which he had seen earlier in the game, and took advantage, jumping the route and grabbing the interception. [13] The game was noted for being a fairly even, back-and-forth affair. There was some officiating controversy regarding three separate fumbles, with two calls being overturned by instant replay. Mike Holmgren tried to challenge a possible fumble on a play where Green converted on 4th down and 1 yard to go, but was not allowed to by the officials. [14] [15] After the game, the Manitowoc Herald-Times noted that the victory was a team win, with key contributions coming from multiple players on offense and defense. [16] Favre's touchdown pass made it his 14th straight playoff game with a passing touchdown, beating Dan Marino's record at the time. [14]
The Packers moved on to the Divisional Round of the playoffs to face the first seeded Philadelphia Eagles. This game also went into overtime after the Eagles converted on 4th down with 26 yards to go in the fourth quarter. The ensuing Eagles' field goal tied the game at the end of the 4th quarter, forcing overtime. The Eagles kicked another field goal to secure a 20–17 victory and move on to the NFC Championship Game. [17]
Harris was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Week for his interception returned for a touchdown, which was the first defensive touchdown to win an overtime playoff game in NFL history. [18] In honor of its 100th anniversary in 2019, the NFL compiled a list of the 100 greatest games and the 100 greatest plays. [19] This game was ranked as the 72nd greatest in NFL history, while Harris' interception return for a touchdown was ranked as the 86th greatest play. [20] [21] In 2022, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel named the play one of the greatest in Packers' playoff history. [22] The game and the play are a notable part of the Packers–Seahawks rivalry and are still discussed years later. [23] [24] [25] Hasselbeck returned to Lambeau Field for a Monday Night Countdown in 2017 only to find a picture of Harris' interception in his hotel room. After returning to his hotel to find another photo of Harris, he realized it was a prank and autographed the photo. [26] The game was also highlighted on NFL's Greatest Games . [27]
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. They are the third-oldest franchise in the NFL, established in 1919, and are the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team based in the United States. Since 1957, home games have been played at Lambeau Field. They hold the record for the most wins in NFL history.
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Seattle Seahawks. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles and was selected in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers. After a season on the practice squad and two seasons backing up Brett Favre, he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in 2001, where he spent the majority of his career. Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances, including the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance during the 2005 season. He was selected to three Pro Bowls in his career. Hasselbeck also played for the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts. He is a former analyst for ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown.
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The 2006 Green Bay Packers season was the franchise's 88th season overall and their 86th in the National Football League (NFL).
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The 2007 Green Bay Packers season was the franchise's 89th overall and 87th season in the National Football League (NFL). The Packers finished the regular season with a 13–3 record and clinched their first winning season, playoff appearance and division title since 2004. They received for the first time since 1997 a bye for the first round of the playoffs, won their divisional round playoff game, and lost in the NFC Championship game to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants. It was the first time the Packers had lost a home NFC Championship game, and only their third home playoff loss ever. This was the last season for quarterback Brett Favre as a Green Bay Packer, as he initially retired following the season but came out of retirement and was subsequently traded to the New York Jets during the offseason.
The Bears–Packers rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.
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The National Football League playoffs for the 2010 season began on January 8, 2011. The postseason tournament concluded with the Green Bay Packers defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, 31–25, on February 6, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This was the first Super Bowl in which the NFC representative was a #6 seed, and only the second time one has made the Super Bowl.
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The Packers–Seahawks rivalry is an American football rivalry between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks. The Packers entered the National Football League (NFL) in 1921 and saw significant periods of sustained success under Curly Lambeau in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in the 1960s under Vince Lombardi. However, the Packers entered the 1970s in a sustained slump. They only made the playoffs once from 1968 to 1975. The Seahawks entered the NFL in 1976 as part of an agreement to expand the league after the AFL–NFL merger. The Packers and Seahawks played their first game during the 1976 NFL season, with the Packers winning 27–20 at Milwaukee County Stadium. During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, the two teams only played each other intermittently, as they were in different conferences. However, this changed in 2002 when the Seahawks were moved from the American Football Conference (AFC) to the National Football Conference (NFC). Teams playing in the same conference compete against each other in the regular season at least every three years and may meet more often if they share common positions in their respective division or are paired in the playoffs.
Dez Caught It was a National Football League (NFL) Divisional Playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers on January 11, 2015. The game, which was played at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, gained notoriety after a play in which Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant attempted to catch a pass from quarterback Tony Romo in the closing minutes of the 4th quarter. The pass was initially ruled a catch before controversially being overturned after officials determined Bryant did not complete the process of a catch while he was lunging towards the end zone. The Packers would get the ball on the turnover on downs and run out the clock. They won by a score of 26–21 and moved on to the NFC Championship Game, where they would lose to the Seattle Seahawks. In the following years, the NFL changed the rules regarding catching a pass while falling to the ground. The new rules would likely have given Bryant a completed catch, although what constitutes a catch has continued to be debated.
Favre's Dad Game was a National Football League (NFL) regular season game played on December 22, 2003, between the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers. The game, which was broadcast on television nationally on Monday Night Football (MNF), was contested at Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland, California, during the 2003 NFL season. Brett Favre, the Packers quarterback and a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, had started 204 consecutive games leading up to the game against the Raiders, a record for NFL quarterbacks. The day before the game, Favre's father, Irvin, died while driving after suffering a heart attack. In the build-up to the game, there was much discussion regarding whether Favre would play, with Favre ultimately deciding to suit up and continue his consecutive start streak. The game, which had playoff implications for the Packers, ended up being one of Favre's best statistical performances of his career, as he threw for 399 yards and 4 touchdowns en route to a 41–7 blow-out. Post-game analysis focused on Favre's resolve to play even after his father's death, his successful completion of numerous high-difficulty passes and the Packers path to the playoffs. The Packers ended up making the playoffs, beating the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round before losing in the Divisional round to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 4th and 26 game. In 2019, the NFL identified this game as the 52nd best in NFL history.
The 2019 National Football Conference (NFC) Divisional playoff game was a National Football League (NFL) playoff game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers on January 12, 2020. The Packers finished the 2019 season with a record of 13–3 under first-year head coach Matt Lafleur. Their record, after tiebreakers were calculated, was good enough for the 2nd seed of the playoffs and a first-round bye. The Seahawks finished the season 11–5 and the fifth seed in the playoffs. The Seahawks beat the Philadelphia Eagles 17–9 in the Wild Card round to earn the right to play the Packers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in the Divisional round. The Packers built a 21–3 lead going into halftime, however the Seahawks finished the game on a 20–7 scoring run. After their last touchdown, the Seahawks attempted a two-point conversion to try to close the deficit to three points but Marshawn Lynch was stopped short. Both teams exchanged punts before the Packers were able to run out the rest of the game clock for the victory. The Packers advanced to the NFC Championship Game where they lost 37–20 to the San Francisco 49ers. The game is an important part of the Packers–Seahawks rivalry.
The Snow Globe Game was a National Football League (NFL) Divisional playoff game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers on January 12, 2008. The game, which was contested at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, ended in a Packers victory, sending them to the 2007 NFC Championship Game. The Packers mounted their largest comeback in playoff franchise history, overcoming a 14–0 deficit in the first quarter after running back Ryan Grant fumbled in two straight possessions, leading to two Seahawks touchdowns. The Packers scored touchdowns on six straight drives, while also holding the Seahawks to just six more points the rest of the game. Grant would go on to set a franchise record for rushing yards (201) in a playoff game, while also scoring three touchdowns. Brett Favre also threw three touchdown passes, while the Packers defense held the Seahawks to just 28 yards rushing as a team. During the game, a snowstorm caused poor visibility and difficult playing conditions for the players, leading to its nickname. The Packers would go on to lose to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants in overtime in the NFC Championship Game, which ended up being the last game of Favre's career with the Packers.