Packerlifer
Cheesehead
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2008
- Messages
- 1,782
- Reaction score
- 118
http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/nemesis
Over the past twenty-some years the Packers have been among the most consistently successful clubs in the National Football League. They've had 19 winning seasons and made the playoff 17 of the past 22 years; easily the longest run of success in the franchise's now 96 year history.
Yet for all that the Packers can show only two Super Bowl wins and a third appearance during this time. We all take pride in the fact that our favorite club leads the NFL in all-time world championship total at 13 but how many more might have been added over these past two decades when opportunity was there and missed.
Various teams and reasons can be cited for the Packers' 14 playoff eliminations short of the Super Bowl since 1993 but 10 occasions it's been against one of just 5 other clubs: the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. They are or have been the nemeses of the Packers.
Dallas in the 1990's eliminated the Packers in playoff competition three straight years, including a conference championship game. Over that same period they also won four straight regular season matches for a total 7 game win streak against the Green & Gold. Even in 1996 when the Packers did have a Super Bowl winning team they could not beat the Cowboys; losing a 21-6 MNF game to them that season and leaving something of a feeling of leaving some business unfinished even as they brought home the Lombardi Trophy.
The Philadelphia Eagles became the name of the Packers' pain in the 2000's. The Eagles already had a unique place in Packers' history as the only team to beat Vince Lombardi's Packers in a playoff game in the 1960 NFL Championship. They beat the Packers in the infamous "4th & 26" playoff of the 2003 season, just when the Packers seemed to have Super Bowl momentum going for them. But two months before that game they had come to Lambeau Field on a rainy Monday night and stolen a 17-14 win on a last seconds field goal, courtesy of Packers' turnovers, despite being outplayed in almost every other aspect of the game. That loss ultimately is what put the Packers in Philly for the playoff instead of playing at home in January.
In 2004 the Packers visited Philly again in what was supposed to be their revenge game for the playoff loss. Instead it was a complete embarrassment as the Eagles won big 47-17, with Donovan McNabb throwing for 464 yds. and 5 td's and the Eagles racked up 542 yds on a terrible Green Bay defense that season.
Eventually the Packers did turn the worm on the Cowboys and Eagles. Their losses to Dallas were all in games at Dallas. Hope for some sweet revenge in the '96 NFC Championship Game at Lambeau were denied when the Cowboys were upset by Carolina in the previous round of the playoffs. But the NFL scheduled them at Green Bay in 1997. Although their dynasty was by then beginning to slip they were still a playoff team with many of the moving parts of its 3 Super Bowl winners still there and the Packers blew them out 45-17.
The Packers have won 4 of the last 7 games against Dallas and with last January's playoff win at Lambeau have won 4 straight on the men beneath the Star.
The Packers began to turn the tables on the Eagles in the opener of the 2007 season at Lincoln Financial Field when the defense and special teams got them a 16-13 win and set the team off on a 13-3 season and a run to the NFC title game. In 2010 the Packers met the Eagles in a season opener, winning 27-20 and starting a season that ultimately saw them win the Super Bowl. Among the victims of the Packers' historic playoff run that year were again the Eagles. The Packers beat them in the Wild Card playoff there 21-16.
The Eagles did get a win on the Pack in Lambeau in 2013 when Aaron Rodgers was out with his broken collarbone. But when they came back last year with Rodgers in the game Green Bay blew them out 53-20.
Business is as yet unfinished with the Packers' more recent nemeses the Giants, 49ers and Seahawks. New York isn't on the schedule this year but they did beat the Packers on two recent occasions that almost certainly cost Green Bay a couple more Super Bowls. Both those losses have the additional sting of coming at Lambeau.
The Giants upset the Packers in the 2007 NFC Championship Game in overtime 23-20 and then ruined an historically great season in the divisional round playoff of 2011 37-20; making the Packers the first NFL team to go 15-1 in a season and fail to win a playoff game. The Packers' chance at revenge on them in 2012 turned out to be the worst loss the team has ever taken in a game that Aaron Rodgers started and finished 38-10. When they played in 2013 it was during Rodgers' injury absence and New York won again 27-13.
The Packers do have the other two Seattle and San Francisco on this year's slate, starting with the Seahawks on Sunday night.
The Niners have beaten the Packers in 3 of their last four playoff meetings, dating to the Wild Card playoff out there in 1998. That, of course, was the game in which an incredible officating blunder on the Jerry Rice fumble allowed the 49ers to score the winning td in the last seconds on Steve Young's desperation pass to Terrell Owens.
Fresher in memory are the 2012 divisional playoff won the the Niners 45-31 in which they rolled up 579 yds., 323 rushing and saw a qb Colin Kaepernick run for 181 yds. on the Packers defense. And the 23-20 Wild Card at Lambeau, when the Packers defense couldn't stop their final 65 yd., 14 play, five minute drive to get into position to kick the game winning field goal as time expired.
Throw in opening season losses in 2012 and 2013 and the Packers have more reasons to put San Francisco on their nemeses list.
Now there are the Seahawks. Last January's NFC Championship Game, the 36-16 whipping in the league's season opener last year, the "Fail Mary" game in 2013. Those are reasons to put Seattle on Green Bay's nemesis list.
As with Dallas in the '90's those losses were on their home turf, a decided advantage for them and disadvantage for the Packers. But this time they meet at Lambeau so that excuse is off the table.
The Packers will simply have to show themselves to be the better team by their performance in a win. But a win here can get a big monkey off their back and may turn out to be the bellwether to a Super Bowl season. Beating an old nemesis before has done so.
Over the past twenty-some years the Packers have been among the most consistently successful clubs in the National Football League. They've had 19 winning seasons and made the playoff 17 of the past 22 years; easily the longest run of success in the franchise's now 96 year history.
Yet for all that the Packers can show only two Super Bowl wins and a third appearance during this time. We all take pride in the fact that our favorite club leads the NFL in all-time world championship total at 13 but how many more might have been added over these past two decades when opportunity was there and missed.
Various teams and reasons can be cited for the Packers' 14 playoff eliminations short of the Super Bowl since 1993 but 10 occasions it's been against one of just 5 other clubs: the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. They are or have been the nemeses of the Packers.
Dallas in the 1990's eliminated the Packers in playoff competition three straight years, including a conference championship game. Over that same period they also won four straight regular season matches for a total 7 game win streak against the Green & Gold. Even in 1996 when the Packers did have a Super Bowl winning team they could not beat the Cowboys; losing a 21-6 MNF game to them that season and leaving something of a feeling of leaving some business unfinished even as they brought home the Lombardi Trophy.
The Philadelphia Eagles became the name of the Packers' pain in the 2000's. The Eagles already had a unique place in Packers' history as the only team to beat Vince Lombardi's Packers in a playoff game in the 1960 NFL Championship. They beat the Packers in the infamous "4th & 26" playoff of the 2003 season, just when the Packers seemed to have Super Bowl momentum going for them. But two months before that game they had come to Lambeau Field on a rainy Monday night and stolen a 17-14 win on a last seconds field goal, courtesy of Packers' turnovers, despite being outplayed in almost every other aspect of the game. That loss ultimately is what put the Packers in Philly for the playoff instead of playing at home in January.
In 2004 the Packers visited Philly again in what was supposed to be their revenge game for the playoff loss. Instead it was a complete embarrassment as the Eagles won big 47-17, with Donovan McNabb throwing for 464 yds. and 5 td's and the Eagles racked up 542 yds on a terrible Green Bay defense that season.
Eventually the Packers did turn the worm on the Cowboys and Eagles. Their losses to Dallas were all in games at Dallas. Hope for some sweet revenge in the '96 NFC Championship Game at Lambeau were denied when the Cowboys were upset by Carolina in the previous round of the playoffs. But the NFL scheduled them at Green Bay in 1997. Although their dynasty was by then beginning to slip they were still a playoff team with many of the moving parts of its 3 Super Bowl winners still there and the Packers blew them out 45-17.
The Packers have won 4 of the last 7 games against Dallas and with last January's playoff win at Lambeau have won 4 straight on the men beneath the Star.
The Packers began to turn the tables on the Eagles in the opener of the 2007 season at Lincoln Financial Field when the defense and special teams got them a 16-13 win and set the team off on a 13-3 season and a run to the NFC title game. In 2010 the Packers met the Eagles in a season opener, winning 27-20 and starting a season that ultimately saw them win the Super Bowl. Among the victims of the Packers' historic playoff run that year were again the Eagles. The Packers beat them in the Wild Card playoff there 21-16.
The Eagles did get a win on the Pack in Lambeau in 2013 when Aaron Rodgers was out with his broken collarbone. But when they came back last year with Rodgers in the game Green Bay blew them out 53-20.
Business is as yet unfinished with the Packers' more recent nemeses the Giants, 49ers and Seahawks. New York isn't on the schedule this year but they did beat the Packers on two recent occasions that almost certainly cost Green Bay a couple more Super Bowls. Both those losses have the additional sting of coming at Lambeau.
The Giants upset the Packers in the 2007 NFC Championship Game in overtime 23-20 and then ruined an historically great season in the divisional round playoff of 2011 37-20; making the Packers the first NFL team to go 15-1 in a season and fail to win a playoff game. The Packers' chance at revenge on them in 2012 turned out to be the worst loss the team has ever taken in a game that Aaron Rodgers started and finished 38-10. When they played in 2013 it was during Rodgers' injury absence and New York won again 27-13.
The Packers do have the other two Seattle and San Francisco on this year's slate, starting with the Seahawks on Sunday night.
The Niners have beaten the Packers in 3 of their last four playoff meetings, dating to the Wild Card playoff out there in 1998. That, of course, was the game in which an incredible officating blunder on the Jerry Rice fumble allowed the 49ers to score the winning td in the last seconds on Steve Young's desperation pass to Terrell Owens.
Fresher in memory are the 2012 divisional playoff won the the Niners 45-31 in which they rolled up 579 yds., 323 rushing and saw a qb Colin Kaepernick run for 181 yds. on the Packers defense. And the 23-20 Wild Card at Lambeau, when the Packers defense couldn't stop their final 65 yd., 14 play, five minute drive to get into position to kick the game winning field goal as time expired.
Throw in opening season losses in 2012 and 2013 and the Packers have more reasons to put San Francisco on their nemeses list.
Now there are the Seahawks. Last January's NFC Championship Game, the 36-16 whipping in the league's season opener last year, the "Fail Mary" game in 2013. Those are reasons to put Seattle on Green Bay's nemesis list.
As with Dallas in the '90's those losses were on their home turf, a decided advantage for them and disadvantage for the Packers. But this time they meet at Lambeau so that excuse is off the table.
The Packers will simply have to show themselves to be the better team by their performance in a win. But a win here can get a big monkey off their back and may turn out to be the bellwether to a Super Bowl season. Beating an old nemesis before has done so.