Best Packer Teams in the Favre-Rodgers Era

[red4tribe]

I thought it could be some fun to go back and rank the best Packer teams we've had under Favre and Rodgers. Here is my list.

1. 1996 Packers- Number one offense, number one defense, +246 point differential (by far the best in the league) makes this an easy choice

2. 2010 Packers- Even though this team finished 10-6, I would still rank it second. Obviously, the team won the Super Bowl, but what is also impressive is that all six losses were by four points or less, and the team never trailed by more than seven points the entire season (the first and only time this has happened in the Super Bowl era). According to football reference's SOS, we faced a tough schedule that year. The 2010 Packers also had a strong offense, and the number two defense in the league. That defense has not been replicated the past eight years, and I'm sure many would agree with me that that has been the source of our failures since.

3. 2014 Packers- I might be ranking this one a little bit higher than others would. But to me, the 2014 season is truly the one that got away in the Rodgers era. It had the number one offense and an above average defense- certainly the best defense since 2010. We were also firing on all cylinders at the end of the season, making that Seattle loss even tougher to accept. This team was fully capable of winning the Super Bowl.

4. 2007 Packers- The number four offense, number six defense, strong passing game, great running game, this was one of the strongest teams in recent Packers memory. We just couldn't handle the Giants in the cold.

5. 2011 Packers- I rank this one a bit low considering it finished 15-1, but that's because the team did not win a playoff game and its SOS was pretty weak. And, although it had one of the best offenses in NFL history, it also had a historically bad defense.

6. 1997 Packers- Initially, I thought I would rank this team a little higher, but its SRS and SOS show it was a much weaker version of the '96 Packers. Still, it reached the Super Bowl and was among the best Packer teams of the past 25 years.

 

[G0P4ckG0]

96 without question.

 

[El Guapo]

I don't know why people rank the 2007 that high. I just read a media article today that said something similar. Our running game was not good at all, running behind a mediocre line. Favre played his *** off slinging the ball around all season, winning again and again without a running game. The stats only show that MM tried to run out the clock when we had leads. That was one of the most imbalanced offenses that I've seen in the last 30 years, up there with the 2011 team. I think that the passing offense in 2011 was more potent.

I would put the 1997 team in 4th place, with 2011 in 5th, and the 2007 team in 6th.

 

[OldSchool101]

1996 for obvious reasons

2010. The record didn’t properly depict how good a team this this actually was. GB stayed under the radar until they smoked Atlanta on the road. Unfortunately for the Bears, they had a very good Season, but picked the wrong year to invite GB to Chicago.

2014
we lost in OT by our own late 4th quarter unwinding and the Patriots won over Seattle on the last play of the game. We would’ve had a very legitimate shot (55%)of beating New England this season.

2007
Packers ranked 4th in scoring Offense and 6th in scoring Defense. We lost in OT in a nail biter against the Giants who won the Super Bowl.
To back that up the Patriots were 16-0 and the only team to do that in 35 years, the Giants Win in the SB was against arguably one of the best overall teams in decades. The Packers would’ve been the only other team to compete with a prolific Offense scoring 500+ points and I believe we had a decent chance of beating them given a chance, but I believe the Patriots would’ve won 2 out of 3 that year.

2013.
Don’t let the regular season record fool ya.
The Packers with a limping Aaron Rodgers lost a very close one by a FG against the 49rs (imagine had Aaron been healthy) The 49rs went on to blowout the Panthers in the Divisional and then lost a hard fought battle in the NFC Championship game against Seattle.
The Niners coughed up 3 turnovers and yet were still within just 1 TD of winning that Championship game with 3:30 to play.
The 49rs put up 239 yards rushing, running all over Seattle and were inside the red zone with 30 seconds left for the Winning score down by just 6, so a TD wins. They threw an INT in the Endzone.
We all know Seattle went on to annihilate Denver by putting up a 40 burger so they were no contest for any NFC matchup.

 

[speakhands]

1. 1996 Packers
2. 1997 Packers
3. 2010 Packers
4. 2003 Packers
5. 2014 Packers
6. 2004 Packers

I think the 2003-2004 roster is pretty underrated. You had Favre, Ahman Green, Javon Walker, Henderson, Franks/Walls and the best o-line in the league on offense. And on defense you had Harris, KGB, Kampman, McKenzie, Sharper, Barnett, and Gilbert Brown.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Don't get me wrong, I love Aaron Rodgers. However, there was something different about watching games with Favre. Maybe it was all that energy and excitement he seemed to be able to put out there on the field and feeling like he was giving every last drop of himself that made "his teams" so entertaining to watch. Rodgers is the better QB and his unprecedented number of "Hail Rodgers" have been great to witness, but the 1996 Team was probably the best and by far the most entertaining season I can think of. Also helps that in the mid 90's, the Packers finally got back to winning and the 96 Super Bowl was affirmation that they were no long the mediocre team most of us had suffered through for years.

I know this thread is about "the best team", but for me "best" also includes entertaining from a fans perspective.

 

[LambeauLombardi]

1. 1996
2. 2010. I tried to find an argument to put 2010 at# 1 but 96 blew everybody out in the playoffs and really dominated the regular season even with the receiver injuries. I will say if Rodgers doesn't get injured I say we go 12-4. Even with all the injuries we never trailed by more than 7 points the whole season. Receivers dropped some balls in the playoffs and the o-line struggled early in 2010 but there really wasn't a weakness on either of these teams.
3. 2011. This team didn't lose a game in a full calendar year by accident. This team was rusty vs the Giants. If they would have played anybody else in the first round and would have faced the Giants in the NFC Championship Game, I think we beat them and beat them good. Bad matchup at a bad time. The defense gave up a ton of yards but they also got a ton of turnovers.
4. 2009. I know people will think I rate this team way too high but I feel like if one of those Minnesota games is in the 2nd half of the year and not the 1st, we beat them. And if everything goes the same as it did in real life, we own the tiebreaker at 12-4, get a 1st round bye and who knows what would have happened. This was a very young team and they were trying to put a bad 2008 season out of their memory. This was the team that won 7 of 8 to end the season (only losing to the Steelers by 1 on a TD as time expired). I was devastated after that Arizona loss because I thought this team was going to make a run. As we saw what their younger guys the 2 seasons after that, 09 was a team with a lot of depth.
5. 1997. This team actually started 3-2 then their only loss from the end of September until Super Bowl Sunday was to a bad Colts team. If they didn't move on from Wayne Simmons' craziness, I think they beat Denver. The run defense was embarrassed that day and his absence was glaring.
6. 2014. Great team at home but was never impressive on the road. I was always nervous in games they didn't play at Lambeau this year. I was almost as shocked they lead for 3.5 quarters @ Seattle as I was how that game ended.
7. 2007. The team was talented and young but their inexperience really showed up vs the Giants. Played a weak schedule but won regardless.
8. 2003. 1st half of the year was a disaster at 4-5. 2nd half looked like a team of destiny with Minnesota getting knocked out on the last second and Brett Favre's dad passing away too.... Until 4th and 26.

Best of the rest in no order
2001. This season looks a lot different if we don't sleepwalk vs a mediocre Atlanta team that year right before Thanksgiving. 13-3 would have given them a 1st round bye. They still may have lost to Rams in NFC Championship game, but I would have liked to see what would have happened if they showed up vs Atlanta that day (Leroy Butler's last game).
94, 95 (what if Sharpe doesn't get injured), 98 (is the season if Dorsey Levens doesn't miss so many games), 02 (I thought this team was big time until Week 17), 2012 (Fail Mary Game lost us home field to San Francisco and our defense was good in the cold that year....)

 

[LambeauLombardi]

1. 1996 Packers
2. 1997 Packers
3. 2010 Packers
4. 2003 Packers
5. 2014 Packers
6. 2004 Packers

I think the 2003-2004 roster is pretty underrated. You had Favre, Ahman Green, Javon Walker, Henderson, Franks/Walls and the best o-line in the league on offense. And on defense you had Harris, KGB, Kampman, McKenzie, Sharper, Barnett, and Gilbert Brown.

Kansas City's o-line those few years was the best I've ever seen, but in any other year we would have had the best group with Tauschner, Clifton, Wahle, Rivera, Flanagan, and Kevin Berry. Disgraceful Sherman won 2 playoff games with that core.

 

[speakhands]

Kansas City's o-line those few years was the best I've ever seen, but in any other year we would have had the best group with Tauschner, Clifton, Wahle, Rivera, Flanagan, and Kevin Berry. Disgraceful Sherman won 2 playoff games with that core.

I put those failures on Brett more than anyone. I think Sherm gets too much hate.

You're right about KC, though. Their c. 2003 line was the best I've ever seen for sure.

 

[PackerDNA]

'96 and '10; they won championships.

 

[speakhands]

Don't get me wrong, I love Aaron Rodgers. However, there was something different about watching games with Favre. Maybe it was all that energy and excitement he seemed to be able to put out there on the field and feeling like he was giving every last drop of himself that made "his teams" so entertaining to watch. Rodgers is the better QB and his unprecedented number of "Hail Rodgers" have been great to witness, but the 1996 Team was probably the best and by far the most entertaining season I can think of. Also helps that in the mid 90's, the Packers finally got back to winning and the 96 Super Bowl was affirmation that they were no long the mediocre team most of us had suffered through for years.

I know this thread is about "the best team", but for me "best" also includes entertaining from a fans perspective.

I completely agree. Rodgers is the better quarterback, and I like him a lot more as a person than Brett. But nothing will compare to the emotional investment that I had in the team/Brett's success.

With that said, if you put the 2003 and 2004 teams under Rodgers, and with Mike Sherman (who I frankly think was a better game manager than McCarthy), I think we win the title both years.

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

1. 1996 Packers
2. 1997 Packers
3. 2010 Packers
4. 2003 Packers
5. 2014 Packers
6. 2004 Packers

I think the 2003-2004 roster is pretty underrated. You had Favre, Ahman Green, Javon Walker, Henderson, Franks/Walls and the best o-line in the league on offense. And on defense you had Harris, KGB, Kampman, McKenzie, Sharper, Barnett, and Gilbert Brown.

How the hell do you put the 2004 Packers on over the 2007 ones? Did you even see just how awful the defense was that year? Bob Slowik makes Dom Capers look like Buddy Ryan at his peak by comparison.

 

[speakhands]

How the hell do you put the 2004 Packers on over the 2007 ones? Did you even see just how awful the defense was that year? Bob Slowik makes Dom Capers look like Buddy Ryan at his peak by comparison.

2004 was a better roster at almost every position. The only edges I give 2007 are at CB and maybe S just because how overrated Sharper was.

HB - Ahman Green > Ryan Grant
FB - Henderson > Kuhn
WR - Javon Walker/Driver > Jennings/Driver
TE - Bubba Franks > Donald Lee
G - Rivera/Wahle > Colledge/Moll
C - Flanagan > Wells
DL - KGB/Kampmann/Grady Jackson/Hunt > Kampmann/Pickett/Jenkins
LB - Barnett/Diggs/Navies = Barnett/Hawk/Poppinga
CB - Harris/McKenzie < Harris/Woodson
S - Sharper/Roman < Collins/Bigby

 

[BrokenArrow]

Not sure why you would devalue a team due to its SOS. They can only play the teams that are put before them.

 

[BrokenArrow]

4. 2007 Packers- The number four offense, number six defense, strong passing game, great running game, this was one of the strongest teams in recent Packers memory. We just couldn't handle the Giants in the cold.

That was yet another of Favre's trademark playoff INT games. Threw it directly to Corey Webster at mid-field in OT... his final snap as a Packer. It was the final straw for many of us.

 

[Mondio]

i would agree with most of that, though WR is a push or favors Driver/Jennings group over Walker/Driver for me

 

[Half Empty]

Not sure why you would devalue a team due to its SOS. They can only play the teams that are put before them.

Try running that theory by some of the folks rating the Patriots.

 

[gonzozab]

I don't know how you can leave the 1995 team off the list. The curbstomping they put on the 49ers in the playoffs served as a watershed moment that let the world know this team was now for real and a serious threat to the Cowboys, even though they came up short against them in the NFCCG. But I believe we were actually ahead in that game after three quarters. They just couldn't stop Emmitt Smith in the fourth quarter.

 

[LambeauLombardi]

I don't know how you can leave the 1995 team off the list. The curbstomping they put on the 49ers in the playoffs served as a watershed moment that let the world know this team was now for real and a serious threat to the Cowboys, even though they came up short against them in the NFCCG. But I believe we were actually ahead in that game after three quarters. They just couldn't stop Emmitt Smith in the fourth quarter.

I was just too young to watch that team but the scores say they didn't look that impressive in the regular season. Their expected W/L was 10.3-5.7. If memory serves me correctly, I think Yancy Thigpen dropped a game winner in week 17 or they would have gone 10-6. No idea if this had impact with Detroit for division title. They were real good first two round of the postseason. My perspective of them probably changes if I were older and able to see them. You could talk me into them being better than the 03, 07, and 14 teams (maybe 97 too). 09 team to me gets overlooked.

 

[LambeauLombardi]

2004 was a better roster at almost every position. The only edges I give 2007 are at CB and maybe S just because how overrated Sharper was.

HB - Ahman Green > Ryan Grant
FB - Henderson > Kuhn
WR - Javon Walker/Driver > Jennings/Driver
TE - Bubba Franks > Donald Lee
G - Rivera/Wahle > Colledge/Moll
C - Flanagan > Wells
DL - KGB/Kampmann/Grady Jackson/Hunt > Kampmann/Pickett/Jenkins
LB - Barnett/Diggs/Navies = Barnett/Hawk/Poppinga
CB - Harris/McKenzie < Harris/Woodson
S - Sharper/Roman < Collins/Bigby

The things you favor the 04 team are just a little better than the 07 team, but the 07 secondary was so much better than the 04 (remember McKenzie was traded and bum *** Ahmad Carroll took over). I'm pretty sure Daunte Culpepper started getting MVP votes because our secondary was so weak. And I'm no huge McCarthy supporter, but McCarthy>Sherman any day of the week.
04 team had a tough time recovering from 4th and 26 as they started out 1-4. They had a pretty good end of the year but had 2 bad losses @Phily and as big favorites at home vs Jacksonville. Not a big surprise they fell apart the next year in 05. I was a much bigger fan of the 03 team (#8 on my list) than 04.
07 was a young team that played loose but ran into the buzzsaw that was the New York Giants d-line in 07 in the freezing cold. This team also spotted Seattle a 14-0 lead the week before then embarrassed them 42-6 the rest of the game.
I got the 07 team at #7 on my list but the 04 team isn't even in my top 12.

 

[OldSchool101]

Looking back on these posts has been fun reconnecting with those close games/seasons, some of which I admittedly forgot about. While we don't have the lead on trophies we have certainly had our share of exciting seasons.

 

[Wi. Mike now in Florida]

For all you Favre lovers let me ask why we never win more Super Bowls with him?
Even though his still playing, the same question can be ask of Rogers.

Bottom Line: What a waste of 2 great quarterbacks!

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

For all you Favre lovers let me ask why we never win more Super Bowls with him?
Even though his still playing, the same question can be ask of Rogers.

Bottom Line: What a waste of 2 great quarterbacks!

I wouldn't say "waste", since both QB's had a lot of success outside of their single SB wins. Pretty enjoyable 20+ seasons as a Packer fan, unless your only happiness comes via a SB win. There is a long list of really good QB's that never won a SB, which leads me to believe that it takes more to win a SB than just a great QB.

 

[Jed12]

I wasn’t lucky enough to be a fan back in 96 (I was 3) but I’ve watched a few documentaries and man that team was good....

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I wasn’t lucky enough to be a fan back in 96 (I was 3) but I’ve watched a few documentaries and man that team was good....

Was that on Betamax, VHS or Reel to reel?