The 1989 Green Bay Packers enjoyed many dramatic comebacks and exciting finishes. One of them came in Week 4 when they overcame a 21-6 fourth quarter deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 23-21 at Milwaukee County Stadium. Don Majkowski threw for 295 yards and a touchdown and Chris Jacke kicked the game-winning field goal for the Packers in their dramatic late comeback win over the Falcons.
Don Majkowski Leads the Packers to a Comeback Win Over the Falcons: The Buildup
The Packers and Falcons both entered this game with 1-2 records. The Packers had already been involved in three close games that featured dramatic comebacks. They lost 23-21 to the Bucs in the season opener, came back to beat the Saints by one point and then fell to the Rams 41-38 in another comeback that fell short.
Majkowski was already earning his nickname of “The Majik Man” for his ability to lead the Packers back from early deficits. The Packers finished just 4-12 in 1988 in Lindy Infante’s first season as the coach and there were low expectations heading into 1989. But already, the Packers proved they were resilient and capable of keeping up with any opponent.
Still, if the Pack wanted to stay in the playoff hunt, they needed a win over the Falcons to avoid slipping to 1-3 on the season.
Atlanta would be without Chris Miller, their starting quarterback. Hugh Millen, who was making his first NFL start, replaced him.
The Falcons Dominate the First Three Quarters
Atlanta wasted little time in taking the lead. They took the opening kickoff and marched 80 yards for the first score of the game. Millen completed seven-of-nine on the drive which ended when he threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Brad Beckman. That gave the Falcons an early 7-0 lead.
The Packers responded with a drive of their own. Jacke got the Packers on the board just seven seconds into the second quarter when he kicked a 35-yard field goal to make it 7-3.
Atlanta responded with the next score of the game. They started the drive at the Green Bay 40 after a short punt by Don Bracken. Millen led the Falcons on an eight-play drive. John Settle scored on a one-yard touchdown run to give Atlanta a 14-3 advantage.
The Packers managed to pull a little closer on the final play of the first half. Jacke hit on a 52-yard field goal against the gusty wind and the Pack now trailed 14-6 at the half.
The Falcons extended their lead with the only score of the fourth quarter. Gene Lang scored on a 10-yard run and the Packers trailed 21-6.
Don Majkowski Leads the Packers to a Comeback Win Over the Falcons: The Dramatic Fourth Quarter
Trailing by three scores, the Packers started to open things up on offense in a desperate attempt to get back into the game. Majkowski led the team on a six-play, 90-yard drive that included a 39-yard pass to Sterling Sharpe. The touchdown was a strange one. Majik hit receiver Jeff Query deep in Atlanta territory. Query fumbled and Sharpe scooped up the ball and ran the final five yards for a touchdown. The Packers still trailed by two scores 21-13.
The Green Bay defense forced an Atlanta punt, and the offense went back to work. The Packers marched 67 yards in just five plays. Running back Herman Fontenot made a great adjustment to the ball in the air and beat safety Evan Cooper to a 50-50 ball. The leaping 37-yard touchdown pass made the score 21-20 Atlanta.
The Falcons seemed to put the game away on the ensuing kickoff. Rookie Deion Sanders returned the kick 96-yards for a touchdown, but it was called back by a holding call against tight end Gary Wilkins.
“It was just a bad break,” Sanders said after the game. “It would’ve turned the whole game around.”
Instead, the Packers defense forced a punt. Majkowski led the Packers on a 13-play, 67-yard drive that led to a 22-yard field goal by Jacke. The Packers led 23-21.
“You look at all the games so far and I could be in a lot of these situations,” Jacke said. “Every kicker wants to win the game and today I got the chance. But I don’t call anything a chip shot. You can miss anything from anywhere on the field.”
There was still 1:22 left in the game and the Falcons just needed a field goal to win the game. But linebacker Tim Harris recorded his fourth sack of the game to put the Falcons in a desperate situation. Then, cornerback Dave Brown intercepted Millen to clinch the Packers win.
The Aftermath
“They told me to keep my chin up,” Majkowski said when asked about his two first half interceptions. “I take full blame for those two bonehead plays. Hopefully, nobody will ever give up on us. There’s unlimited potential on this team.”
“One of these days we’ll learn not to get so far behind,” Infante added. “We seem to do things to get behind and have people boo us before we start to play.”
Harris was excited by the Packers winning the game. “Since I’ve been here, we’ve never been 2-2,” he said. “We’re all feeling really good about the team.”
By recording four sacks, Harris raised $2,000 for charity. He had been forced to issue a public apology after missing curfew the night before the season opener and was fined $1,000. In this game, his play and enthusiasm got the crowd pumped up late after they booed the Packers in frustration early.
The Packers went on to finish the season 10-6, winning four games by one point. They missed the playoffs due to a tie breaker. But anyone who saw the 1989 Packers recalled the excitement of watching “The Cardiac Pack.”
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