Super Bowl LVIII takes place this weekend, so this is the perfect time to look back at the Green Bay Packers Super Bowl superlatives. The Packers have played in five Super Bowls and won four of them. Here is a look at some of the first and most spectacular performances by Packers in the NFL’s biggest game:
Packers Super Bowl Superlatives: First Touchdown Pass
Packers wide receiver Max McGee didn’t only catch the first Packers touchdown pass in the big game; he caught the first touchdown pass in the history of the Super Bowl.
It came on a 37-yard pass by quarterback Bart Starr in the first quarter against the Chiefs and was the first touchdown in Super Bowl history. It gave the Pack an early 7-0 lead.
First Rushing Touchdown
The Packers also scored the first rushing touchdown in Super Bowl history. Hall of Fame fullback Jim Taylor had the honor in the second quarter of Super Bowl I.
The score came on a classic Lombardi Sweep, a 14-yard run that put the Packers ahead 14-7. It was a lead the Pack would never relinquish.
Packers Super Bowl Superlatives: First Interception
The first interception in Super Bowl history took place early in the third quarter of Super Bowl I and became the turning point of the game.
Hall of Fame safety Willie Wood intercepted Len Dawson at the Packers 45 and returned it 50 yards to the Chiefs 5.
One play later, Elijah Pitts scored, and the Packers took a 21-10 lead in a game they ultimately won 35-10.
First 100-Yard Receiving Game
The first 100-yard receiving game in Super Bowl history came in Super Bowl I. McGee caught seven passes in the game for 138 yards and two touchdowns. No other receiver in the game had more than 67 yards receiving.
Packers Super Bowl Superlatives: First Ever Pick Six
The first ever interception returned for a touchdown in Super Bowl history was by Hall of Famer cornerback Herb Adderley. He intercepted a Daryle Lamonica pass and ran it back 60 yards for a touchdown. That gave the Packers a 33-7 lead and eliminated all doubt about the outcome.
Safety Nick Collins also had a pick six against the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. He ran back a pick by Ben Roethlisberger 37 yards for a touchdown that put the Pack ahead 14-0 late in the first quarter. The Packers scored two touchdowns in 24 seconds of game time.
First Packers Field Goal:
The first Packers field goal and the first field goal by an NFL/NFC team came in Super Bowl II. Don Chandler kicked a 39-yard field goal in the first quarter to put the Pack ahead 3-0. Chandler kicked four field goals in the game.
Packers Super Bowl Superlatives: Longest Field Goal
The Packers haven’t had many long field goals in their five Super Bowl games. The longest came in Super Bowl II when Chandler kicked a 43-yard effort just before the half. It put the Packers up 16-7 after a fumble by the Raiders gave the Pack a chance to extend their lead.
Most Sacks in a Game:
Two Packers are tied with the team lead for most sacks in a Super Bowl game with three. Keep in mind the sack wasn’t an official statistic in the NFL until 1982.
Both players are Hall of Famers. Willie Davis recorded three sacks in Super Bowl II. Reggie White matched that with three sacks in Super Bowl XXXI.
Packers Super Bowl Superlatives: First Special Teams Touchdown
Desmond Howard returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to score the final points in the Packers 35-21 win over the Patriots. To this day, he remains the only special teams player to be named a Super Bowl MVP.
Longest Pass Play by the Packers:
The Packers longest pass play in the Super Bowl came in their win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. Brett Favre set a then-Super Bowl record with an 81-yard bomb to Antonio Freeman. The play came early in the second quarter and gave the Packers a 17-14 lead.
Packers Super Bowl Superlatives: Most Touchdown Passes in a Game
The Packers record for touchdown passes in a Super Bowl game is three. It first happened in a losing cause when Favre threw for three touchdown tosses against the Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII. He threw two touchdowns to Freeman and one to tight end Mark Chmura.
Aaron Rodgers matched Favre in Super Bowl XLV, throwing two scoring passes to Greg Jennings and one to Jordy Nelson in the Packers 31-25 win over the Steelers.
Most Receiving Yards in a Super Bowl by a Packers Player:
Nelson holds the record for the most receiving yards in a Super Bowl by a Packers player. He caught nine passes for 140 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl XLV against Pittsburgh.
Packers Super Bowl Superlatives: Most Passing Yards in a Game
Surprisingly, only one Packers quarterback has thrown for 300 or more yards in a Super Bowl game. That was Rodgers, who completed 24-of-39 passes against Pittsburgh for 304 yards.
Favre threw for 246 and 256 yards in his two Super Bowl starts while Starr totaled 250 in Super Bowl I and 202 in the second Super Bowl.
Most Rushing Yards in a Game by a Packers Player:
In five games, no Packers runner has topped 100 yards in a game. Dorsey Levens came the closest, rushing for 90 yards on 19 carries against Denver in Super Bowl XXXII.
Packers Super Bowl Superlatives: Longest Rushing Play
The Packers longest running play in a Super Bowl came in Super Bowl II. Rookie running back Travis Williams gained 18 yards on a 3rd-and-1 play late in the fourth quarter with the Packers already comfortably ahead. No Packers runner has broken a truly long run in five Super Bowl chances.
First Two-Point Conversion:
The Packers first two-point conversion in Super Bowl play came in Super Bowl XXXI. There was no two-point conversion in the NFL in the first two games the Pack played in.
After Howard scored on his 99-yard kick return, Favre threw a pass to Chmura for a two-point conversion that ended the scoring in the Packers 35-21 win over New England.
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