The Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos met at Milwaukee County Stadium in Week 2 of the 1987 season in conditions that can only be described as a mud bath. The field was a mess and by the end of the game, it was difficult to tell the numbers on any of the players or even which team was which because of the mud all over their uniforms. And yet, the game ended in dramatic fashion as the underdog Packers went toe-to-toe with the defending AFC champion Broncos. It was also the first NFL start for rookie quarterback Don Majkowski.

A Mud Bowl Mess Between the Packers and Broncos: The Buildup

The Packers entered 1987 with low expectations. The team finished the previous year with a 4-12 record. Head coach Forrest Gregg implemented a rebuild in 1986, moving on from many of the veterans from Bart Starr’s teams like Lynn Dickey, Paul Coffman and Mike Douglass.

In the season opener, the Packers were blanked by the Los Angeles Raiders, 20-0 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score. The Packers gained only nine first downs and 147 total yards in the game. Starter Randy Wright completed just 8-of-21 passes and threw three interceptions. Gregg replaced him late in the game with Majkowski who he later tapped to start this game.

The Broncos were 1-0 after beating the Seahawks the previous week 40-17. John Elway threw four touchdown passes in that game to lead the Broncos to an easy win.

The game was played in Milwaukee in a constant rain. The field still had the baseball infield on it as the Brewers season still had a few weeks to go. That only made the muddy field worse. In fact, the Packers had to agree not to practice on the field on Saturday and not to have a band play at halftime to keep the field in good condition for the Brewers.

There was also the matter of a players’ strike. This would be the final game for both teams before the players walked out to get free agency and a bigger piece of the pie.

A Fast Start for the Packers

The Packers went three-and-out on their opening drive, but Ricky Nattiel fumbled Don Bracken’s punt and Tiger Greene fell on it at the Denver 26. The Packers called six running plays from there as Gregg was reluctant to trust the rookie 10th-round pick with throwing passes. Running back, Brent Fullwood capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run and the Packers led 7-0.

The muddy conditions helped the Packers defense stifle Elway and the potent Denver attack. Kenneth Johnson intercepted Elway midway through the first quarter to end the Denver threat. Both teams had difficulty throwing and holding on to the football.

“I just couldn’t grip the ball,” Elway admitted after the game. “When I tried to throw it, I just couldn’t hold onto the ball. I even tried to goose it to [running back Gene Lang], and that didn’t work.”

In the second quarter, linebacker John Anderson intercepted Elway and gave Green Bay the ball at the Denver 45. The Packers ran seven of the eight plays on the drive with Fullwood rushing for 11 yards and Majkowski scrambling for 12. The drive ended when Majik threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to running back Paul Ott Carruth. The Packers led 14-0 before a stunned and soaking wet home crowd.

Elway had a little more than two minutes left before the half. He found wideout Steve Watson three times on the drive which ended with a 28-yard field goal by Rich Karlis on the final play of the half. The Packers led 14-3 at the break.

A Mud Bowl Mess Between the Packers and Broncos: A Second Half Comeback

Elway opened things up on the first drive of the second half. He connected Mark Jackson for 18 yards and Gene Lang for 15 more. Lang scored on a three-yard touchdown run to cut the Packers lead to 14-10.

After the teams traded punt, Majkowski and the Packers started to move the ball again. Running back Kenneth Davis ran three times on the drive and caught one short pass. Majkowski’s big play was a 47-yard pass to wide receiver Walter Stanley. On the second play of the fourth quarter, the Packers faced a 4th-and-goal at the Denver 15, but Gregg opted for the field goal. Al Del Greco connected from 32-yards out and the Packers led 17-10.

Elway answered with an 18-play, 80-yard drive that took more than eight minutes off the clock. Running back Steve Sewell finished it with a two-yard touchdown run and the game was tied 17-17 with just 5:53 left in regulation.

After the Pack went three-and-out, Anderson recovered a fumble by Clarence Kay which gave the Packers the ball at their own 30 with two minutes left. But neither team could move the ball and the game headed to overtime.

A Sloppy Overtime

The Packers got the ball first in the extra session. On the first play Fullwood ran around right end for 18 yards. Majkowski found Stanley for 12 more and the Packers were in Denver territory. The drive stalled at the Denver 30. From there, Del Greco missed a 47-yard field goal.

Later in overtime, the Broncos drove to the Green Bay 26, but linebacker Brian Noble intercepted Elway with 1:22 left in the extra session and it seemed the game was all but over.

“I felt like I was in slow motion,” Noble said. “It must’ve looked like I was in slow motion,” he added with a smirk.

But on the very next play, Davis fumbled and Dennis Smith recovered for the Broncos at the Green Bay 35 with a little more than a minute left on the clock.

Elway ran 12 yards and the Broncos lined up for a 40-yard field goal with 13 seconds left. But Karlis missed and the game ended in a 17-17 tie.

“I thought I had a pretty good place picked out to kick from but the grass was long all over,” Karlis told reporters. “They haven’t cut it for about a week. Those conditions were the worst ever, it was really a nightmare.”

A Mud Bowl Mess Between the Packers and Broncos: The Aftermath

When the game ended in a tie, reporters asked Majkowski if this meant he was equal to Elway. “I don’t want to compare myself to him,” Majkowski said. “I’m just my own quarterback.” Then he added, “I go out there with the idea of trying to make things happen. I try to be a leader out there. I’ve always had a lot of confidence in myself ever since I was little. I hope the other guys had confidence in me. I told them we were going to start making some big plays, and after we did, they got fired up.”

Denver head coach Dan Reeves wasn’t happy with the outcome. “Rain, miserable field position. We didn’t protect the ball. It was one of those things.” The Packers caused six turnovers, three fumbles and three interceptions. “We turned the ball over too many times. We made too many mistakes to win the game,” he added.

“This was a big confidence builder for me,” Majkowski said. “I played the way I felt I could, and we almost beat Denver. We came close to winning the game, and you have to be glad with the outcome.”

Many Packers players felt vindicated by earning the tie. “It was a lack of respect for the Green Bay Packers,” Noble said about the Broncos slow start. “A lot of people didn’t think we would even be in the game, including the Denver Broncos. I think we earned a lot of respect here today.”

The Strike

The following week, there were no NFL games. The week after that, the NFL hired replacement players, and they played the next three games.

“We had to put the strike out of our minds and concentrate on the Denver Broncos,” Noble explained. “Sure, the strike was in the back of everyone’s minds, but we wanted to show people we’re a quality team. I don’t want to sit out. It’s unfortunate. Nobody wins in this situation. The players, the owners, the fans are losers. Football is a loser.”

The Packers finished the season 5-9-1. That included the replacement players going 2-1. As for Majkowski, he would lead the NFL in passing yards in 1989 and lead the Packers to a 10-6 record. But his first NFL start came in the mud when he managed to tie the Broncos and John Elway.

 

 

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