The 1995 Green Bay Packers were a team on the rise. They had just won their first division title in a non-strike year since 1972. Brett Favre, Reggie White and company earned a playoff berth for the third consecutive season. They opened the playoffs at home against the Atlanta Falcons. In that game, Favre threw three touchdown passes, Edgar Bennett ran for 108 yards and a score, as the 1995 Packers took the next step in a playoff rout of the Falcons in a game full of big plays and memorable moments.
The Day the 1995 Packers Took the Next Step with a Playoff Rout of the Falcons: The Buildup
The Packers finished the 1995 season with an 11-5 mark. They won the NFC Central Division title on the last week of the regular season when they defeated the Steelers in Green Bay. Wide receiver Yancey Thigpen dropped a pass in the end zone that clinched the win for the Packers.
This would be the second straight year the Packers would host a playoff game. The previous year, the Packers defeated the Lions after holding future Hall of Famer Barry Sanders to minus-one yard rushing.
The Falcons earned a berth in the playoffs as wild card after a 9-7 season. June Jones’ team ran the run and shoot offense which put up impressive passing statistics led by quarterback Jeff George and receivers like Eric Metcalf, J.J. Birden, and Terance Mathis.
The Packers were 9.5-point favorites on a 30-degree day in Green Bay.
A Rough Start with a Big Response
The Packers came up with a big play on the first possession of the game. Safety George Teague intercepted George on the second play from scrimmage. Teague returned the ball to the Falcons 22. But the Packers were unable to move the ball and kicker Chris Jacke missed a 46-yard field goal so the game remained scoreless.
One play after the missed kick, George connected with Metcalf for a 65-yard touchdown pass. The Packers quickly fell behind 7-0.
But the Packers responded quickly. Rookie receiver Antonio Freeman returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards to the Atlanta 48. Favre led the team downfield with a mix of runs and passes. He found tight end Mark Chumura for 13 yards and twice passed to Robert Brooks for seven yards per throw. Bennett capped off the drive with an eight-yard touchdown run and the game was tied 7-7.
Bennett suffered a leg injury early in the drive, but he returned two plays later. “I believe someone stepped on my Achilles heel,” he said. “Very painful.”
His teammates admired Bennett’s toughness. “The most important thing about Edgar? He’s durable,” Favre added. “Some of those hits out there I want no part of. And he takes them, one after another. And continues to play.”
After forcing a 3-and-out, the Packers offense struck again. On first down, Favre threw for Brooks and couldn’t connect. But Atlanta’s Ron Davis interfered with Brooks, and the Packers had a first down 35 yards downfield at the Atlanta 43. Three runs by Bennett netted 20 yards. Favre ended the drive with a 14-yard pass to Brooks and the Packers led 14-7.
The Day the 1995 Packers Took the Next Step with a Playoff Rout of the Falcons: A Wild Second Quarter
The Falcons kicked a field goal on the second play of the second quarter to make it a 14-10 game. Then, midway through the quarter, another big play extended the Packers lead. Freeman fielded Dan Stryzinski’s punt at the Packers 24 and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown. The snap on the extra point was botched so the Packers lead was 20-10.
The Packers got the ball back with 6:11 left in the half and Favre worked his magic. He mixed runs and short passes to move the ball downfield. He completed passes to six different receivers on the drive with none of them gaining more than 14 yards. Meanwhile, Bennett ran four times for 34 more yards. The drive ended on a two-yard touchdown pass to Chmura. Two plays earlier, Chmura dropped a potential touchdown.
“Right after I dropped that pass in the end zone, Mike Holmgren called my number again,” Chmura said. “But I think Brett had something to do with that.”
The Packers held a 27-10 lead at the half.
Finishing Off the Falcons
The third quarter became a defensive battle with neither team moving the ball. But the Falcons didn’t quit and pulled to within 10 points early in the fourth quarter. George passed on all 11 plays of this scoring drive. The Falcons scored on a 27-yard pass to Birden to make the score 27-17. There were still 14 minutes left.
But the Packers responded immediately. Favre led the team on a 13-play, 70-yard drive. It ended on an great catch by running back Dorsey Levens which resulted in an 18-yard scoring pass. The Packers led 34-17 and the game was out of reach with 7:45 remaining.
The Falcons managed one more drive that stalled at the Packers four. With time running down, they settled for a field goal to make the score 34-20. But Green Bay drove right back down the field and kicked a field goal of their own, a 25-yard effort by Jacke. The final score was 37-20 Packers. Green Bay would move on in the playoffs.
The Day the 1995 Packers Took the Next Step with a Playoff Rout of the Falcons: Post Game Part One
The Packers emphasized the run and short passes. Favre finished the game 24-of-35 for 199 yards and three touchdowns. He did not throw an interception.
“You don’t have to throw for 400 yards to be successful,” Favre explained. “I threw three touchdowns today and we were precise when we had to be.”
The win improved Favre’s record as a starter in cold weather games to a perfect 14-0. “I can’t explain it. I hate the cold,” the Kiln, Mississippi, native said. “Today wasn’t so bad. I’ve played in worse.”
Meanwhile, Bennett set a new Packers playoff record by running for 108 yards on 24 carries. He also caught three passes for 11 more yards.
“I think the most striking thing was establishing the run with Edgar Bennett,” said tight end Keith Jackson. “That’s a great situation for our offense, when we can establish the run. Because it makes it so easy to call pass plays.”
“I’ve said this all along he’s the best all-purpose back in the league,” Favre said about Bennett. “If you watched us the past three years, Edgar was our main blocker, and he was great at it. Move him to halfback and he gets over 1,000 yards rushing. Last year he had 79 catches. This year he had over 60. What more can you ask out of a back?”
Post Game Part Two
The Packers offense scored 37 points despite losing starting guard Aaron Taylor early in the game. He tore the patellar tendon in his left knee and would miss the rest of the playoffs. Adam Timmerman replaced him and played well.
The defense played well, sacking George three times and picking him off twice. “The defensive coaches really deserve a lot of credit,” said cornerback Lenny McGill. “We wanted to give George a lot of different looks in this game, and I think at times he was confused [and] we kept changing groups and schemes. We knew he’d come after us. We just had to try to take it up a notch.”
The Packers advanced to the next round of the playoffs in San Francisco where they pulled off a major upset of the 49ers. The best was still ahead of this team.
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