Flashback 1989: Sterling Sharpe Helps Packers Edge the Vikings in Crucial Division Matchup

The 1989 Green Bay Packers seemingly came out of nowhere to compete for the NFC Central Division title. The previous season, the Packers went 4-12 but Don Majkowski, Sterling Sharpe and Tim Harris helped the team 10 games in 1989. As he prepares to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, we look back on a great performance by Sterling Sharpe that helped the Packers edge the Vikings in a crucial division matchup during the magical season of 1989.

Sterling Sharpe Helps the Packers Edge the Vikings: The Buildup

The Packers entered this game with a 6-5 record. They were coming off a 21-17 upset win over the defending Super Bowl champion 49ers on the road. Meanwhile, the Vikings were one game ahead of the Pack in the NFC Central, at 7-4. The Vikings had beaten the Packers earlier in the season, so the Packers had to win this game to keep pace with the Vikings in the division race.

This game was played on Thanksgiving weekend as the season headed towards the home stretch.

The Packers weren’t sure if they’d have their star quarterback available for this game due to a rib injury. Majkowski hadn’t practiced all week leading up to the game. The trainers taped up his ribs and at the last minute, “The Majik Man” decided to give it a go. “A good tape job secured my ribs,” he explained after the game. “I couldn’t practice because of a lot of pain. But I had the adrenalin going right before the game. I wasn’t even sure I’d start until right before I started warming up.”

The Packers had to protect Majkowski behind a revamped offensive line. Guard Ron Hallstrom moved to center during the game, playing there for the first time. The offensive line would have to stop elite defensive tackle Keith Millard of Minnesota who finished the season with a career-high 18 sacks and earned All Pro honors.

An Even First Half

In the first quarter, the teams traded field goals. Despite his sore ribs, Majkowski started the game on fire. He completed his first 14 passes in part due to a change in strategy by Lindy Infante’s team.

“We also planned to roll away from the rush and we put in a number of quick-timing plays, where I threw on a five-step drop,” Majkowski said. “It was all designed to cut down on the rush.”

The Packers scored on a 36-yard field goal by Chris Jacke. The Vikings countered later in the first quarter with a 19-yard field goal by Rich Karlis. The Minnesota drive stalled at the Packers two. This wasn’t the first time a long Vikings drive stalled deep in the red zone, and it would be a key factor in this game.

In the second quarter, the Packers took a 10-3 lead on a 34-yard pass from Majkowski to Sharpe.

“For some reason, I was able to go to him [Sharpe] a lot more,” Majkowski explained. “Usually, in the beginning of games, teams double-team him a lot more, but today they singled up on him and they paid for it.”

“Jeff [Query] ran a little pick for me – well, it wasn’t really a pick – and that gave me a step on the cornerback,” Sharpe said. “Majkowski laid it out there perfectly. All I needed to do was catch it.”

Sharpe finished the game with 10 catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns. The 34-yard score was his longest catch of the game.

Another Karlis field goal, this one from 34 yards out, cut the Green Bay lead to 10-6 at the half.

Sterling Sharpe Helps the Packers Edge the Vikings: Minnesota Responds

The Vikings put together a surge in the third quarter. A 27-yard field goal by Karlis cut the lead to 10-9. The drive was kept alive when an apparent interception by Tim Harris was overturned on replay. On the field, it was ruled a pick and then a fumble recovery by linebacker Brian Noble. But upon further review, it was ruled an incomplete pass and that kept the Minnesota drive alive.

Later in the third quarter, the Vikings scored their only touchdown of the game on a six-yard run by Herschel Walker. The Packers now trailed 16-10. The Packers responded with a 42-yard field goal by Jacke later in the third quarter to make the score 16-13 heading into the final stanza.

A Goal Line Stand

In the fourth quarter, the Packers reclaimed the lead on a nine-yard pass from Majkowski to Sharpe. The Packers were ahead 20-16.

“I knew how close I was to the goal line,” Sharpe said. “Somebody came by me, and I figured I had a straight shot. I turned and saw somebody flying in and I just lowered my head and tried to get in.”

The Vikings had a great chance to take the lead with six minutes to go. They had the ball first and goal at the Green Bay six. It was the moment of truth in this game and the Packers defense came up big.

Minnesota kept giving the ball to Walker. The Packers defense kept stopping him. He gained two yards, then two more, than one more. The Vikings faced fourth and goal at the Green Bay one. Coach Jerry Burns opted for a field goal to pull to within one point. The score was now 20-19.

“If we got closer than we did, if it was a foot or two feet, we would go,” Burns explained. “We didn’t want to come away with nothing. There were six minutes left. We felt the defense could get it back…In retrospect, I’d do the same thing. There’s nothing to say if we ran the ball we would’ve made it.”

Packers nose tackle Blaise Winter was thrilled with the goal line stand. “It was just a lot of heart and just plain guts,” he said. “Walker is a hell of a back. He almost squirmed out of there on third down. He has incredible leg drive. We knew who they were going to give the ball to.”

“It made us feel good that they felt they couldn’t get the ball in on us,” linebacker John Anderson said. “That’s what I thought as I walked past their bench. They felt like they had to kick it because they weren’t going to get it in.”

For the game, the Packers held Herschel Walker to 42 yards, his lowest total since joining the Vikings earlier that season in the massive trade with the Cowboys that would create the Dallas dynasty of the 90s. “We just corralled the guy,” Harris said. “We knew we had to stop him to win.”

Sterling Sharpe Helps the Packers Edge the Vikings: A Veteran Steps Up

The Vikings had two more chances to win the game but both times, they were foiled by veteran cornerback Dave Brown who intercepted Wade Wilson twice in the fourth quarter.

“The first one was tipped over the head of their receiver and the ball floated right to me,” Brown told reporters. “All I had to do was make sure I held onto it. On the last one, I knew it was going to be fight for the ball. I just wanted to get up higher than the receiver and bring down the ball.”

The two picks gave Brown 59 for his career and moved him past Emmett Thomas for sixth place on the NFL’s all-time list.

The clock expired and the Packers held on for a 20-19 win. Both teams were now tied for first place in the NFC Central at 7-5.

The Aftermath

Infante was impressed with Majkowski’s ability to play through his rib injury. “An amazing performance considering he didn’t take a snap all week,” he said.

The young Packers team was starting to believe it itself. “We’re on a roll,” Majkowski said. “We have confidence we can beat anybody now. We’re going to determine what destiny is going to be for us.”

“We knew we had to win to have a chance to play in January,” Sharpe said. “We’re not quite where we want to be yet, but we’re moving in the right direction.”

The Packers and Vikings both won three of their remaining four games and finished the season with 10-6 records, but the Vikings ultimately won the division on a tiebreaker. For the Packers 1989 was an unexpected winning season full of thrills and excitement. This was one of four one-point wins they had that season.