Looking Back at the Costliest Victory in Green Bay Packers History

The Green Bay Packers have had many memorable victories in the franchises 100-plus year history. These are games that stand out. Some are for the drama, poignancy, or just the magnitude of the win. Others are due to great individual performances or overcoming long odds. But today, we will take a look at the costliest victory in Green Bay Packers history. It occurred in the final week of the 1988 season, and it changed the history of the Packers and the entire NFL.

Looking Back at the Costliest Victory in Packers History: The Buildup

The Packers entered this game with a 3-12 record. This was head coach Lindy Infante’s first season and the team got off to an 0-5 start and never really recovered. The Packers won back-to-back games in Weeks six and seven but followed that up with seven straight losses and were shutout three times.

The Packers were coming off an 18-6 win over the Vikings but still had the worst record in the NFL heading into the season finale in Arizona. If they lost to the Cardinals, they would lock up the first pick in the 1989 NFL Draft. The prize was quarterback Troy Aikman who was the consensus best player available. If the Packers lost, they would have the rights to Aikman and to start a new era for a franchise that had only two playoff appearances since 1968.

The Cardinals had started the season 7-4 and looked to be playoff contenders. In fact, they were tied for first place at the time. Unfortunately for Phoenix, they had lost four straight games since then with only one of those losses being close. Their playoff chances were done, but a win would allow the Cardinals to finish at .500 in their first season in Arizona since moving from St. Louis.

The Packers Start Quickly

The Packers started the game off with a big play. The defense forced a three-and-out for the Cardinals. Greg Horne punted for Phoenix and Green Bay’s Ron Pitts fielded the punt at the Green Bay 37 and ran it back 63 yards for a touchdown. This was a big moment for the second-generation Packer. His father, Elijah Pitts, played for the Packers during the Lombardi Era.

Kicking had been a problem for the Packers all season and this was no exception. Curtis Burrow, one of four kickers the Packers used in 1988, missed the extra point. The Pack missed six PATs during the season and made just 52 percent of their field goal attempts. The Packers led 6-0.

The Packers caught a break midway through the first quarter. Running back Stump Mitchell fumbled and Packers defensive end Alphonso Carreker recovered at the Green Bay 47. Starting quarterback Don Majkowski scrambled for 19 yards to keep the drive alive. Later, he found running back Paul Ott Carruth for a 31-yard gain. That set up a three-yard touchdown run by Keith Woodside. This time, Burrow kicked the extra point, and the Packers led 13-0.

Looking Back at the Costliest Victory in Packers History: The Cardinals Respond

The touchdown seemed to wake up the home team. Quarterback Neil Lomax initiated a drive keyed by a 19-yard pass to wide receiver J.T. Smith and a 22-yard toss to tight end Jay Novacek. The eight-play drive ended with a four-yard touchdown run by Mitchell. Former Packers kicker Al Del Greco kicked the extra point, and the Packers lead was cut to 13-7.

The Packers tried to respond but only made their situation worse. On 3^rd-and-3 at their own 17, Majkowski was sacked by Bob Clasby, and he fumbled. Freddie Joe Nunn scooped up the ball and returned it to the Green Bay seven. The Packers defense held, however, and the Cardinals settled for a 20-yard field goal by Del Greco to cut the Green Bay lead to 13-10 early in the second quarter.

After the teams traded punts, the Packers turned the ball over again. Linebacker E.J. Junior intercepted Majkowski and returned it to the Green Bay 25. Three plays later, Mitchell ran around right end for a 12-yard touchdown. Phoenix now led for the first time, 17-13.

The Packers Answer

Now it was the Packers turn to answer. Majkowski opened the ensuing drive with a 39-yard pass to running back Larry Mason. One play later, he found wideout Aubrey Matthews for 19 more which put the ball at the one. A penalty and a four-yard loss backed the Packers up to the 10, but Majik found Mason for a 10-yard touchdown pass.

The Green Bay offense did get the ball to the Phoenix 31 later in the second quarter, but Burrow missed a 49-yard field goal try. Green Bay led 20-17 at the half.

The Packers extended their lead on the opening possession of the third quarter. Majkowski led the Pack on a 16-play drive that took more than nine minutes off the clock. A 22-yard pass to rookie Sterling Sharpe was the biggest gain of the drive. A two-yard pass to backup tight end Clint Didier extended the Packers led. Burrow missed the extra point and the lead was 26-17.

The Packers had a chance to extend the lead early in the fourth quarter. Runs by Mason and passes to Perry Kemp keyed the drive which reached the Phoenix 32. But Tim McDonald intercepted Majkowski and the Cardinals remained in the game.

Del Greco missed a 20-yard field goal try in the fourth quarter, but that was as close as the Cardinals would get. The Packers were 26-17 winners.

Looking Back at the Costliest Victory in Packers History: The Aftermath

With the win, the Packers lost the first overall pick in the draft. That now belonged to the Dallas Cowboys.

“I said a long time ago that we’d rather win than get the first pick,” Infante said. “I hope no one ever accuses me of ever losing a football game to get the first draft pick.”

Majkowski was relieved. He certainly didn’t want to lose his job to Aikman. “We’ll have to wait and see what happens because they’re always going to be guys, they bring in to try and get your job,” Majkowski told reporters. “But I’m not worried about those outside factors. I’m going to be a lot more confident going into next year. And the team is going to be more confident next year after winning the last two games this season.”

A Disappointing Draft

The 1989 NFL Draft featured four future Hall of Famers in the first five picks. The Cowboys took Aikman who led them to three Super Bowl wins. With the third pick, the Detroit Lions took running back Barry Sanders. Derrick Thomas was the fourth pick, and he gave the Chiefs some great play on defense. With the fifth choice, Atlanta grabbed cornerback Deion Sanders who went on to become one of the best cover corners of all time.

What about the Packers? With the second overall pick, Green Bay Michigan State offensive tackle Tony Mandarich. Most scouts projected him as an all-time great and he was the highest rated player overall on most draft boards. But Mandarich’s success in college was largely due to steroid use and he never came close to living up to expectations.

Had the Packers lost this game, they would have certainly selected Aikman. Would Aikman have been as successful in Green Bay as he was in Dallas? Would the Cowboys have won any Super Bowls in the 1990s? Would the Packers have ever traded for Brett Favre or hired Ron Wolf or Mike Holmgren if they had drafted Aikman? We’ll never know for sure, but we do know the history of the Packers and the NFL would have been very different if the Packers had lost this game.