| Team: | Green Bay Packers |
| Year: | 1996 |
| Record: | 13–3 |
| Division Place: | 1st NFC Central |
| Coach: | Mike Holmgren |
| General Manager: | Ron Wolf |
| Owner: | Green Bay Packers, Inc. |
| President: | Bob Harlan |
| Stadium: | Lambeau Field |
| Playoffs: | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. 49ers) 35–14 Won NFC Championship (vs. Panthers) 30–13 Won Super Bowl XXXI (vs. Patriots) 35–21 |
| Pro Bowlers: | QB Brett Favre TE Keith Jackson DE Reggie White |
| Shortnavlink: | Packers seasons |
The 1996 season was the Green Bay Packers' 76th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 78th overall and their fifth under head coach Mike Holmgren. The franchise won its third Super Bowl and league-record 12th NFL Championship. The Packers posted a league-best 13–3 regular season win-loss record, going 8–0 at home and 5–3 on the road. It was the first time since 1962 that the team went undefeated at home.[1] Additionally, the Packers had the NFL's highest-scoring offense (456) and allowed the fewest points on defense (210). Green Bay was the first team to accomplish both feats in the same season since the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins. They finished the season with the number one ranked offense, defense, and special teams. They also set a then NFL record for the fewest touchdowns allowed in a 16-game season, with 19. The Packers also allowed the fewest yards in the NFL and set a record for punt return yardage. Brett Favre won his second straight MVP award while also throwing for a career-high and league-leading 39 touchdown passes.
In the postseason, the Packers defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round and the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship Game. Green Bay beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI to win their third Super Bowl and twelfth NFL Championship.[2]
In 2007, the 1996 Packers were ranked as the 16th greatest Super Bowl champions on the NFL Network's documentary series , with team commentary from Brett Favre, Mike Holmgren, and Desmond Howard, and narrated by Kevin Bacon. The 1996 Packers were ranked 6th-greatest Super Bowl team of all time by a similar panel done by ESPN and released in 2007. Later, they ranked #20 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.[3] [4] As of 2023, the Packers are the only team since the implementation of the salary cap to score the most points and allow the fewest in the regular season.
| Additions | Subtractions | |
|---|---|---|
| WR Don Beebe (Panthers) | QB Ty Detmer (Eagles) | |
| WR Desmond Howard (Jaguars) | WR Mark Ingram Sr. (Eagles) | |
| FS Eugene Robinson (Seahawks) | LB Joe Kelly (Eagles) | |
| DT Santana Dotson (Buccaneers) | LB Fred Strickland (Cowboys) | |
| FS George Teague (Cowboys) | ||
| DT John Jurkovic (Jaguars) |
See main article: article and 1996 NFL draft. [5]
| Brad Keeney | Defensive tackle | The Citadel | |
| Eric Matthews | Wide receiver | Indiana | |
| Troy Stark | Tackle | Georgia |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | Game recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New England Patriots | W 24–7 | 1–0 | Lambeau Field | Recap | ||
| 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 24–17 | 2–0 | Lambeau Field | Recap | ||
| 3 | at Baltimore Ravens | W 17–15 | 3–0 | Memorial Stadium | Recap | ||
| 4 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 6–20 | 3–1 | RCA Dome | Recap |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 1 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 34–3 | 1–0 | Houlihan's Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 39–13 | 2–0 | Lambeau Field | Recap | |
| 3 | September 15 | San Diego Chargers | W 42–10 | 3–0 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| 4 | September 22 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 21–30 | 3–1 | Recap | |
| 5 | September 29 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 31–10 | 4–1 | Kingdome | Recap |
| 6 | October 6 | at Chicago Bears | W 37–6 | 5–1 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 7 | San Francisco 49ers | W 23–20 | 6–1 | Lambeau Field | Recap | |
| 8 | Bye | |||||
| 9 | October 27 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 13–7 | 7–1 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| 10 | November 3 | Detroit Lions | W 28–18 | 8–1 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| 11 | November 10 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 20–27 | 8–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 6–21 | 8–3 | Texas Stadium | Recap | |
| 13 | November 24 | at St. Louis Rams | W 24–9 | 9–3 | Trans World Dome | Recap |
| 14 | December 1 | Chicago Bears | W 28–17 | 10–3 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| 15 | December 8 | Denver Broncos | W 41–6 | 11–3 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| 16 | December 15 | at Detroit Lions | W 31–3 | 12–3 | Pontiac Silverdome | Recap |
| 17 | December 22 | Minnesota Vikings | W 38–10 | 13–3 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | First-round bye | ||||||
| Divisional | January 4, 1997 | San Francisco 49ers (4) | W 35–14 | 1–0 | Lambeau Field | Recap | |
| NFC Championship | January 12, 1997 | Carolina Panthers (2) | W 30–13 | 2–0 | Lambeau Field | Recap | |
| Super Bowl XXXI | January 26, 1997 | New England Patriots (A2) | W 35–21 | 3–0 | Louisiana Superdome | Recap | |
Brett Favre broke the Packers single-season record for touchdown passes by throwing 39.[8]
Green Bay was able to win going away on a cold damp day at Lambeau Field. With the weather turning the field into a muddy mess both offenses struggled. San Francisco was able to keep pace offensively and defensively for most of the game, with the score 21–14 in favor of Green Bay in the third quarter, but special teams were decisively dominated by the Packers. Penalties also played a factor as San Francisco had 6 for 42 yards, while Green Bay only had 1 for 5.
A muffed kickoff by Green Bay set up a 49ers touchdown, but Green Bay's Desmond Howard returned two kicks for large gains, including one touchdown. The final score was Green Bay 35–14.
The Packers win their first championship since 1967. Desmond Howard is named the Super Bowl MVP, as he accumulated 244 total yards worth of returns (kick and punt) including a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter. Patriots Quarterback Drew Bledsoe threw 4 interceptions while Brett Favre threw for 246 yards and 2 touchdowns and ran another one in.