| Team: | Green Bay Packers |
| Year: | 2016 |
| Record: | 10–6 |
| Division Place: | 1st NFC North |
| Coach: | Mike McCarthy |
| General Manager: | Ted Thompson |
| Owner: | Green Bay Packers, Inc. (360,760 stockholders)[1] |
| Stadium: | Lambeau Field |
| Playoffs: | Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Giants) 38–13 Won Divisional Playoffs (at Cowboys) 34–31 Lost NFC Championship (at Falcons) 21–44 |
| Uniform: | Packers 2015 uniforms.png |
| Shortnavlink: | Packers seasons |
The 2016 Green Bay Packers season was their 98th season overall, 96th season in the National Football League (NFL), and the 11th under head coach Mike McCarthy. Despite a 4–6 start to the season, the Green Bay Packers went on a 6-game winning streak to finish the regular season with a 10–6 record. The team clinched the NFC North for the fifth time in six years with their week 17 win over the Detroit Lions. They routed the fifth-seeded New York Giants 38–13 in the wild card round of the playoffs and defeated the top-seeded and heavily favored Dallas Cowboys 34–31 in the divisional round of the playoffs, but their season came to an end when they were beat by the second-seeded Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game 44–21.
| Position | Player | Free agency tag | Date signed | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | ERFA | March 8, 2016[2] | Green Bay Packers | ||
| T | UFA | April 182016, 2016[3] | Green Bay Packers | ||
| K | UFA | March 1, 2016[4] | Green Bay Packers | ||
| DE | UFA | December 14, 2015[5] | Green Bay Packers | ||
| LS | UFA | September 5, 2016[6] | Green Bay Packers | ||
| DE | UFA | February 12, 2016[7] | Green Bay Packers | ||
| CB | UFA | March 13, 2016[8] | San Diego Chargers | ||
| WR | UFA | August 2, 2016[9] | San Diego Chargers | ||
| FB | UFA | August 5, 2016[10] | New Orleans Saints | ||
| OLB | RFA | April 1, 2016[11] | Kansas City Chiefs | ||
| OLB | UFA | ||||
| TE | ERFA | March 9, 2016[12] | Green Bay Packers | ||
| OLB | UFA | March 11, 2016[13] | Green Bay Packers | ||
| TE | UFA | August 15, 2016[14] | Detroit Lions | ||
| NT | UFA | N/A | N/A – Hiatus from football[15] | ||
| SS | UFA | ||||
| RB | UFA | March 22, 2016[16] | Green Bay Packers | ||
| G | RFA | March 8, 2016[17] | Green Bay Packers | ||
| QB | UFA | March 11, 2016[18] | Indianapolis Colts |
See main article: 2016 NFL draft.
Notes
All undrafted free agents were signed after the 2016 NFL draft on April 30,[23] unless noted otherwise.
| Position | Player | College | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Gagliardi Trophy winner | ||||
| Jacob Flores | ||||
| LB | ||||
| CB | ||||
| Josh James | ||||
| CB | Randall Jette | |||
| Tyler Kuder | ||||
| Peter Mortell | ||||
| WR | Dennis Parks | |||
| LB | Manoa Pikula | |||
| DT | ||||
| WR | Devonte Robinson | |||
| WR | ||||
| G | Kyle Steuck |
| Pos. | Name | GS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 16 | ||
| RB | 5 6 1 4 | ||
| WR | 10 2 | ||
| WR | 16 | ||
| WR | 15 1 | ||
| FB | 8 | ||
| TE | 5 6 1 | ||
| LT | 16 | ||
| LG | 16 | ||
| C | 7 9 | ||
| RG | 13 1 2 | ||
| RT | 16 |
| Pos. | Name | GS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DT | 16 | ||
| NT | 15 1 | ||
| DE | 1 1 | ||
| OLB | 12 3 | ||
| OLB | 6 11 | ||
| ILB | 10 7 | ||
| ILB | 9 3 1 | ||
| CB | 15 1 | ||
| CB | 9 8 | ||
| CB | 10 3 | ||
| SS | 14 1 1 | ||
| FS | 16 | ||
| S | 2 |
| Pos. | Name | GS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 3 | ||
| RB | 3 | ||
| WR | 3 | ||
| WR | 2 1 | ||
| WR | 3 | ||
| TE | 3 | ||
| LT | 3 | ||
| LG | 3 | ||
| C | 3 | ||
| RG | 3 | ||
| RT | 3 |
| Pos. | Name | GS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DT | 3 | ||
| NT | 3 | ||
| OLB | 3 | ||
| OLB | 3 | ||
| ILB | 3 | ||
| ILB | 1 2 | ||
| CB | 3 | ||
| CB | 3 | ||
| CB | 3 | ||
| SS | 3 | ||
| FS | 3 |
On February 16, the NFL announced that the Packers would play the Indianapolis Colts in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. The game would have occurred on Sunday, August 7, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, but was cancelled due to field conditions. However, the two teams met during the regular season in Green Bay.
The remainder of the Packers' preseason opponents and schedule were announced on April 7.[24]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOF | August 7 | vs. Indianapolis Colts | Cancelled due to field conditions | ||||
| 1 | August 12 | Cleveland Browns | W 17–11 | 1–0 | Lambeau Field | Recap | |
| 2 | August 18 | Oakland Raiders | W 20–12 | 2–0 | Lambeau Field | Recap | |
| 3 | August 26 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 21–10 | 3–0 | Levi's Stadium | Recap | |
| 4 | September 1 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 7–17 | 3–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap | |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 11 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 27–23 | 1–0 | EverBank Field | Recap | |
| 2 | September 18 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 14–17 | 1–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Recap | |
| 3 | September 25 | Detroit Lions | W 34–27 | 2–1 | Lambeau Field | Recap | |
| 4 | Bye | ||||||
| 5 | October 9 | New York Giants | W 23–16 | 3–1 | Lambeau Field | Recap | |
| 6 | October 16 | Dallas Cowboys | L 16–30 | 3–2 | Lambeau Field | Recap | |
| 7 | Chicago Bears | W 26–10 | 4–2 | Lambeau Field | Recap | ||
| 8 | October 30 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 32–33 | 4–3 | Georgia Dome | Recap | |
| 9 | November 6 | Indianapolis Colts | L 26–31 | 4–4 | Lambeau Field | Recap | |
| 10 | November 13 | at Tennessee Titans | L 25–47 | 4–5 | Nissan Stadium | Recap | |
| 11 | November 20 | at Washington Redskins | L 24–42 | 4–6 | FedExField | Recap | |
| 12 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 27–13 | 5–6 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap | ||
| 13 | December 4 | Houston Texans | W 21–13 | 6–6 | Lambeau Field | Recap | |
| 14 | December 11 | Seattle Seahawks | W 38–10 | 7–6 | Lambeau Field | Recap | |
| 15 | December 18 | at Chicago Bears | W 30–27 | 8–6 | Soldier Field | Recap | |
| 16 | Minnesota Vikings | W 38–25 | 9–6 | Lambeau Field | Recap | ||
| 17 | January 1, 2017 | at Detroit Lions | W 31–24 | 10–6 | Ford Field | Recap | |
See also: 2016–17 NFL playoffs.
| Playoff round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | January 8, 2017 | New York Giants (5) | W 38–13 | 1–0 | Lambeau Field | Recap | |
| Divisional | January 15, 2017 | at Dallas Cowboys (1) | W 34–31 | 2–0 | AT&T Stadium | Recap | |
| Conference | January 22, 2017 | at Atlanta Falcons (2) | L 21–44 | 2–1 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
No game. Green Bay had their bye week on Week 4.
The Packers wore their throwback uniforms for this game.
The Dallas defense forced four Green Bay turnovers. It was the first time since 2008, and second time in Cowboys history, that Dallas had won at Lambeau.
This was the Packers first loss wearing throwback uniforms.
For the first time since 1989, the Packers wore their white jerseys at a home game. As part of the NFL Color Rush, they wore white jerseys and white pants for the first time.
Despite Aaron Rodgers throwing for 4 touchdowns and the team holding a 32–26 lead with less than a minute left in the game, Matt Ryan threw a game-sealing touchdown pass to wide receiver Mohamed Sanu to stun Green Bay. The Packers drop to 4-3 after the last-second loss.
Despite Aaron Rodgers throwing for 3 touchdowns and just one interception, the Colts got their first victory at Lambeau since 1988 with a 31–26 win. The Packers drop to 4–4 with the loss.
The Packers fell to 4–6 for the first time since 2006. Days later, Aaron Rodgers said he believed the Packers could "run the table", which proved to be prophetic as the Packers would then go on an 8-game winning streak (6 regular-season, 2 playoff) that lasted until the NFC Championship against the Falcons.
With the 27–13 win, the Packers improved to 5–6. This was the start of an eight-game winning streak going into the NFC Championship against the Falcons.
The Packers beat the Texans for the first time at home 21–13 to improve to 6–6 at a snowy Lambeau Field. With the Texans' loss, no team has an undefeated record at Lambeau. This was also the first time the Packers had beaten a Houston NFL team at home.
The Packers intercepted Russell Wilson a career-high five times as the Packers routed the Seahawks 38–10 to improve to 7–6. Aaron Rodgers, with his 3:0 TD-INT ratio in this game, posted a 150.8 passer rating, the highest allowed by the Seattle defense (which was without safety Earl Thomas, who was out for the year with a broken leg) since Pete Carroll became the Seahawks' head coach in 2010.
The Packers led 27–10, but the Bears came back and tied the game at 27. Aaron Rodgers then threw a 60-yard pass to Jordy Nelson to set up a Mason Crosby field goal to win 30–27 and improve to 8–6.
The Packers tied the series with the Bears for the first time since 1933.
The Packers defeated the reeling Vikings 38–25 to improve to 9–6 as Rodgers became the first quarterback to throw for 300 yards against the Vikings defense. With the win, the Packers eliminated the now 7-8 Vikings from the playoffs.
The Packers successfully ran the table as they improved to 10–6 and won the NFC North, matching last year's record.
See also: 2016–17 NFL playoffs.
The Packers hosted the fifth seeded New York Giants, who defeated the Packers at Lambeau in the 2007 and 2011 playoffs. It was also a rematch of week five, which was won by the Packers 23–16. The Giants had one of the best defenses in the NFL going into the game, but Rodgers threw for 4 touchdowns, including a 42-yard Hail Mary pass to Cobb at the end of the first half as the Packers would lead 14–6. The Packers went on to rout the Giants 38–13 and would travel to face the top-seeded Cowboys.
This game was a rematch of week six, a game the Packers lost 16–30. However, unlike the previous meeting of these two teams, the Packers were expected to give the Cowboys difficulties. Dallas clinched the #1 seed as well as home-field advantage, but the Packers were able to prevail and upset the Cowboys with a Mason Crosby field goal as time expired 34–31.
This was the end of an 8-game winning streak for the Packers as they were crushed 44–21. The Packers were scoreless until they scored a touchdown when they were behind 31–0 as Atlanta took an early 7–0 lead and never trailed from there. Green Bay's 24-0 halftime deficit was also then the largest deficit Aaron Rodgers had faced in his entire career. This would later be surpassed with the 27-0 halftime deficit the Packers would face in the 2019 NFC Championship, which resulted in a 37-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
| Statistic | Player(s) | Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | 4,428 | ||
| Passing touchdowns | 40 | ||
| Rushing yards | 457 | ||
| Rushing touchdowns | Aaron Rodgers | 4 | |
| Receptions | 97 | ||
| Receiving yards | 1,257 | ||
| Receiving touchdowns | 14 | ||
| Kickoff return yards | 366 | ||
| Punt return yards | 115 | ||
| Tackles | 93 | ||
| Sacks | 11.0 | ||
| Interceptions | 5 |
| Statistic | Player(s) | Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | 1,004 | ||
| Passing touchdowns | 9 | ||
| Rushing yards | 91 | ||
| Rushing touchdowns | 2 | ||
| Receptions | 16 | ||
| Receiving yards | Randall Cobb | 260 | |
| Receiving touchdowns | 3 | ||
| Kickoff return yards | 77 | ||
| Punt return yards | 50 | ||
| Tackles | 20 | ||
| Sacks | 1.0 | ||
| Interceptions | Damarious Randall Micah Hyde | 1 |
| Player(s) | Value | Opponent | ||
| Passing yards | 371 | @ Tennessee Titans | ||
| Passing touchdowns | 4 | Detroit Lions @ Atlanta Falcons Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions New York Giants | ||
| Rushing yards | 162 | @ Chicago Bears | ||
| Rushing touchdowns | 2 | @ Dallas Cowboys @ Chicago Bears | ||
| Receiving yards | 156 | @ Tennessee Titans | ||
| Receiving touchdowns | 3 | New York Giants | ||
| Tackles | 12 | |||
| Sacks | Nick Perry | 2 | Detroit Lions Minnesota Vikings | |
| Interceptions | 2 | Indianapolis Colts Seattle Seahawks Chicago Bears |
| column width=150px style="" | Category | column width=100px style="" | Total yards | column width=110px style="" | Yards per game | column width=80px style="" | NFL rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passing offense | 4,199 | 262.4 | 7 | ||||
| Rushing offense | 1,701 | 106.3 | 20 | ||||
| Total offense | 5,900 | 368.8 | 8 | ||||
| Passing defense | 4,308 | 269.2 | 31 | ||||
| Rushing defense | 1,515 | 94.7 | 8 | ||||
| Total defense | 5,823 | 363.9 | 22 |
| Recipient | Award(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Davante Adams | Week 7: NFC Offensive Player of the Week[27] | |
| David Bakhtiari | 2016 All-Pro second team[28] | |
| Ha Ha Clinton-Dix | Probowler 2016 All-Pro second team Week 15: NFC Defensive Player of the Week[29] | |
| T. J. Lang | Probowler | |
| Aaron Rodgers | Probowler[30] Week 7: FedEx Air Player of the Week (Quarterbacks)[31] Week 14: NFC Offensive Player of the Week[32] Week 14: FedEx Air Player of the Week (Quarterbacks) Week 16: NFC Offensive Player of the Week[33] Week 16: FedEx Air Player of the Week (Quarterbacks) NFC Player of the Month – December[34] |