Packers 1-3 in title games under McCarthy
The Packers’ 44-21 loss to the Falcons Sunday was their fourth NFC Championship Game under coach Mike McCarthy. They are now 1-3 in those games. Here’s a look at what happened in the three previous appearances.
GIANTS 23, PACKERS 20 (OT) Jan. 20, 2008, Lambeau Field What happened:
With a game-time temperature of zero with a minus-13 wind chill at Lambeau Field, the Packers and Giants battled into the fourth quarter when Mason Crosby tied the score at 20 with 11:46 remaining. Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes had a chance to win the game in regulation with a 36-yard field goal with four seconds left but missed. The Packers won the OT coin toss but on the second play, Brett Favre was intercepted by Giants DB Corey Webster. Three plays later, Tynes kicked a 47-yard game-winning field goal. How Packers got to title game: With a 13-3 regular-season record and NFC North title, the Packers earned a wild-card bye as the No. 2-seeded team. They beat the Seahawks, 42-20, in their divisional playoff game. The next season: After parting ways with Favre, the Packers finished 6-10 and third in the NFC North in Aaron Rodgers’ first season as starting quarterback.
PACKERS 21, BEARS 14 Jan. 23, 2011, Soldier Field What happened:
The Packers knocked Bears quarterback Jay Cutler out of the game and took a 14-0 lead at halftime. With Caleb Hanie at quarterback, the Bears cut their deficit to 14-7 early in the fourth quarter before Packers defensive lineman B.J. Raji intercepted a pass and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown. The Bears scored again in the fourth quarter but the Packers defense held on a final Chicago drive that made it to the Green Bay 29. Aaron Rodgers was 17 of 30 for
244 yards, a rushing touchdown and two interceptions.
How Packers got to title game: With a 10-6 record and a second-place finish behind the Bears in the NFC North, the Packers were the No. 6-seeded team in the playoffs. They went on the road to beat the Eagles, 21-16, and Falcons, 48-21, to advance to the NFC title game. They beat the Steelers, 31-25, in Super Bowl XLV in Dallas. The next season: The Packers went 15-1 in the regular season but were trounced by the Giants, 37-20, in the NFC divisional playoff game at Lambeau Field.
SEAHAWKS 28, PACKERS 22 (OT) Jan. 18, 2015, Century Link Field What happened:
The Packers jumped out to a 16-0 halftime lead and were ahead 19-7 with under three minutes left. The Seahawks tied the game shortly after an onside kick bounced off the helmet of Packers tight end Brandon Bostick with 2:09 remaining. Seattle won on a 35-yard TD pass from Russell Wilson to Jermaine Kearse in overtime. Rodgers completed 19 of 24 passes for 178 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Wilson was 14-29 for 209 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown. How Packers got to title game: The Packers finished 12-4 and first in the NFC North to earn a wild-card bye as the No. 2-seeded team. They beat the Cowboys, 26-21, at Lambeau Field in their divisional playoff game. The next season: The Packers finished second in the NFC North with a 10-6 record, failing to clinch the division title with a Week 17 loss to the Vikings. They beat Washington, 35-18, in their wild-card game before losing to the Cardinals, 26-20, in OT in Arizona.