Packers championship seasons

Green Bay is the third-oldest franchise in professional football history behind the Chicago Bears and Phoenix Cardinals, who played in what was the precursor to the NFL in 1920, one year before the Packers. Green Bay has earned more championships than any other team with 12, three more than the Bears.

Here are summaries and highlights from those seasons:

1929 (12-0-1)_Earl "Curly" Lambeau already fielded a talented team that had finished fourth the year before behind the likes of end Lavern "Lavvie" Dilweg, tackle Francis "Jug" Earpe, and backs Joseph "Red" Dunn, Verne Lewellen and Bo Molenda. Lambeau then obtained the services of three future Hall of Famers in Robert "Cal" Hubbard from the New York Giants, August "Mike" Michalske from the New York Yankees and Johnny "Blood" McNally from the Pottsville Maroons.

Green Bay manhandled most opponents, outscoring them by a 198-22 margin that featured eight shutouts as it registered the organization's only unbeaten season. Lewellen scored eight touchdowns to lead the Packers, who had six players record at least three TDs, which equalled the grand total of their opposition.

A key game was a 20-6 road victory over the Giants, who settled for second place with a 13-1-1 mark (ties didn't count, and the champion was decided by winning percentage, with Green Bay's 1.000 overcoming New York's .929).

1930 (10-3-1)_Green Bay squeaked past the Giants for the title again as New York finished 13-4-0, which placed them just .004 behind the Packers as the teams split their season series with both home teams winning by a touchdown.

The Packers again outscored their foes handily, 234-111, turning in four shutouts. Lewellen again led the way with 54 points, while Hurdis McCrary added 36 and McNally chipped in 30. Dunn recorded 11 touchdown passes. Green Bay lost three contests and tied one during its final six games but held on to claim the crown.

1931 (12-2-0)_Green Bay finished off its trifecta by finishing one game ahead of the Portsmouth Spartans. The Packers won their first nine games, eight of which they limited their opponents to single-digit scoring. Green Bay registered five shutouts, outscored their foes 291-87 and held a 21-7 margin in TD passes.

McNally led the champions with 78 points as 10 of his 13 scores came on pass receptions. Lewellen was a key figure again with 36 points despite an injury. Green Bay finished with 44 touchdowns, a standard that wasn't surpassed until 1961.

1936 (10-1-1)_The Packers outlasted the Bears (9-3) and Detroit Lions (8-4) for the Western Division title and their first appearance in the championship playoff system, where they whipped the Boston Redskins, 21-6.

Green Bay won its fourth crown despite the retirement of Michalske and Hubbard and McNally's two-game contract holdout to start the season. The Packers followed a 30-3 thrashing at the hands of the Bears with nine consecutive triumphs before tying the Chicago Cardinals in the regular-season finale. Included were 20-18 and 7-3 wins over the Lions and Redskins, respectively.

The Packers outscored their foes 248-118 as Clarke Hinkle led the rushing attack with 476 yards and five scores and Don Hutson hauled in eight TD receptions and 526 yards. Arnie Herber tossed 11 touchdown passes while throwing for 1,239 yards.

Green Bay and Boston, which would move to Washington before the next season, hooked up at the Polo Grounds in New York. Herber connected with Hutson for a 48-yard score in the first three minutes and added an 8-yard toss to Milt Gantenbein in the third. Bob Monnett scored on a 2-yard run after Lon Evans blocked a punt in the final quarter.

1939 (9-2-0)_Green Bay wasn't nearly as dominant as in the past, winning six times by a touchdown or less. However, it was enough to hold off the Bears by one game to win the Western crown.

The Packers got five rushing TDs from Hinkle and a team-leading 407 yards rushing from Cecil Isbell. Meanwhile, Herber surpassed the 1,100-yard plateau passing. Hutson blazed through defenses for 846 yards receiving and six scores, averaging almost 25 yards for each of his 34 catches.

Green Bay advanced to a showdown against the New York Giants, who had upended the Packers, 23-17, in the title battle the year before. This time Lambeau's crew got the job done at Milwaukee's State Fair Park. Herber and Gantenbein hooked up for a 7-0 halftime advantage and Isbell and Joe Laws collaborated to highlight the second half as the Packers cruised to a 27-0 verdict.

1944 (8-2-0)_Green Bay lost two of its final four outings but held on to win the West over the 6-3-1 Bears. However, both of those losses were shutouts, including a 24-0 setback to the East Division-winning New York Giants (8-1-1).

The Packers had gained more than 1,500 yards rushing, but the passing attack that featured Hutson's 58 catches, 866 yards and nine touchdowns set them apart from their foes. What made Hutson's accomplishments even more amazing was the fact that the next closest Packer to him in receptions was Paul Duhart with nine. Hutson also did most of the place-kicking, making 31 of 33 extra points to finish with 85 points.

So, it came down to another grudge match in the Big Apple. Ted Fritsch scored on a 2-yard run, and while everybody in New York's secondary was paying attention to Hutson, Irv Comp hit Fritsch with a 26-yard score that made it 14-0. Duhart picked off former Packer Herber to secure the 14-7 victory.

1961 (11-3-0)_The Packers scored a league-leading 391 points, registering 30 more more on six occasions. Meanwhile, their defense was nearly as stout, finishing only three points below the Giants as the stingiest unit. that enabled Green Bay to outdistance Detroit (8-5-1), which handed the host Packers a 17-13 loss in the season opener.

Green Bay received 1,307 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns from Jim Taylor and 597 more from Paul Hornung, while Bart Starr passed for 2,418 yards and 16 TDs. Max McGee led the receiving corps with 51 catches for 883 yards and seven scores. Hornung scored 10 times, adding 41 extra points and 15 field goals for 146 points.

Along Green Bay's march to the top spot in the West was a 20-17 win against the Giants in Milwaukee on Dec. 3. New York edged Philadelphia by a half-game in the East and sought revenge in the title match-up, the first ever in Green Bay.

The expected slugfest turned into a Packer rout. Hornung set a then-NFL playoff record with 19 points on a touchdown, three field goals and four PATs, while Starr tossed three TD passes, including two to tight end Ron Kramer. Green Bay scored 24 points in the second quarter and could have run up more during its 37-0 triumph. The Packers defense was outstanding, limiting Giants quarterback Y.A. Tittle to 6 of 20 passing for 65 yards and four interceptions.

1962 (13-1-0)_Green Bay's juggernaut, arguably Vince Lombardi's best team, rolled along except for a 26-14 battering it absorbed on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit. The Packers outscored the opposition, 415-148, besting the Lions by two games in the West while scoring 31 or more points eight times.

Taylor won the MVP award after gaining 1,474 yards rushing (5.4 average) and scoring a then-NFL record 19 TDs. McGee and Boyd Dowler each hauled in 49 catches, while Kramer led the way with seven scoring receptions. Green Bay's defense registered 31 interceptions, including nine from safety Willie Wood and seven from cornerback Herb Adderley.

That set up another contest against New York (12-2-0) for the title, this one at wind-swept Yankee Stadium. Green Bay built a 10-0 halftime advantage and guard Jerry Kramer nailed his second and third field goals to sew up back-to-back titles. Taylor carried 31 times and earned every one of his 85 yards against Sam Huff and the Giants defense. Tittle again struggled, completing 18 of 41 pass attempts. Green Bay middle linebacker Ray Nitschke was the game's MVP with two fumble recoveries and a deflected pass that Dan Currie intercepted to thwart a New York drive deep in Packer territory.

1965 (10-3-1)_Taylor led the way for a struggling running attack, gaining only 734 yards. The passing game didn't always click either, but Starr still tossed 16 TD passes and reserve Zeke Bratkowski added three more as the Packers finished seventh in the league in scoring with 316 points.

Despite several stumbles, Green Bay overcame a 1.5 game deficit in the final three weeks to tie the Baltimore Colts atop the Western Conference. That meant a playoff, which Don Chandler won, 13-10, in overtime. Baltimore, without starter Johnny Unitas and backup Gary Cuozzo, used halfback Tom Matte at quarterback and led 10-0 at halftime. Bratkowski led a comeback after Starr went down on Green Bay's first offensive series. Chandler booted a controversial 22-yarder with 1:58 remaining in the fourth quarter, an attempt that Colts faithful still insist was wide right after sailing high over the crossbar. Then Chandler connected from 25 yards out at 13:39 of sudden death.

That set up a contest against Cleveland (11-3-0) for the title. Green Bay overcame Jim Brown and company, 23-13, in muddy Lambeau Field. Hornung scooted for a then-Packers postseason record 105 yards, Taylor trudged for 96 more and Chandler kicked three field goals. Green Bay's defense held Brown, the league's leading rusher, to 50 yards.

1966 (12-2-0)_Green Bay won the West by three games over Baltimore this time, The Packers again did most of their damage through the air and the pinpoint passing of league MVP Starr, who completed 62.2 percent of his passes and finished with a 14-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

The Packers won seven of their first eight contests, five of them by double digits, and then ripped off five consecutive victories to end the season. Green Bay led the league in pass defense for a third straight fall and ended up with 28 interceptions as it allowed only 163 points.

Green Bay then met Dallas (10-3-1) in Texas for the NFL title. The explosive Cowboys had led the league in scoring with 445 points and they didn't slow down much against Green Bay. However, the Packers responded behind Starr, who riddled Dallas for four TD passes, two of which extended a 21-20 margin. That was enough as the Packers held off a second Cowboys rally. Tom Brown intercepted Don Meredith's pass into the end on fourth down and only 28 seconds left, giving Green Bay a 34-27 win.

That performance made the Packers the NFL representative in the first Super Bowl, where they tangled with Hank Stram's Kansas City Chiefs. Green Bay led 14-10 when Willie Wood picked off Len Dawson and raced 50 yards to the K.C. 5. That ignited a 21-0 second-half blitz and 35-10 victory. Starr was the MVP with 250 yards, but McGee could have been with two TD catches and 138 yards. Elijah Pitts ran for two scores as Green Bay outgained the Chiefs, 130-72, rushing.

1967 (9-4-1)_Taylor and Hornung had departed and injuries to Pitts and Jim Grabowski severely depleted Green Bay's running attack and Starr was injured and suffered through a season of nine TDs and 17 interceptions.

Still, the resilient and battle-tested Packers found ways to win games and the first Central Division title as the league expanded to four divisions, two in each conference. Green Bay was 9-2-1 and lost its final two games, leaving many fans and experts with doubts.

However, the Packers responded in true Lombardi fashion, blasting the Coastal Division champion Los Angeles Rams (11-1-2), 28-7, in Milwaukee for the Western Conference title. Starr passed for 222 yards, 109 to Carroll Dale, and Travis Williams rushed for 88 yards, scoring on 46- and 2-yard runs. Meanwhile, Henry Jordan recorded 3.5 of the Packers sacks of Roman Gabriel.

That advanced the Packers to Super Bowl II against the Oakland Raiders in Miami, where Green Bay took a 13-0 lead and dominated after the AFL champions had cut the deficit to 13-7. Green Bay scored the next 20 points to highlight the 33-14 victory. Boyd Dowler had a 62-yard scoring catch from Starr, Chandler drilled four field goals and Adderley sprinted 60 yards with an interception return.

Little did Green Bay fans know that the triumphant Packers carried Lombardi off on their shoulders for one last time. The legendary coach had led the Packers to a third straight championship, the only franchise in NFL history to accomplish the feat, and this was for a second time.

1996 (13-3-0)_The Packers survived injuries to starting wide receivers Robert Brooks and Antonio Freeman and tight end Mark Chmura, leading the league in points scored (456) while allowing the fewest (210), the first since the unbeaten 1972 Miami Dolphins to turn the trick.

Green Bay was 8-1 after three- and five-game winning streaks, stumbled twice in a row and then rattled off five more victories to end the regular season, the last three by margins of 35, 28 and 28 points, to claim home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

Quarterback Brett Favre won the second of his three consecutive league MVP honors, tossing a team record 39 TD passes against only 13 interceptions. Edgar Bennett led a balanced ground game with 899 yards, Freeman caught 56 passes for 933 yards and nine scores and Keith Jackson hauled in 40 catches and 10 TDs. The Packers finished with a 56-19 edge in TDs, including eight return scores.

Green Bay then pulled away from San Francisco in the mud, beating the 49ers, 35-14, as Desmond Howard returned a punt 71 yards for the game's first score and weaved for 46 yards on another one to set up the Packers second score as they raced to a 21-0 lead. San Francisco shaved it to 21-14 early in the second half, but Freeman recovered Bennett's fumble in the end zone and the latter added his second TD burst to clinch a trip to the title showdown.

This time the ground was frozen, and Green Bay overcame an early Favre interception and 7-0 and 10-7 Carolina leads to win going away, 30-13. Dorsey Levens caught a 29-yard TD pass, Freeman latched onto another Favre aerial from 6 yards out, Bennett plowed in from 4 yards out and Chris Jacke made three field goals.

That sent the Packers to a Super Bowl XXXI contest against New England. Mike Holmgren's squad moved out to 10-0 and 27-14 leads in the first half and put the game away when Howard returned a kickoff 99 yards to win game MVP honors to cap the 35-21 triumph. Favre and Freeman hooked up for a then-Super Bowl record 81-yard TD pass, Andre Rison burned the New England secondary on a 54-yard toss and Favre chipped in a 2-yard run. Reggie White set another record with three sacks, the Packers picked off four passes and Favre threw for 246 yards. Howard also won the field position game with 244 yards in returns, 154 on kickoffs and 90 on punts.