The Green Bay Packers were heading to the Super Bowl for the first time in nearly thirty years after absolutely crushing the Carolina Panthers 30-13 in the NFC Championship game on January 12, 1997. It was a showdown that pitted one of the NFL’s oldest franchises against one of its newest, with a Super Bowl trip on the line.
Two Teams, One Shot at Glory
Entering that championship game, the 1996 Packers were on fire. They’d torn through the regular season with a 13-3 record, tying the Denver Broncos for the league’s best. QB Brett Favre was on another level, snagging MVP honors for the second straight year. The man was throwing darts, tallying 3,899 yards and a league-best 39 touchdowns, with a career-best 7.2 touchdown percentage. They had just rolled over the San Francisco 49ers 35-14 in the Divisional Round, so momentum was definitely on their side.
Then you had the Carolina Panthers, a team that had only started playing their first games one season prior! Talk about a Cinderella story. They put together a 12-4 record in 1996 and then absolutely stunned the entire league by taking down the reigning champion Dallas Cowboys 26-17 in their Divisional Round matchup. Nobody saw that coming. This wasn’t just a game, it was a clash of eras, of legacy versus a brand new force.
Favre’s Interception, Then Absolute Chaos
The first quarter of the NFC Championship was a bit of a feeling-out process, with both teams punting back and forth. Then, the Panthers made their move. Linebacker Sam Mills picked off Brett Favre as he tried to hit wide receiver Don Beebe, snagging the ball at the 12-yard line. Mills nearly took it all the way to the house, getting brought down just shy of the endzone. The Panthers capitalized immediately, punching it in to take a 7-0 lead.
But you can’t keep Favre down for long, can you? As the second quarter kicked off, he found running back Dorsey Levens for a 29-yard touchdown pass, tying things up at 7-7. The Panthers managed to grab the lead again with a field goal, but the Packers responded fast. Wide receiver Antonio Freeman hauled in a touchdown on their next drive, putting Green Bay back on top 14-10. Then, with just 42 seconds left before halftime, the Panthers coughed up the ball, turning it over to cornerback Tyrone Williams. You know what happened next. Favre, being Favre, drove the Packers into field goal territory, hitting Andre Rison for 23 yards and Antonio Freeman for 25 yards. Kicker Chris Jacke nailed the field goal, sending Green Bay into halftime with a 17-10 lead.
Packers Shut the Door, History Made
The second half was all Green Bay. The Panthers couldn’t get anything going outside of a field goal on their first drive. After that, the Packers absolutely dominated. Jacke drilled two more field goals, and running back Edgar Bennett found the endzone. When the final whistle blew, the Packers had secured a decisive 30-13 victory.
For the first time in nearly thirty years, the Green Bay Packers were going to the Super Bowl. They went on to win their first Super Bowl since 1967, beating the New England Patriots 35-21. Returner Desmond Howard even set a Super Bowl record at the time with an incredible 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. What a way to cap off a historic season, right?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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