Packers Saints rivalry

[Jay Z]

One of the missed opportunities in NFL history is there was never a playoff matchup between the two great quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, despite the fact that their teams, Saints and Packers, won Super Bowls in consecutive years. In fact, the Packers and Saints have never met in the playoffs. The Saints are the only current NFC team the Packers have never met in the playoffs in their long history. Other teams, the Rams and Bills notably, have met all of their current conference opponents. The Packers in fact have played every other team but the Panthers more than once in the playoffs, several in multiple locations.

The Saints and Packers have both been in the playoffs in the same season six times without meeting up. This ties an NFC record. The league record for two teams being in the playoffs in the same conference and not meeting in the playoffs is nine for the Patriots and Bengals. That includes every season from 2011 to 2015, though the Patriots had a bye each of those years while the Bengals never advanced past the wild card round.

All six times the Saints and Packers could have met were Brees and Rodgers teams. The best chance was probably the first, in 2009, when the Packers lost in overtime to the Cardinals in the wild card round and would have faced the Saints had they won. The Packers' loss did allow Brees and Kurt Warner to meet in the playoffs. Brees would beat Warner, then Brett Favre (Vikings) and Peyton Manning (Colts) to become the second quarterback to defeat three other future Hall Of Fame quarterbacks on the the way to a Super Bowl victory. Troy Aikman had previously achieved this in 1993, beating Favre (Packers), Steve Young (49ers) and Jim Kelly (Bills.)

The next best chance was the most recent, 2020, when the Packers and the Saints had the top two seeds. Tom Brady and the Buccaneers defeating the Saints quashed this hope, though it allowed a Brady/Rodgers matchup to take place instead.

Brees and Rodgers did wind up meeting six times in the regular season including the marquee matchup of the 2011 opening game featuring the last two Super Bowl winners. A 108 yard kickoff return by Randall Cobb helped the Packers to a 42-34 victory. Brees was tough for the Packers to stop, throwing 17 TD passes versus 3 interceptions, and better than Rodgers at 13 TDs and 7 INT, but the teams split the six games 3-3. Brees and the Saints wound up putting up 52 points against the Packers in a 2008 Monday night matchup, the only time the two teams have played on that night. In possibly the best game between the two teams, Rodgers' 4 TD passes edged Brees' 3 in a 28-27 victory in 2012.

Had the NFL been more cognizant of marquee matchups years ago, perhaps the schedule makers would have pitted the teams against each other in 1967, given the discord between free agent RB Jim Taylor and possibly Paul Hornung on the Saints as well against their old coach Lombardi. But the Packers and Saints didn't play that year. By the time they did, 1968, Taylor and Hornung were retired and Lombardi had resigned his coaching position.

Subsequent to that first meeting both teams struggled in the standings. The nadir of the series likely was a 1975 matchup of two 0-3 teams. The Packers break out to a 16-0 lead on a kickoff return, fumble return, and safety on a punt. But the offense is pitiful and the defense can't stop the league's worst attack. A Rich Szaro field goal caps a big comeback and gives the Saints a 20-19 victory, their first in the Superdome.

After that the Packers reel off seven straight victories to give them a lead in the series they have not relinquished. An interesting statistical tidbit is that while Brees and Rodgers both had four TD games against the other, neither holds the franchise record in this matchup. Rodgers is only tied for second with Favre and David Whitehurst as well. The architects of the 5 TD games are Lynn Dickey in a 1981 game, and Jameis Winston in 2021!

[rhickok1109]

It should be noted that Nornung never suited up for the Saints. He retired before the season because of his chronic neck injury.

[ChrisBabcock]

Other teams, the Rams and Bills notably, have met all of their current conference opponents.

...and Eagles.

[Jay Z]

It should be noted that Nornung never suited up for the Saints. He retired before the season because of his chronic neck injury.

True, but the schedule would have been already put out at that time.

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

This is a really nice, thought-out post. Reminded me of many things that happened over the years.

The most printed photo of the Packers-Cardinals game the next day was of a Cardinals player holding Aaron Rodgers' facemask on the last play. That was a frustrating loss for Packer fans, but it did help me learn that if your margin of error is whether or not a penalty is called, then you're not that much better than the other team.

I do remember one other Packer/Saints game of note - probably around 93 or 94. The Saints had been pretty good the past few seasons and the Packers were still up and coming - I'm not sure if they'd made the playoffs at this point. Anyway, Green Bay won a really close, hard-fought game. That seemed to put us "over the hump" - we beat a team that had won their division, had a couple of seasons winning 10+ games in a row - and I think it was on the road.

Winning that Super Bowl with Favre was a long journey, but that win over New Orleans was a significant spot on the map. That was a win where you can say they had gone from a team that could never win to a team that could maybe win - and after that Saints victory they showed they truly could win against playoff-caliber teams in their conference.

[Citizen]

The most memorable game in what has been a pretty drab rivalry was probably in week 2/1989, when Green Bay overcame a 21-0 deficit to win, 35-34. Don Majkowski completed 18 straight passes at one point, and during the winning drive, Jeff Query converted on 4th-and-17 with a tiptoe catch at the sideline that was called complete only when Ben Dreith overruled the side judge.

[Brian wolf]

What is the NFL record for consecutive completions? Tua hasnt missed a pass in 16 passes so far against reeling Denver ...

Saints are winning easily in GB. Titans offensive line is a mess against Garrett and the Browns, with Watson throwing a backward pass behind the line of scrimmage ... WTF?? Officials also blow a Browns completion dead, where Cooper isnt out of bounds or tackled ... anyone gambling and seeing these plays has to be flabbergasted ...

[Brian wolf]

Huge win for the Packers ... I thought Miami would get 77 points today. The two backs, Achane and Mostert scored 8 TDs. Sheesh

[Jay Z]

The most memorable game in what has been a pretty drab rivalry was probably in week 2/1989, when Green Bay overcame a 21-0 deficit to win, 35-34. Don Majkowski completed 18 straight passes at one point, and during the winning drive, Jeff Query converted on 4th-and-17 with a tiptoe catch at the sideline that was called complete only when Ben Dreith overruled the side judge.

That was a good one for sure, and other than the two I mentioned, the 1975 Rich Szaro game and the 2012 Rodgers/Brees shootout, the only other one point game between the Packers and Saints - until today.

Majkowski's 21 point comeback remains the best by a Packers' quarterback against the Saints. Jordan Love's 17 point effort today does put him in the top 10 of Packer quarterbacks. Exceeding Majkowski are Lynn Dickey's 23 point comeback in the 1982 open against the Rams, and Matt Flynn's similar 23 point effort subbing for Rodgers against the Cowboys in 2013. Rodgers does have three top 10 comebacks himself, including the Hail Mary game to Richard Rodgers in 2015. The top 10 is rounded out by Bart Starr against the Lions in 1965, Scott Hunter against the Lions again in 1972, and Cecil Isbell against the Redskins in 1941.

Brett Favre managed a 14 point comeback relieving Majkowski against the Bengals in 1992. Though he matched this comeback several times (including his last win as a Packer in the 2007 playoffs) he never exceeded it, and is out of this particular top 10 list.

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

The most memorable game in what has been a pretty drab rivalry was probably in week 2/1989, when Green Bay overcame a 21-0 deficit to win, 35-34. Don Majkowski completed 18 straight passes at one point, and during the winning drive, Jeff Query converted on 4th-and-17 with a tiptoe catch at the sideline that was called complete only when Ben Dreith overruled the side judge.

Thank you! I had combined those two games in my memory - because I remembered that Query catch but I also knew he wasn't with the team by the time that other Saints game happened. It was really confusing me - because I distinctly remember Query making that catch but I knew it couldn't have been from the same game. I guess after 45+ years of watching the Packers, I have seen more Saints/Packers games than I can keep track of. Yes, that was a really memorable game as well and a great win at the time.