NFL Old School Game of the Week: Cardiac Pack is Born as Packers Overcome 3 TD Deficit to Beat Saints

 

Packers quarterback Don Majkowski would complete 25 of 32 passes for 354 yards and throw three touchdown passes in the Packers' win over the Saints.

The 1970s and 1980s are considered the dark days for the Green Bay Packers as the team from "Titletown USA" achieved only four winning seasons and made the playoffs two times with one of those playoff appearances coming in the 1982 season which was shortened to nine games because of a players strike.

But in 1989, the fans of Green Bay would be treated to a magical season as the "Cardiac Pack" would bring a renaissance to Green Bay football.

The Packers were led by head coach Lindy Infante who was in his second season as the Green Bay head coach after serving as the offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns for the 1986 + 87 seasons.

The Packers would go 4-12 in Infante's first season as the offense struggled averaging only 15 points per game as the team went back-and-forth at quarterback between Randy Wright and Don Majkowski aka the "Majik Man".

Infante would name Majkowski as the starter for the 1989 season as the "Majik Man" would lead an offense which featured second-year running back Brent Fullwood and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe who had caught 55 passes for 791 yards in his rookie season.

However, the season would not get off to a good start as the Packers fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-21 as Majkowski threw three interceptions in the loss.

Majkowski and the Packers hoped to bounce back as they prepared to host the New Orleans Saints in Week 2.

The Saints came into the game with Green Bay with a 1-0 record after having defeated the Dallas Cowboys 28-0 in their season opener.

New Orleans was led by head coach Jim Mora, who had seemingly done the impossible as he had directed the Saints to a winning season in 1987 as New Orleans made the playoffs for the first time in team history with a 12-3 record.

The Saints proved that the '87 season was no fluke as they went 10-6 in 1988 thanks in large part to the "Dome Patrol" linebacking corps which featured future Hall of Famers Rickey Jackson and Sam Mills as well as perennial Pro Bowlers Vaughn Johnson and Pat Swilling.

With the "Dome Patrol" and Bobby Hebert at quarterback, the Saints hoped for a third consecutive winning season as well as a return appearance to the postseason as they had missed the playoffs in 1988.

 The Saints got the ball to start the game as their initial possession of the game almost ended in disaster when on the third play of the game, Toi Cook fumbled the ball at the end of an eight-yard catch after a hit by Green Bay free safety Ken Stills.

Packers defensive back Tiger Greene picked up the football but lost it when he collided with his teammate defensive end Robert Brown leading to a recovery by Saints wide receiver Floyd Turner to give New Orleans a 1st down at its 40-yard-line.

Five plays later, the Saints were on the scoreboard as Hebert hit a wide open Lonzell Hill for a 32-yard touchdown to give New Orleans a 7-0 lead with 10:25 left in the first quarter.

Following a Green Bay three-and-out, the Saints got the ball back at their 44-yard-line as they drove 56 yards in eight plays, culminating with a three-yard touchdown run by running back Dalton Hilliard to increase New Orleans' lead to 14-0 with just over five minutes remaining in the opening period.

The Packers would begin their ensuing possession at their eight-yard-line as Green Bay picked up a couple of 1st downs to move the ball to their 41-yard-line until Majkowski was intercepted by Saints free safety Dave Waymer, whose 22-yard return gave New Orleans the ball at the Packers' 31-yard-line.

It would take the Saints six plays to drive into the end zone as Hebert tossed an one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Hoby Brenner on the second play of the second quarter to push the New Orleans lead to 21-0.

Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert threw for 282 yards and three touchdown passes on 23-of-32 passing.

The Packers would drive into New Orleans territory on its next drive, thanks in large part to a 31-yard pass from Majkowski to tight end Ed West, only to have the drive stall at the Saints' 41-yard-line as Green Bay would punt it back to the Saints' offense who had scored touchdowns on all three of their possessions thus far.

That is when the Packers' defense was able to force to a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at the Saints' 32-yard-line as Majkowski completed passes of 12 yards to Perry Kemp and 20 yards to West in a seven-play drive that ended with an one-yard touchdown run by Fullwood to give Green Bay its first points of the game and make it a 21-7 game with less than five minutes to play in the second quarter.

The Saints would respond with a 11-play, 60-yard drive which featured Hebert completing five of seven passes 47 yards to set up Morten Andersen's 38-yard field goal with 14 seconds left in the first half to increase the New Orleans lead to 24-7.

The Packers would run one more play before the end of the first half, a 38-yard run by Fullwood, as Green Bay went to the locker room down 17 points but set to get the ball to start the second half.

Green Bay would begin their first possession of the second half at their 20-yard-line as Fullwood ran for five yards on 1st down only to have the Packers lose that yardage as Majkowski was sacked by Saints nose tackle Jim Wilks for a six-yard loss to bring up 3rd down & 11.

That is when Majkwoski found Kemp for 14 yards and a 1st down at the Green Bay 33-yard-line as the Packers would end up taking nearly nine minutes off the clock as they drove 80 yards in 14 plays with the drive being capped off with a four-yard touchdown run by Fullwood to bring the Packers to within 10 points at 24-14 just over six minutes to go in the third quarter.

After the Saints went three-and-out on their ensuing possession, the Packers got the ball back at their 36-yard-line as Majkowski would complete all five of his passes for 40 yards on the six-play, 64-yard drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown pass from Majikwoski to West to make it a three-point game at 24-21 with 58 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Saints would start its next drive at their 30-yard-line as two runs by Paul Frazier for five yards brought an end to the third quarter with New Orleans holding on to a 24-21 lead.

That is when Hebert would hit Eric Martin across the middle for a 13-yard completion and a 1st down at the Saints' 48-yard-line as Hebert would then connect with Martin again this time for 28 yards, then with Hill for a 24-yard touchdown to push the Saints' lead back to 10  points at 31-21 just 96 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Packers would get the ball back at their 22-yard-line as Majkwoski would find Sharpe for a 39-yard completion to start the drive which was followed by another completion to Sharpe, this time for 11 yards and a 1st down at the Saints' 28-yard-line.

Majikowski would then complete three straight passes to West with the last completion being a 17-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to three points at 31-28 with 10:35 left in regulation.

The Saints would begin its next possession at their 16-yard-line as they would once again drive down the field primarily on the right arm of Hebert, who completed five straight passes for 57 yards to lead New Orleans to the Packers' 25-yard-line with a little over five minutes to go.

However the drive would stall as the Packers would hold the Saints to a 23-yard field goal by Andersen which made it 34-28 in favor of New Orleans with 2:21 left in the game.

After a touchback on the ensuing kickoff, the Packers would get the ball at their 20-yard-line with a chance to win the game if they could drive for a touchdown.

The drive would get off to a great start as Majiwoski hit Jeff Query for a 35-yard completion to give the Packers a 1st down at the Saints' 45-yard-line as Majikwoski would then an incomplete pass on the next play, his first incompletion after completing 18 passes in a row.

Second down was almost a disaster for the Packers as Majikowski lost the football after he was sacked by Saints cornerback Milton Mack, though it was recovered by left tackle Ken Ruettgers back at the Green Bay 48-yard-line.

Another incomplete pass would bring up a do-or-die 4th & 17 when Majikowski fired a pass for Query, who  made the catch in front of the left sidelines at the Saints' 29-yard-line with his left foot inbounds while his right foot was dragging.

The side judge, Doyle Jackson, ruled the pass was incomplete while head referee Ben Dreith ruled the pass was incomplete and that Query had gotten his right foot inbounds.

The play would be reviewed by instant replay official Cal Lepore who ruled in favor of the Packers, giving Green Bay a 1st down at the New Orleans 29-yard-line with 1:48 to go.

Majikwoski would then go back to Query as the two connected for a 11-yard completion, then again for 15 yards to give the Packers a 1st & goal when the "Majik Man" found Sharpe in the end zone for a three-yard touchdown that with Chris Jacke's extra point gave Green Bay its first lead of the game at 35-34 with 1:26 to play.

Sterling Sharpe would catch eight passes for 107 yards, including the game-winning TD pass.

The Saints would get the ball back at its 13-yard-line with a chance to drive into field goal range and escape with the win, only for Hebert to be intercepted by Packers cornerback Van Jakes, allowing for Green Bay to run out the clock and come away with the 35-34 win.

The shocking loss to the Packers would begin a four-game losing streak for the Saints as New Orleans would go to finish with a 9-7 record, good enough for their third straight winning season but not good enough for the playoffs.

As for the Packers, the win against the Saints would be the first of four one-point victories during the 1989 season as Green Bay would finish with a 10-6 record as 10 of the Packers' 16 games would be decided being a touchdown or less with Green Bay going 7-3 in those games.

Despite that, the Packers would not make the playoffs as they lost a tiebreaker to the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC Central Division title and were one game behind the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams for the two Wild Card spots.

Even though they did not make the postseason, the "Cardiac Pack" is remembered fondly in Green Bay for the thrills they provided in 1989.