The ten most recent shutouts in Packers history feature terrible weather, Brooks Bollinger and a Lambeau Leap
The Green Bay Packers have produced some dynamite offense over the past two decades, but seldom are the Packers regarded as a "defense-first" team. On Sunday, the Packers shut down the Seattle Seahawks — the first time the Seahawks have been shut out with Russell Wilson at quarterback — to register the seventh shutout of the 2000s and ninth since the dawn of the 1990s. It continued a trend of outstanding defensive play against premier NFL quarterbacks over the past three weeks.
Here's a look at the shutouts Green Bay has recorded in recent history.
Sept. 30, 2018 vs. Buffalo Bills, 22-0
The Packers allowed just 145 total yards of offense and permitted just 3 of 16 third-down conversions. Jaire Alexander recorded his first career interception, and Kyler Fackrell had a monster day with three sacks, all in the fourth quarter.
It was Green Bay's first shutout since 2010, but there wasn't much celebration, with focus on how the offense struggled and the relationship between Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy after Rodgers hinted that the play calling wasn't helping the team get into rhythm.
The Bills finished 6-10.
Oct. 31, 2010 at New York Jets, 9-0
It was an ugly game in New York during the Packers' Super Bowl run, but this was a good Jets team that wound up playing in the AFC Championship Game and finished 11-5.
Unlike the consternation he expressed after the next shutout, Rodgers called this game "one of the biggest I've been a part of in my time here."
Green Bay did it without four injured starters on defense and wrestled away three takeaways, including an interception by Charles Woodson that might not have stood if Jets head coach Rex Ryan had any challenges remaining. Mason Crosby made three of four field-goal attempts to account for the scoring.
Oct. 18, 2009 vs. Detroit, 26-0
Green Bay took a 23-0 lead at halftime against the hapless Lions at Lambeau Field and limited Detroit to 149 yards with zero third-down conversions on 10 tries (and 0 for 2 on fourth down, for that matter). It was an impressive fifth game for the Packers under first-year defensive coordinator Dom Capers and the 3-4 defense.
But still, the Packers performance was seen as lethargic overall.
The Packers held the ball for 40:48, while the Lions had the ball just 19:12. Cullen Jenkins was one of the three Packers with interceptions, and rookie Clay Matthews had two sacks.
"I had (an interception) when I was a defensive back in high school, but it was called back," Jenkins said.
Wait, Cullen Jenkins, a 305-pound defensive tackle in the NFL, played in the secondary in high school?
The game was probably better remembered for the one where Donald Driver set the new franchise record for receptions.
The Lions finished the year 2-14.
Nov. 11, 2007 vs. Minnesota, 34-0
Green Bay moved to 8-1, with Ruvell Martin (yep) catching two touchdown passes from Brett Favre in the second half. The Vikings only turned it over once but did not convert on third down (0 for 8) or fourth (0 for 3) and held the ball just 19:20.
Charles Woodson had an interception, and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila posted two sacks.
It was first time the Packers had ever shut out the Vikings, who hadn't been shut out in 260 games coming into the contest, the NFL's longest active streak.
Rookie breakout Adrian Peterson sprained his knee late in the third quarter and didn't run much with the Packers ahead, finishing with 45 yards on 11 carries. Receiver Sidney Rice was also out with a hamstring pull, making life difficult for third-string quarterback Brooks Bollinger. The former University of Wisconsin quarterback didn't complete a pass to a wide receiver until 2 minutes remained in the third quarter. Two fourth-down completions to ex-Packers receiver Robert Ferguson came up short of the marker.
Were it not for a 50-yard screen pass on the final series, the Packers would have held the Vikings below 200 yards of total offense. Minnesota finished the year 8-8.
Dec. 22, 2002 vs. Buffalo Bills, 10-0
In the penultimate game of the season, the Packers stuffed an 8-8 Bills team at Lambeau Field, even though Buffalo had the ball more than the Packers (31:52 minutes to 28:08) and had 17 first downs to Green Bay's 14.
But the Packers wrestled away six turnovers with six sacks.
Vonnie Holliday forced three fumbles, including a strip sack of Drew Bledsoe when the Bills got as close as the Green Bay 17-yard line with 1:19 to go. Na'il Diggs finished with a forced fumble and interceptions, and Darren Sharper intercepted a Drew Bledsoe pass in the end zone in the first quarter. Sharper left the game quickly thereafter with an injury.
Mike Hollis missed a 33-yard field goal in the third quarter for the Bills in the freezing cold (with wind chill at 13 degrees), with wind completely sweeping the chip shot away.
"Maybe if this game was in Buffalo it would have been different," Packers safety Matt Bowen conceded. "When that ball went up it was like the way the wind blows at Wrigley Field."
An Ahman Green fumble was blown dead as an incomplete pass but probably should have been a touchdown the other way when the ball was picked up by Nate Clements. A few seconds later, Brett Favre found Donald Driver for an 11-yard touchdown that gave the Packers a 10-0 lead.
The Packers finished off their home slate 8-0 for the year and moved to 12-3 overall.
Sept 24, 2001 vs. Washington, 37-0
Green Bay moved to 2-0 in resounding fashion on Monday Night Football, even though the game was just 10-0 at halftime. Washington managed just 137 yards and lost three turnovers.
Rondell Mealey (yep) returned a fumble 27 yards for a touchdown, to account for the final points of the game, and Nate Wayne's third-quarter interception helped shut the door.
The defense didn't allow a play of longer than 17 yards. Washington finished 8-8 after a gruesome 0-5 start to the year in which it combined for just 32 points (and 3 in the first two games combined).
The game itself was of secondary importance to the overall atmosphere in the first game after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Dec. 26, 1993 vs. Los Angeles Raiders, 28-0
You know this game, don't you? It's the birth of the Lambeau Leap when Reggie White recovered a fumble and shoveled the ball to LeRoy Butler before stumbling out of bounds. Butler ran it to the house and let his momentum carry him into the stands.
The game was played in wind chills that dropped to 22 degrees below zero (the second-coldest game in stadium history), and the Packers clinched a playoff spot with the win, marking their first postseason trip in 10 years.
White finished with 2 1/2 sacks (as did John Jurkovic and Tony Bennett), and the Packers rolled up four turnovers while the Raiders went a combined 1 for 16 on third and fourth down. Green Bay registered eight sacks, the most in a game since 1978 and one shy of the club record.
The Raiders were 10-6 that season.
Oct. 27, 1991 at Tampa Bay, 27-0
The Packers only finished 4-12 that season, but one of those wins was a lopsided win over the Buccaneers, a team Green Bay swept that season. This was the team's last road shutout until 2010.
Brian Noble picked up a fumble at the goal line and scored for the first points, one of a staggering eight takeaways with six sacks. It's why the Packers were able to shut out their opponent despite the Bucs holding the ball 35:25 to Green Bay's 24:35.
Mark Murphy (no, not that one) had two interceptions, as did lineman Esera Tuaolo, Chuck Cecil and Jerry Holmes.
Green Bay had gained only 23 yards and one first down early in the second quarter but still led, 13-0. The Bucs crossed midfield just twice in 15 possessions.
Tampa finished 3-13.
Dec. 1, 1985 vs. Tampa Bay, 21-0
Tampa Bay had no chance in a blizzard, when Green Bay held the Buccaneers to a mere 65 yards (11 net yards passing) and five first downs. Green Bay racked up 512 yards but committed four turnovers to keep it somewhat close.
A foot of snow had fallen by game time and three more inches during the game. Yard markers were nearly impossible to detect, and the wind chill dipped to zero. Only 19,856 fans came through the gates, the smallest crowd in the history of Lambeau.
Rookie quarterback Steve Young and the Bucs were on their way to a 2-14 season.
Oct. 23, 1977 at Tampa Bay, 13-0
The weather was better in Tampa Bay for this game, but the Packers still tossed up a goose egg even though Green Bay only amassed 218 yards in its own right (Tampa had 188).
Steve Luke and Mike McCoy had interceptions, and linebacker Jim Gueno blocked a punt in the third quarter. Dave Pureifory also sacked Tampa quarterback Gary Huff to complicate a field-goal attempt that was eventually left short.
It was Tampa's first year in the NFC Central, and that was good news for the struggling Packers. Tampa finished 2-12 that year, and Green Bay went 4-10.
Correction: The original version of this story indicated that the game against the Jets in 2010 was at Lambeau Field.
JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The 10 most recent Packers shutouts before the win over Seattle
