Packers vs Patriots history: five things to know before Sunday

Sunday sends the Packers to New England, and this is a series that only comes around every few years. The two teams have played thirteen times since 1973, and Green Bay leads 7-6. The Packers won the last meeting, 27-24 in overtime at Lambeau on October 2, 2022.

Super Bowl XXXI shows up more than once in my book, the All-Time Best Green Bay Packers Trivia Quiz Book, and it is the biggest game these two teams have ever played. Here are five things worth knowing before kickoff.

The biggest Packers win in the series was 45-3 in Milwaukee

Lindy Infante took over as Packers coach in 1988, and his team lost its first five games. The sixth was against the Patriots on October 9, 1988, at Milwaukee County Stadium, and Green Bay won 45-3. It was the first win of the season and is still the largest margin the Packers have ever had against New England. The Packers finished that year 4-12.

Matt Flynn nearly beat the Patriots in his first start

Aaron Rodgers took a concussion against the Lions on December 12, 2010, and missed the next week at Gillette Stadium. Backup Matt Flynn made the start on December 19 and threw three touchdown passes: 66 yards to James Jones, 1 yard to Greg Jennings and 6 yards to John Kuhn. Green Bay led 27-21 early in the fourth quarter, but Tom Brady found Aaron Hernandez for a 10-yard touchdown and the Patriots won 31-27. The Packers lost that day and still won Super Bowl XLV seven weeks later.

Rodgers and Brady finally met in 2014

Because Rodgers sat out in 2010, the first time he and Brady started against each other was November 30, 2014, at Lambeau Field. It was 25 degrees and sunny. Green Bay went 0 for 4 in the red zone, but a 45-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson just before halftime gave the Packers a nine-point lead. The Patriots got within two in the fourth quarter, another Green Bay field goal pushed it back to five, and the defense held on for a 26-21 win.

The last meeting went to overtime against a rookie quarterback

The Patriots came to Lambeau on October 2, 2022, with Brian Hoyer starting in place of the injured Mac Jones. Hoyer was hurt on the first drive, and rookie Bailey Zappe played the rest of his NFL debut. New England led 24-17 in the fourth quarter before Rodgers hit Romeo Doubs for a 13-yard touchdown to tie it. In overtime the Packers drove 77 yards in 12 plays, and Crosby kicked a 31-yard field goal as time ran out to win it 27-24.

Super Bowl XXXI is the one everybody remembers

The Packers and Patriots have met only once in the playoffs, and it was for the title. On January 26, 1997, at the Louisiana Superdome, Brett Favre threw a then-Super Bowl record 81-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman, and Drew Bledsoe threw four interceptions. After New England cut the lead to six in the third quarter, Desmond Howard returned the next kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, and nobody scored again. The Packers won 35-21 for their first title in 29 years, and Howard became the first special teams player named Super Bowl MVP.

That’s the story behind Sunday’s matchup. You can find every Packers vs Patriots game on the team page, and the site’s trivia quizzes are at the trivia hub.

My Packers trivia book has more from the 1996 title team, like how many touchdown passes Brett Favre threw that regular season and what number Reggie White wore. Every answer comes with the story behind it, in paperback and Kindle on Amazon.