The Run to Thirteen - Tales From 1265 Ep. 2

The improbable, twisting, record-setting, and ultimately euphoric story of the 2010 Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
This is Tales from twelve sixty five, a production of iHeartRadio Podcasts with presenting
sponsor Nicolay Law, your local awardwinning injury lawyers. If you've been injured,
get Nicolay, Wisconsin's winning team oflawyers that will get you back in
the game. Your host for Talesfrom twelve sixty five is Doug Russell.

(00:23):
Thirteen. There so many The fearof the number thirteen is a real thing.
It even has a name, triscadectaphobia. The origins of the number thirteen
being unlucky has different theories of origin. One theory has Biblical implications of thirteen
attendees of the Last Supper, twelveApostles, and then Judas the thirteenth.
The Knights templar are arrusted on ordersof Francis, King Philip the Fourth on

(00:47):
Friday the thirteenth October thirteenth, thirteenoh seven, to be exact. Even
a year with thirteen moons instead oftwelve was considered problematic for monks in the
early days of the Gregorian calendar.The true origin we ever know, but
in Green Bay, thirteen is themost lucky number there is, at least
for now. After all, thirteenrepresents the number of NFL championships the Packers

(01:08):
have, more than any other teamin league history. But to get to
thirteen, there had to be apath to thirteen, and this path was
a rocky one first. Though somecontext, the two thousand and nine Packers
season was a transformational one. InAaron Rodgers' second season is starting quarterback,

(01:30):
Green Bay went eleven and five,Rogers made his first Pro Bowl team,
and Charles Woodson won his only NFLDefensive Player of the Year award. But
after a heartbreaking playoff loss at Arizonain overtime, just like that, two
thousand and nine was over. Still, two thousand and nine was also Clay
Matthews and BJ Rogie's rookie seasons,and both would have major roles in the

(01:51):
Packers run to thirteen a year later. Given the two thousand and nine season
was centered mostly successful in despite theirwild card loss, hopes were high leading
into the twenty ten season. InWeek one, the future four time MVP
had the offense humming Rogers under ablitz climbers the middle thirty grab toutsdown,

(02:14):
double driver, first down and goalto goal just inside the fourth filling Montion
of the right. Rockers under centerinside, hitoff, Coon up the middle,
kicks down John colp Ship to Rogerslooking around rainfalls, look sidecot Tenning's
touchsdown, look corner the end zone. Take Pete Dallas Hobbs thirty two yard

(02:37):
past lay twenty six to ten GreenBay. But still Philly mounted a fourth
quarter comeback, pulling to within sevenwith two minutes left to play. On
fourth and one from the Packers fortytwo, Michael Vick had a chance to
extend a would be game tying drive. Bottle the shotgun. Vic looks it
over slot right. Vic gets thesnap, quarterback Crawl takes it up a

(02:59):
middle heath Did he get a no? No, my good dick is didni
the first down as he took itstraight up for the middle. Prat Chaws
among others were there. The Packersare celebrating. The officials are conferring Clay
Matthews in there as well. Waythey're gonna call for the chains. The

(03:21):
football is spotted at the forty twoyard line. It appears the Eagles are
short of a first down. Wewill take nothing for granted. After fourth
and twenty six. On January eleventh, two thousand, and four in this
building. Here's the chains from acrossthe way, and the Eagles are short,
and there is your jigger. Inweek two, no such dramatics in

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their thirty four to seven blowout ofthe Buffalo Bills. So the Packers were
two and oh when things started toget weird. One are the themes of
the twenty ten Green Bay Ackers werethe litany of close losses, well injuries
and those close losses. Star runningback Ryan Grant was the first key Cog

(04:06):
to be lost, suffering a severelysprained ankle in Week one. He was
placed on injured reserve and lost forthe season, as was former first round
pick Justin Harrell. In Week four, rookie starting safety Morgan Burnett towards acl
and he was lost for the year. So was veteran linebacker Nick Barnett.
He went on IR with a wristinjury, ending his career with the team.

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So four weeks in, three keystarters out for the year, and
then the losses started piling up,but they were all close ones. In
week three, a heartbreaker to theBears on Monday Night Football. In Week
four, a narrow two point wentat home over to Troit, but that
was followed by two weeks of backto backheartbreak straight on kick thirty three yards

(04:49):
out of the hold of hutter SmithNick Sundberg and on the snap. Here's
the snap of Hudspit kick pooled tothe uprights and it is good. This
at the end of the day.Thirty three yard field goal Graham Cano in

(05:13):
overtime, Washington sixteen, Green Baythirteen. This will be a forty four
yard field goal attempt by Dan Carpenterright ass out of the hold up fields
the putter. Here's the snap thePlacemack kick in overanda to the uprights,

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and it is God. For thesecond week in a row, the Packers
losing overtime on a field goal.After six weeks, the Packers were just
three and three with mounting injuries.On October twenty fourth, perhaps a turning
point of the season, facing formerquarterback in future Hall of Famer Bread five

(05:56):
in the Minnesota Vikings. The previousseason far swept his old team, and
even though he was still viewed asa turncoat by many fans, Brett still
got the better of Aaron every timeuntil today. Three interceptions helped give the
Packers a twenty eight twenty four winand thus a four and three record.
It would be one of several lowpoints for Number four, but it came
when his old team needed it themost. I don't know if it's ever

(06:19):
easy to accept, at least forme. You know, the old saying
you win, somebody lose some istrue. But and I you know,
I don't know what my record isn'tand I shouldn't say my record, but
being in that situation, it seemslike we've won a lot of those games.
Meanwhile, for Packers offensive lineman DarrenCollege, getting the five monkey off

(06:39):
their backs was maybe more important forone player more than anyone else. I
mean, I think that's good forsomebody like twelve. But we're not gonna
be defined by what Brett Farb doesand the way we play against him.
Do we want to play well,yes, But we're more worried about the
Minnesota Vikings than we are Brett Farve. I mean, they're they're a good
team, extremely talented team, andtonight we got the better of them,
so that's, you know, Butwe're gonna see him here in about a
month and we're gonna go back atit up there at their place. So

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we got another challenge ahead of us. We'll celebrate tonight, but tomorrow it's
time to move on. We gotthe Jets and that's going to be a
challenge of place to go play.Matt victory would start a four game winning
streak, the Packers longest of theregular season, a streak that started and
ended with the Vikings. But onNovember twenty eighth, the Packers traveled to
Atlanta to take on the high flyingeight and two Falcons in a week twelve

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playoff preview, and although the Packersnever let in this one, it was
close the whole way. Atlanta's largestlead was seven and there were four ties.
The final Packers possession was the sixteenplay ninety yard drive after Aaron Rodgers
threw a ten yard touchdown pass toJordy Nelson. With just fifty six seconds
left to tie the game. ForGreen Bay, Eric Weems broke loose up

(07:44):
the middle and was dragged down byMatt Wilhelm, who drew a flagrant face
mask tackle. The Falcons took overat the Green Bay forty nine. Matt
Ryan completed four straight short passes andthat set up veteran place kicker Matt Bryant
painting down on one knee, armextended waiting for the snap. Long count
tells Aalenka what the snap here?It is the placement, the kick to
the upright, and it is godright down the boulevard nine seconds remaining,

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twenty eight to seventeen Atlanta. Thereverse dagger, if you will. But
while the game was lost, hopewasn't. I thought it was a good
solid effort from our defense, youknow, a solid solid effort from the
offense. I mean, there's there'ssome things we're gonna correct the marrow as
a football team fundamentally that we've beendoing very good coming into this game that

(08:33):
we did not do as good today. I come out of this knowing that
we're gonna be in uh you know, at best time for the division lead
and two games behind the conference leader. So that's that's disappointing. But there's
still five games left. A lotof stuff can happen. We just need
to play better as we get intoDecember. A bounce back win at home
against the forty nine Ers gave thePackers an eight and four record with four

(08:56):
games left to play, one gameback of the Bears, but still with
the opportunity to earn a split ifit came to it in week seventeen,
but looming ahead was potential disaster.Sunday, December twelfth, Ford Field,
Detroit, the eight and four Packerstaking on the two and ten Lions,
But instead of laying down like oneof the worst teams in football, Detroit

(09:18):
brought their A game to the defensiveside of the ball. But late in
the second quarter of a scoreless contest, the Packers saw not just a winnable
game, but their entire season flashedbefore their eyes. Play action. Rodgers
steps to the pocket under pressure,steps up, Rogers takes it himself,
scrambles thirty thirty, fox straight aheadforty and he's knocked down across the forty
yard lock. I'll tell you whatI was mentioning, Druce Stan Da've been

(09:41):
calling running place for him a lotof times. These runs by Aaron Rodgers
are his decision. As Spivey andJohnson make the hit and Rogers slow to
get up. He took a heckof a shaft from Spivey, droll them
good. Yeah, Aaron very slowto get a I was about to say,

(10:01):
Larry, I worry about Rogers whenhe takes off on runs like that,
and we have a lot of steak. Yeah, awful lot at stake.
First charge, time out, timeout taken by the Packers, Rogers
shaking up on that play. Rogersstayed in the game, but not for
very long. This could be serious. Her Man Flynn in the game for
the Green Bay Packers. Who gottawonder what the condition of Aaron Rodgers.
Absolutely, you're right, Flynn onthe field now, Aaron Rodgers shaking up

(10:28):
on a scramble. But he stayedin the game after that scramble hit by
Specify and I don't know if thatwas the hit that did the injury,
but then also landed Johnson. Lateyears later, Rogers would tell interviewer Bill
Simmons what exactly happened. I wasknocked out for just a second. First
flit second, and I got upand my tin strap was like across my

(10:50):
nose and you can see Jeans Territory, one of my favorite referees, and
he kind of comes over to meand he's like, hey, okay,
and I don't remember this, butI'm a a fine, I'm fine,
you know. So then there wasa time out called went over the sideline
and and I think I waved,I'm good, I'm good. You know,
it's just kind of the what's builtinto you. Then I went back

(11:11):
out there for a couple of plays. I didn't know I couldn't call the
plays. And when you get out, I called the play because they over
recited from my helmet. Yeah,and I remember. The only thing I
remember about that that sequence was Iwas under center and I didn't know if
it was a runner of pass.And Mike and I laugh about this.
You know, it's not funny toget to play the concussions. It's not

(11:31):
safe. I wouldn't recommend it.Yeah, we laughed because it was a
hard play, fake to the right, and and I had the post runner
wide open for a touchdown, butI didn't know if it was a runner
of pass. So I kind ofmoved backwards and then held and got sacked.
And then that was it. Icame out again, a game the
Packers would lose seven to three,with their star quarterback out indefinitely. With
Rogers unavailable for Week sixteen, MattFlynn put up a valiant effort became up

(11:54):
just short. At New England.The Packers were eight and six in a
crowded few for the sixth and finalwildcard spot in the NFC. The division
leaders were Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and weirdly the six and eight Seahawks.
But the Saints were ten and four, the Giants were nine and five,
and the Buccaneers were eight and six. Like the Packers, were four

(12:15):
teams two wild card spots. ThePackers had their work cut out for themselves.
Week sixteen saw the Packers host oneof the teams they were vying with
for a playoff spot, the NewYork Giants. The Giants had just been
devastated the week earlier against their divisionrivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, and then

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it just kicks a toppling low ballmiddle of the field. Jackson then muss
it at the thirty five, reversesthe field to the right, shoots up
the middle. There goes to SeanJackson, Texas gonna go forty thirty twenty
ten five touchdown. Well he's notin the end zone. He's running the
water, and then he goes inas time expires. They came and they

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stole this game away. The Giantshad no one to blame. Book themselves
off science Giants fans are throwing digreon the funeral with the classmates act,
so the Giants were already demoralized.Compounding momentum matters, Aaron Rodgers was cleared
to play midweek. It feels greatto be back, you know. I

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think the toughest thing about last weekhaving to you know, be sent home
early Wednesday and Thursday was not beingaround the guys. You know, I
missed just the locker room, inthe practice and the and the pre practice
stretching and cracking jokes and stuff.So it was good to be back with
the guys, and he knew whatwas right in front of his team.
Well, I look at it aswe control our own destiny. I mean,
we have everything in front of us. That's all you can ask for
this point in the season. Obviouslywe'd like to be, uh, you

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know, at ten wins or moreat this point, but it is what
it is. Right in six,everything's in front of us. Two wins
were in the playoffs, two homegames. So it's an important week for
US Giants coming off a tough loss. And we know what kind of what
kind of team there are, theveryweld coach, and they have a lot
of fairy talent of players, soit's gonna be a tough game for us,

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but we know we gotta do.Sunday afternoon, December twenty sixth was
a New York blood bath, greenBay dominating in every phase of the game.
Snaffter Rodgers fakes to Jackson Rodgers quickthrow, He's got, He's got,
Tony dowsin fifty forty thirty right sidelinestwenty fifteen ten five cuts down eighty

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yards. Tony Nelson leaps to thenorth zone, stands Branshaw, dangerous receiver
on the safety valves. Snap toManny past time scams the secondary rainbows in
the middle, trust Ron Williams.He's of the fifty cuts right to the
forty five yard life now trying tomake the turn. Handle round in front
of the York bench by Mario Manninghaminterception Tremada Williams. Here's the snack to

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Rodgers and the shotgun steps up,look scrambles right, pump fakes throws touch
down, touchdown Green Bay Packers.James Jones uncovered football to the five yard
line of the Giants. Second downand goal to go for green Bay.
A chance to put this game awaycoming up on seven minutes to go,
straight eyed formation backfield, Rodgers undercenter Nelson wanted to write, Rodgers takes

(15:16):
fakes the hand off, booting likeFright, tups it off the tree,
touchdown, and there is your dagger. You have to put in that category.
We had no choice. Our recordis what it is, and I
have an opportunity to play at home. I can't say enough about our fans.
I thought they were tremendous today.Disable to get out in front there

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early. I thought they played abig part in our success. But you
know, it's everybody knows what thescore is. You know, we were
at nine wins and must get theten wins to get in the tournament.
That led up to a win andget in game against their hated rivals and
division champions, the Chicago Bears inweek seventeen. You know, they're they're
kind of on a roll. They'vebeen. They've been playing pretty consistent most
of the season. Had a coupleof hiccups, but beat you know,

(16:02):
beat a good Jets team, andum, you know, and beat the
Eagles as well, and they've beenplaying very well. Wrapped up the division
and we'll see what happens today.Well, what happened was a defensive struggle
and a tie game at three tothree entering the fourth quarter until Aaron Rodgers
was able to break through Rogers undercenter. Now they've got a power eye
formation. Give it fake to JohnConn Rodgers pitching cuts right side to league.

(16:26):
Packers have the lead. We knewwhat that was gonna be. You
know, it's a robbery game.You know. We knew they want to
go and put their guys. Youknow, they want to beat the Packers.
The Packers want to be the Bears. So why not give the fans
a great game? You know?And I think that's what he did today
with the Bears. Of course theywould have loved to knock us out.
But here we are still standing futureHall of Fame cornerback Charles Woodson. So
the Packers were in with a bunchof familiar foes ahead before they could even

(16:48):
think about the super Bowl. Thestory of the Playoffs and a conversation with
one of the key players from thetwenty ten Packers season is next. I'm
Doug Russell and you're listening to Talesfrom twelve sixty five. You're listening to
Tales from twelve sixty five, presentedby Nicolay Law, your local Award winning

(17:14):
Injury Lawyers. If you've been injured, get Nicolay, Wisconsin's winning team of
lawyers that will get you back inthe game. Doug Russell back with you.
The playoffs began where the regular seasondid, at Lincoln Financial Field against
the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, January ninth, twenty twenty one. The number six

(17:36):
seed Packers, the number three seedEagles, and this one green Bay jumped
out in front early first and goalto go seven yard line of Philadelphia.
High formation backfield cool the tailback,Jennings the left driver right, Rogers spins,
fakes the handoff, back of itall swings right side, got a
man touchdown Crabtree the first score ofthe day. First down and goal to

(17:56):
go football nine yard line of Philadelphia. Rogers shotgun snap looks waits, pumps,
pumps again. Chase by Parker rollingright, throws ends one diving grab
Jones. He's got it touched down. But the Eagles didn't just go away.
Even with wire to wire green Baylead. Philly had one last gasp,
down twenty one to sixteen with fortyfour seconds left, driving at the

(18:19):
green Bay twenty seven yard line.Bick without a huddle, gets the snap
once again, steps pump fakes nowerth it out left side of the end,
set dead, intercepted by the GreenBay Packers Frommon Williams, and there
is your wild cark dagger. We'rejust getting started. This is the first

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round. We've established ourselves as afootball team. We won a big football
game here in Philadelphia versus championship caliberprogram, and we have the opportunity to
go to Lanta. So we're excitedabout playing a number one seed and a
team the Packers had lost two monthsbefore that game back on November twenty eighth,
a twenty to seventeen defeat, butone where the Packers felt like they
had Atlanta on the ropes. Backto Georgia they went, and this game,

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unlike the one just forty eight daysprior, was a blowout, with
the number one seed getting absolutely runout of their own building. Ironically,
Atlantis scored first and then again atfourteen to seven after a one hundred two
yard Eric Weems kick off return,and then the Falcons got grounded and pounded.
Here's the handoff on the right side, cone spins go line touchsdown shotgun

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formation for a rod checks into hisright. Jennings deployed in motion to the
left on first intent of the Atlantatwenty. Here's the snap. Rogers looks
lofts right side of the end zone, leaping at ten, made by Jones.
He's done it, they said,stays it all checked by James Jones,
right tarn the end toels twenty yardtouchdown. Second in nineteen, right

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alone to the shotgun, gets thesnap, rolls the left, throws the
left sidelight, set dude down thesidelights. Tomad Williams ended it clear to
the forty, to the thirty,to the twy, to the town hall,
the world to the touchdown seventy twoyaws at halftime, the Packers led
twenty eight to fourteen. In thethird quarter, that became one of the

(20:11):
legendary playoff performances in Packers team history. You're the Packers of the mina scribbage
first down goal to go football justinside the eight yard line of Atlanta.
Straight eye formation, backfield Lee inmotion to the right side. Rogers ducks
in under center and he takes thestep play action back to throw, looking
around, waiting, steps up,scrambles pump Fax takes it to the right
side. Die for the end zone. He's in the Jennings wide to the

(20:33):
right side, to the left side, Nelson straight eye formation backfield starts the
tail of the tantum. Cooda isthe fullback, Rogers under center, and
Rogers takes play action still hasn't waitinglooking clothes right, flat cut, tune,
turn to the end zone, bangout the bounds, touchdown cut the
pylon on the first side. Luftonforced him out but could not deny him

(20:57):
the pilon seven yard touchdown path.It's forty one to fourteen and there it's
York Dagger and it was off toChicago for the NFC Championship Game. Two
ranch rivals playing for just the secondtime in playoff history with a trip to
the super Bowl on the line.It's special. It's really a privilege and

(21:18):
honor now to be part of thisgreat history with with with the playoff game
against the Bears. I know it'sonly the second time. What's happened.
It's one hundred and eighty second meetingof both teams, So personally it's you
know, I'm honored to be partof this and to be going down to
Soldiers Field to play for the hallisTrophy and for your opportunity to play for
the Lombardi Trophy. I think Ithink it speaks volumes. It's great for
both organizations. It's great for ourfans. It's gonna be a fun game

(21:41):
to play. I think it takesthe rivalry to the next level. We've
met one hundred and eighty one times. I believe this is one hundred and
eighty second one other time in theplayoffs, I believe in the thirties or
early forties or forty one, Iget So. You know, it's great
that you know so much history,the longest running rivalry and the now football
league to have one of us,you know, the winner of this game

(22:03):
to the school was pretty special.These are the moments that you play for.
You know, to have an opportunityand uh, you know I've been
once and you know it was anincredible experience. You know, it's been
a long time ago though now.UM. You know, the thing is
is you never you never know whenyou get back. You never knew if
you get there, I never knowif you win one. Um. But

(22:25):
but you know, to have theopportunity and you know again to be one
of the final teams. Um,you know, trying to get to the
super Bowl. It means a lot. It was not an opportunity Charles Woodson
and the Packers would way. Rodgerstakes fakes the handoff foot lake flip.
He takes it into the end zonehimself, diving for the playl on touchdown

(22:48):
core or less. All of theWest part in motion to the slot right
side. Here at the handoff,starts slamming right to the fire to the
end zone, reaching for the coal. I toluck it down. He's got
it. Third down, third downand five for the Bears. Here they
are to the line coverage of theChicago fifteen slot and right single receiver Hester
to the laft press coverage. SniffTahity throws it over the middle of the
hanshift and j Rogie to the outsideto the touchdown in NFC chimpionship dagger eighteen

(23:18):
yard returned baj Rogie. The Peckersare Super Bowl bound. Under a minute
to go. Fourth down for Chicago, fourth down and four. It's ball
game on the line slot right slotleft. Sniff Dahiny, looking around in
the pocket, throws it over thematters head intercepted by Shields cutting to his

(23:41):
left in the forty and there itis. It is Green Bay all the
way the Super Bowl forty five secondinterception today for shields. The Green Bay
Packers are NFC champions. Would liketo, you know, put more than
fourteen points on the board, obviously, but we're going to Super Bowl and

(24:02):
we got a week to relax andget our bodies back and go and join
Dallas and hopefully get a win downAir, which we all know happen.
But that's another story for another podcast. Joining me now one of the key
members of that twenty ten Packers team, fullback John Coon. John, I
appreciate the time very much. Takeme back to the beginning of the twenty
ten season, coming off of thatheartbreaking loss at Arizona the previous year in

(24:26):
the playoffs, going into twenty ten, we were really excited about our core
of guys, obviously coming off oftwo thousand and nine, the way we
finished that season, I think itwas a seven and one record to finish
the regular season. We were oneof the hottest teams in the NFL and
we went out there. I canremember it was back to back games against
Arizona the season finale in which wewon, and then we went right back

(24:47):
the next week for the wild cardweekend, and we took that one to
overtime. We know how that endedwith the bounce off the ground and potential
hands to the face and then thefumble ran in for a touchdown air by
Dansby. But we knew we couldhang right there with any of the teams
in the NFC, and we knewwith only another year of experience that we

(25:07):
were going to be a team toreckon with. And then keep in mind
this, you know, two thousandand nine, we had a lot of
rookies play big roles on that footballteam, Clay Matthews and bj Rogie to
name a couple, and going intotheir second year, it just seemed like
Clay Matthews and the defense was reallygoing to take off. Let's talk about
the regular season then, because hehad a couple of close losses, a
couple of overtime losses. You lostto the Bears by a field goal,

(25:30):
for example, you lost to theFalcons by a field goal. The Falcons
were the number one seat. We'llget to them a little bit later on,
but going into this regular season,at one point you were eight and
six with those losses, those closelosses that I was talking about. Aaron
had gotten hurt in the Lions gamein Week fourteen. He had been cleared
out of concussion protocol. You hadto win both of your remaining two games
against good teams, the Giants andthe Bears. But take me back to

(25:53):
that regular season when you had allof these close losses that were piling up.
I mean, did you have thefeeling that you were kind of right
there and ready to do something,specially you just needed the chance and the
ball to bounce the right way.Yeah. Absolutely, the one thing we
knew, and we knew this becauseI don't think we ever trailed by more
than maybe a touchdown that entire season. In fact, all of our losses

(26:14):
were one score games. You mentionedthe overtime games there earlier in the season
to the Redskins and the Dolphins.But the one that really sticks out to
me where we knew we were reallygood was against the Atlanta Falcons. We
went in there and we battled withthem, and if you remember, they
were the one seed that year,and we took them to the brink in
the regular season. They beat ustwenty to seventeen, and there was a
clear cut message in the locker roomafter that game. We're gonna come back

(26:37):
here and we're gonna take care ofbusiness. And we knew from that point
in time that we had a teamto be reckoned with. We just need
to figure some things out. Obviously, Aaron getting hurt against Detroit and then
losing the next week to New EnglandPatriots kind of set us back a little
bit. But we were bailed outwith the miracle in the Meadowlands too,
and gave ourselves an opportunity to runthe table there, which we did to

(26:59):
get into the play. Did thatPatriots loss? I don't know, booy
you in any way in this sense, even without Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn
played pretty well against a really goodPatriots team. Your last two games were
at home. What was the mentalityafter that Patriots loss? Well, again,
that was the same weekend that DeShawnJackson returns a punt that should have
never happened against the Giants to wina regular season game. And a lot

(27:22):
of people point to where the recordsand the standings would have been in this,
that and the other thing. Butthe Giants were up on us.
The Giants were going to be upon us if we didn't win in New
England, and we knew that,and coming off that field there was there
was not a whole lot of wecan play with anybody, even without Aaron
Rodgers. We knew already how goodwe were. It wasn't until we got

(27:44):
into the locker room and reporters startedtelling us in the locker room, you
guys are fine. You still holdthe destiny in your hands. It's two
games at home winning get in.It was kind of one of those moments
where you think you might be down, but then you find out you're really
not out of it, and itcan bring a big sense of urgency all
of a sudden. And you sawthat the next week with a forty five
seventeen victory against the Giants. Yeah, take me into that week because that

(28:07):
was just a taking a part ofa team that I think had been maybe
a little bit demoralized the week priorto that, and you dominated them.
What was the feeling of the weekleading up to that game on December twenty
sixth, Well, whenever you getinto the winning get in scenario, you
know, and you see that fromtime to time. It can be playoffs
before playoffs, and we knew hadwe lost that Giants game, we were

(28:30):
out of it. So that wasa playoff game for us going into week
sixteen, and we got Aaron Rodgersback. We had a really nice week
of practice and the offense was onfire. But what I remember more about
that game was the defense was onfire. They had six takeaways in that
ball game. I can vividly rememberClay Matthews chasing down a running back from
like fifteen yards behind, forcing afumble when they were driving. So it

(28:53):
was just everything clicking on all cylindersoffensively, defensively and special teams and novels.
Our best performance of the season.And then the next week another win
or get in against the team thathad already won the division, the Chicago
Bears ten to six. The finalscore. What was the track like at
lambeau Field that day because it wasa low scoring game, But again it
was another one of those win andget in scenarios. You know. Back

(29:15):
in that time, Chicago had thattremendous defense and it didn't matter what they
were doing offensively. We knew itwas going to be a dog fight.
You mentioned earlier in the season wehad lost to them in Chicago twenty to
seventeen, and you know, tohave that team come to your house,
and we had already known they hadpunched our tickets to the playoffs. We
had already known that they had wontheir division or our division there, so

(29:37):
we had to beat them at home. Some say they may have taken it
a little bit easy on us.Tried not to give anything away with the
game plan and try to play alittle bit soft and not get hurt in
that game. But whatever they did, it played into our benefit because we
were able to eat one out thereand get the victory. But if you
look even the NFC Championship game whenwe got to play them again, they

(29:57):
were down in the third string quarterbacks, battling all the way to the end.
Well, let's talk about the playoffs. The first week of the playoffs,
the wildcard round, you had togo back to Philadelphia where you started
the regular season. There's never beena harder path to the Super Bowl in
the sense that in non consecutive weeksyou had to go on the road and
beat the number one seed, thenumber two seed, and the number three

(30:18):
seed, the number one seed Atlantain the divisional round. But that gaming
going back to Lincoln Financial Field,What was the mentality leading up to that
game, because I think for someteams it's okay, we can exhale.
We got into the playoffs, thatwas the goal. What was it for
you guys? Well, for us, we had beaten the Eagles week one,
but that was the Kevin Cobb gamewhen he got knocked out of the

(30:38):
game, and then Michael Vick camein, and then the Eagles went on
a little bit of a run throughthroughout the course of the season. And
there was so much talk coming intothat game that, yeah, the Packers
beat them week one in Philadelphia,but this is a much different team with
Michael Vick now, and we knew, we knew it was going to be
time to show our true colors andto go out there and play our best

(31:00):
football. And Philly was clicking.But it was just one of those magical
rides. You go in there andyou got Tremon Williams at the end of
the game picking off Michael Vick.I'll never forget that, you know.
I think that was every now andthen you get a play in a playoff
front one play that can kind ofset the tone for the entire playoff rom
I do think Tremon Williams interception wasjust that. And then going to Atlanta.

(31:22):
Now, I think that this oneis key because you go into that
game in the wildcard round against Philadelphia, as the numbers succeed, obviously,
the home team is the heavy favoritegoing into that game. I think in
any scenario in the playoffs. Butthen you go to Atlanta, you would
mention that three point loss back inlate November, just after Thanksgiving. They
were the number one seed, butyou had played them really, really tough.

(31:45):
That game wasn't even much of agame because I remember, and I
don't know what it was like onthe sideline, but I know what it
was like in the press box.And about five minutes into the third quarter,
fans had started streaming out of theGeorgia Dome and we're all looking around
at each other saying, this gameis already over. What was that game
like for you, knowing that youwould just slay the number one seed in

(32:07):
the NFC. Well, I toldyou earlier that we were in the locker
room in the regular season after ourgame with Atlanta, and we were disappointed
with our loss, and we madea vow to one another that we would
come back here in the playoffs andtake care of business, and it was
just that. A couple things veryvividly that stick out to me is that's

(32:28):
the best game ever played by aquarterback that I witnessed, that I was
there to witness with my own eyesin what Aaron Rodgers was able to do,
not just with his throws, notjust with picking a defense apart,
but his ability to know exactly wheredefenders were. He had moments where he
stepped up in a pocket and thendoubled out and he would make an unblocked
defender miss in the backfield before heavingwent downfield and scoring a touchdown. It

(32:52):
was his dismantling of the Atlanta Falconsdefense, and then our defense is dismantling
of Matt Ryan that really made thathappen. And then the last thing I
remember is that entire dome, theentire fourth quarter was nothing but Packer fans
in the lower bowl, everybody thatgot tickets and got stuffed up in the
upper deck. They had plenty ofspace to work their way down and it

(33:15):
was nothing but Packers fans to finishthat game. What an incredible feeling.
And then the next week against yourour trivals, the Chicago Bears, the
team that had just won the division, the team that you had split with
in the regular season but had towin in the final week of the regular
season just to get into the playoffs. Boy, I know for Packers fans,
and I don't know how much ofthis filtered into the locker room,
but you guys live in Green Bay. You hear all the things that are

(33:37):
being talked about. This game meanteverything to Packers fans because it was is
bragging rights, not just for theseason, but bragging rights pretty much forever,
because the stakes are never going tobe higher when these two teams get
together. Yeah, you don't regularlyget division opponents in a championship game like
this, and so it just raisedthe stakes for everybody. This is about

(34:00):
the point in the season when practicesstart ramping up, really serious practices.
You might not have the pads on, but everybody is into it, locked
in and focused. The meetings mightgo an extra fifteen twenty minutes of peace,
and the days just seemed to gobuy at a record clip. They're
just flying by. You're putting inall this work, but it doesn't feel
like you're really putting any work inat all, because you're so locked in

(34:21):
and you're so focused, and itjust amped up with it being the Chicago
Bears at Soldier Field and Charles Woodson, I can remember, gave a couple
impassionate speeches at that game, onebefore we took the field and then one
after we concluded that one, andwe were holding a Hollis Trophy in the
locker room, and he was ourtrue leader. And it was about that

(34:42):
time you started getting those special feelingsthat this team was going to do something
now, and it was going todo something special, which of course it
did. We'll dive into Super Bowlforty five on another show, but you
can't get to the promised Land withouttaking the journey first, the journey that
was the twenty ten Green Bay Packersseason. This has been Tales from twelve
sixty five with your host Doug Russell, presented by Nikolay Law, your local

(35:07):
award winning injury lawyers. If you'vebeen injured, get Nikolay, Wisconsin's winning
team of lawyers that will get youback in the game. Tales from twelve
sixty five is a presentation of iHeartRadiopodcasts. Here every episode, on the
iHeartRadio app, iTunes, or whereveryou listen to podcasts,