The 1991 Green Bay Packers (4-12)

September 1: Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) 20, Green Bay Packers (0-1) 3

(GREEN BAY) - The Eagles' new first-string quarterback strolled into the interview room late Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field, laid down his overnight bag and jacket, chomped hard on his gum, then smiled slyly. Reporters had gathered around the podium, microphones were poised, and television-camera lights were blazing. For the first time since he joined the Eagles 14 months ago, after the Chargers had dumped him, Jim McMahon again was a quarterback in demand. For the first time in nearly two years, McMahon was back in the spotlight - his slicked-back hair in a ponytail, his sunglasses reflecting the harsh glare of the television lights. He had not been signed by the Eagles to be their primary quarterback, but the unthinkable really had happened. On the first play of the second quarter, Green Bay LB Bryce Paup tackled Randall Cunningham's left knee. McMahon, the oft-injured, 32-year-old quarterback who has played in 10 games or more in only three of his nine NFL seasons, had been an insurance policy in case Cunningham got hurt. And it had come time for the Eagles to cash in. As trainers tended to Cunningham at the 30-yard line, McMahon pulled on a helmet and furiously threw a few warm-up passes, hoping for the best, hoping that he would not need to replace Cunningham for long. But when Cunningham had to be helped off the field and to a bench, McMahon's focus shifted to his responsibilities. As he ran into the huddle, there was just one thought on his mind. Six points. Three plays later, the Eagles had a field goal - their first points of the season. And McMahon finished the game completing 17-of-25 passes for 257 yards, with two interceptions and two sacks. McMahon also threw two memorable touchdown passes. The first was a 32-yarder to Keith Ryars that was deflected by the Packers' Chuck Cecil and hauled in with one hand by a fallen Byars in the end zone. The second was a 75-yard blue-darter to Fred Barnett that sealed the Eagles' 20-3 victory.

PHILADELPHIA - 0 13 0 7 - 20

GREEN BAY - 0 0 3 0 - 3

2nd - PHIL - Roger Ruzek, 37-yard field goal PHILADELPHIA 3-0

2nd - PHIL - Keith Byars, 32-yard pass from Jim McMahon (Ruzek kick) PHIL 10-0

2nd - PHIL - Ruzek, 40-yard field goal PHILADELPHIA 13-0

3rd - GB - Jacke, 21-yard field goal PHILADELPHIA 13-3

4th - PHIL - Fred Barnett, 75-yard pass from McMahon (Ruzek kick) PHIL 20-3

September 8 : Detroit Lions (1-1) 23, Green Bay Packers (0-2) 14

(DETROIT) - Barry Sanders returned to the Detroit lineup and made everyone better, especially Rodney Peete. Peete attempted a career-high 38 passes, completing 25 for 270 yards and Robert Clark had 10 catches for a career-high 143 yards as the Lions defeated the Green Bay Packers 23-14. A week earlier, the two teams had combined for just 3 points. Sanders had missed the Lions opener with a rib injury and gained only 42 yards on 18 carries against the Packers. But he scored the Lions first touchdown, and that set the stage for everything that followed. Green Bay's frustration was summed up by QB Don Majkowski, who threw his helmet at an ambulance after the loss.

GREEN BAY - 0 7 7 0 - 14

DETROIT - 7 3 10 3 - 23

1st - DET - Barry Sanders, 4-yard run (Eddie Murray kick) DETROIT 7-0

2nd - GB - Workman, 1-yard run (Jacke kick) TIED 7-7

2nd - DET - Murray, 41-yard field goal DETROIT 10-7

3rd - DET - Willie Green, 12-yard pass from Rodney Peete (Murray kick) DET 17-7

3rd - DET - Murray, 27-yard field goal DETROIT 20-7

3rd - GB - Majkowski, 2-yard run (Jacke kick) DETROIT 20-14

4th - DET - Murray, 36-yard field goal DETROIT 23-14

September 15 : Green Bay Packers (1-2) 15, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3) 13

(GREEN BAY) - Don Majkowski filtered out the boos and led Green Bay to its first victory, his late game passing and Chris Jacke's 22-yard field goal with 22 seconds to go producing a victory over winless Tampa Bay. The Packers ended a seven-game skid dating to November, when they last beat the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay lost its third consecutive tough decision under coach Richard Williamson. The Bucs took a 13-5 lead with 3:59 left when Willie Drewery grabbed a tipped pass from Vinny Testaverde and raced 87 yards for a touchdown. Majkowski, the object of fan displeasure all afternoon, moved the Packers 76 yards in seven plays, throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to Vince Workman with 2:03 left. Majkowski completed five passes for 65 yards and the Buccaneers were assessed a personal foul during the drive.

TAMPA BAY - 0 0 3 10 - 13

GREEN BAY - 0 5 0 10 - 15

2nd - GB - Safety, Paup sacked Vinny Testaverde in the end zone GREEN BAY 2-0

2nd - GB - Jacke, 24-yard field goal GREEN BAY 5-0

3rd - TB - Steve Christie, 31-yard field goal GREEN BAY 5-3

4th - TB - Christie, 22-yard field goal TAMPA BAY 6-5

4th - TB - Willie Drewery, 87-yard pass from Testaverde (Christie kick) TB 13-5

4th - GB - Workman, 8-yard pass from Majkowski (Jacke kick) TAMPA BAY 13-12

4th - GB - Jacke, 22-yard field goal GREEN BAY 15-13

September 22 : Miami Dolphins (2-2) 16, Green Bay Packers (1-3) 13

(MIAMI) - Chuck Klingbeil's first NFL touchdown helped Don Shula to his 300th NFL victory, and that, the coach says, "wasn't in the script." Klingbeil, a reserve nose tackle from the CFL, recovered Don Majkowski's fourth quarter fumble in the end zone for the tie, and Pete Stoyanovich kicked a 31-yard field goal that lifted the Miami Dolphins past Green Bay 16-13. The Dolphins' offense gained just 232 yards and extended its touchdown-less streak to six quarters. But the defense and the kicking of Stoyanovich and punter Reggie Roby were enough for Miami and the milestone. The pivotal play came at the start of the fourth quarter after Green Bay scored 13 consecutive points for a 13-6 lead. On second down at his 2, Majkowski faded into the end zone, looked right, looked left and dropped the ball without being touched. Klingbeil fell on it and became Miami's unlikely hero; the 260-pound free-agent acquisition is on the team only because two other nose tackles are hurt. He was delighted to be linked with Shula's landmark win. Majkowski blamed the 86-degree weather for his fumble. Dan Marino's 40-yard pass to Mark Duper on the Dolphins' next series set up the winning kick with 8:21 left. Stoyanovich also kicked field goals of 43 and 52 yards in the first quarter. Roby punted seven times for an average of 52.7 yards. He pinned Green Bay at the 2 before Klingbeil's touchdown, and at the 5 with 2:15 left. Miami then clinched the victory when Vestee Jackson recovered another Majkowski fumble at Green Bay's 24. Majkowski finished with 19 completions in 36 attempts for 238 yards with 1 interception. He was sacked five times. Marino was 19 of 32 for 212 yards with 1 interception and 3 sacks. Mark Higgs, the second-leading rusher in the NFL, was held to 43 yards in 18 carries

GREEN BAY - 0 13 0 0 - 13

MIAMI - 6 0 10 0 - 16

1st - MIA - Pete Stoyanovich, 43-yard field goal MIAMI 3-0

1st - MIA - Stoyanovich, 52-yard field goal MIAMI 6-0

2nd - GB - Jacke, 28-yard field goal MIAMI 6-3

2nd - GB - Jacke, 34-yard field goal TIED 6-6

2nd - GB - West, 14-yard pass from Majkowski (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 13-6

3rd - MIA - Chuck Klingbeil, fumble recovery in the end zone TIED 13-13

3rd - MIA - Stoyanovich, 31-yard field goal MIAMI 16-13

September 29 : Los Angeles Rams (2-3) 23, Green Bay Packers (1-4) 21

(LOS ANGELES) - The Los Angeles Rams, a team badly in need of some spark, got two big plays from special teams veteran Paul Butcher as they scored two touchdowns in seven seconds and held on for a victory over the Green Bay Packers. Blair Kiel, taking over after starting quarterback Don Majkowski went out with a shoulder injury in the second quarter, rallied the Packers to two late touchdowns, but the Rams held on to the ball for the final 4:49. The Rams trailed 7-3, but moved ahead with 17 points in the last 2:41 of the first half. After the second of three field goals by Tony Zendjas pulled Los Angeles within 7-6, Butcher, a 5-year NFL veteran who's started just one game, set up the Rams' first touchdown when he recovered a fumble by the Packers' Allen Rice at the Green Bay 15. DE Tim Harris' Green Bay career came to an end one day later when he was traded to San Francisco for a 1992 second round draft choice.

GREEN BAY - 0 7 0 14 - 21

LOS ANGELES - 3 17 3 0 - 23

1st - LA - Tony Zendejas, 30-yard field goal LOS ANGELES 3-0

2nd - GB - Majkowski, 2-yard run (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 7-3

2nd - LA - Zendejas, 32-yard field goal GREEN BAY 7-6

2nd - LA - Robert Delpino, 2-yard run (Zendejas kick) LOS ANGELES 13-7

2nd - LA - Anthony Newman, 17-yard run (Zendejas kick) LOS ANGELES 20-7

3rd - LA - Zendejas, 28-yard field goal LOS ANGELES 23-7

4th - GB - Kemp, 2-yard pass from Kiel (Jacke kick) LOS ANGELES 23-14

4th - GB - Workman, 5-yard pass from Kiel (Jacke kick) LOS ANGELES 23-21

October 6 : Dallas Cowboys (4-2) 20, Green Bay Packers (1-5) 17

(MILWAUKEE) - Dallas, off to its best start in five years, used the passing combo of Troy Aikman and Jay Novacek and two first-half interceptions to subdue Green Bay. The Cowboys haven't been so successful since going 6-2 in 1986. Novacek caught 11 passes for 121 yards. Aikman completed 31 of 41 for 287 yards, while Emmitt Smith rushed for 122 yards. Ray Horton's 65-yard interception TD return and Aikman's 13-yard TD pass to Novacek 73 seconds later, after an interception by Issiac Holt, gave Dallas a 14-0 lead. The Cowboys held on despite an 82-yard kickoff return for a score by Charles Wilson.

DALLAS - 0 14 3 3 - 20

GREEN BAY - 0 3 7 7 - 17

2nd - DAL - Ray Horton, 65-yard interception return (Ken Willis kick) DALLAS 7-0

2nd - DAL - Jay Novacek, 13-yard pass from Troy Aikman (Willis kick) DAL 14-0

2nd - GB - Jacke, 42-yard field goal DALLAS 14-3

draft choices, including former No. 1 pick, running back Brent Fullwood, who was released after three seasons. In 1989 the Packers took Michigan State offensive tackle Tony Mandarich with the No. 2 pick overall, selecting him ahead of running back Barry Sanders, now an all-pro with Detroit. Mandarich was disappointing his first two seasons and only this year has developed into an average lineman. The Packers this year hired Mike Reinfeldt as the chief financial officer to take the burden of negotiating contracts away from Braatz and give him more time to concentrate on football issues. Some observers said Braatz had lost some clout in the organization while Infante had become more powerful.

November 24 : Green Bay Packers (3-9) 14, Indianapolis Colts (1-11) 10

(MILWAUKEE) - Mike Tomczak took off on Green Bay's longest run of the season, setting up his own third-quarter touchdown, and the Packers' defense stopped an Indianapolis drive in the fourth quarter for a 14-10 victory over the Colts. Tomczak's 48-yard run set up his own 2-yard TD run with 9:08 left in the third quarter, putting Green Bay ahead 14-3, and the Packers held on in the fourth quarter for their third victory in 12 games.

INDIANAPOLIS - 0 3 0 7 - 10

GREEN BAY - 7 0 7 0 - 14

1st - GB - Workman, 1-yard run (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 7-0

2nd - IND - Dean Biasucci, 35-yard field goal GREEN BAY 7-3

3rd - GB - Tomczak, 2-yard run (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 14-3

4th - IND - Bill Brooks, 6-yard pass from Jeff George (Biasucci kick) GB 14-10

November 27 : Ron Wolf Hired As General Manager

Ron Wolf was the Green Bay Packers' first choice as general manager. His reputation as an evaluator of talent and organizer was strong. "Good football people in my mind have always wanted Ron," said team President Bob Harlan, who hired Woif on Wednesday and gave him a five-year contract to rebuild the Packers. Harlan never contacted anyone else about the job, even though he had compiled a list of eight candidates to replace Tom Braatz, who was fired a week ago. "Ron will do what is in the best interests of the Green Bay Packers," said Al LoCasale, a longtime executive assistant with the Raiders. Wolf worked with the Raiders for 24 years. "It's not an ego trip with him. He's just a talented personnel man who knows how to make good decisions," LoCasale said. Wolf, who also worked in Tampa Bay for three years and spent the last two years with the New York Jets, said Al Davis was his biggest influence. When Davis became commissioner of the American Football League in 1966, Wolf accompanied him to the league office as coordinator of talent. "I grew up there. Any sense I have is directly related to my association with the Raiders," Wolf said.

December 1 : Atlanta Falcons (8-5) 35, Green Bay Packers (3-10) 31

(ATLANTA) - The Green Bay Packers almost silenced Atlanta's playoff talk. Then the Falcons struck for three touchdowns in the final quarter to keep those hopes alive. Chris Miller, getting off a sick bed at halftime, completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Andre Rison with 41 seconds remaining to give the Falcons a 35-31 victory. Atlanta's game-winning touchdown came from a break. Green Bay punter Paul McJulien bobbled a snap and was forced to keep the ball, running out of bounds on his 41, well short of a first down. After being sacked on first down. Miller completed a 10-yard pass to Mike Pritchard and a 21-yarder to Rison before hitting for the game winner. The future QB of the Green Bay Packers, Brett Favre, watched the game on the Atlanta sidelines.

GREEN BAY - 7 14 0 10 - 31

ATLANTA - 7 0 7 21 - 35

1st - ATL - Erric Pegram, 4-yard run (Norm Johnson kick) ATLANTA 7-0

1st - GB - Sharpe, 4-yard pass from Tomczak (Jacke kick) TIED 7-7

2nd - GB - Thompson, 40-yard run (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 14-7

2nd - GB - Kemp, 13-yard pass from Tomczak (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 21-7

3rd - ATL - Steve Broussard, 3-yard run (Johnson kick) GREEN BAY 21-14

4th - GB - Sharpe, 20-yard pass from Tomczak (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 28-14

4th - ATL - Andre Rison, 20-yard pass from Chris Miller (Johnson kick) GB 28-21

4th - ATL - Joe Fishback, 16-yard fumble recovery (Johnson kick) TIED 28-28

4th - GB - Jacke, 27-yard field goal GREEN BAY 31-28

4th - ATL - Rison, 16-yard pass from Miller (Johnson kick) ATLANTA 35-31

December 8 : Chicago Bears (10-4) 27, Green Bay Packers (3-11) 13

(CHICAGO) - Jim Harbaugh threw two touchdown passes to Wendell Davis and Brad Muster ran for two touchdowns, leading Chicago over the Packers. The win halted a two-game losing streak by the Bears and moved them closer to their seventh Central Division title in eight years. The Packers lost their fifth in the last six games. Harbaugh completed 16 of 25 passes for 209 yards and his 35-yard touchdown to Davis late in the third quarter clinched it. Chicago's defense blanked the Packers, quarterbacked by former teammate Mike Tomczak, to the second half. Midway in the fourth quarter and down by two touchdowns, the Packers gambled on a fourth-and-three and failed when Tomczak tumbled the snap. On Green Bay's next possesion, Tomczak fumbled and Tim Ryan recovered at the Chicago 42 with 3:25 left in the game. Rumors began to swirl that Lindy Infante was soon to be the ex-coach of the Green Bay Packers.

GREEN BAY - 3 10 0 0 - 13

CHICAGO - 7 14 6 0 - 27

1st - CHI - Brad Muster, 8-yard run (Kevin Butler kick) CHICAGO 7-0

1st - GB - Jacke, 25-yard field goal CHICAGO 7-3

2nd - GB - Harris, 1-yard pass from Tomczak (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 10-7

2nd - CHI - Muster, 6-yard run (Butler kick) CHICAGO 14-10

2nd - CHI - Wendell Davis, 20-yard pass from Jim Harbaugh (Butler kick) CHI 21-10

2nd - GB - Jacke, 25-yard field CHICAGO 21-13

3rd - CHI - Davis, 35-yard pass from Harbaugh (Kick failed) CHICAGO 27-13

December 15 : Detroit Lions (11-4) 21, Green Bay Packers (3-12) 17

(GREEN BAY) - The Lions went out in the cold to get into the playoffs. Mel Gray returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown and Erik Kramer threw two touchdown passes to Robert Clark as the Lions beat the Packers to earn their first playoff berth since 1983. And the Lions' defense stopped a final Packers drive at the Detroit 44 with 2:11 to go when Green Bay's Vince Workman failed to make a yard on fourth-and-one. Detroit, playing without five injured starters, improved to 11-4, tying a franchise record for victories, and clinched at least a wildcard spot. The Lions and Chicago Bears are still tied for the NFC Central Division lead. The Packers lost for the 17th time in their last 20 games in what could have been coach Lindy Infante's final home game. Infante's record in four years is 23-40. Game-time temperature was 10 degrees with wind chills between 10 and 20 below. That was a little warmer than last December's meeting between the same teams when the temperature was 2 with a wind chill of minus 35. Detroit's victory was its first of the season in five games outside the comfort of domed stadiums. The Packers led 10-7 at the half when they outgained the Lions 168-105, but crossed midfield only twice in the second. Green Bay's Paul McJulien had punts of 22, 20 and 25 yards into the 20 mph wind in third quarter. Detroit took possession on its own 40 after the third short punt and finally moved in for the go-ahead score. Kramer hit passes of 16 and 8 yards to Mike Fair. On a second and 10 at the Green Bay 19, Barry Sanders took a screen pass and danced his way through five defenders for a 17-yard gain to the 2. The Packers stopped Sanders for no gain on first and for a yard loss on second, but Kramer took a quick drop and lobbed the ball to Clark in the corner ofthe end zone for the go-ahead score with 11:48 left in the game.

DETROIT - 7 0 0 14 - 21

GREEN BAY - 7 3 0 7 - 17

1st - GB - Workman, 30-yard run (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 7-0

1st - DET - Robert Clark, 19-yd pass fr Erik Kramer (Eddie Murray kick) TIED 7-7

2nd - GB - Jacke, 23-yard kick GREEN BAY 10-7

4th - DET - Clark, 3-yard pass from Kramer (Murray kick) DETROIT 14-10

4th - DET - Mel Gray, 78-yard punt return (Murray kick) DETROIT 21-10

4th - GB - Workman, 12-yard pass from Tomczak (Jacke kick) DETROIT 21-17

December 22 : Green Bay Packers (4-12) 27, Minnesota Vikings (8-8) 7

(MINNESOTA) - Lindy Infante gave his counterpart a most unusual retirement present - the most lopsided home loss of Jerry Burns' career. Vince Workman scored twice Saturday as the Packers finished what might be Infante's last game as head coach. The Packers reportedly are considering making a coaching change after their third losing campaign under Infante, who has a 24-40 mark in four seasons. Burns announced his retirement two weeks ago and the Vikings responded with successive victories over the Buccaneers and Rams. But Minnesota sent Burns out the same way it welcomed him; the Vikings lost his debut in 1986. In between, Burns won more games than he lost, finishing with a career record of 52-43. But the Vikings never seemed to win as much as their talent dictated. Minnesota players spent much of the week preceding Saturday's nationally televised game talking about how much they wanted to win for Burns, the only Viking introduced before the game. Instead, they played miserably and almost sustained their first home shutout since 1962. Only Rich Gannon's 9-yard pass to Terry Allen with 1:22 to go averted the shutout. Burns had only two'other 20-point losses at home - 34-14 to Detroit this season and 34-14 to Green Bay in 1988. Cris Carter fumbled on Minnesota's opening drive, leading to Chris Jacke's 42-yard field goal, and Minnesota had turnovers that set up touchdown runs by Workman and Keith Woodside. The Vikings also committed nine penalties for 82 yards.

GREEN BAY - 10 0 10 7 - 27

MINNESOTA - 0 0 0 7 - 7

1st - GB - Jacke, 42-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0

1st - GB - Workman, 12-yard pass from Tomczak (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 10-0

3rd - GB - Jacke, 39-yard field goal GREEN BAY 13-0

3rd - GB - Workman, 1-yard run (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 20-0

4th - GB - Woodside, 10-yard run (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 27-0

4th - MIN - Terry Allen, 9-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Faud Reveiz kick) GB 27-7

December 23 : Lindy Infante Fired As Head Coach

Green Bay Packers coach Lindy Infante was fired Sunday, becoming the third NFL coach to lose his job this season. Infante, 24-40 in his four years at Green Bay, was under pressure most of the season for his team's poor performance in compiling a 4-12 record. The Packers beat Minnesota 27-7 on Saturday in Jerry Burns' last game as the Vikings' coach. Earlier in the week, John Robinson resigned as coach of the Los Angeles Rams, effective after Sunday's game against Seattle. "I have been involved in pro football for 29 years and this has been the most difficult decision I've ever been called upon to make," Packers new general manager Ron Wolf said at a news conference announcing Infante's dismissal. Wolf, who also fired all the Packers' assistant coaches, added he would discuss the head coaching job with former New York Giants coach Bill Parcells, whose name has been mentioned ever since Wolf took over as the Packers' GM several weeks ago. "The ultimate job is to win and that has not been accomplished here," Wolf said. Green Bay players were told of the firing during a team meeting Sunday morning. "He told us he appreciated our efforts and wished us the very best," offensive lineman Bill Ard said. "We think he's laid a great foundation here for the future but the bottom line is win-loss. There's no gray area. You're either right or wrong." Infante, fired with three years left on his contract, was named NFL coach of the year in 1989 when he led the Packers to a 10-6 finish with an NFL-record four one-point wins. It was the Packers' best finish since 1972. Infante's first team in 1988 was 4-12. But the following season, quarterback Don Majkowski held out all of training camp and didn't make his first start until the third game of the season. Just when the Packers seemed to be back on track, Majkowski was slammed to the turf during a game against Phoenix. Majkowski was finished for the season and later underwent rotator cuff surgery on his throwing shoulder. Anthony Dilweg rallied the Packers to a victory after Majkowski was injured that day in Tempe, Ariz., and also led them to a victory over Tampa Bay the following week. That gave Green Bay a 6-5 record with a legitimate shot at the playoffs. But the Packers didn't win another game to finish 6-10 and have won only four since. With Majkowski struggling to regain his form of 1991, the Packers continued to lose with a series of errors and mistakes. Majkowski suffered a hamstring injury in the ninth game against the Jets.

January 11, 1992 : Mike Holmgren Hired As Head Coach

Mike Holmgren made the rounds in his search to become an NFL head coach, and Saturday he ended the journey in a city where football legends once roamed. Holmgren, the San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator the past three seasons, took over as coach of the Green Bay Packers, a franchise with only five winning seasons since capturing Super Bowl II under Vlnce Lombardi in 1968. The hiring of Holmgren capped a flurry of two-day activity on the NFL coaching front. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired former Cincinnati Bengals' head coach Sam Wyche while the Minnesota Vikings named former Stanford head coach Dennis Green, who becomes the NFL's second black head coach. Holmgren, who signed a guaranteed five-year contract for a reported $2.5 million in taking his first head coaching job, couldn't promise a quick fix. "I'm going to hold off on any predictions," he said Saturday at a news conference. "It's important to turn it around and we will do that. We'll talk about a timetable later " Holmgren, 43, got his start in the NFL when Bill Walsh hired him to coach 49ers quarterbacks in 1986. In six years with San Francisco, he worked with one of the game's best quarterbacks, Joe Montana. He also coached in two Super Bowl victories, and learned the game from both Walsh and George Seifert. "Bill gave me a great foundation but hopefully we can put a Mike Holmgren stamp on what goes on in Green Bay," said Holmgren, who also talked to Tampa Bay, the Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Indianapolis about their coaching vacancies. But Holmgren liked what the Packers had to offer - the presence of general manager Ron Wolf, the team's commitment to Plan B and the promise of a bountiful draft in April when Green Bay has two first-round and one second-round picks. "The Packers are set up to succeed," he said. "I have tremendous confidence in my ability to get the job done. Where I've been I've been part of successful, winning programs. I've worked for some outstanding people and what I've tried to do in formulating my own coaching philosophy is draw from each one." Holmgren was the first person Wolf interviewed for the job.

NAME NO POS HGT WGT COLLEGE YR PR AG G HOW ACQUIRED

Erik Affholter 82 WR 6- 0 187 USC 1 1 25 4 1989 Trade - Washington

Lester Archambeau 74 DE 6- 4 270 Stanford 2 2 24 16 1990 Draft - 7th round

Billy Ard 67 G 6- 3 273 Wake Forest 3 11 32 5 1989 Plan B - NY Giants

Steve Avery 32 RB 6- 1 225 Northern Mich 1 1 25 1 1990 FA

Tony Bennett 90 LB 6- 2 233 Mississippi 2 2 24 16 1990 Draft - 1st round

Matt Brock 62 DE 6- 4 285 Oregon 3 3 25 16 1989 Draft - 3rd round

Robert Brown 93 DE 6- 2 270 Virginia Tech 10 10 31 16 1982 Draft - 4th round

Reggie Burnette 55 LB 6- 1 240 Houston 1 1 22 3 1990 Draft - 7th round

Blair Bush 51 C 6- 3 273 Washington 3 14 34 16 1989 Plan B - Seattle

LeRoy Butler 36 CB 6- 0 192 Florida State 2 2 23 16 1990 Draft - 2nd round

James Campen 63 C 6- 3 275 Tulane 3 5 27 13 1989 Plan B - New Orl

Chuck Cecil 26 S 6- 0 188 Arizona 4 4 26 16 1988 Draft - 4th round

Louis Cheek 78 G/T 6- 7 286 Texas A&M 1 4 26 12 1991 Plan B - Philadel

Greg Clark 55 LB 6- 0 226 Arizona State 1 3 26 2 1991 Plan B - LA Rams

Vinnie Clark 25 CB 6- 0 194 Ohio State 1 1 22 16 1991 Draft - 1st round

Don Davey 99 DE 6- 4 273 Wisconsin 1 1 23 16 1991 Draft - 3rd round

Walter Dean 42 FB 5-10 216 Grambling 1 1 23 9 1991 Draft - 6th round

Burnell Dent 56 LB 6- 1 234 Tulane 6 6 28 14 1986 Draft - 6th round

Joe Fuller 21 CB 5-10 186 Northern Iowa 1 2 26 16 1991 FA - SD (1990)

Steve Gabbard 72 G/T 6- 3 290 Florida State 1 1 25 4 1991 FA

Ron Hallstrom 65 G 6- 6 297 Iowa 10 10 32 16 1982 Draft - 1st round

Jackie Harris 80 TE 6- 3 240 NE Louisiana 2 2 23 16 1990 Draft - 4th round

Tim Hauck 24 S 5-10 181 Montana 1 2 24 16 1991 Plan B - N.England

Johnny Holland 50 LB 6- 2 233 Texas A&M 5 5 26 16 1987 Draft - 2nd round

Jerry Holmes 44 CB 6- 1 176 West Virginia 2 10 33 13 1990 Plan B - Detroit

Chris Jacke 13 K 6- 0 197 Texas-El Paso 3 3 25 16 1989 Draft - 6th round

Scott Jones 71 T 6- 6 284 Washington 1 3 25 2 1991 Plan B - NY Jets

John Jurkovic 92 NT 6- 2 297 Eastern Illinois 1 1 24 4 1991 FA

Perry Kemp 81 WR 5-11 170 Califor St (PA) 4 5 29 16 1988 FA - Cleve (1987)

Blair Kiel 10 QB 6- 0 205 Notre Dame 3 6 29 4 1990 FA - GB (1988)

Kurt Larson 59 LB 6- 4 241 Michigan State 1 3 25 13 1991 Plan B - Ind

Don Majkowski 7 QB 6- 2 208 Virginia 5 5 27 9 1987 Draft - 10th round

Tony Mandarich 77 T 6- 5 295 Michigan State 3 3 24 15 1989 Draft - 1st round

Paul McJulien 16 P 5-10 210 Jackson State 1 1 26 16 1991 FA

Roland Mitchell 47 CB 5-11 198 Texas Tech 1 4 27 16 1991 Plan B - Atlanta

Rich Moran 57 G 6- 2 283 San Diego State 7 7 29 16 1985 Draft - 3rd round

Mark Murphy 37 S 6- 2 203 West Liberty St 11 11 33 16 1980 FA

Brian Noble 91 LB 6- 3 243 Arizona State 7 7 28 16 1985 Draft - 5th round

Shawn Patterson 96 DE 6- 5 265 Arizona State 4 4 26 12 1988 Draft - 2nd round

Bryce Paup 95 LB 6- 4 245 Northern Iowa 2 2 23 12 1990 Draft - 6th round

Jeff Query 85 WR 5-11 167 Millikin 3 3 24 16 1989 Draft - 5th round

Allen Rice 31 RB 5-10 206 Baylor 1 8 29 6 1991 Plan B - Minnesota

Ken Ruettgers 75 T 6- 5 288 USC 7 7 29 4 1985 Draft - 1st round

Sterling Sharpe 84 WR 5-11 202 South Carolina 4 4 26 16 1988 Draft - 1st round

Vai Sikahema 45 RB-KR 5- 8 196 BYU 1 6 29 11 1991 Plan B - Phoenix

Scott Stephen 54 LB 6- 2 243 Arizona State 5 5 27 16 1987 Draft - 3rd round

Darrell Thompson 39 FB 6- 0 215 Minnesota 2 2 23 13 1990 Draft - 1st round

Mike Tomczak 18 QB 6- 1 204 Ohio State 1 7 28 12 1991 Plan B - Chicago

Esera Tuaolo 98 NT 6- 2 284 Oregon State 1 1 23 16 1991 Draft - 2nd round

Keith Uecker 70 G 6- 5 295 Auburn 6 8 31 14 1984 FA - Denver (1983)

Clarence Weathers 87 WR 5- 8 182 Delaware State 2 9 29 14 1990 Plan B - Kan City

Chuck Webb 30 FB 5- 9 201 Tennessee 1 1 21 2 1991 Draft - 3rd round

Ed West 86 TE 6- 1 240 Auburn 8 8 30 16 1984 FA

Charles Wilson 88 WR 5- 9 174 Memphis State 2 2 23 15 1990 Draft - 5th round

Keith Woodside 33 RB 5-11 200 Texas A&M 4 4 27 16 1988 Draft - 3rd round

Vince Workman 46 RB 5-10 195 Ohio State 3 3 23 16 1989 Draft - 5th round

1991 PACKERS PRACTICE SQUAD

NAME NO POS HGT WGT COLLEGE HOW ACQUIRED

Randy Austin TE UCLA FA - Atlanta

Jeff Bridewell QB California-Davis FA - Phoenix

Reggie Burnette LB 6- 1 240 Houston 1991 Draft - 7th round

Gene Cullinane G-T Washburn FA

Walter Dean FB 5-10 216 Grambling 1991 Draft - 6th round

3rd - GB - Wilson, 82-yard kickoff return (Jacke kick) DALLAS 14-10

3rd - DAL - Willis, 23-yard field goal DALLAS 17-10

4th - DAL - Willis, 39-yard field goal DALLAS 20-10

4th - GB - Sharpe, 13-yard pass from Kiel (Jacke kick) DALLAS 20-17

October 17 : Chicago Bears (5-2) 10, Green Bay Packers (1-6) 0

(GREEN BAY) - The Chicago Bears managed only one touchdown Thursday night. It was plenty against the Green Bay Packers. The Bears shut down and shut out Green Bay's sputtering offense in a 10-0 victory. It was Chicago's 11th victory in the last 13 games against its longtime rival. Jim Harbaugh's 8-yard touchdown pass to James Thornton late in the second quarter and Kevin Butter's 22-yard field goal early in the fourth sent the Bears to a victory after two straight losses. The Packers, who had 138 yards total offense and made just five first downs, fell to 14 with their fourth straight loss and 11th in 12 games dating back to last season. Don Majkowski, in one the worst performances of his career, completed only three of 16 passes for 32 yards before he was replaced by former Bear Mike Tomczak in the fourth quarter. The Packers' deepest drive all night only reached the Chicago 43. Majkowski fumbled a snap out of the shotgun and Richard Dent recovered for the Bears at the Green Bay 14 with 30 seconds to go in the third quarter. Chicago just missed a first down and settled for Butter's 22-yard field goal with 13:48 to play.

CHICAGO - 0 7 0 3 - 10

GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 0 - 0

2nd - CHI - James Thornton, 8-yd pass fr Jim Harbaugh (Kevin Butler kick) CHI 7-0

4th - CHI - Butler, 22-yard field goal CHICAGO 10-0

October 27 : Green Bay Packers (2-6) 27, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-7) 0

(TAMPA BAY) - If only the Green Bay Packers could play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers every week. The Packers, 3-0 against Tampa Bay but 0-11 against the rest of the NFL in their last 14 games, climbed out of last place in the NFC Central with a 27-0 victory over the hapless Bucs. Green Bay's defense forced eight turnovers, had six sacks and also scored on Brian Noble's fumble recovery to pace the triumph before a crowd of 40,275, the smallest of the season at Tampa Stadium. Tampa Bay fell to 2-9 under coach Richard Williamson, who in a move of desperation yanked Chris Chandler early in the second quarter and placed the offense in the hands of Jeff Carlson, normally the team's third-string quarterback.

GREEN BAY - 10 3 7 7 - 27

TAMPA BAY - 0 0 0 0 - 0

1st - GB - Noble, 1-yard fumble return (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 7-0

1st - GB - Jacke, 34-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-0

2nd - GB - Jacke, 46-yard field goal GREEN BAY 13-0

3rd - GB - West, 10-yard pass from Majkowski (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 20-0

4th - GB - Workman, 4-yard run (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 27-0

November 3 : New York Jets (5-4) 19, Green Bay Packers (2-7) 16 (OT)

(NEW YORK) - Remember Chicago. Pat Leahy did. Leahy, who missed a 28-yard field goal in overtime that cost the Jets a victory at Chicago this season, connected from 37 yards 9:40 into overtime. His fourth field goal, including a 22-yarder with 1 minute left in regulation, gave New York a 19-16 win over the Green Bay Packers. Moments before, Green Bay's Chris Jacke missed a 42-yard field goal. He earlier had made three field goals. The Jets failed to gain 1 yard on two short-yardage downs just after Jacke's miss. But Vai Sikahema fumbled a punt, Bobby Houston recovered at the Green Bay 23, and three plays later, Leahy, the NFL's oldest player at 40, won it. Ironically, future Packers GM Ron Wolf watched the game as a member of the Jets' front office, which he would be leaving in less than three weeks.

GREEN BAY - 3 3 7 3 0 - 16

NEW YORK - 3 10 0 3 3 - 19

1st - NYJ - Pat Leahy, 30-yard field goal NEW YORK JETS 3-0

1st - GB - Jacke, 53-yard field goal TIED 3-3

2nd - GB - Jacke, 41-yard field goal GREEN BAY 6-3

2nd - NYJ - Leahy, 39-yard field goal TIED 6-6

2nd - NYJ - Chris Burkett, 50-yd pass from Ken O'Brien (Leahy kick) NY JETS 13-6

3rd - GB - West, 1-yard pass from Tomczak (Jacke kick) TIED 13-13

4th - GB - Jacke, 34-yard field goal GREEN BAY 16-13

4th - NYJ - Leahy, 22-yard field goal TIED 16-16

OT - NYJ - Leahy, 37-yard field goal NEW YORK JETS 19-16

November 10 : Buffalo Bills (9-1) 34, Green Bay Packers (2-8) 24

(MILWAUKEE) - Jim Kelly, forced out of the game for several plays in the third quarter by a sore back, returned to lead the Buffalo Bills to another victory. Kelly passed for two first-half touchdowns and then ran for another in the fourth quarter as the Bills beat the Green Bay Packers 34-24. The Bills, who scored on an 80-yard drive in the final minutes of the first half, used their no-huddle offense to move 78 yards after the second-half kickoff for another quick score and a 21-10 lead. A 28-yard pass interference call against Roland Mitchell gave the Bills the ball at the Green Bay 5. Kelly hurt his lower back when he was hit as he released the ball and had to leave the game. Frank Reich stepped in and handed off to Thurman Thomas, who carried 5 yards for the touchdown.

BUFFALO - 0 14 10 10 - 34

GREEN BAY - 7 3 7 7 - 24

1st - GB - Workman, 1-yard run (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 7-0

2nd - BUF - Andre Reed, 5-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) TIED 7-7

2nd - GB - Jacke, 25-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-7

2nd - BUF - Don Beebe, 12-yard pass from Kelly (Norwood kick) BUFFALO 14-10

3rd - BUF - Thurman Thomas, 5-yard run (Norwood kick) BUFFALO 21-10

3rd - GB - Sharpe, 58-yard pass from Tomczak (Jacke kick) BUFFALO 21-17

3rd - BUF - Norwood, 38-yard field goal BUFFALO 24-17

4th - BUF - Kelly, 1-yard run (Norwood kick) BUFFALO 31-17

4th - BUF - Norwood, 21-yard field goal BUFFALO 34-17

4th - GB - Harris, 1-yard pass from Tomczak (Jacke kick) BUFFALO 34-24

November 17 : Minnesota Vikings (6-6) 35, Green Bay Packers (2-9) 21

(GREEN BAY) - Rich Gannon and Minnesota simply took control of the football and the game in the second half against Green Bay. The Vikings put together scoring drives of 79, 80 and 98 yards in the second half, holding the ball for 24 minutes to beat the Packers. Trailing 21-14 at the half, Minnesota used eight minutes on a 15-play, 79-yard drive to tie the score in the third quarter. Gannon hit Cris Carter with a 17-yard touchdown pass. Then they moved 80 yards in 10 plays, eating nearly six more minutes, to take a 28-21 lead on Herschel Walker's 5-yard run with 14:11 left in the game. Minnesota put away the game by marching 98 yards in 14 plays, using 6:51 and scoring on Gannon's 5-yard run with 4:36 left. Green Bay, which had the ball for a little more than five minutes in the second half, had 262 yards in the first half and 38 in the second. Mike Tomczak passed for 233 yards in the first half and drove the Packers 78 yards in the final two minutes en route to the 21-14 lead. His 1- yard touchdown toss to Jackie Harris with 13 seconds to play capped the 12-play drive that featured passes of 13 and 16 yards to Sterling Sharpe and a 19-yarder to Perry Kemp. Johnny Holland's recovery of Terry Allen's fumble at the Vikings' 43 set up Green Bay's first score. Sharpe had a 17-yard reception and Vince Workman ran 1 yard for a 7-0 lead. Gannon threw the first of his three touchdown passes, a 29-yarder to Carter, to tie the score. But the Packers struck back three plays later when Tomczak hit Charles Wilson, who broke away for a 75-yard touchdown, giving Green Bay a 14-7 lead. Green Bay appeared headed for another score when Carl Lee intercepted a pass in the end zone early in the second quarter. The Vikings tied the score on Gannon's 3-yard TD pass to Mike Jones with 1:54 to go. Packer Vice President of Football Operations Tom Braatz would be fired three days later, and replaced by Ron Wolf as the general manager. Wolf would be given total control of football operations, something Braatz never had.

MINNESOTA - 7 7 7 14 - 35

GREEN BAY - 14 7 0 0 - 21

1st - GB - Workman, 1-yard run (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 7-0

1st - MIN - Cris Carter, 29-yd pass from Rich Gannon (Faud Reveiz kick) TIED 7-7

1st - GB - Wilson, 75-yard pass from Tomczak (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 14-7

2nd - MINN - Mike Jones, 3-yard pass from Gannon (Reveiz kick) TIED 14-14

2nd - GB - Harris, 1-yard pass from Tomczak (Jacke kick) GREEN BAY 21-14

3rd - MINN - Carter, 17-yard pass from Gannon (Reveiz kick) TIED 21-21

4th - MINN - Herschel Walker, 5-yard run (Reveiz kick) GREEN BAY 28-21

4th - MINN - Gannon, 5-yard run (Reveiz kick) GREEN BAY 35-21

November 20 : Tom Braatz Fired

The Green Bay Packers on Wednesday fired operations vice president Tom Braatz, who oversaw four losing seasons during his five years with the team. Green Bay decided not to renew Braatz's contract, which expires at the end of January, Packers President Bob Harlan said at a news conference. "It's something I've been looking at for a long time," Harlan said. "I think we need a new direction, a strong football person who comes from a winning background," he said. Braatz, 58, has overseen the Packers' football operations for the past five years. During that time, the Packers had four losing seasons, but finished 10-6 in 1989. Green Bay is 2-9 this season. Harlan did not immediately name a successor to Braatz but said the search already has begun. Harlan refused to comment on the status of coach Lindy Infante. "That was not discussed today," he said. The Packers, the NFL's only publicly owned team, are governed by a board of directors. Its seven-member executive committee met Wednesday morning, when the decision was made to fire Braatz, Harlan said. He said the Packers now intend to restructure their scouting department and "give new direction and leadership to the department." Braatz was hired by the Packers in January 1987 after 22 years in the Atlanta Falcons' front office. He was credited for bringing stability and professionalism to the Packers' front office but suffered through some disappointing

Jerry Evans TE Toledo FA - Phoenix

Scott Evans DE Oklahoma FA - Phoenix

Steve Gabbard G-T 6- 3 290 Florida State FA

Joe Johnson CB North Carolina State FA - Chicago

John Jurkovic NT 6- 2 297 Eastern Illinois FA

Doug Lloyd RB North Dakota State FA - LA Raiders

Johnny Walker WR 5-11 186 Texas 1991 Draft - 8th round

Bold Italics - Made Active Roster

NO - Jersey Number POS - Position HGT - Height WGT - Weight YR - Years with Packers PR - Years of Professional Football AGE - Age on September 1 G - Games Played FA - Free Agent

1991 PACKERS DRAFT (April 21-22, 1991)

RND-PCK NAME POS COLLEGE NOTES

1 8 To Philadelphia in 1991 draft-day trade

1 19 Vinnie Clark CB Ohio State From Philadelphia in 1991 draft-day trade

2 35 Esera Tuaolo NT Oregon State

3a 67 Don Davey DE Wisconsin

3b 81 Chuck Webb RB Tennessee From San Francisco

4 95 To San Francisco

5a 122 To San Francisco

5b 135 Jeff Fite P Memphis State From New York Jets

6a 149 Walter Dean RB Grambling St

6b 164 Joe Garten C/G Colorado From Miami

7a 169 Frank Blevins LB Oklahoma From Cleveland for Brent Fullwood

7b 176 Reggie Burnette LB Houston

8 203 Johnny Walker WR Texas

9 229 Dean Witkowski LB North Dakota

10 262 Rapier Porter TE AK-Pine Bluff

11 289 J.J. Wierenga DE C. Michigan

12 316 Linzy Collins WR Missouri

Bold Italics - Played for the Green Bay Packers

TRADES AND TRANSACTIONS

APRIL 21 - Traded a 1991 1st-round draft choice to PHILADELPHIA for a 1991 1st-round draft pick (CB Vinnie Clark) and a 1992 1t-round draft choice (17th overall, later dealt to Atlanta in Brett Favre trade)

APRIL 22 - Traded a 1991 4th-round draft choice and a 1991 5th-round draft choice to SAN FRANCISCO for a 1991 3rd-round draft pick (RB Chuck Webb)

APRIL 22 - Traded a 1991 3rd-round draft choice to NEW YORK JETS for a 1991 3rd-round draft choice (DE Don Davey) and a 1991 5th-round draft choice (later dealt to Miami)

APRIL 22 - Traded a 1991 5th-round draft choice (acquired from the New York Jets) to MIAMI for a 1991 5th-round draft choice (P Jeff Fite) and a 1991 6th-round (C Joe Garten)

AUGUST 26 Traded K Brad Daluiso to ATLANTA for a future undisclosed draft pick

SEPTEMBER 30 - Traded LB Tim Harris to SAN FRANCISC for a 1992 2nd-round draft pick (later dealt back to 49ers for Mike Holmgren) and a 1993 2nd-round draft pick (later dealt to Cowboys)

PLAN B FREE AGENCY

PLAYERS SIGNED (*-Players made squad) - *T/G Louis Cheek, *LB Greg Clark, T/G Glenn Derby, CB Ventson Donelson, FB Derrick Douglas, *S Tim Hauck, *T Scott Jones, TE Brian Kinchen, *LB Kurt Larson, *CB Roland Mitchell, *FB Allen Rice, *RB Vai Sikahema, *QB Mike Tomczak

PLAYERS LOST - TE Craig Hudson (Dallas), T Alan Veingrad (Dallas)