Frank Winters 52 C 6- 3 305 West Illinois 8 13 35 14 1992 Plan B - K City
Danny Wuerffel 7 QB 6- 1 212 Florida 1 4 26 1 2000 FA - NO (1999)
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
2000 PACKERS PRACTICE SQUAD
NAMEPOSCOLLEGEHOW ACQUIRED
Kenny Coutain WR Memphis 2000 FA
Jason Gavadza TE Kent 2000 FA - Pittsburgh (2000 - 6th round)
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila DE San Diego St. 2000 Draft - 5th round
Chris Gizzi LB Air Force 2000 FA
Herbert Goodman RB Graceland 2000 FA
Craig Heimburger G Missouri 1999 Draft - 5th round
Warner Herndon S Morgan St. 2000 FA
Mike Horacek WR Iowa State 2000 FA
Ed Kehl T-G BYU 2000 FA
Adam Newman TE Boston College 2000 FA
Tom Schau C-G Illinois 2000 FA
Gerald Williams WR Oklahoma 1999 FA
Bold Italics - Made Active Roster
September 3 : New York Jets (1-0) 20, Green Bay Packers (0-1) 16
(Green Bay) - In Mike Sherman's debut as head coach, the Packers lost their season opener for only the second time since 1982 after Jets safety Victor Green intercepted a Brett Favre pass deep in Jets' territory to dash Green Bay's hopes of a fourth-quarter comeback. After taking over at their own 31-yard line with 3:20 to play in the game, Favre drove the offense to the Jets' 35-yard line with 1:08 left on the clock. On a second-and-three, he attempted to hit Bill Schroeder streaking up the sideline, but Green read the coverage and made a diving grab of the throw at the 9-yard line, sealing the Packers' defeat. In addition to the running of Jets halfback Curtis Martin, who rushed for 110 yards on 30 carries for the game, the Packers' Achilles heel was the number of penalties called. The Packers were penalized on 10 occasions for a total of 81 yards, and a few calls negated big plays for the team.
NEW YORK JETS - 7 3 0 10 - 20
GREEN BAY - 7 3 3 3 - 16
1st - GB - Davis, 4-yard pass from Favre (Longwell kick) 5:27 GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - NYJ - Curtis Martin, 2-yard run (John Hall kick) 13:11 TIED 7-7
2nd - GB - Longwell, 45-yard field goal 9:00 GREEN BAY 10-7
4th - GB - Longwell, 42-yard field goal 8:22 GREEN BAY 16-13
4th - NYJ - Martin, 3-yard pass from Testaverde (Hall kick) 11:30 NY JETS 20-16
September 10 : Buffalo Bills (2-0) 27, Green Bay Packers (0-2) 18
(Buffalo) - For the second-straight week, the opposing defense proved too tough for the Packers. Bills QB Rob Johnson was sacked and battered numerous times by the Green Bay defense but hung tough to out-duel Brett Favre, who threw for 269 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Packers. Johnson completed 18 of 26 passes for 259 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception while under constant pressure from Packers linemen, linebackers and safeties. His touchdown strike to tight end Jay Riemersma with 11:45 to play in the game gave Buffalo an insurmountable 27-10 lead. Green Bay was 0-2 for the first time since 1992.It was also the first time since Week 4 in 1993, when their record was 1-3, that the Packers have been as many as two games below .500.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 10 8 - 18
BUFFALO - 0 10 10 7 - 27
2nd - BUF - Jeremy McDaniel, 6-yd pass fr Johnson (Christie kick) 14:16 BUF 7-0
(GREEN BAY) - Voters approved a half-percent sales tax Tuesday to help the Green Bay Packers renovate Lambeau Field, clearing the way for the team to start construction in January. The Packers announced the $295 million renovation in January, saying it would expand the 43- year-old stadium’s capacity to 71,100 seats by adding 10,000 more, modernize the stadium with more bathrooms and concessions stands and add a mall-like atrium for the Packers Hall of Fame, Packer Pro Shop, stadium club and other amenities.
September 17 : Green Bay Packers (1-2) 6, Philadelphia Eagles (1-2) 3
(Green Bay) - Ryan Longwell's 38-yard field goal in the game's final seconds gave the Packers their first victory of the season and Mike Sherman his first win as a head coach. Longwell's first-ever winning field goal, from 38 yards with 3 seconds left, enabled the Packers to prevail in their lowest-scoring game since a 6-3 loss at Chicago in the 1979 opener. The Green Bay defense held quarterback Donovan McNabb and the Eagles' offense at bay, limiting Philadelphia scoring to a second-quarter, 43-yard field goal by David Akers. McNabb was sacked five times by a variety of Green Bay defensemen and was unable to find a rhythm with his receivers, compiling just 118 yards on 15-of-31 passing with 1 interception. RB Duce Staley was Philadelphia's lone offensive threat, recording 122 of the team's 171 total offensive yards. At times, Philadelphia was its own worst enemy, committing 12 penalties for 115 yards and often bailing the Packers out of bad situations.
PHILADELPHIA - 0 3 0 0 - 3
GREEN BAY - 0 0 3 3 - 6
2nd - PHIL - David Akers, 43-yard field goal 13:00 PHILADELPHIA 3-0
4th - GB - Longwell, 38-yard field goal 14:57 GREEN BAY 6-3
September 24 : Green Bay Packers (2-2) 29, Arizona Cardinals (1-2) 3
(Arizona) - Despite 87-degree temperatures and being forced to wear green jerseys on the notorious east sidelines, the Packers flogged the Cardinals at a sold-out Sun Devil Stadium.The Packer offensive line, shredded by the Philadelphia Eagles just a week ago, muscled and mauled their way to the win. RBs Dorsey Levens and Ahman Green combined for 135 yards on 29 carries. The defense featured four interceptions and limited the Arizona rushing attack to just 28 yards. QB Brett Favre was equally efficient, completing 17-of-31 passes to 9 different Packer receivers.
GREEN BAY - 7 10 6 6 - 29
ARIZONA - 0 3 0 0 - 3
1st - GB - Green, 19-yard run (Longwell kick) 10:24 GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - ARZ - Cary Blanchard, 31-yard field goal 6:12 GREEN BAY 14-3
2nd - GB - Longwell, 38-yard field goal 12:54 GREEN BAY 17-3
3rd - GB - Longwell, 47-yard field goal 6:13 GREEN BAY 20-3
2nd - GB - Longwell, 48-yard field goal 14:11 GREEN BAY 23-3
4th - GB - Longwell, 37-yard field goal 5:27 GREEN BAY 26-3
4th - GB - Longwell, 22-yard field goal 6:07 GREEN BAY 29-3
October 1 : Chicago Bears (1-4) 27, Green Bay Packers (2-3) 24
(Green Bay) - A rocky start was too much to overcome for the Packers. Green Bay mounted a stunning, second-half rally after being down 24-3, but Paul Edinger's 47-yard field goal with 3:15 to play in the game proved to be the game's winning score. On the game's opening kickoff, Packers safety Gary Berry suffered a frightening neck injury and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher. After a long delay due to the injury, Brett Favre was intercepted on the game's first play from scrimmage by Chicago safety Tony Parrish, who returned the ball 36 yards to the Green Bay 17-yard line. The Packers found themselves down, 17-0, early in the second quarter, 17-3 at halftime and 24-3 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. The Bears won for the second straight season at Lambeau for the first time since 1990-'92. The last time the Packers lost to a winless Bears squad this late in a season was 1945.
CHICAGO - 10 7 7 3 - 27
GREEN BAY - 0 3 7 14 - 24
1st - CHI - Cade McNown, 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick) 2:42 CHICAGO 7-0
1st - CHI - Edinger, 19-yard field goal 10:22 CHICAGO 10-0
2nd - CHI - Mar. Robinson, 68-yard pass from McNown (Edinger kick) 5:53 CH 17-0
2nd - GB - Longwell, 42-yard field goal 10:12 CHICAGO 17-3
3rd - CHI - Robinson, 58-yard pass from McNown (Edinger kick) 9:25 CHI 24-3
3rd - GB - Freeman, 14-yard pass from Favre (Longwell kick) 12:24 CHI 24-10
4th - GB - Schroeder, 17-yard pass from Favre (Longwell kick) 6:16 CHI 24-17
4th - CHI - Edinger, 47-yard field goal 11:45 CHICAGO 27-17
4th - GB - Schroeder, 17-yard pass from Favre (Longwell kick) 13:02 CHI 27-24
October 8 : Detroit Lions (4-2) 31, Green Bay Packers (2-4) 24
(Detroit) - For the second consecutive week, the Packers struggled early, rallied late and fell short in the end. This time, they were victimized on by the Lions at the Pontiac Silverdome. Five turnovers by Green Bay proved too costly, and Charlie Batch's 30-yard touchdown pass to Herman Moore 11 minutes into the third quarter was enough to eliminate a successful comeback by Brett Favre and the Packers. The Packers dominated many offensive statistics, including time of possession (34:36-to-25:24), total first downs (19-to-11) and total net yards (339-to-253), but Green Bay's 3 interceptions and 2 lost fumbles were the most critical statistics of the afternoon. Injuries continued to rip the Packers apart. RB Dorsey Levens, their second-most indispensable player, joined four other starters and four backups on the didn't-play list. Another six players, including starters Bill Schroeder and Mike Wahle, were hurt during the game.
GREEN BAY - 0 6 11 7 - 24
DETROIT - 10 14 7 0 - 31
1st - DET - Jason Hanson, 30-yard field goal 3:37 DETROIT 3-0
1st - DET - J. Morton, 42-yd pass from Charlie Batch (Hanson kick) 5:35 DET 10-0
2nd - GB - Longwell, 44-yard field goal 0:10 DETROIT 10-3
2nd - DET - James Stewart, 13-yard pass from Batch (Hanson kick) 4:57 DET 17-3
2nd - DET - Luther Campbell, 42-yard int return (Hanson kick) 13:27 DET 24-3
2nd - GB - Longwell, 51-yard field goal 14:51 DETROIT 24-6
3rd - GB - Longwell, 31-yard field goal 7:41 DETROIT 24-9
3rd - DET - Herman Moore, 30-yard pass from Batch (Hanson kick) 10:21 DET 31-9
3rd - GB - Freeman, 5-yd pass from Favre (Driver pass from Favre) 13:41 DET 31-17
4th - GB - Henderson, 7-yard pass from Favre (Longwell kick) 7:45 DETROIT 31-24
October 15 : Green Bay Packers (3-4) 31, San Francisco 49ers (2-5) 28
(Green Bay) - Brett Favre turned a pair of point-blank sacks into Houdini-esque escapes totaling 48 yards as the Packers averted the very real possibility that their season would have been all but over by the bye week. Ryan Longwell's second game-winning field goal in five weeks, this time from 35 yards with 54 seconds left, staved off the rebuilding 49ers. Favre led the offense in its most productive day of the season and matched the 49ers Jeff Garcia, who repeatedly found receivers Terrell Owens (8 catches, 93 yards) and Jerry Rice (6 catches, 77 yards) en route to a 27-of-42, 336 yard passing day with 4 touchdowns. Although he didn't match Garcia's quantity of passes, Favre was equally impressive, throwing for 266 yards on 20-of-27 passing.
SAN FRANCISCO - 0 7 7 14 - 28
GREEN BAY - 7 7 7 10 - 31
1st - GB - Freeman, 67-yard pass from Favre (Longwell kick) 12:43 GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - SF - Charlie Garner, 39-yd pass from Garcia (Wade Richey kick) 9:33 TIED 7-7
2nd - GB - Green, 2-yard run (Longwell kick) 14:09 GREEN BAY 14-7
3rd - GB - Levens, 1-yard run (Longwell kick) 6:09 GREEN BAY 21-7
3rd - SF - J.J.Stokes, 23-yard pass from Garcia (Richey kick) 12:50 GB 21-14
4th - SF - Terrell Owens, 16-yard pass from Garcia (Richey kick) 3:24 TIED 21-21
4th - GB - Green, 1-yard run (Longwell kick) 6:59 GREEN BAY 28-21
4th - SF - Owens, 37-yard pass from Garcia (Richey kick) 9:30 TIED 28-28
4th - GB - Longwell, 35-yard field goal 14:06 GREEN BAY 31-28
October 29 : Miami Dolphins (6-2) 28, Green Bay Packers (3-5) 20
(Miami) - The Packers trip to South Florida began with the hope of climbing back to .500 and in the mix of the NFC Central race. Coming out of their bye week, the Packers were at their healthiest point of the season and seemed to be catching the Miami Dolphins at the right time. Instead, the Packers fell 28-20 on Sunday after the Dolphins stormed back from a 17-point deficit. In the process, Green Bay not only dropped its record to 3-5, but the health of Dorsey Levens is again in question after suffering a bruised knee in the first half. Miami, which suffered a disheartening loss to the New York Jets on Monday and lost starting All-Pro LB Zach Thomas to an ankle injury, used an 81-yard punt return by Jeff Ogden in the third quarter to provide the final back-breaker to Green Bay. The Packers reached the midpoint of the season with a 3-5 record, their poorest after eight games since Holmgren's first team in 1992 had the same mark.
GREEN BAY - 10 7 0 3 - 20
MIAMI - 0 7 21 0 - 28
1st - GB - Longwell, 51-yard field goal 5:50 GREEN BAY 3-0
1st - GB - Levens, 1-yard run (Longwell kick) 13:58 GREEN BAY 10-0
2nd - GB - Levens, 7-yard run (Longwell kick) 3:07 GREEN BAY 17-0
2nd - MIA - Jay Fiedler, 1-yard run (Olindo Mare kick) 13:45 GREEN BAY 17-7
3rd - MIA - Oronde Gadsden, 15-yard pass from Fiedler (Mare kick) 4:11 GB 17-14
3rd - MIA - Lamar Smith, 4-yard run (Mare kick) 8:57 MIAMI 21-17
3rd - MIA - Jeff Ogden, 81-yard punt return (Mare kick) 11:51 MIAMI 28-17
November 6 : Green Bay Packers (4-5) 26, Minnesota Vikings (7-1) 20 (OT)
(Green Bay) - Antonio Freeman made one of the most astonishing touchdown catches in National Football League history, lifting the desperate Packers to a 26-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in a Monday Night classic that will long live in Green Bay football lore. With the Packers facing third and 4 at the Vikings' 43 on the first possession of overtime, Brett Favre took a shot deep to Freeman, who was locked in man-to-man coverage with cornerback Cris Dishman along the western sideline. As Freeman slipped and fell, Dishman had the ball in his hands but dropped the interception. The ball bounced off Freeman's left arm until he controlled it against his chest as he lay on the ground. Freeman jumped to his feet at the 15, eluded Robert Griffith and scored a touchdown that set off a wild victory celebration in the south end zone. The outlook appeared bleak as Vikings kicker Gary Anderson lined up to kick a game-winning 32-yard field goal with 7 seconds left in regulation and the score knotted at 20. But after Green Bay called a timeout, which allowed the steady rain to further drench
the turf, holder Mitch Berger was unable to control the snap, and Anderson was denied the opportunity to close the game. LeRoy Butler started his 100th consecutive games, dating to Oct. 9, 1994. His streak is the second longest on the team behind Brett Favre's 134.
MINNESOTA - 3 10 7 0 0 - 20
GREEN BAY - 0 10 10 0 6 - 26
1st - MIN - Gary Anderson, 30-yard field goal 6:35 MINNESOTA 3-0
OT - GB - Freeman, 43-yard pass from Favre 3:39 GREEN BAY 26-20
November 12 : Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4) 20, Green Bay Packers (4-6) 15
(Tampa Bay) - The determined, emotional and well-prepared Packers carried a stirring upset bid deep into the second half before bobbles and blunders led to their undoing, 20-15, at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This time, Ahman Green's fumble and Antonio Freeman's inexcusable lack of judgment cost the Packers dearly. The Packers outpointed the Buccaneers by a slight margin in just about every statistical category and actually had the lead, 15-14, early in the fourth quarter on Matt Hasselbeck's 27-yard touchdown pass off a fake field goal to Bubba Franks. But then Santana Dotson blew containment on scrambling Shaun King, enabling Martin Gramatica to attempt, and make, a field goal from 54 yards. When Green fumbled three plays later, Gramatica was true again, this time from 51 yards, and the Packers were finished. Warren Sapp's sack of Favre on third-and-9 in the third quarter left Favre in pain when his left foot got caught under the falling 303-pound defensive tackle. He would not return to the game.
GREEN BAY - 0 3 6 6 - 15
TAMPA BAY - 0 14 0 6 - 20
2nd - TB - K. Johnson, 5-yd pass from Sh King (Martin Gramatica kick) 2:29 TB 7-0
2nd - GB - Longwell, 52-yard field goal 3:42 TAMPA BAY 7-3
2nd - TB - Reidel Anthony, 19-yard pass from King (Gramatica kick) 13:07 TB 14-3
3rd - GB - Longwell, 42-yard field goal 6:22 TAMPA BAY 14-6
3rd - GB - Longwell, 45-yard field goal 9:31 TAMPA BAY 14-9
4th - TB - Gramatica, 54-yard field goal 4:48 TAMPA BAY 17-15
4th - TB - Gramatica, 51-yard field goal 8:10 TAMPA BAY 20-15
November 20 : Green Bay Packers (5-6) 26, Indianapolis Colts (7-3) 24
(Green Bay) - Bill Schroeder chewed up the Colts for 155 yards through the air and Ahman Green battered them for 153 yards on the ground in spectacular individual performances. What appeared likely to end in blow-out fashion ended with Green Bay marching down the field to wind down the game's final minutes and keep the red-hot Colts offense from having a chance to take the lead. After quarterback Peyton Manning found Jerome Pathon in the end zone to put the Colts within two points with just over two minutes remaining in the game, the Packers took control at their own 31-yard line. Instead of limiting the offense to rushing plays in order to take time off the clock, the Packers aggressively came out firing with a 22-yard completion to Schroeder as the two-minute warning approached. After a pass interference penalty was called on the Colts at the Indianapolis 47, the Packers then began pounding the line of scrimmage with Green. His consecutive runs of 19, 4, 5 and 2 yards left Green Bay with a first down at the Indianapolis 6-yard line, and Brett Favre was able to kneel down to use the final seconds and give his team a win.
INDIANAPOLIS - 0 0 3 21 - 24
GREEN BAY - 5 14 0 7 - 26
1st - GB - Safety, Peyton Manning tackled by Maryland in end zone 2:45 GB 2-0
1st - GB - Longwell, 42-yard field goal 12:27 GREEN BAY 5-0
2nd - GB - Davis, 1-yard pass from Favre (Longwell kick) 5:15 GREEN BAY 12-0
November 27 : Carolina Panthers (5-7) 31, Green Bay Packers (5-7) 14
(Carolina) - The Packers were all but drummed out of playoff contention with a resounding 31-14 loss to the better-prepared and more emotionally charged Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football. This was the Packers' most shoddy performance under first-year coach Mike Sherman, whose team fell to 1-5 on the road and 5-7 overall. A steady stream of missed tackles, including several key ones by safety Darren Sharper, and slipshod coverage, frequently by Tyrone Williams, were far too much for a misfiring offense to overcome. The Packers dropped about half a dozen passes. Brett Favre was sacked three times and threw three interceptions. After committing merely four turnovers in the previous five games, the Packers had five, including a critical fumble by Antonio Freeman to open the second half. Panthers QB Steve Beuerlein threw 3 touchdown passes, and first-year RB Brad Hoover rushed for 117 yards in the offensive attack that matched the highest output allowed by Green Bay this season. Entering the game, all eyes were fixed upon DE Reggie White, who was facing his former team for the first time since coming out of a one-year retirement. But Green Bay's offensive line - particularly rookie RT Mark Tauscher - kept the future Hall of Fame defensive lineman in check for most of the game. White was not credited with a sack or a tackle in the Panthers victory.
GREEN BAY - 0 14 0 0 - 14
CAROLINA - 14 3 7 7 - 31
1st - CAR - Ch. Hetherington, 3-yd pass fr Beuerlein (Joe Nedney kick) 4:39 CAR 7-0
1st - CAR - Muh. Muhammad, 12-yd pass fr Beuerlein (Nedney kick) 7:57 CAR 14-0
2nd - CAR - Nedney, 26-yard field goal 13:59 CAROLINA 17-14
3rd - CAR - Muhammad, 3-yard pass from Beuerlein (Nedney kick) 1:55 CAR 24-14
4th - CAR - Brad Hoover, 1-yard run (Nedney kick) 5:46 CAROLINA 31-14
December 3 : Green Bay Packers (6-7) 28, Chicago Bears (3-10) 6
(Chicago) - Playing turnover-free football and getting an unaccustomed number of big plays from their corps of wide receivers, the Packers flogged the Bears, 28-6, on a Sunday night in the 160th meeting between the ancient adversaries. Bill Schroeder continued his strong late-season level of play with six catches for 119 yards, and the defense confused backup quarterback Shane Matthews into a nightmarish performance, including an interception that was returned 38 yards by Tyrone Williams for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The victory extended the Packers' winning streak at Soldier Field to seven games, the longest by either side on the other's field in the 79-year-old series. Brett Favre was 19-of-31 for 225 yards and a touchdown. In the process, he added another record to his impressive resume with a little help from his supporting cast. Ahead 7-3 in the second quarter, a 33-yard pass to Bill Schroeder put Favre over the 3,000-yard mark for the ninth-consecutive season, which ties the league mark set by Dan Marino.
GREEN BAY - 0 14 7 7 - 28
CHICAGO - 0 3 0 3 - 6
2nd - GB - Green, 2-yard run (Longwell kick) 0:04 GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - CHI - Paul Edinger, 32-yard field goal 6:13 GREEN BAY 7-3
2nd - GB - Freeman, 5-yard pass form Favre (Longwell kick) 10:37 GREEN BAY 14-3
3rd - GB - Green, 8-yard run (Longwell kick) 8:57 GREEN BAY 21-3
4th - GB - Williams, 38-yard inter. return (Longwell kick) 1:00 GREEN BAY 28-3
4th - CHI - Edinger, 46-yard field goal 5:55 GREEN BAY 28-6
December 10 : Green Bay Packers (7-7) 26, Detroit Lions (8-6) 13
(Green Bay) - Freezing temperatures, an opportunistic defense and a solid rushing effort by Ahman Green provided the necessary formula for a Packers' victory over the Detroit Lions. Green, who carried the ball a season-high 27 times for 118 yards with both a rushing and receiving touchdown, not only gave his team hard-fought gains but also inched closer to a substantial milestone. With his output, Green stands at 940 yards during his 2000 campaign. By averaging just 30 yards in the final two games, he would eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his three-year career. Game-time temperatures of 25* F - with a wind chill of 5* F - could not scare away a Lambeau Field sell-out crowd of 59,854, who watched Green Bay limit the Lions' scoring opportunities as they caused five turnovers on three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. The win kept Green Bay's slim playoff hopes alive. Although Brett Favre's numbers were not among his best (15-of-36 for 208 yards, 1 Interception), he was delighted to take the win, considering the frosty weather conditions.
DETROIT - 0 0 3 10 - 13
GREEN BAY - 6 0 3 17 - 26
1st - GB - Longwell, 22-yard field goal 4:01 GREEN BAY 3-0
1st - GB - Longwell, 27-yard field goal 11:24 GREEN BAY 6-0
3rd - DET - Jason Hanson, 26-yard field goal 7:30 GREEN BAY 6-3
3rd - GB - Longwell, 26-yard field goal 14:17 GREEN BAY 9-3
4th - GB - Longwell, 45-yard field goal 3:11 GREEN BAY 12-3
4th - DET - James Stewart, 1-yard run (Hanson kick) 7:56 GREEN BAY 12-10
4th - GB - Green, 3-yard pass from Favre (Longwell kick) 10:35 GREEN BAY 19-10
4th - DET - Hanson, 36-yard field goal 12:43 GREEN BAY 19-13
4th - GB - Green, 39-yard run (Longwell kick) 13:06 GREEN BAY 26-13
December 17 : Green Bay Packers (8-7) 33, Minnesota Vikings (11-4) 28
(Minnesota) - The Green Bay Packers remarkably kept their playoff hopes alive, when they stunned the NFC Central-leading Minnesota Vikings, 33-28. In arguably their most complete game of the year, the Packers dominated the line of scrimmage and limited the opportunities of the Vikings' big-play offense. Helped by a career day by running back Ahman Green, quarterback Brett Favre was dazzling, completing 26-of-38 passes for 290 yards and 3 touchdowns. Green, with seven gains of 10 or more yards, ran for 161 yards. With consecutive runs of 15 and 12 yards, Green went over 1,000 yards rushing for the season. It was the first time in his young, 3-year career he has eclipsed the mark, and he became just the seventh Packer in the team's 81-year history to do so. K Ryan Longwell was equally impressive -- a perfect four-for-four on field goal attempts. The Packers, as an 8-point underdog, became the first foe all season to hold Robert Smith below 61 yards (10 carries for 26 yards), amassed 159 rushing yards of its own and established nearly a 6-minute edge in time of possession.
GREEN BAY - 10 10 3 10 - 33
MINNESOTA - 7 7 7 7 - 28
1st - GB - Longwell, 34-yard field goal 7:22 GREEN BAY 3-0
1st - GB - Freeman, 18-yd pass from Favre (Longwell kick) 12:56 GREEN BAY 10-0
1st - MIN - Moss, 78-yd pass from Culpepper (Gary Anderson kick) 13:24 GB 10-7
2nd - GB - Green, 6-yard pass from Favre (Longwell kick) 3:09 GREEN BAY 17-7
2nd - GB - Longwell, 35-yard field goal 12:19 GREEN BAY 20-7
2nd - MIN - Culpepper, 3-yard run (Anderson kick) 14:40 GREEN BAY 20-14
3rd - GB - Longwell, 43-yard field goal 6:21 GREEN BAY 23-14
4th - GB - Schroeder, 3-yd pass from Favre (Longwell kick) 0:04 GREEN BAY 30-21
4th - GB - Longwell, 36-yard field goal 8:09 GREEN BAY 33-21
4th - MIN - Cris Carter, 5-yd pass from Culpepper (Anderson kick) 12:22 GB 33-28
December 24 : Green Bay (9-7) 17, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-6) 14 (OT)
(Green Bay) - By the time Ryan Longwell's 22-yard field goal, his third winning kick of the season, ended the struggle, the Packers' fate had been sealed by the final score from New Orleans. St. Louis, which outlasted the Saints, 26-21, claimed the sixth and final berth in the playoffs that would have gone to Green Bay if the Rams had lost. The Packers needed both the Rams and Lions to lose. The Lions choked, 23-20, in the Silverdome against the Chicago Bears, but the defending champions took care of business at the Superdome. Buccaneers kicker Martin Gramatica could have provided his team victory with 14 seconds to play in the game, but instead he sent a 40-yard field goal wide right. The Packers won the overtime coin toss and took possession at their own 38-yard line following Allen Rossum's 29-yard kickoff return. A first-down catch by fullback William Henderson and two runs by Ahman Green placed the Packers on the Tampa Bay 45-yard line with a third-and-4. But Green, who already had rushed for 74 yards and 2 touchdowns, then was forced to leave the playing field after being kicked in the ankle. Backup De'Mond Parker entered and quickly made a dramatic impact, catching a six-yard pass from Brett Favre to gain a first down. Parker, who Sunday celebrated his 24th birthday, then took 5 consecutive handoffs of 4, 5, 6, -1 and 21 yards to set up Longwell's game- and season-ending attempt.
TAMPA BAY - 0 0 3 11 0 - 14
GREEN BAY - 7 0 7 0 3 - 17
1st - GB - Green, 3-yard run (Longwell kick) 9:05 GREEN BAY 7-0
3rd - GB - Green, 2-yard run (Longwell kick) 4:59 GREEN BAY 14-0
3rd - TB - Martin Gramatica, 38-yard field goal 12:57 GREEN BAY 14-3
OT - GB - Longwell, 22-yard field goal 6:31 GREEN BAY 17-14
2000 IN REVIEW - After the quick failure of Ray Rhodes, the Packers turned to former assistant coach Mike Sherman who followed Mike Holmgren to Seattle. The Packers would get off to a slow start under Sherman and sat at 5-7, after an 0-2 start. With the playoffs all but out of reach the Packers closed the season on a strong note winning their final four games including two against teams bound for the postseason. Following the season GM Ron Wolfe would retire, as coach Mike Sherman was given his responsibilities.
15 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (2-4) W 31-28 3- 4-0 59,870 Favre
29 at Miami Dolphins (5-2) L 20-28 3- 5-0 73,740 Favre
NOVEMBER (2-2)
6 MINNESOTA VIKINGS (7-1) W 26-20(OT) 4- 5-0 59,854 Favre
12 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-4) L 15-20 4- 6-0 65,621 Favre
19 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (7-3) W 26-24 5- 6-0 59,869 Favre
27 at Carolina Panthers (4-7) L 14-31 5- 7-0 73,295 Favre
DECEMBER (1-3)
3 CHICAGO BEARS (3-9) W 28- 6 6- 7-0 66,944 Favre
10 DETROIT LIONS (8-5) W 26-13 7- 7-0 59,854 Favre
17 at Minnesota Vikings (11-3) W 33-28 8- 7-0 64,183 Favre
24 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (10-5) W 17-14(OT) 9- 7-0 59,692 Favre
2000 PRE-SEASON RESULTS (4-0) - AUGUST (2-2)
4 NEW YORK JETS W 37-24 1- 0-0 59,585
13 at Denver Broncos L 20-26 1- 1-0 75,367
21 at Miami Dolphins L 14-17 1- 2-0 60,287
26 CLEVELAND BROWNS W 34-33 2- 2-0 59,687
2000 REGULAR SEASON RESULTS (9-7) - SEPTEMBER (2-2)
3 NEW YORK JETS (0-0) L 16-20 0- 1-0 59,870 Favre
10 at Buffalo Bills (1-0) L 18-27 0- 2-0 72,722 Favre
17 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (1-1) W 6- 3 1- 2-0 59,869 Favre
24 at Arizona Cardinals (1-1) W 29- 3 2- 2-0 69,568 Favre
OCTOBER (1-3)
1 CHICAGO BEARS (0-4) L 24-27 2- 3-0 59,869 Favre
8 at Detroit Lions (3-2) L 24-31 2- 4-0 77,549 Favre
August 4: Green Bay (1-0) 37, New York Jets 24
(GREEN BAY) - Tod McBride returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown and Green Bay's defense shut out the Jets in the second half. The Packers took a 27-24 lead, their first of the game, with 14:37 to play on the interception return by McBride, a backup cornerback. Ryan Longwell kicked a 35-yard field goal, his third of the night, with 1:57 left. New York's Kevin Williams fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Rondell Mealey had a 15-yard touchdown run with 1:35 left. Green Bay's defense allowed 286 total yards and committed three penalties in the first half, but clamped down when Lucas replaced Chad Pennington. The Jets had just 144 yards in the second half. Two backup quarterbacks starred in the game Pennington had his second strong game for the Jets, completing 7 of 11 passes for 136 yards, while Green Bay's Matt Hasselbeck completed his first eight passes and finished 11-for-15 with 162 yards and two touchdowns. New York, which led 24-17 at halftime, got two first-half touchdown runs from Richie Anderson. Curtis Martin also ran for a score before the reserves entered the game. Donald Driver and Charles Lee caught touchdown passes from Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck had an outstanding preseason last year, but got no significant action during the regular season. The Packers still signed Hasselbeck to a 3-year contract extension during the offseason and traded Aaron Brooks.
NY JETS - 3 21 0 0 - 24
GREEN BAY - 3 14 3 17 - 37
1st - GB - Longwell, 41-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
1st - NYJ - John Hall, 33-yard field goal TIED 3-3
2nd - NYJ - Curtis Martin, 5-yard run (Hall kick) NEW YORK JETS 10-3
2nd - NYJ - Richie Anderson, 6-yard (Hall kick) NEW YORK JETS 17-10
2nd - GB - Charles Lee, 31-yard pass from Hasselbeck (Longwell kick) TIED 17-17
2nd - NYJ - Anderson, 5-yard run (Hall kick) NEW YORK JETS 24-17
3rd - GB - Longwell, 52-yard field goal NEW YORK JETS 24-20
4th - GB - Mealey, 15-yard run (Longwell kick) GREEN BAY 27-24
4th - GB - Longwell, 35-yard field goal GREEN BAY 30-24
4th - GB - McBride, 41-yard interception return (Longwell kick) GREEN BAY 37-24
August 13: Denver 26, Green Bay (1-1) 20
(DENVER) - It's a good thing the Broncos don't have a quarterback controversy because Sunday's game wouldn't have settled anything. Gus Frerotte, who has failed to unseat incumbent Brian Griese as the starter and who conceded the job to Griese last week, put up nearly identical statistics to his counterpart in the Broncos' 26-20 preseason victory over the injury-ravaged Packers. Olandis Gary ran for 94 yards and a
third quarter touchdown for the Broncos, and Jason Elam added four field goals. Despite suffering the same breakdowns in the red zone that crippled them in 1999, the Broncos generated 454 yards compared to Green Bay's 344. Griese and Frerotte both were solid. Griese was 10-for-16 for 156 yards in the first half, and Frerotte was 13-for-20 for 153 yards in the second half.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 0 - 20
DENVER - 0 0 3 0 - 26
1st - GB - Longwell, 41-yard field goal GREEN BAY 3-0
1st - DEN - Jason Elam, 20-yard field goal DENVER 7-3
1st - GB - Hasselbeck, 7-yard run (Longwell kick) GREEN BAY 10-7
2nd - DEN - Elam, 23-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-6
2nd - DEN - Brian Griese, 5-yard run (Elam kick) DENVER 13-10
2nd - GB - Longwell, 24-yard field goal TIED 13-13
3rd - DEN - Elam 29-yard field goal DENVER 16-13
3rd - DEN - Olandis Gary, 5-yard run (Elam kick) DENVER 23-13
PRE-SEASON - August 21: Miami 17, Green Bay (1-2) 14
(MIAMI) - Without stepping on the field, Jay Fiedler might have gained ground on Damon Huard in the Miami Dolphins' quarterback competition. Huard failed to lead the first-team offense to a touchdown for the third straight preseason game, but the Dolphins scored with 25 seconds to play to beat the injury-riddled Packers 17-14 on Monday night. The game featured four fourthquarter touchdowns and four missed field goals by Miami's Olindo Mare. Mare, who set the NFL single-season record with 39 field goals last year, missed from 33, 50, 48 and 51 yards. Dolphins rookie Ben Kelly returned a punt 73 yards with less than a minute to play, setting up a 2-yard scoring pass from Mike Quinn to Deon Dyer. The Packers questioned the ruling, arguing that Kelly had stepped out of bounds near midfield. Huard played three quarters, completing 16 of 23 passes for 138 yards. But without a touchdown in three games, he seemingly left plenty of room for Fiedler to take over the starting job before the season opener. Fiedler, who had arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right hip on Aug. 3, returned to practice Saturday and should play significantly in Miami's exhibition finale Friday against New Orleans. The Packers, playing without Brett Favre and Dorsey Levens struggled to move the ball for much of the night. Favre sat out with lingering tendinitis in his throwing arm but expected to return to practice Wednesday. Levens had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last week and is expected to be back in 3-4 weeks.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 14 - 14
MIAMI - 0 3 0 14 - 17
2nd - MIA - Olindo Mare, 34-yard field goal MIAMI 3-0
4th - GB - Goodman, 56-yard run (Longwell kick) GREEN BAY 7-3
4th - MIA - Oronde Gadsen, 8-yard pass from Mike Quinn (Mare kick) MIAMI 10-7
4th - GB - Driver, 80-yard pass from Wuerffel (Longwell kick) GREEN BAY 14-10
4th - MIA - Deon Dyer, 2-yard pass from Quinn (Mare kick) MIAMI 17-14
August 26: Green Bay (2-2) 34, Cleveland 33
(GREEN BAY) - The Packers'defensive starters finally stopped somebody, even if it was only the Browns. Green Bay's first-string defense forced its first 2 punts of the preseason and Bill Schroeder caught 2 touchdown passes as the Packers held on to beat the Browns 34-33 Saturday night. Backup fullback Matt Snider caught a short pass from Danny Wuerffel and rumbled 66 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 5:28 left. The Browns made a late scoring drive on 5 straight passes from Kevin Thompson to Dennis Northcutt, inducing a 26-yard TD pass with 50 seconds left, but Thompson's pass to Northcutt on the 2-point conversion attempt was tow and wide. Matt Hasselbeck and Wuerffel each threw 2 touchdown passes in place of Brett Favre, who watched in shorts and a T-shirt. Favre, who rested the tendinitis in his right elbow for the third straight game, hasn't played since the first two series in Green Bay's preseason opener.
CLEVELAND - 3 14 10 6 - 33
GREEN BAY - 14 3 10 7 - 34
1st - GB - Schroeder, 24-yard pass from Hasselbeck (Longwell kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
3rd - GB - Longwell, 38-yard field goal GREEN BAY 27-24
3rd - CL - Dawson, 46-yard field goal TIED 27-27
4th - GB - Snider, 66-yard pass from Wuerffel (Longwell kick) GREEN BAY 34-27
4th - CL - Den. Northcutt, 26-yd pass fr KevinThompson (2-pt att failed) GB 34-33
2000 PACKERS DRAFT (April 15-16, 2000 )
RND-PCKNAMEPOSCOLLEGENOTES
1 14 Bubba Franks TE Miami (FL)
2 44 Chad Clifton T Tennessee
3 74 Steve Warren DT Nebraska
4a 98 Na'il Diggs LB Ohio State (A)
4b 108 From Jets for Rick Mirer, traded to San Francisco
4c 114 Anthony Lucas WR Arkansas
4d 126 Gary Berry S Ohio State (B)
5a 132 From SF for Craig Newsome, traded back to San Francisco
5b 149 Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila DE San Diego St
5b 151 Joey Jamison WR/KR Texas South. (C)
6 185 Traded to Seattle in Ahamn Green/Fred Vinson trade
7a 224 Mark Tauscher T Wisconsin
7b 229 Ron Moore DT NW Okla. St (D)
7c 242 Charles Lee WR C. Florida (B)
7d 249 Eugene McCaslin LB Florida (B)
7e 252 Rondell Mealey RB LSU (B)
A-From San Francisco B-Free agency compensatory pick C-From Seattle in Ahman Green/Fred Vinson trade D-From Seattle for Derrick Mayes
Bold Italics - Played for the Green Bay Packers
FREE AGENCY - UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
PLAYERS SIGNED - P Tom Hutton (Miami), DT Russell Maryland (Oakland), LB Mike Morton (St. Louis), DE John Thierry (Cleveland)
PLAYERS LOST - DE Vaughn Booker (Cincinnati), LB Keith McKenzie (Cleveland)
FREE AGENCY - RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
PLAYERS LOST - None
TRANSISTION PLAYER DESIGNATION
S LeRoy Butler
2000 Packers Yearbook
2000 Packers Media Guide
Browns at Packers Program - 26 August
Jets at Packers Program - 3 September
Eagles at Packers Program - 17 September
Packers at Lions Program - 8 October
49ers at Packers Program - 15 October
Colts at Packers Program - 20 November
Lions at Packers Program - 10 December
Buccaneers at Packers Program - 24 December
Bubba Franks
Brett Favre
Ahman Green
Mike Sherman
TRADES AND TRANSACTIONS
FEBRUARY 24 - Traded a 2001 7th-round selection (later traded to Atlanta - G Kynan Forney) to DENVER for LB David Bowens
MARCH 16 - Traded TE Jeff Thomason to PHILADELPHIA for TE Kaseem Sinceno
APRIL 15 - Traded CB Fred Vinson and a 2000 6th-round selection (DT Tim Watston) to SEATTLE for RB Ahman Green and 2000 5th-round selection (WR/KR Joey Jamison)
APRIL 16 - Traded 2000 4th- (SS John Keith) and 5th-round (FB Paul Smith) selections to SAN FRANCISCO for a 2000 4th-round selection (LB Na'il Diggs)
AUGUST 15 - Traded a 2001 4th-round selection (G Ben Hamilton) to DENVER for LB Nate Wayne
JULY 31 - Traded QB Aaron Brooks and TE Lamont Hall to NEW ORLEANS for LB K.D. Williams and a 2001 3rd-round draft choice (later dealt to 49ers, who sent the pick to Seattle - FB Heath Evans)
AUGUST 26 - Traded a 2001 5th-round draft choice (TE Toy Stewart) to PHILADELPHIA for CB/KR Allen Rossum
THE PACKERS FINANCIAL DOWNWARD SPIRAL
After weathering numerous financial storms in their history, the Green Bay Packers found themselves in another monetary crisis in the late 1990s. After making a profit of just over $7 million in 1998 and just under $7 million in 1999, the team lost $419,000 in the 2000 fiscal year. It was Green Bay's first operating loss in more than a decade. The situation was made worse, as the Packers had to dip into the team's cash reserves, which declined to $49 million, compared with $52.4 million in 1998. With the reserves being drained, and no new sources of revenue, the franchise was projecting that reserves would fall to $7.9 million by 2004 and that a negative cash reserve would require the team to borrow almost $10 million to fund operations by 2005.
In 2000, the Packers dropped to 17th of the 31 NFL teams in overall revenue. Two years prior, the Packers were ninth in the league in revenue, and the team was 15th with $102 million in revenue in 1999. In January 2000, the Packers announced plans for a $295 million referendum to renovate, modernize and enlarge Lambeau Field. Packer president Bob Harlan went out and pressed the case for the referendum everywhere he could.
Harlan was going through a personal nightmare at the same time the Packers were facing a financial nightmare. Harlan’s mother suffered a brain stem stroke in December 1999, and, according to later report, his own health deteriorated during a very contentious public battle over the referendum. In a Green Bay Press-Gazette article in 2009, Harlan said he would travel every weekend eight hours to Des Moines, Iowa, to visit his mother, who was paralyzed, couldn’t speak and didn’t recognize him. She died a month before the stadium vote was taken.
The project's voter-approved financing came in the form of a half-cent sales tax in Brown County to support over $160 million in bonding. The state of Wisconsin approved funding of an additional $9.1 million for stadium infrastructure improvements. The Packers, the city and the NFL contributed $125.9 million from a one-time seat user fee. And, the club pledged to cover any project cost overruns in consideration of its authority to direct the design of the building and stadium construction.
Their plan won voter approval, by a 53-47 margin, in September 2000, and construction began early the following year, insuring the Packers would remain competitive into the 21st century.
