2008 Green Bay Packers

There were few dry eyes among Packer Backers this offseason, as legendary QB Brett Favre announced his retirement after one last overachieving season. While 2007 was full of positive surprises in Green Bay, 2008 leaves a lot of questions. None are larger than whether new QB Aaron Rodgers will be able to fill the shoes of Favre. We expect Ryan Grant to remain a major contributor to the offense, complementing a group of strong receivers. While nothing can replace the magic of #4 at Lambeau, this Packers team looks to be surprisingly good and will provide some new highlights to the Green Bay faithful.

Some Green Bay Packers history: The Packers predate the NFL. The team was founded in Green Bay on August 11, 1919, by two young players, George Calhoun and Curly Lambeau. The Indian Packing Plant, Lambeau's employer, donated uniforms and the use of an athletic field. During the team's first season in 1920, players earned their salaries by passing hats among spectators.

In 1921 Lambeau's Packers joined the new American Professional Football Association, which soon became the NFL. Lambeau played until 1927, becoming an early master of the forward pass. Green Bay won three consecutive league titles from 1929 through 1931, and three more crowns in 1936, 1939, and 1944.

After Lambeau left the team in 1949, the franchise declined. During the 1960s, however, under head coach Vince Lombardi the Packers won five league crowns from 1961 to 1967. Star-studded lineups featuring quarterback Bart Starr, halfback-kicker Paul Hornung, offensive lineman Forrest Gregg, linebacker Ray Nitschke, and running back Jim Taylor captured five league championships in seven seasons'”a record unmatched in NFL history. Lombardi's Packers won the first two Super Bowls, humbling two American Football League champion teams: the Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in the 1967 Super Bowl, and a year later they beat the Oakland Raiders 33-14.

During his nine seasons in Green Bay, Lombardi's teams won more than 75 percent of their games, including nine of ten playoff contests. Lombardi's .740 career winning percentage is the highest among coaches with at least 100 victories.

In January 1992 the Packers hired Mike Holmgren as the team's head coach. In 1995 the club won the division crown and advanced to the NFC Championship Game, losing to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboys.

Green Bay's success continued as Favre threw 39 touchdown passes to lead Green Bay to 13 victories and its second consecutive division title in 1996. In the playoffs the Packers captured the NFC championship and defeated the New England Patriots 35-21 in Super Bowl XXXI. The following season the Packers continued to dominate the NFC, with another 13 wins and the Central Division title. After defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs, however, Green Bay faltered in the Super Bowl and lost to the Denver Broncos 31-24.