Well, boys and girls, it is Tuesday, and that means it is time for this week's version of my Packers series history report. Today, I will be covering Green Bay's history against the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders.
This is a somewhat unusual series, in how it has played out. More after the jump.
With the NFL/AFL Merger taking place in 1970, the chance opened up for the Packers to play AFC teams. The Packers-Raiders series is tied 5-5, with the Raiders winning the first five and the Packers winning the next five. Green Bay's first regular-season game against the Raiders was in early 1972. The Raiders won a close game. The 1976 game, in Oakland, was the closest game in this series until 1999, but the Raiders again won on the way to their first Super Bowl title.
Green Bay next played the Raiders in 1978. This was Green Bay's first loss that season, a 28-3 blowout at Lambeau Field. The Raiders beat the Packers again in 1984 in Los Angeles and shut out the Packers 20-0 to open the 1987 season. In 1990, the Packers finally beat the Raiders, 29-16, in Los Angeles. This was their only win in Los Angeles from 1967-1991, as they lost every other road game against the Rams and Raiders during that time span.
In 1993, the Packers clinched a playoff berth by shutting out the Raiders 28-0 in Green Bay. Highlighting this game was a Reggie White fumble recovery and lateral to Leroy Butler, who made the first ever jump into the Lambeau Field stands to celebrate with the fans. The 1999 game was notable in the fact that it was Ray Rhodes' first game as coach. In that game, the Raiders led 24-14 midway through the fourth quarter, only for Brett Favre to pull off a comeback as Green Bay won 28-24.
But it was the 2003 game, in Oakland, which may be the most notable game in this series. Playing just after the death of his father, Favre threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns, as Green Bay won 41-7. Most recently, in December 2007, the Packers blew out the Raiders 38-7 in Green Bay, clinching the NFC North division title for Green Bay.
In the playoffs, there has been just one Packers-Raiders game, Super Bowl II, which the Packers won 33-14. This was a very notable game as it was Vince Lombardi's final game as Green Bay's head coach. Bart Starr won the second of his two Super Bowl MVP awards, and Lombardi received the trophy that would soon be named after him.
What are your memories of the Packers playing the Raiders?