Packers own best NFL record for past 33 seasons

Steve from Neenah, Wis.

The Packers have had a run of 30 or so years (with very few exceptions) where they have been legitimate playoff contenders. Is this the longest such streak in their history? Do you attribute this streak more to the fact that they lucked out in getting back-to-back HOF-caliber quarterbacks or good management and coaching?

Steve, although you submitted your question several years ago, it remains a timely one following another winning and playoff-clinching season. The Packers' run of success is in its 33rd season dating to the franchise's resurrection in 1992.

In fact, the Packers now own the best regular-season winning percentage over that period. With one game remaining in the 2024 season, the Packers have a 334-195-2 record for a .631 winning percentage since Ron Wolf and Mike Holmgren took charge in 1992.

Pittsburgh is a close second with a 332-196-3 record (.628). But even if the Packers lose their final game to Chicago and the Steelers beat Cincinnati on Saturday, the Packers will still own the best record by a .001 margin.

Best NFL Records (1992-2024)

(Regular-season records through 16 games in 2024. Baltimore joined the NFL in 1996.)

The Packers also lead the NFL in playoff appearances over the past 33 seasons with 24 and are tied with the Steelers for most winning seasons with 26. The Packers also are tied with Pittsburgh for the second-most division titles with 15, although the Steelers could break that tie this weekend if they win and the Baltimore Ravens lose. With only five losing seasons since 1992, the Packers trail only the Steelers (three) in that category.

Most Playoff Appearances (since 1992)

Most Division Titles (since 1992)

Most Winning Seasons (since 1992)

Fewest Losing Seasons (since 1992)

(Note: Baltimore has had eight losing seasons since joining the NFL in 1996.)

The Packers also are tied for fifth with two Super Bowl wins over the past 33 seasons. New England has won six; and Dallas, Denver and Kansas City, three apiece.

Most Super Bowl Wins (since 1992)

(Note: The Rams won a Super Bowl while based in St. Louis.)

All of the above numbers were confirmed with the assistance of Santo Labombarda of Elias Sports Bureau.

Your first question was: Is this the longest such streak in Packers history? Yes. Is it the most successful? Yes and no, depending on how one judges success.

From 1921, the Packers' first season in what is now the NFL, through 1945, they compiled a 192-75-20 record for a .704 winning percentage. That's the second best 25-year run in NFL history, following the Bears' .733 winning percentage from 1920-44.

During that period under Curly Lambeau, the Packers had 24 winning seasons and won what was then an NFL record-tying six championships.

I suppose one could argue that the Packers' two seasons as an independent semipro or professional team in 1919 and '20, when they compiled a combined 19-2-1 record, could be added to the compilation, as well as the six seasons following 1945, for a matching period of time. Despite going 6-5, 6-5-1, 3-9, 2-10, 3-9 and 3-9 from 1946-51, that would give the Packers a .645 winning percentage for the years from 1919-51, or better than the current .631 winning percentage.

Admittedly, that's a reach.

Also, what stands out about the Packers' current run – and Pittsburgh's too – is that even in their losing seasons they never bottomed out. In their five losing seasons, the Packers finished 8-9 in 2022, 6-9-1 in 2018, 7-9 in 2017, 6-10 in 2008 and 4-12 in 2005. In the Steelers' three losing seasons, they were 6-10 in 2003 and 1999 and 7-9 in 1998. The Packers also had two .500 finishes and the Steelers, four.

New England, for example, is the only other team with a better than .600 winning percentage since 1992, but that season it went 2-14; last year it finished 4-13; and this season it sits at 3-13. Kansas City, which owns the fourth-best record since 1992, went 4-12, 2-14 and 4-12 from 2007-09 and then 2-14 again in 2012.

As to your second question – who deserves the most credit, management and coaching or the quarterbacks? – my answer would be both, but it starts with management and coaching. The Packers' personnel people acquired the quarterbacks without paying even a top 20 draft pick and the coaches developed them.

Having covered the Packers for most of the 24 gory years from 1968-91, the franchise's biggest problem was the bad hires for the positions of coach and general manager from Phil Bengtson to Dan Devine to Bart Starr to Forrest Gregg to the tandem of Tom Braatz and Lindy Infante. It wasn't an issue of interference by the club president or executive committee or that those people at the top didn't possess strong qualities in other areas, mostly in the financial world. There were some sharp and respected people among the organization's officers during those years.

But other than Tony Canadeo, none of the executive committee members during that time had any experience in pro sports and Canadeo gained his as a Hall of Fame player.

On the other hand, the two chief executive officers since 1992, Bob Harlan and Mark Murphy, had a wealth of experience as sports administrators when they were appointed by the Packers.

Harlan worked for Al McGuire as sports information director when the latter turned around the Marquette University basketball program, and served in community and public relations under general manager Bing Devine when the St. Louis Cardinals were a National League power and won a World Series. Then, Harlan benefited from spending 19 years working as an administrator for the Packers, where he learned how not to run an NFL team.

Murphy spent 16 years in charge of college athletic departments at Colgate and Northwestern after playing eight years for Washington under a Pro Football Hall of Fame general manager Bobby Beathard and two Hall of Fame coaches, George Allen and Joe Gibbs.

No question, the key to the Packers' 33 years of success starts at the top, mostly because Harlan and Murphy hired good people and let them do their job free of unwanted interference.

In turn, Harlan's choice of Wolf as general manager marked the first time since Vince Lombardi in 1959, 32 years earlier, that the Packers hired someone to run their football operation that had worked for a perennial winner and had his own record of success in player personnel.

And what that did is create a blueprint for the future.

The Packers' two general managers since 2005, Ted Thompson and current GM Brian Gutekunst, cut their teeth in pro football working under Wolf and basically have followed the same draft-and-develop philosophy.

And that, in turn, led to the hiring of four successful head coaches: Holmgren, a .670 winning percentage in Green Bay and a Hall of Fame finalist this year; Mike Sherman, a .594 winning percentage; Mike McCarthy, a .618 winning percentage; and Matt LaFleur, a .677 winning percentage and counting.

As for the quarterbacks, Brett Favre has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame; Aaron Rodgers will be inducted five years after his retirement; and Jordan Love is off to a promising start since becoming the starter in 2023.

The position is essential to success in the NFL. Twenty-eight of the last 32 Super Bowls have been won by Hall of Fame quarterbacks – Troy Aikman, Steve Young, Favre, John Elway, Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning; or cinch future Hall of Fame quarterbacks – Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford; a current Hall of Fame finalist, Eli Manning; and a probable future Hall of Fame finalist, Russell Wilson.

No question, having a Hall of Fame quarterback for 31 of the past 33 seasons has been critical to the Packers' success. But also keep in mind that Favre, Rodgers and Love all needed refining when they entered the league and have had several head and assistant coaches in Green Bay to thank for their development and success.

Scott from Madison, WI

If I remember correctly, Wrigley Field has hosted the most NFL games. However, I believe Lambeau Field will be taking over that stat in the near future. Can you please confirm that is correct?

Our PR Dept. looked into it and this was what they found for the NFL stadiums that have hosted the most games.

REGULAR SEASON

• Giants Stadium, 477 games
• Soldier Field, 425
• Arrowhead Stadium, 412
• Lambeau Field, 401
• Highmark Stadium (Buffalo), 399

Including playoff games, the numbers would be: 1) Giants Stadium, 492; 2) Soldier Field, 440; 3) Arrowhead Stadium, 432; 4) Lambeau Field, 426; 5) Highmark Stadium, 416.

Scott, those numbers surprised me too, considering what is now Lambeau Field is the longest continuously occupied stadium by an NFL team. The Packers first played there in 1957 when it opened as Green Bay City Stadium, whereas the Bears didn't start playing their home games at Soldier Field until 1971 and the Chiefs at Arrowhead until 1972.

But keep two things in mind. One, the Packers didn't play more than five regular-season games at Lambeau until after 1994, the last year they split their home games with Milwaukee. Two, the New York Giants started playing at Giants Stadium in 1976 and then shared it with the New York Jets from 1984-2009. MetLife Stadium, completed in 2010, replaced it.

Rich Stadium and Ralph Wilson Stadium were the first two names of what's now Buffalo's Highmark Stadium.

Bill of Bloomfield Hills, MI

Every NFL decade had had at least a three-time champion, although Kansas City's first of their three Super Bowl wins belonged to the 2010s. That has me thinking if we can delineate them into which were the best.

1920s: 1922-24 Canton/Cleveland Bulldogs, albeit they weren't truly the same club the third year and don't get recognition for the three straight that only the Packers have achieved twice.

1930s: The '29-31 Packers are next up, add in the '36 and '39 Packers and you get four titles in the 1930s.

1940s: The '40-41, '43 and '46 Bears didn't get three straight, but three of four and four of seven is clearly a dynasty.

1950s: The new to the NFL Cleveland Browns take 1950 and '54-55 titles for three over six years, while the Lions won '52-53 and '57, three over six years. Two teams had three titles but over six years.

1960s: The Packers take 1961-62 and '65-67 for five over seven years, hands down the best dynasty in league history, and ever so close to having been the Boston Celtics of the NFL by winning eight straight from 1960-1967.

1970s: Hands down the Steelers with 1974-75 and '78-79 for four titles over six years.

1980s: Hands down the 49ers with 1981, '84 and '88-89 for four titles over nine years. The Raiders got three titles within 10 years during the 1970s-80s. Ditto for Washington in the 1980s-90s.

1990s: The Cowboys won 1992-93 and '95 for three in four seasons.

2000s: The Patriots won 2001 and then '03-04 for three out of four years.

2010s: Patriots won 2014, '16 and '18 for three out of five years.

2020s: KC now has two in a row and three in five years going back to 2019.

So if a top dynasty is measured by at least three titles up to five and a 50 percent title win rate during their reign, who were the best?

The Packers' five out of seven stand at the top as most consecutive years of being dominant. The Patriots six out of 18 stand for longevity but not with as much dominance. The '29-31 Packers for three in a row and five over 11 years are next.

The 1970s Steelers get four over six years. The 1940s Bears took three of four and four of seven in a close match to the Steelers. The Bulldogs took three straight with an asterisk. The 1980s 49ers with four over nine years stand next. The 1990s Cowboys and 2000s Pats come next with three of four each. The current KC teams are at three of five and the arrow pointing up. The 1950s Lions and Browns are next with three of six. Last would be the 1970-90 Raiders and Washington each with three titles over 10-year periods.

Hope you find this interesting and would like to hear your perspective on comparisons and ranking.

Bill, I'll give you a quick answer but let your summary spark the debate.

My choices for greatest dynasties.

Short term: The 1929-31 Packers, the first team to win three in a row and still one of only two to have done it over the NFL's first 104 seasons. Those threepeat Packers compiled a 34-5-2 record and outscored their opponents, 723-220.

10 Years: The Lombardi Packers, the only NFL franchise to win five titles in a decade and also the only one so far to win three straight titles under a playoff format, which dates to 1933. But the 1946-55 Browns get honorable mention for winning four straight All-America Football Conference championships and then three NFL titles in the next six years.

20 Years: The Bill Belichick Patriots with arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history – at least pre-Patrick Mahomes – and six Super Bowl victories from 2001-18 and 17 straight seasons of at least 10 victories.

Long term: A tie between the Staleys/Bears and Lambeau's Packers. From 1920-51, the Bears won a record seven NFL championships, including five under George Halas, and suffered only two losing seasons. From 1921-47, the Packers won six NFL titles and had only one losing season. Between the two franchises, they won 12 of 18 championships from 1929-46.

Most talented of the modern or two-platoon multiple champions since 1950: The four-time champion Steelers from 1974-79 followed by the three-time champion Cowboys from 1992-95.

Mike from Winona, MN

Many of the talking media heads were making a big deal about the Los Angles Chargers kicking a fair-catch field goal in their recent win on Dec. 19. It was the first such successful play since 1976. Well, in my long-past youth I seem to remember that Paul Hornung may have booted a fair-catch field goal back in the 1960s.

You're correct. On Sept. 13, 1964, in a season-opening, 23-12 victory over the Bears, Hornung kicked a club record-tying 52-yard field goal with no time remaining in the first half following a fair catch by Elijah Pitts of a Bobby Joe Green punt.

It was Hornung's first game back following his 1963 suspension and he was given "a tremendous ovation" in the words of the Green Bay Press-Gazette's Art Daley during pre-game introductions. Hornung responded by scoring 11 of the Packers' 23 points and rushing for 77 yards on 15 carries, a 5.1 average per carry.

Four years later, the Bears gained a measure of revenge when Mac Percival's 43-yard free kick, following a fair catch with 32 seconds remaining, gave the Bears a 13-10 victory over the Packers.

Both games were played in Green Bay, and I was an eyewitness to both.