Packers all-time tournament Final Four: 1962 (1) vs. 1961 (4)

Final Four matchup in the all-time Green Bay Packers tournament — No. 1 seed 1962 vs. No. 4 seed 1961.

Vince Lombardi’s second championship team was his most dominant. Green Bay went 13-1 – with the lone loss coming at Detroit on a short week on Thanksgiving – and had a point differential of plus-267. Unsurprisingly, the Packers led the NFL in both points scored (415) and points allowed (148). Quarterback Bart Starr completed 62.5% of his passes and threw for 2,438 yards. NFL MVP Jim Taylor led the league with 1,474 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. The defense featured five All-Pros – Herb Adderley, Willie Davis, Bill Forester, Henry Jordan and Dan Currie. In addition, Willie Wood led the NFL with nine interceptions. The Packers would defeat the New York Giants in the NFL championship 16-7.

Round 1: 1962 (No. 1 seed) 42, 2011 (No. 16 seed) 31

Round 2: 1962 29, 1997 (No. 9 seed) 24

Lombardi’s first championship team easily won the NFL West with an 11-3 record and league-best plus-168 point differential (next best were Detroit at 8-5-1 and San Francisco with a plus-74) before throttling the East winner, the New York Giants, 37-0 in the championship. Jim Taylor ran for 1,307 yards and 15 TDs and caught 25 passes for 175 yards and a TD but it was Paul Hornung who was named the NFL MVP. Hornung rushed for 597 yards and eight TDs, caught 15 passes for 145 yards and two TDs, threw a TD pass (he was 3 for 5 for 42 yards) and, as the team’s kicker, made all 41 of his extra-point attempts and hit 15 of 22 field-goal attempts. Bart Starr didn’t have his best season, throwing as many INTs as TDs – 16. The defense was anchored by the usual suspects and four players – Hank Gremminger, John Symank, Jesse Whittenton and Willie Wood each had five INTs (the team had 29 picks and 46 takeaways, second in the league, overall).

Round 1: 1961 (No. 4 seed) 38, 2014 (No. 13 seed) 20

Round 2: 1961 17, 1965 (No. 5 seed) 12