The Best Packers Play You've Seen in Person
Football games distill pretty easily to a couple memorable moments per game. A spectacular run here, a great catch there, and sooner or later you’ve got a highlight reel of the best moments from what’s often a three hour long affair.
Sometimes you’re even lucky enough to catch one of those spectacular moments in person. Here are our favorite plays we’ve seen in the flesh.
Gary says: Donald Driver’s miraculous catch-and-run against the 49ers in 2010
As a freshman in college, I attended a university in the Twin Cities. My first year on campus was 2009, coincidentally, the same year Brett Favre unretired (again) and joined the Minnesota Vikings.
It was a rough first semester on campus. I proudly displayed by Packers pride from my dorm room window, much to the chagrin of the bandwagon Vikings fans swept up in Favre fever.
I became fast friends with Ellis and Lance, who both were lifelong (well, Ellis was… we were still working on Lance at the time) Packers fans.
The three of us had the opportunity in early December to travel to Green Bay and watch the Packers take on the San Francisco 49ers. Nestled near the action in the bowl, we were witnesses to Donald Driver’s 61-yard catch-and-run as he bobbed and weaved through 49ers defenders, all in some hideous throwback uniforms.
It sounds cliche and sappy, but my love of the Packers has strengthened my relationships. To this day, the three of us still reminisce about that weekend and remain friends to this day.
Jon says: Micah Hyde’s 93-yard punt return against the Vikings in 2013
The knock on Micah Hyde when he came into the NFL was that he was slow. Sure, in short bursts he could be fine, but analysts and fans alike wondered if he’d ever be able to keep up with receivers streaking down the middle of the field.
In 2013, Gary and I got to see in person that Hyde had plenty of speed.
Just a couple minutes of game time after Aaron Rodgers had connected with Jordy Nelson for a 76-yard touchdown, Minnesota trotted out its punt team. Hyde took the punt virtually right in front of our seats and sprinted right through the middle of the Vikings’ coverage team, narrowly avoiding being pummeled by one of his own teammates. He quickly outpaced the punter and cruised for a 93-yard touchdown.
Even in person, we could see him nearly stumble as he celebrated during the final ten yards into the end zone, but that didn’t take away from what was truly an amazing run.
