With a playoff berth on the line, the Green Bay Packers will host the New Orleans Saints on December 23rd on Monday Night Football. The nationally-televised game will be the 29th time the two teams have locked horns, and the Packers own an 18-10 advantage in the series. It has been a rivalry of runs; the Packers won 10 of the first 12 games, the Saints beat Green Bay three out of four between 2002-2008.
Of the first 28 meetings, exactly half of them have been played in New Orleans, and the other half took place in Wisconsin either at Lambeau Field in Green Bay or County Stadium in Milwaukee.
In their 14 home games played against the Saints, the Green Bay Packers emerged victorious 11 times, including last season’s come-from-behind thriller which saw the Packers fall behind 17-0 only to score 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for the win.
To get fans ready for Monday’s game, today’s focus in “Green Bay Packers Rewind” recollects the first-ever battle between the two NFC foes, which took place at Milwaukee’s County Stadium on November 17, 1968, which happened one season removed from Vince Lombardi’s tenure in Titletown. Despite the absence of their storied coach, the Packers demonstrated to the two-year-old franchise that although their Hall of Fame coach was now in Washington coaching the Redskins, the green and gold still ruled the roost regarding any new kids on the block.
The New Orleans Saints Were Less Than Two-Years Old In 1968
The NFL awarded its 16th franchise to the city of New Orleans on November 1, 1966. Ironically, and perhaps as a sign of foreshadowing, that day was “All Saints Day,” and in early 1967, the team’s nickname officially became the “Saints” in homage to its “birthday.”
In their first season of operating on the field in 1967, the Saints lost their first seven games before beating the Philadelphia Eagles, 31-24, on November 5, 1967, for the franchise’s inaugural victory. They won twice more that year, and finished with a 3-11 record.
Hopes were high for New Orleans in 1968; in fact, they split their first six games and equaled their previous season’s win total on October 20th of that year when they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 16-12 on that day.
However, those dreams of a winning season were dashed over their next three games, all losses to the St. Louis Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, and Cleveland Browns. Thus, the Saints limped into County Stadium with a 3-6 record to face the Green Bay Packers.
November 17, 1968: Green Bay Packers 29, New Orleans Saints 7
Following their Super Bowl II victory over the Oakland Raiders just ten months prior to their matchup with the Saints, the Green Bay Packers, under first-year coach Phil Bengston, were struggling to live up to past glory under Vince Lombardi.
The Packers were just 4-4-1 in mid-November, and a playoff spot was most likely out of reach with just five games to play.
In front of a decent County Stadium crowd of 49,644, Green Bay drew first blood in the first quarter and never looked back.
Kicker Mike Mercer booted a 35-yard field goal to initially light the scoreboard. Then on the Saints’ next offensive series, running back Don McCall coughed up the football, and Green Bay defender Tom Brown scooped up the gift and ran 22 yards for a touchdown to bump the lead to 10-0. Long also intercepted a pass for the Packers’ defense in the game.
The Packers were not through scoring in the opening period. Donny Anderson plunged into the end zone from the one-yard line, making the score 17-0.
In the second quarter, McCall redeemed himself by galloping 11 yards for a touchdown. But, Carroll Dale made the margin 23-7 before halftime when he caught a 47-yard touchdown pass from legendary quarterback Bart Starr.
After a scoreless third quarter, veteran Elijah Pitts completed the afternoon’s point total with a two-yard scoring run, and the Green Bay Packers coasted to a 29-7 triumph.
Despite Their Talent, The 1968 Green Bay Packers Were Past Their Prime
When looking at the roster for the 1968 Packers, anyone with a sense of NFL history would be gobsmacked at how much talent resided on it.
However, the Green Bay’s roll call was ancient in NFL terms; despite boasting nine future Hall of Famers, including six defensive starters, those legends were most definitely experiencing the twilight of their careers. Seven of those nine–Starr, Jerry Kramer, Forrest Gregg, Willie Davis, Ray Nitschke, Henry Jordan, and Willie Wood–were all over the age of 32. Only Herb Adderley (29) and Dave Robinson (27) were younger than 30.
Taking that as well as adapting to a brand-new head coach, the Packers finished under .500 (6-7-1) for the first time in ten years.
However, they were still able to channel the glory years against the upstart Saints in their first-ever game in 1968.
