1998 Green Bay Packers season


The 1998 Green Bay Packers season was their 80th season overall and their 78th in the National Football League. It ended with a 30–27 loss in the NFC Wild Card Game to the San Francisco 49ers, with Steve Young throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens with three seconds left. The season marked the end of an era in many ways for Green Bay; this was the last season for which both head coach Mike Holmgren and Hall of Fame defensive end Reggie White would find themselves on the Packers' sideline. This was the first time the Packers had not won the division in four years. In addition, the Minnesota Vikings brought an end to the Packers 25 game home winning streak in Week 5.
1998 was the final season that the Packers would qualify for the postseason during the 1990s. They would not return to the playoffs until 2001.

Offseason

1998 NFL draft

Notably, the Packers drafted future all-pro quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in the 6th round.
RoundSel#PlayerPos.College
119Vonnie HollidayDTNorth Carolina
390Jonathan BrownDETennessee
4121Roosevelt BlackmonCBMorris Brown
5150Corey BradfordWRJackson State
6156Scott McGarrahanSSNew Mexico
6187Matt HasselbeckQBBoston College
7218Edwin WatsonRBPurdue

Undrafted free agents

PlayerPositionCollege
Jim NelsonLinebackerPenn State

Staff

Roster

Schedule

Preseason

In the 1998 NFL Preseason, the Packers traveled to Japan to face off against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Tokyo Dome. It was the ninth American Bowl game to be staged at the 48,000 capacity stadium.
DateOpponentResultGame siteRecordAttendance
August 1, 1998Kansas City ChiefsW 27–24Tokyo Dome1–0
42,018
August 8, 1998New Orleans SaintsW 31–7Lambeau Field2–0
60,080
August 16, 1998Oakland RaidersL 21–27Lambeau Field2–1
60,078
August 24, 1998at Denver BroncosL 31–34Mile High Stadium2–2
73,183
August 28, 1998at Miami DolphinsL 7–21Pro Player Stadium2–3
61,915

Regular season

The Packers finished the 1998 regular with an 11–5 record in 2nd place in the NFC Central, behind the Randall Cunningham-led 15–1 Vikings.

Standings

Season summary

Week 1

Playoffs

NFC Wild Card Playoff

The 49ers defeated the Packers, who had eliminated them from the playoffs in each of the past 3 seasons, in one of the wildest back-and-forth games in league playoff history. After a Brett Favre touchdown to Antonio Freeman with 1:55 to go the Niners behind Steve Young began driving down field; Jerry Rice had just one catch for six yards all game; it came in this drive and when he was downed he appeared to fumble the ball but was ruled down by contact; on the next play Young's pass fell incomplete and was initially ruled intercepted. With eight seconds to go Young from the Packers 25 dropped back, momentarily stumbled, then launched the ball where it was caught in the endzone by Terrell Owens, who had dropped several catches during the game.

Awards and records