About Packers is working on numerous articles chronicling the career of future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre leading up to his induction ceremony into the Green Bay Hall of Fame on July 18 at Lambeau Field.

This is the third article in a series that features what I consider to be Favre's 20 best and/or most memorable games during his 16-year career in Titletown.

No. 18 on the list is Green Bay’s 27-24 victory over NFC Central rival Chicago on Sept.


11, 1995.

This was a key victory already for Mike Holmgren’s squad for a Week Two showdown in the Windy City after the Packers had suffered an upset loss at Lambeau Field against the St. Louis Rams.

Meanwhile, Dave Wannstedt’s Bears had cruised past another division rival, Minnesota, by a 31-14 count in Chicago and were seeking some big-time payback after suffering a humiliating sweep against Green Bay by a combined 73-9 count only the year before – 33-6 at home and 40-3 on Wisconsin soil.

This proved to be another classic in the storied history of these two franchises as the visiting Packers stormed to a 21-0 first-quarter advantage and led 27-7 in the third quarter before Chicago staged a huge rally to make this contest much too nerve-wracking for Green Bay and its fans.

Favre and the Green Bay offense torched the Bears early and often in this matchup after being stymied by a St. Louis squad that started 2-0 but faltered to a 7-9 finish in 1995.

Things started the same way in this “Monday Night Football” showdown as Favre and Robert Brooks hooked up for a 5-yard score before Favre hit former Chicago wide receiver Anthony Morgan for a 15-yard TD for a 14-0 cushion after one quarter.

Then the Packers went for the knockout punch as Favre pump-faked from his own end zone, lofting a third-and-10 pass to a streaking Brooks down the right sideline for a team-record, 99-yard touchdown and 21-0 margin. The play surpassed the 96-yard connection from Tobin Rote to Billy Grimes at San Francisco in December 1950.

Despite that electrifying, record-setting connection, Favre wasn’t great in the contest in completing 21 of 37 attempts. However, Favre was more than good enough in throwing for 312 yards with the three TD tosses and one interception, although the latter came early in the final quarter and set the Bears up at the Green Bay 8-yard line for a second consecutive TD and six-point deficit at 27-21.

Green Bay controlled the clock for 37:17, rushing for 125 yards while converting 13 of 18 on third down as Edgar Bennett gained 96 grueling yards on 30 attempts.

The Packers needed every one of those conversions as former Detroit signal caller Erik Kramer and the Bears nearly completed the huge comeback. Chicago scored the game’s final 17 points but settled for a field goal on its last score after being stuffed for no yards on three plays after taking over at the Packers’ 2 following a blocked punt.

An 0-2 start could have been disastrous or at least a much tougher hole for Green Bay to climb out of and might have changed the complexion of the Packers eventually winning the division title.

Favre, Holmgren and everybody in Green and Gold were relieved to have avoided a catastrophe.

“There isn’t any team that could have done better in third-down execution than we did,” Favre said about the vital statistic. “We were that good, and I didn’t even realize it until after the game. That won the game for us.”

And there was no bigger conversion than the bomb to Brooks, who showed he could pick up the slack for Sterling Sharpe.

“I’ve been pumping Robert up ever since Sterling’s been gone,” Favre said in reference to Sharpe’s career-ending neck injury late in the 1994 season. “Eventually people are going to say Robert is pretty good. Nothing he’s done so far has surprised me.”