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In this series, I will be looking at the history of coaches, quarterbacks, rushers, and receivers for all 32 franchises. For coaches and quarterbacks, I will be looking at how much their franchise’s career records (regular season only) would change if we removed the games with that person. For rushers and receivers, I will note how many times that player was the team’s leading rusher/receiver over the course of their time with that franchise (regular plus postseason).

Previous Teams:

AFC East: Dolphins, Bills, Jets, and Patriots
NFC East: Cowboys, Eagles,Giants, and Redskins
AFC North: Steelers

The Packers have as storied a history as any team in pro football. And it starts at the beginning, with Curly Lambeau. The first coach in Green Bay history guided the team to six titles, and while the Packers have an all-time winning percentage of 0.564, it would be just 0.533 if you removed the Lambeau Years. The tradition continued with the great Vince Lombardi, who posted a remarkable 89-29-4 mark as Packers head coach, while leading the team to 5 titles. And Mike Holmgren and Mike McCarthy continued that tradition: not only did they both win Super Bowls, but each coach improved the franchise’s overall winning percentage by 1%, no easy task given the high baseline of Packers head coach.

The full list below:

Ovr RkCoachGWLTHC Win %FrGFrWFLFrTFr W%Win% w/o HCDiff
14Curly Lambeau334209104210.6571352743571380.5640.5333.1%
37Vince Lombardi122892940.7461352743571380.5640.5461.8%
64Mike McCarthy2041257720.6181352743571380.5640.5541%
65Mike Holmgren112753700.671352743571380.5640.5541%
131Mike Sherman96573900.5941352743571380.5640.5610.2%
199Joe Philbin42200.51352743571380.5640.5640%
218Ray Rhodes168800.51352743571380.5640.564-0.1%
296Phil Bengtson42202110.4881352743571380.5640.566-0.2%
344Dan Devine56252740.4821352743571380.5640.567-0.4%
373Ray McLean1411210.1071352743571380.5640.568-0.5%
436Lisle Blackbourn48173100.3541352743571380.5640.571-0.8%
439Forrest Gregg63253710.4051352743571380.5640.571-0.8%
454Gene Ronzani46143110.3151352743571380.5640.572-0.9%
469Lindy Infante64244000.3751352743571380.5640.573-0.9%
500Bart Starr131527630.4081352743571380.5640.58-1.7%

The quarterback history might be even richer. Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Bart Starr all started over 150 games and won over 60% of those contests. The winner here is Favre, due to longevity: even with Rodgers and Starr, all Packers quarterbacks not named Favre have a 0.504 winning percentage since 1950.

That’s because there were some lean years in Green Bay, notably with Lynn Dickey and Tobin Rote. Both players were better than their records, but languished on poor teams.

Ovr RkQBGWLTQB Win %FrGFrWFLFrTFr W%Win% w/o QBDiff
10Brett Favre2531609300.6321024540467170.5360.5043.2%
31Aaron Rodgers1581005710.6361024540467170.5360.5171.8%
44Bart Starr157945760.6181024540467170.5360.5211.5%
247Lamar McHan117400.6361024540467170.5360.5350.1%
265Scott Hunter29151130.5691024540467170.5360.5350.1%
278John Roach43100.7501024540467170.5360.5350.1%
287Don Horn64200.6671024540467170.5360.5350.1%
359Randy Johnson11001.0001024540467170.5360.5350%
370Alan Risher32100.6671024540467170.5360.5350%
378Jim Zorn53200.6001024540467170.5360.5350%
472Matt Flynn63300.5001024540467170.5360.5360%
491Zeke Bratkowski94410.5001024540467170.5360.5360%
517Jerry Tagge126600.5001024540467170.5360.5360%
586Bobby Thomason10100.0001024540467170.5360.536-0.1%
587Joe Francis10100.0001024540467170.5360.536-0.1%
588Don Milan10100.0001024540467170.5360.536-0.1%
589Seneca Wallace10100.0001024540467170.5360.536-0.1%
611Scott Tolzien20110.2501024540467170.5360.536-0.1%
641Jim Del Gaizo31200.3331024540467170.5360.536-0.1%
754Jack Concannon20200.0001024540467170.5360.537-0.1%
755Blair Kiel20200.0001024540467170.5360.537-0.1%
871Carlos Brown30300.0001024540467170.5360.537-0.2%
889Anthony Dilweg72500.2861024540467170.5360.537-0.2%
890Mike Tomczak72500.2861024540467170.5360.537-0.2%
904Brett Hundley93600.3331024540467170.5360.537-0.2%
1048John Hadl1971200.3681024540467170.5360.539-0.3%
1057David Whitehurst37162010.4461024540467170.5360.539-0.3%
1080Don Majkowski49222610.4591024540467170.5360.539-0.4%
1105Babe Parilli1431100.2141024540467170.5360.540-0.4%
1203Randy Wright3272500.2191024540467170.5360.546-1%
1207Lynn Dickey101435620.4361024540467170.5360.547-1.1%
1213Tobin Rote73264610.3631024540467170.5360.549-1.3%

The Packers have a couple of running backs who are in the Hall of Fame, but it’s Ahman Green who led Green Bay in rushing yards the most number of times since 1950. Also, note the presence of Tobin Rote, who led the Packers in rushing in 18% of his games.

RusherFirst YrLast YrLeading RusherTotal Games%
Ahman Green200020099211183%
Jim Taylor195819668312566%
John Brockington19711977538662%
Edgar Bennett19921996509056%
Ryan Grant20072012497367%
Dorsey Levens199420014411638%
Eddie Lacy20132016445679%
Gerry Ellis198019863410532%
Eddie Lee Ivery19791986307441%
James Starks20102016308635%
Donny Anderson19661971278930%
Darrell Thompson19901994266341%
Brent Fullwood19871990254556%
Terdell Middleton19771981237132%
Paul Hornung195719662110919%
Howie Ferguson19531958206531%
Breezy Reid19501956187823%
Jessie Clark19831987186030%
Aaron Jones20172018162467%
Tobin Rote19501956158418%
Jim Grabowski19661970156623%
Brandon Jackson20072010135922%
Kenneth Davis19861988123534%
Travis Williams19671970125124%
Vince Workman19891992125621%
Eric Torkelson19741981129313%
Aaron Rodgers20052018121827%
Ty Montgomery20152018113928%
Jamaal Williams20172018113234%
Fred Cone19511957108212%
Barty Smith19741980106715%

Which players led the Packers in receiving yards in the most games (regular plus postseason) since 1950? James Lofton is in the Hall of Fame, in large part because of what he did with the Packers. He was in Green Bay for 9 years, and led the team in receiving yards in 54% of his games. Two years after he left, the Packers drafted Sterling Sharpe, and he led the team in receiving yards in 60% of his games. The table below shows all players to lead Green Bay in receiving yards in at least 10 games since 1950:

ReceiverFirst YrLast YrLeading ReceiverTotal Games%
James Lofton197819867513854%
Sterling Sharpe198819946811460%
Donald Driver199920126222028%
Antonio Freeman199520035113039%
Boyd Dowler195919695016031%
Max McGee195419674715630%
Carroll Dale196519724611939%
Billy Howton19521958428053%
Greg Jennings200620124110639%
Jordy Nelson200820174114928%
Davante Adams20142018268033%
Robert Brooks199219982610724%
James Jones200720152613320%
Randall Cobb201120182311620%
Bill Schroeder19972001217628%
Ron Kramer19571964179218%
Rich McGeorge197019781711615%
Javon Walker20022005155229%
Walter Stanley19851988144829%
John Jefferson19811984135225%
Steve Odom19741979127516%
Phil Epps19821988118713%
Paul Coffman19781985111219%
MacArthur Lane19721974104224%
Ken Payne19741977104423%
Perry Kemp19881991106216%
Aundra Thompson19771981106316%

That’s it for the Green Bay version of this series. Please leave your thoughts in the comments.

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