Green Bay Packers: Top 30 moments in franchise history

6. Ice Bowl

It was Dec. 31, 1967.

It was cold.

It was a moment when the Packers teetered on all-time greatness and the disappointment of a championship loss.

Raymond T. Rivard photograph

It was Bart Starr driving off of right guard behind center and Jerry Kramer to fall across the goal line for the game-winning score, just after head coach Vince Lombardi told Starr to “run it and let’s get the hell out of here.”

But the game is much more than that. Not only did it confirm the greatness of Lombardi’s teams of the 1960s, but it has been cemented into the psyche of America as one of the greatest games of all-time.

Back and forth these two 1960s powerhouses went in this game. The Packers took an early lead before the Dallas defense took over and stopped the Packers through the second, third and deep into the fourth quarter.

However, the Packers defense matched blow for blow, despite giving up the lead late in the fourth.

But it was Starr that led the Packers on one final drive that included the unlikely heroics of a guy by the name of . Running and catching passes during the drive, Mercein’s big plays helped the Packers moved down inside the five yard line as the clock moved inside of one minute to play.

Three straight runs into the Dallas defense were unsuccessful for the Packers before they called timeout with only a few clicks on the clock.

That’s when Lombardi gave his direction to Starr. The quarterback called a dive play for Mercein, but decided to take the ball himself, given the poor field conditions and the difficulty in gaining traction.

Starr took the ball and history into his own hands … diving to his right and into the end zone to give the Packers the eventual win.

While the game is famous for its cold weather significance, it was that final play, Starr’s determination and this particular team’s drive that made the difference … and sent the Packers into NFL history.

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