What A Night
Let me set the background for you.
It’s the 1999 NFL season. Dennis Erickson is gone and Mike Holmgren is now the Head Coach and GM for the Seattle Seahawks of the AFC West after a historic 7 year stint in Green Bay. Holmgren brought a dozen or so of his coaching staff from Green Bay to Seattle, leaving a huge hole to fill in Green Bay.
Now the hype.
The NFL loved the prospect of Holmgren returning to Green Bay so much as the enemy, that they scheduled it. November 1, 1999, the Seattle Seahawks were assigned a road game in frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. In prime time. On Monday Night Football.
Now the moment in time.
Five minutes into the first quarter of the meeting, the Green Bay Packers drive falls short and they are forced to try a field goal attempt of 50 yards. Green Bay kicker Ryan Longwell trots onto the field, primed to put the Packers in the lead to start the game.
Seattle DB Shawn Springs had other plans.
The ball was snapped, Longwell stepped up, leaned back and kicked with all his might. The ball is blocked. Shawn Springs scoops up the ball and takes it all the way to the end zone for a 61 yard touchdown.
Shawn Springs returns a blocked FG 61 yards for the touchdown in Green Bay
After the play, Green Bay was penalized for one of 3 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties they’ll be hit with during the game.
The offender on this particular play? Green Bay backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who apparently didn’t appreciate Springs’ celebration of his touchdown.
Welcome back to Lambeau, Mike Holmgren.
If you remember the game, you remember the Seattle domination that ensued, including a whopping 6 forced turnovers on Brett Favre alone.
Cortez Kennedy, or Tez Rex, had 3 sacks of the two Green Bay quarterbacks for a total of 30 lost yards.
Shawn Springs ended up with 2 interceptions in the game, along with Merton Hanks and Willie Williams each picking off a pass.
Ricky Watters had 125 yards rushing for the Seahawks while quarterback Jon Kitna threw for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns, one each to Derrick Mayes and Shawn Dawkins.
Wide receiver Corey Bradford had the lone Green Bay touchdown, connecting with Brett Favre on a 74 yard touchdown pass.
The Seahawks went on to embarrass Green Bay 27-7 and start what has become one of the most under-rated rivalries in the NFL today.
Hasselbeck and Holmgren successor Ray Rhodes eventually came to Seattle while Seattle’s punt returner and fumble-riddled RB Ahman Green wound up in Green Bay as the battle between the 2 franchises went back and forth.
About Brandon Choate
