The 2001 Green Bay Packers season was their 83rd season overall and their 81st season in the National Football League.
The Packers returned to the postseason for the first time since 1998 after two years of missing the playoffs in the 1999 and 2000 seasons. They finished with a 12–4 record. In the Wild Card Round, the Packers easily beat the San Francisco 49ers 25–15. However, Green Bay's season ended with a 45–17 loss to the St. Louis Rams in the NFC divisional playoff game. That game saw quarterback Brett Favre throw a career high six interceptions.
This remains the last season in which the Packers defeated the 49ers in the playoffs as the Packers went on to lose 5 straight playoff games to them.
Offseason
Notable transactions March 31, 2001 – The Green Bay Packers traded Matt Hasselbeck and their 1st-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for the Seahawks 1st and 3rd-round picks.
Free agents Additions SubtractionsDT Jim Flanigan (Bears) T/G Ross Verba (Browns)QB Doug Pederson (Browns) QB Danny Wuerffel (Bears) LB Brian Williams (Saints) LB Mike Morton (Colts)
2001 NFL draft With their first-round pick (10th overall) in the 2001 NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers selected defensive end Jamal Reynolds.
Undrafted free agents + 2001 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeDeVone ClaybrooksDefensive tackleEast CarolinaDonté CurryLinebackerMorris BrownDamian DempsSafetyCentral FloridaJason FranklinWide receiverDelta StateKevin JordanOffensive TackleFresno StateDeAngelo LloydDefensive endTennesseeMarques McFaddenGuardArizonaKevin StemkePunterWisconsinBrett SterbaKickerWilliam & MaryJacob WaasdorpDefensive tackleCalifornia
Personnel
Staff
Roster 2001 Green Bay Packers roster Quarterbacks Brett Favre Doug Pederson
Running backs Herbert Goodman Ahman Green William Henderson FB Dorsey Levens Wide receivers Corey Bradford Donald Driver Robert Ferguson Antonio Freeman Charles Lee Bill Schroeder Tight ends Tyrone Davis Bubba Franks David Martin Offensive linemen Chad Clifton OT Earl Dotson OT Bill Ferrario G Mike Flanagan C Marco Rivera G Barry Stokes OT Mark Tauscher G Mike Wahle G Frank Winters C Defensive linemen Gilbert Brown DT Santana Dotson DT Jim Flanigan DT Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila DE Vonnie Holliday DE Cletidus Hunt DT Billy Lyon DE Jamal Reynolds DE
Rod Walker DT Linebackers Na'il Diggs OLB Bernardo Harris MLB Rob Holmberg OLB Torrance Marshall MLB Nate Wayne OLB K. D. Williams OLB Defensive backs Matt Bowen FS Scott Frost FS Billy Jenkins SS Bhawoh Jue SS Tod McBride CB Mike McKenzie CB Allen Rossum CB Darren Sharper FS Keith Thibodeaux CB Tyrone Williams CB Special teams Josh Bidwell P Rob Davis LS Ryan Longwell K Injured Reserve LeRoy Butler S (IR) Antuan Edwards S (IR) Chris Gizzi MLB (IR) Kevin Jordan OT (IR) Rondell Mealey RB (IR) John Thierry DE (IR) Steve Warren DT (PUP) Travis Williams WR (Military)
Practice Squad Henry Burris QB Chris Gall FB Mike Horacek WR Ed Kehl DE Paris Lenon OLB Rookies in italics 53 active, 8 inactive, 5 practice squad
Preseason Date Opponent Result Game site Record Attendance August 11 at Cleveland Browns L 3–10 Cleveland Browns Stadium 0–1 71,218 August 20 Denver Broncos W 22–7 Lambeau Field 1–1 59,177 August 25 Miami Dolphins W 17–12 Lambeau Field 2–1 59,547 August 31 at Oakland Raiders L 13–24 Network Associates Coliseum 2–2 38,783
Regular season
Schedule The second game in 2001 was the first time since 1988 that the Packers played the Washington Redskins. because before the admission of the Texans in 2002, NFL scheduling formulas for games outside a team's division were influenced much more by table position during the previous season, and there was no rotation of opponents in other divisions of a team's own conference. The Packers finished 12–4 overall, placing 2nd in the NFC Central Division (behind the Chicago Bears), and qualifying for a wild card playoff spot.
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 9 Detroit Lions W 28–6 1–0 Lambeau Field 59,523 2 Washington Redskins W 37–0 2–0 Lambeau Field 59,771 3 September 30 at Carolina Panthers W 28–7 3–0 Ericsson Stadium 73,120 4 October 7 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 10–14 3–1 Raymond James Stadium 65,510 5 October 14 Baltimore Ravens W 31–23 4–1 Lambeau Field 59,866 6 October 21 at Minnesota Vikings L 13–35 4–2 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 64,165 7 Bye 8 November 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 21–20 5–2 Lambeau Field 59,861 9 November 11 at Chicago Bears W 20–12 6–2 Soldier Field 66,944 10 November 18 Atlanta Falcons L 20–23 6–3 Lambeau Field 59,849 11 November 22 at Detroit Lions W 29–27 7–3 Pontiac Silverdome 77,730 12 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 28–21 8–3 Alltel Stadium 66,908 13 December 9 Chicago Bears W 17–7 9–3 Lambeau Field 59,869 14 December 16 at Tennessee Titans L 20–26 9–4 Adelphia Coliseum 68,804 15 December 23 Cleveland Browns W 30–7 10–4 Lambeau Field 59,824 16 December 30 Minnesota Vikings W 24–13 11–4 Lambeau Field 59,870 17 January 6 at New York Giants W 34–25 12–4 Giants Stadium 78,601
Game summaries Week 1: vs Detroit Lions
Week 3: at Carolina Panthers
Week 6: at Minnesota Vikings
Week 9: at Chicago Bears
Week 11: at Detroit Lions
Week 12: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 13: vs Chicago Bears
Week 15: vs Cleveland Browns
Week 16: vs Minnesota Vikings
Week 17: at New York Giants
Standings
Playoffs Week Date Opponent Result Game site TV Time Attendance Wild Card January 13, 2002 San Francisco 49ers W 25–15 Lambeau Field FOX 12:00 pm 59,825 Divisional January 20, 2002 at St. Louis Rams L 17–45 Dome at America's Center FOX 3:15 pm 66,368
Notes
References