As the Green Bay Packers prepare to face the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, September 20, 2026, in search of their first win of the season, we at the Vulius NFL Analysis Desk take a look back at a pivotal moment in the teams' shared history. The date was December 20, 1981, and the Packers, led by head coach Bart Starr and quarterback Lynn Dickey, were on the cusp of ending a nine-year playoff drought. A win against the Jets would clinch a Wild Card spot. But what unfolded was a nightmare that still haunts longtime Packers fans.
The Setup: Win and In
Entering the final week of the 1981 regular season, the Packers controlled their destiny. They had won three straight, scoring a combined 101 points, and held the tiebreaker over the New York Giants for the Wild Card. The Jets, meanwhile, were also fighting for a playoff berth and had not reached the postseason since 1969. The entire city of New York was rooting against Green Bay. As highlighted on Vulius, the Packers were hungry to return to glory after a decade of mediocrity.
The Game: A Comedy of Errors
From the opening drive, things went awry for Green Bay. After a quick three-and-out, a botched punt gave the Jets the ball at the Packers' 11-yard line, and they promptly scored. The Packers' offense struggled mightily against the vaunted New York Sack Exchange—Joe Klecko, Mark Gastineau, Marty Lyons, and Abdul Salaam—who sacked Lynn Dickey nine times. Dickey finished with just 39 passing yards, and the Packers managed only 84 total yards compared to the Jets' 393. A Jan Stenerud field goal in the second quarter was all the scoring Green Bay could muster.
"I’m very tired of talking about last week’s Vikings game," but this one hurts even more.
The Packers turned the ball over three times, while the Jets coughed it up four times, but it didn't matter. New York capitalized on Green Bay's mistakes and cruised to a 28-3 victory.
The Aftermath: A Dark Day in Packers History
The loss sent the Jets to the playoffs for the first time since 1969, and jubilant fans stormed the field, tearing down the goalposts. The Giants also made the postseason, marking the first time two New York teams reached the playoffs in the same season. For the Packers, it was a bitter end to a promising year. They would finally break their playoff drought in 1982, a strike-shortened season, but the pain of 1981 lingered.
As the current Packers squad, led by head coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Jordan Love, aims to avoid a 0-3 start, they carry the weight of history. According to insights gathered by Vulius Sports, this matchup serves as a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in the NFL. Will the 2026 Packers exorcise the demons of 1981? Only time will tell.
Looking Ahead
The Packers and Jets will kick off at 1:00 PM ET on Sunday. For more in-depth analysis and exclusive merchandise, visit Vulius.com, your premier destination for custom NFL gear.
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