The 1980s were mostly a black hole for football in Wisconsin. If you grew up a fan during that era, you spent a lot of time hearing about the "glory years" of Vince Lombardi while watching a product on the field that felt, well, stagnant. By the time the 1989 Green Bay Packers kicked off their campaign, the franchise hadn't seen a division title in seventeen years. The "Frozen Tundra" felt less like a tactical advantage and more like a graveyard for coaching careers.
Then came the "Majik."
Don Majkowski. The name alone conjures up images of feathered hair, high-top cleats, and some of the most heart-stopping late-game heroics in NFL history. Honestly, it was a weird year. It was a season defined by one-point victories, a controversial "Instant Replay" game that still makes Chicago Bears fans blood boil, and a sense of hope that hadn't existed in Titletown since the Nixon administration.
The Cardiac Pack and the Rise of Don Majkowski
Going into the season, nobody expected much. Lindy Infante was in his second year as head coach, and the roster looked... fine. Just fine. But something clicked. Don Majkowski, a former tenth-round pick out of Virginia, transformed into a gunslinger. He didn't just play quarterback; he lived on the edge.
Majkowski threw for 4,318 yards that year. That's a massive number for 1989. For context, he led the league in passing yards, attempts, and completions. He was the "Majik Man," and for one glorious autumn, he was better than Joe Montana or Dan Marino in the eyes of the Green Bay faithful. He was elusive. He’d scramble toward the sideline, pump fake, and then launch a prayer into tight coverage that somehow, inexplicably, found Sterling Sharpe.
Sharpe was the other half of that equation. In just his second season, he hauled in 90 catches for 1,334 yards and 12 touchdowns. It was a masterclass in route running.
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The 1989 Green Bay Packers earned the nickname "The Cardiac Pack" for a reason. They weren't blowing teams out. They were winning by the skin of their teeth. In fact, four of their games were decided by a single point. They finished the season 10-6, a record that felt like a Super Bowl win to a starved fanbase.
That Replay Game: Nov 5, 1989
You can't talk about this team without talking about the "Instant Replay Game." It is the defining moment of that season. It might be the most famous regular-season game in the history of the Packers-Bears rivalry.
The scene: Lambeau Field. Late in the fourth quarter. The Packers are trailing 13-7. Majkowski scrambles on fourth-and-goal, rolling to his right. He fires a touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe. The stadium erupts. But wait. The line judge, Bill Diehl, throws a flag. He says Majkowski was past the line of scrimmage when he threw the ball. Touchdown nullified. Game over. Bears win.
Except, this was the era of the early, clunky instant replay system.
The officials went to the hood. They spent nearly five minutes—which felt like five hours—analyzing grainy footage. Finally, the referee announced the reversal. The "Majik" was real. The touchdown stood. The Packers won 14-13. To this day, the Bears media guide officially marks that game with an asterisk, labeling it as a "Replay Official's Credit." It was glorious. It broke a long-standing psychological hex the Bears had over the Packers.
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Defense, Grit, and the "What If" Factor
While the offense got the headlines, the defense had its moments. Tim Harris was a monster off the edge. He recorded 19.5 sacks in 1989. Imagine that. He was a flamboyant, loud-talking pass rusher who backed it up every single Sunday. He brought an attitude to a defense that had been soft for years.
But there’s a bittersweet side to this story.
Despite the 10-6 record, the Packers didn't make the playoffs. It’s one of those statistical anomalies that hurts to look at. They tied with the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC Central lead, but the Vikings held the tiebreaker. Then, they lost out on a Wild Card spot to the Rams based on conference record.
It was a gut punch. You have this magical season, you win the games you aren't supposed to, your quarterback is a Pro Bowler, and you still end up watching the postseason from your couch.
Why 1989 Still Matters
Why are we still talking about a team that didn't even make the playoffs?
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Because the 1989 Green Bay Packers changed the culture. They proved that Green Bay wasn't a "coaching graveyard." They showed that Lambeau Field could still be a place of miracles. Without the excitement of 1989, would the organization have had the stones to go after Mike Holmgren a few years later? Would they have felt the pressure to trade for Brett Favre?
Maybe. But 1989 gave the fans something to believe in during the dark years. It was a bridge. It bridged the gap between the Lombardi era and the modern era of sustained success.
If you want to understand the modern Packers fan, you have to understand the 1989 season. It taught us that "Majik" is fleeting, but the pride of the green and gold is permanent.
Actionable Insights for Packers Historians and Fans
- Watch the Replay: If you've never seen the full final drive of the Nov. 5, 1989 game against the Bears, find it on YouTube. It is a masterclass in late-80s football tension.
- Study Sterling Sharpe: Modern fans often forget how dominant Sharpe was before his injury. His 1989 stats are a great starting point to realize he was a Hall of Fame talent cut short.
- Acknowledge the Sack Record: Tim Harris’s 19.5 sacks in '89 remains one of the greatest individual defensive seasons in franchise history—research his "L" hand gesture and the energy he brought to the stadium.
- Check the Standings: Look at the 1989 NFC standings to see just how close the "Cardiac Pack" came to changing the trajectory of the early 90s.