The 2004 Green Bay Packers were a fever dream. Honestly, if you look at the roster today, you see a team that should have been a juggernaut, but if you actually lived through those Sundays, you remember the constant feeling of impending doom. It was a season defined by a legendary quarterback playing "hero ball," a mid-season identity crisis, and a defense that couldn't stop a nosebleed when it mattered most.
They finished 10-6. They won the NFC North. On paper, it looks like a success. But the 2004 Green Bay Packers were actually a chaotic mess that signaled the beginning of the end for the Mike Sherman era.
The Brett Favre Rollercoaster
Brett Favre was 35 years old in 2004. In quarterback years back then, that was ancient. We didn’t have Tom Brady playing until 45 yet. People were already asking if he was washed. He responded by throwing for 4,088 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also threw 17 interceptions because, well, he’s Brett Favre.
The offense was explosive. You had Javon Walker having a breakout, Pro Bowl season with nearly 1,400 yards. Donald Driver was being Donald Driver—steady, reliable, and tough as nails. And then there was Ahman Green. While he didn't hit the ridiculous 1,800-yard heights of his 2003 campaign, he still gutted out 1,163 yards on the ground.
But there was a problem. The 2004 Green Bay Packers couldn't decide if they wanted to be a power-running team or a vertical-passing offense.
Early on, it was a disaster. They started 1-4. Read that again. One and four. They lost to the Bears at home—a game where Favre looked lost—and got dismantled by the Giants and Colts. At that point, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and every sports talk radio host in Wisconsin was ready to fire everyone and start the rebuild.
Then, something clicked. They went on a tear, winning six straight games. They weren't just winning; they were escaping. They beat the Vikings by three points. They beat the Lions by eleven. They beat the Vikings again by three points. It was high-wire act football.
The Defense That Just Wouldn't Defend
If you want to know why the 2004 Green Bay Packers didn't make a Super Bowl run, look at the defensive depth chart. Or better yet, look at the points allowed. They gave up 380 points that year. For context, the 13-3 Steelers gave up 251.
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Bob Slowik was the defensive coordinator, and his scheme was... controversial. To put it politely. The secondary featured guys like Al Harris and Mike McKenzie (until McKenzie forced a trade to New Orleans mid-season). Ahmad Carroll, the first-round pick that year, became famous for one thing: pass interference penalties. He couldn't stop grabbing jerseys. It became a running joke among fans, though nobody was laughing when the yellow flags hit the grass.
The pass rush was almost non-existent. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila had 13.5 sacks, which is elite, but he was a one-man army. If KGB didn't get to the quarterback, the opposing passer had all day to carve up a secondary that was constantly playing on its heels.
That Wild Monday Night in Carolina
You can't talk about this team without mentioning the Week 2 game against the Panthers. It was a Monday night. The energy was electric. This was the game that basically summed up the entire 2004 Green Bay Packers experience.
Favre was vintage. He was moving in the pocket, flicking sidearm passes, and keeping plays alive. But the defense was a sieve. The Packers eventually won 24-14, but it felt like they were playing against themselves half the time. It was the kind of game that convinced fans they were Super Bowl contenders while simultaneously proving they were deeply flawed.
The Mid-Season Trade That Changed Everything
Mike McKenzie was a good corner, but he wanted out. He held out, he grumbled, and eventually, Sherman shipped him to the Saints. In return, the Packers got JT O'Sullivan and a draft pick. It was a trade made out of necessity, but it weakened an already thin defensive backfield.
Losing McKenzie forced more pressure onto Ahmad Carroll and Joey Thomas. If you want to trigger a Packers fan from the mid-2000s, just whisper those two names. They were young, fast, and completely undisciplined.
The NFC North Race and the "Moon" Incident
Despite the 1-4 start, the Packers crawled back to the top of the division. The Minnesota Vikings, led by Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss, were their primary rivals. Culpepper was having an MVP-caliber year, throwing for over 4,700 yards.
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The division came down to the wire. In Week 16, the Packers went into Minnesota and won a 34-31 thriller. It was one of Favre's best games of the year. Ryan Longwell kicked a field goal as time expired to clinch the NFC North title.
Then came the playoffs.
Wild Card round. Lambeau Field. The Vikings came back to town. Most people expected the 2004 Green Bay Packers to handle business. They had the momentum. They had the home-field advantage in the cold.
Instead, Randy Moss happened.
Moss caught two touchdowns and famously "mooned" the Lambeau crowd after his second score. Joe Buck's reaction on the broadcast—"That is a disgusting act"—became more famous than the game itself. The Packers lost 31-17. It wasn't even as close as the score suggested. The defense was shredded, and Favre threw four interceptions.
It was a cold, miserable end to a season that had been a total emotional tax on the fanbase.
What Most People Get Wrong About 2004
People often remember this era as "The Golden Years" because Favre was still there. But the 2004 Green Bay Packers were actually the peak of "The Bad Management Years."
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Mike Sherman was serving as both the head coach and the general manager. This is almost always a bad idea. Bill Belichick is the exception, not the rule. Sherman the GM wasn't giving Sherman the coach enough talent on the defensive side of the ball. The 2004 draft was a prime example: Ahmad Carroll (bust), Joey Thomas (bust), Donnell Washington (never played), B.J. Sander (a punter in the third round... seriously).
When you miss that badly on your top four picks, you're toast. The 2004 Green Bay Packers overachieved because Brett Favre was a magician, not because the team was well-built.
Key Stats to Remember:
- Javon Walker: 89 catches, 1,382 yards, 12 TDs. This was his one true "superstar" season before injuries and a holdout derailed his career in Green Bay.
- Turnover Margin: They were a -2 for the season. You rarely see a 10-win team with a negative turnover margin. It just shows how much they relied on big plays to overcome their mistakes.
- The 1-4 Start: They were the first team since the 1970 Bengals to start 1-4 and still win their division.
Why This Season Actually Matters Today
If the 2004 Green Bay Packers had been slightly better—maybe if they had drafted a defensive tackle instead of a punter in the third round—they might have beaten the Vikings. They might have made a run.
But if they had won, would they have hired Ted Thompson in 2005?
Probably not.
The disappointment of the 2004 season, specifically that embarrassing home playoff loss to a division rival, forced the organization's hand. They stripped Sherman of his GM powers and brought in Thompson. Thompson’s first major move in 2005? Drafting Aaron Rodgers while Brett Favre was still the king of Wisconsin.
The 2004 Green Bay Packers were the "last dance" of the old guard. It was the final year where the team felt like it was being run with a "win now at all costs" mentality, even if the costs were high and the wins were ugly.
Actionable Insights for Packers Fans and Historians
If you're looking back at this season to understand the trajectory of the franchise, here is how you should view it:
- Study the 2004 Draft: It is a masterclass in how not to build a roster. Using a 3rd round pick on a punter (B.J. Sander) when the defense is ranked in the bottom half of the league is a cautionary tale for any front office.
- Appreciate Javon Walker: His 2004 season is one of the most underrated wide receiver campaigns in franchise history. He was virtually uncoverable for a 16-game stretch.
- Recognize the Pivot Point: Don't view the 2004 season as a standalone failure. View it as the catalyst for the 2010 Super Bowl team. Without the mess of '04, the front office structure doesn't change, and the Rodgers era likely never happens in Green Bay.
- Rewatch the Week 16 Game: If you want to see the 2004 Green Bay Packers at their absolute peak, watch the highlights of the win in Minnesota. It shows the grit and the "never out of it" attitude that Favre instilled in that locker room.
The 2004 Green Bay Packers weren't the best team in the league. They weren't even the best team in the NFC. But they were arguably the most entertaining, frustrating, and pivotal team in the modern history of the franchise. They proved that a great quarterback can mask a lot of holes, but eventually, those holes will swallow you whole.