All this week we’ve heard about the tremendous losing streak the Lions have had at Lambeau Field. December 15th, 1991 was the last time the Lions beat the Packers in Green Bay by a score of 21 to 17. Whats pretty remarkable though about that game is the fact that two of the longest tenured players for each team weren’t even playing and I’m talking about Jason Hanson for the Lions and Brett Favre for the Packers.
Hanson, who was drafted by the Lions the following year was in his final season at Washington State where he was a former teammate of NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe. Meanwhile Favre was a rookie in the NFL but not for the Packers but for the Atlanta Falcons. It wasn’t until after the 1991 season that Packers general manager Ron Wolf would trade a first round pick to the Falcons for Favre.
In that December 15th game though the Lions actually trailed at half time 10-7 when Chris Jacke hit a 23 yard field goal to give the Packers the lead. After both teams went scoreless in the third quarter, the Lions used touchdowns from Robert Clark and a punt return by Mel Gray to seal the win.
Lions QB Erik Kramer was 14/29 for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns while Packers QB Mike Tomczak was 18/40 for 207 with one touchdown pass and one interception. Barry Sanders, who was in his third season, had 27 rushing attempts for 85 yards.
What may be even more remarkable is the way the world looked back in 1991.
Notably this was the same year that coalition forces drove Iraq out of Kuwait and after many years of Apartheid, a new constitution for a new multicultural society is established in South Africa. It would also be ten days later that the Soviet Union would dissolve paving the way for Boris Yeltsin to become the countries first popularly-elected president.
Here’s some other interesting facts about 1991:
- Yearly Inflation Rate USA4.25%
- Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 3168
- Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 6.50%
- Average Cost of new house $120,000.00
- Average Income per year $29,430.00
- Average Monthly Rent $495.00
- Cost of a gallon of Gas $1.12
- 1 LB of Bacon $1.95
- Dozen Eggs 85 cents
- Mike Tyson is arrested and charged with raping Desiree Washington
- Jeffrey Dahmer is arrested after the remains of 11 men and boys are found in his Milwaukee, Wisconsin apartment
- Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the band Queen, issues a public statement confirming that he is stricken with AIDS, and the next day he dies of complications
- Police Brutality Captured On Film in California in the case of Rodney King arrest
- 911 Emergency Number tested in US northwestern cities
- Internet is made available to unrestricted commercial use and number of computers on the net reaches 1 million
- Microsoft Releases MS Dos 5.0
- Airbag invented in the USA by Geoffrey L Mahon and Allen Breed
- The release of Nirvana’s Nevermind signified the start of the Grunge era that would dominate the music scene up to the mid-90’s.
Popular Films
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day
- Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
- The Silence of the Lambs
- Hook
- The Addams Family
- Sleeping with the Enemy
- Father of the Bride
- The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear
- Beauty and the Beast
- Backdraft
- Beethoven
- Thelma & Louise
Popular Musicians
- Pearl Jam
- Whitney Houston with All The Man That I need
- Michael Jackson with black and White
- Queen
- Bryan Adams with Everything That I do I do it for You
- Erasure
- Marillion
- Phil Collins
- Guns N’ Roses
- Mariah Carey with Someday
- Metallica
- Amy Grant
- Beverly Craven
- Cher
- Gloria Estefan
- R.E.M.
- Janet Jackson
- Extreme
- Boyz II Men
- U2
- Van Halen
- The Clash
- Paula Abdul with The Promise of The New Day
- Billy Bragg
- Garth Brooks
- Nirvana
h/t: ThePeopleHistory.com, ProFootballReference.com