Holmgren talks up Packers
KIRKLAND, Wash. – Mike Holmgren spent a good part of his first press conference before this weekend’s playoff game remembering his time in Green Bay. The Seattle Seahawks’ head coach also took a few minutes Monday to talk about the similarities between this year’s Packers and his own team.
But when it came to comparing this year’s Packers to some of his greatest teams of the past, Holmgren was having no part of it.
“There might be only a couple guys left from when I was there,” Holmgren said Monday. “They’re pretty young, but they’re pretty talented. … It would be hard to compare them.”
Statistically, the 2007 Packers are remarkably similar to two other Holmgren-coached teams – one in Green Bay and another in Seattle. This year’s Packers hope to follow those teams to the Super Bowl.
In 1996, Holmgren led the Green Bay Packers to their first Super Bowl title in 29 years. In 2005, he coached the Seahawks’ first-ever Super Bowl team.
Those teams, like the 2007 Packers, had 13-3 regular-season records and first-round playoff byes. The ‘96 Packers and 2005 Seahawks rolled into the playoffs on a high, hammering Carolina in the NFC Championship game.
While this year’s Packers will have no such opportunity – Carolina didn’t make the playoffs after a 7-9 regular season – Green Bay is certainly a Super Bowl contender. As the No. 2 seed in the NFC, the Packers enjoyed an idle weekend before hosting Saturday’s game against the Seahawks.
The early betting lines have Green Bay as eight- to nine-point favorites, but Holmgren isn’t scared of being the underdog.
“We’re going uphill, and we know the challenges,” Holmgren said.
The most obvious similarity between this Packers team and the one that Holmgren led to a Super Bowl XXXI victory over New England is at quarterback. The 1996 Packers had a young spitfire named Brett Favre who was ascending toward the peak of his career. This year’s Packers also have Favre, although he’s 38 years old and enjoying a career renaissance.
“He’s having a wonderful year,” Holmgren said. “There aren’t many guys like him around, really. He’s special.”
Seattle’s quarterback in 2005 was – and still is – former Favre backup Matt Hasselbeck. Holmgren is often asked the inevitable questions about the similarities between his current Seahawks starter and his former Packers star, and the comparison-wary coach often answers by saying their styles are different.
While Holmgren helped turn Favre into one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, he’s quietly brought Hasselbeck to unexpected heights as well. Hasselbeck has a long way to go to match Favre’s productivity, but the Seattle quarterback has done enough to win over his gruff head coach.
“We are where we are because of him, for a lot of reasons,” Holmgren said.
Of course, the most obvious difference between the teams this year is that the Packers will be playing at home.
It’s a place Holmgren knows all too well.
“I’m just tickled pink they haven’t taken my street sign down,” said Holmgren, referring to a street called Mike Holmgren Way in nearby Ashwaubenon, Wis. “… My time there was special. And my time here (in Seattle) is special.”