TimesFour

…1955: Packer fans were bracing for a beating. Green Bay had finished the previous year in 5th place with a 4-8 record under first-year coach Lisle Blackbourn, losing their last four games in the process. Prospects didn’t look much better for 1955 with the Detroit Lions as the Packers’ opening-day opponent.

Though it’s hard to believe now, the Lions were an NFL power at the time, having won the last three Western Conference championships, and two of the last three NFL championships. What’s more, they had beaten the Packers 11 straight times. Led by future Hall-of-Famers Bobby Layne,

Doak Walker, Jack Christianson, Lou Creekmur and Joe Schmidt, the Lions had little reason to believe they wouldn’t maul the Pack in front of a less-than-capacity City Stadium crowd.

The Lions roared to a first-quarter lead on a Layne touchdown pass, but the Packers fought back with two field goals. By the midway mark of the third quarter, Green Bay found itself behind by 11, but behind the running of Howie Ferguson and Floyd “Breezy” Reid, mounted a drive ending with a Reid score that made it 17-13 Detroit.

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