The Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl after the 1996 season but they did have some struggles along the way when injuries struck the wide receiving corps. But in a key Monday night game against the San Francisco 49ers, backup Don Beebe stepped up and had a career game as the Packers pulled off a comeback win over the 49ers in overtime. Beebe finished the game with 11 catches for 220 yards and a touchdown.
Don Beebe Enjoys a Career Game as the Packers Beat the 49ers: The Leadup
The Packers started the 1996 season on fire, winning their first three games by a combined score of 115-26. They entered this game with a 5-1 record and seemed like a team of destiny after reaching the NFC Championship Game the previous season. Brett Favre and company were on a roll.
The 49ers entered this game with a 4-1 mark. They were seeking revenge after the Packers beat them in the playoffs last season at Candlestick Park. Unfortunately for San Francisco, quarterback Steve Young was out of the lineup for this game. They instead had to turn to backup Elvis Grbac for this nationally televised Monday night matchup.
A Quick Start and a Costly Injury
The 49ers won the toss and drove to midfield, but Packers safety LeRoy Butler intercepted Grbac which gave the Packers the ball. Unfortunately, on Green Bay’s first offensive play, wide receiver Robert Brooks was lost for the season with a knee injury that required surgery.
The Packers got on the board on their second possession. A 50-yard pass from Favre to tight end Keith Jackson got the ball to the San Francisco 10 but the Packers had to settle for a 30-yard field goal by Chris Jacke.
On their next drive, Favre found Beebe on a 54-yard pass but again, the Packers settled for a field goal, this time from 25 yards out. The Packers led 6-0 after the first quarter.
The 49ers responded in the second quarter. A 24-yard pass to Jerry Rice set up a 48-yard field goal by Jeff Wilkins that cut the Packers lead in half.
Then on the 49ers next drive, San Francisco drove 58 yards on nine plays to take the lead. A 15-yard run by Tommy Vardell and a 13-yard pass to Rice were key plays. Rice finished the drive with a seven-yard touchdown catch. The 49ers led 10-6.
Things went from bad to worse for the Packers on the next drive. Favre tried to rally the Packers in the final two minutes of the half, and he reached the Packers 44. Then, Dana Stubblefield intercepted Favre and returned it to the Green Bay 28.