2011 Green Bay Packers season facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 2011 Green Bay Packers season |
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|---|---|
| Head coach | Mike McCarthy (6th season) |
| General manager | Ted Thompson (7th season) |
| Owner | Green Bay Packers, Inc. (112,158 stockholders) (Since 1923) |
| Home field | Lambeau Field |
| Results | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record | 15–1 | ||||||
| Division Place | 1st NFC North | ||||||
| Playoff finish | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Giants 37-20) | ||||||
| Pro Bowlers | Aaron Rodgers, QB John Kuhn, FB Greg Jennings, WR Scott Wells, C B.J. Raji, DT Clay Matthews, LB Charles Woodson, CB |
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| AP All-Pros | Aaron Rodgers (1st team) Charles Woodson (1st team) John Kuhn (2nd team) |
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| Timeline | |||||||
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The 2011 Green Bay Packers season was a super exciting time for the team! They were the champions of Super Bowl XLV from the year before. They had beaten the Steelers 31-25.
This season, the Packers played even better than before. They won 15 games and only lost 1! This made them one of only six teams in NFL history to win so many games. They even won their first 13 games in a row.
Even with such an amazing record, the Packers did not win the Super Bowl again. They lost to the New York Giants 37-20 in the playoffs.
Getting Ready: The Offseason
The offseason is when teams prepare for the new football season. This includes drafting new players and making changes to the team roster.
New Players: The 2011 NFL Draft
After winning the Super Bowl in 2010, the Packers got the very last pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. This is because the Super Bowl winner picks last. They chose many talented players to join their team.
| Draft order | Player name | Position | College | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Choice | |||
| 1 | 32 | Derek Sherrod | Offensive Tackle | Mississippi St. |
| 2 | 64 | Randall Cobb | Wide Receiver | Kentucky |
| 3 | 96 | Alex Green | Running back | Hawaii |
| 4 | 131 | Davon House | Defensive back | New Mexico St. |
| 5 | 141 (from SF through DEN) | D. J. Williams | Tight end | Arkansas |
| 6 | 179 (from MIA) | Caleb Schlauderaff | Guard | Utah |
| 6 | 186 (from PHI through DET and DEN) | D. J. Smith | Linebacker | Appalachian State |
| 6 | 197 | Ricky Elmore | Defensive end | Arizona |
| 7 | 218 (from JAC through MIA) | Ryan Taylor | Tight end | North Carolina |
| 7 | 233 | Lawrence Guy | Defensive tackle | Arizona State |
Player Changes: Free Agents, Additions, and Departures
During the offseason, some players become "free agents," meaning they can sign with any team. The Packers worked to keep some of their important players and also added new ones.
- Players like John Kuhn, James Jones, Brett Swain, Charlie Peprah, and Mason Crosby signed new contracts to stay with the Packers.
- Some players, like Brandon Jackson and Daryn Colledge, left to play for other teams.
- The Packers also signed many new, young players who were not drafted. These are called undrafted free agents.
- Some players were released or traded during this time, like A. J. Hawk (who later rejoined the team), Nick Barnett, and Quinn Johnson.
Coaching Team Changes
The coaching staff also saw some changes.
- The wide receivers coach, Jimmy Robinson, left to join the Dallas Cowboys.
- Edgar Bennett moved from running backs coach to wide receivers coach.
- Other coaches were promoted or hired to fill new roles.
Playing the Game: The Regular Season
The 2011 regular season was incredible for the Packers. They won almost all their games!
Team Lineup: Starters on Offense and Defense
The Packers had a strong team with many talented players starting each game.
Offensive Starters
| POS | Name | Games Started | Other Starter | Games Started | Third Starter | Games Started |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Aaron Rodgers | 15 | Matt Flynn | 1 | ||
| RB | Ryan Grant | 14 | James Starks | 2 | ||
| FB | John Kuhn | 16 | ||||
| WR | Donald Driver | 15 | Jordy Nelson | 1 | ||
| WR | Greg Jennings | 13 | Jordy Nelson | 3 | ||
| TE | Jermichael Finley | 16 | ||||
| LT | Marshall Newhouse | 9 | Chad Clifton | 6 | T. J. Lang | 1 |
| LG | T. J. Lang | 15 | Evan Dietrich-Smith | 1 | ||
| C | Scott Wells | 16 | ||||
| RG | Josh Sitton | 14 | Evan Dietrich-Smith | 2 | ||
| RT | Bryan Bulaga | 12 | Marshall Newhouse | 4 |
Defensive and Special Teams Starters
| POS | Name | Games Started | Other Starter | Games Started | Third Starter | Games Started | Fourth Starter | Games Started |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LDE | Ryan Pickett | 14 | C. J. Wilson | 2 | ||||
| NT | B. J. Raji | 16 | ||||||
| RDE | Jarius Wynn | 15 | Howard Green | 1 | ||||
| LOLB | Clay Matthews | 15 | Vic So'oto | 1 | ||||
| MLB | Desmond Bishop | 13 | Robert Francois | 2 | D. J. Smith | 1 | ||
| MLB | A. J. Hawk | 14 | D.J. Smith | 2 | ||||
| ROLB | Erik Walden | 16 | ||||||
| RCB | Tramon Williams | 14 | Sam Shields | 2 | ||||
| LCB | Charles Woodson | 15 | Sam Shields | 1 | ||||
| SS | Morgan Burnett | 16 | ||||||
| FS | Charlie Peprah | 14 | Nick Collins  |
2 | ||||
| K | Mason Crosby | 16 | ||||||
| P | Tim Masthay | 16 |
Game by Game: The 2011 Schedule
The Packers played a preseason to get ready, winning three of their four games. Then came the regular season, where they were almost perfect!
Preseason Games
| Week | Date | Opponent | Results | Game site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | ||||
| 1 | August 13 | at Cleveland Browns | L 17–27 | 0–1 | Cleveland Browns Stadium |
| 2 | August 19 | Arizona Cardinals | W 28–20 | 1–1 | Lambeau Field |
| 3 | August 26 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 24–21 | 2–1 | Lucas Oil Stadium |
| 4 | September 1 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 20–19 | 3–1 | Lambeau Field |
Regular Season Games
The Packers won their first 13 games in a row, showing how dominant they were!
| Week | Date | Opponent | Results | Game site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | ||||
| 1 | September 8 | New Orleans Saints | W 42–34 | 1–0 | Lambeau Field |
| 2 | September 18 | at Carolina Panthers | W 30–23 | 2–0 | Bank of America Stadium |
| 3 | September 25 | at Chicago Bears | W 27–17 | 3–0 | Soldier Field |
| 4 | October 2 | Denver Broncos | W 49–23 | 4–0 | Lambeau Field |
| 5 | October 9 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 25–14 | 5–0 | Georgia Dome |
| 6 | October 16 | St. Louis Rams | W 24–3 | 6–0 | Lambeau Field |
| 7 | October 23 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 33–27 | 7–0 | Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome |
| 8 | Bye | ||||
| 9 | November 6 | at San Diego Chargers | W 45–38 | 8–0 | Qualcomm Stadium |
| 10 | November 14 | Minnesota Vikings | W 45–7 | 9–0 | Lambeau Field |
| 11 | November 20 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 35–26 | 10–0 | Lambeau Field |
| 12 | November 24 | at Detroit Lions | W 27–15 | 11–0 | Ford Field |
| 13 | December 4 | at New York Giants | W 38–35 | 12–0 | MetLife Stadium |
| 14 | December 11 | Oakland Raiders | W 46–16 | 13–0 | Lambeau Field |
| 15 | December 18 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 14–19 | 13–1 | Arrowhead Stadium |
| 16 | December 25 | Chicago Bears | W 35–21 | 14–1 | Lambeau Field |
| 17 | January 1 | Detroit Lions | W 45–41 | 15–1 | Lambeau Field |
Key Regular Season Games
- Week 1: vs. New Orleans Saints
The Packers started their season against the Saints, who were also Super Bowl champions a few years before. Randall Cobb had an amazing game. He caught his first touchdown pass and also ran back a kickoff 108 yards for another touchdown! Quarterback Aaron Rodgers played great, throwing for 312 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Packers won 42-34.
- Week 13: at New York Giants
This was a very close game! The Packers won 38-35 against the Giants. Mason Crosby kicked a field goal with only 3 seconds left to win the game. This win made the Packers' record 12-0.
- Week 15: at Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs stopped the Packers' perfect season. The Packers lost 14-19, which was a big upset. This made their record 13-1.
Playoffs: The Postseason Challenge
After their amazing regular season, the Packers went into the playoffs. They had a "first-round bye," meaning they didn't have to play in the first playoff game.
Playoff Schedule
| Playoff Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Game Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | First-round bye | |||
| Divisional | January 15 | New York Giants (4) | L 20-37 | Lambeau Field |
NFC Divisional Round: vs. New York Giants
The Packers played the New York Giants again in the Divisional Round. This time, the Giants won 37-20. This loss ended the Packers' season and their chance to win another Super Bowl.
Team Performance: Statistics and Records
The 2011 Packers team set many new records because they played so well.
Regular Season Statistical Leaders
These players were the best in different areas for the Packers during the regular season.
| Player(s) | Value | NFL Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | Aaron Rodgers | 4643 Yards | 5th |
| Passing Touchdowns | Aaron Rodgers | 45 TDs | 2nd |
| Rushing Yards | James Starks | 578 Yards | 38th |
| Rushing Touchdowns | John Kuhn | 4 TDs | T-31st |
| Receiving Yards | Jordy Nelson | 1263 Yards | 9th |
| Receiving Touchdowns | Jordy Nelson | 15 TDs | 3rd |
| Points | Mason Crosby | 140 Points | 4th |
| Kickoff Return Yards | Randall Cobb | 941 Yards | 7th |
| Punt Return Yards | Randall Cobb | 295 Yards | 18th |
| Tackles | Desmond Bishop | 115 Tackles | T-13th |
| Sacks | Clay Matthews | 6 Sacks | T-48th |
| Interceptions | Charles Woodson | 7 INTs | T-1st |
Awards and New Records
The Packers and their players won many awards and set new team and NFL records in 2011.
Player Awards
- Weekly Awards: Many players won "Player of the Week" awards. Aaron Rodgers won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week multiple times. Randall Cobb was named NFL's Pepsi Rookie of the Week in Week 1. Mason Crosby and Tim Masthay also won Special Teams Player of the Week awards.
- Monthly Awards: Aaron Rodgers was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September, October, and November.
- Annual Awards: Aaron Rodgers was named AP Male Athlete of the Year and AP Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the entire NFL season.
Team Records
The 2011 Packers team broke several franchise records:
- Most Consecutive Wins: They won 19 games in a row (from late 2010 to 2011), which is a team record.
- Most Wins in a Season: They won 15 regular season games, more than any other Packers team before.
- Most Points in a Season: The team scored 560 points, which was a new record for the Packers.
- Most Touchdowns in a Season: They scored 70 touchdowns, another team record.
- Most Yards Gained in a Season: The team gained 6,482 yards, setting a new record.
Individual Player Records
Many players set new individual records:
- Aaron Rodgers
- He set the NFL record for the highest Passer Rating in a single season (122.5).
- He also set Packers records for most touchdown passes in a season (45) and most passing yards in a season (4,643).
- Matt Flynn
- In Week 17, when Aaron Rodgers rested, Matt Flynn played and broke Packers records for most touchdown passes in a game (6) and most passing yards in a game (480).
- Mason Crosby
- He kicked a 58-yard field goal, which was the longest in Packers history.
- Donald Driver
- He became the Packers' all-time leader in career receiving yards.
Pro Bowl Selections
Several Packers players were chosen to play in the Pro Bowl, an all-star game for the best players in the NFL.
| Position | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Aaron Rodgers | Starter |
| FB | John Kuhn | Starter |
| WR | Greg Jennings | Reserve |
| C | Scott Wells | Reserve |
| DT | B.J. Raji | Reserve |
| LB | Clay Matthews | Starter |
| CB | Charles Woodson | Starter |
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