The 2002 Green Bay Packers entered the inaugural season of the realigned NFC North with legitimate championship aspirations, heavily supported by the high-profile offseason additions of free agents Joe Johnson and Hardy Nickerson. Head coach Mike Sherman guided the squad to an impressive 12-4 regular season record, securing the top spot in the new division. The campaign was defined by a highly competitive race for conference supremacy, but a brutal season-ending blowout loss on the road against the New York Jets ultimately cost Green Bay a crucial first-round bye. Instead of resting, the Packers were forced into a Wild Card matchup that would shatter one of the most sacred streaks in franchise history.

Green Bay fielded the league's sixth-ranked scoring offense, pouring in 398 points (24.9 ppg) by relying on a balanced and highly efficient system. At 33 years old, Brett Favre remained the centerpiece of the unit, orchestrating the passing attack with 3,658 yards and 27 touchdowns against 16 interceptions. Favre found a reliable top target in wide receiver Donald Driver, who exploded for 1,064 yards and nine touchdowns, while veteran Terry Glenn contributed 817 yards through the air. The aerial dynamic was perfectly complemented by a bruising ground game spearheaded by Pro Bowl running back Ahman Green, who racked up 1,240 rushing yards and seven scores despite missing two contests.

Defensively, the Packers finished 12th in the NFL in points allowed, giving up 328 points (20.5 ppg), but they truly excelled at forcing takeaways. Green Bay ranked first in the league by generating 45 total turnovers, driven by an opportunistic secondary where Pro Bowl free safety Darren Sharper grabbed a team-high seven interceptions. Up front, the pass rush terrorized opposing quarterbacks, anchored by defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, who put together a spectacular 12-sack campaign. This fierce rush worked in tandem with the veteran linebacker Nickerson and young defensive tackle Aaron Kampman to give the Packers a highly dangerous defense that could tilt the field in a single play.

Notable hot streaks and critical turning points shaped the trajectory of the 2002 season, highlighted by a dominant three-game stretch in October. During this run, the Packers dismantled the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football, followed by decisive double-digit victories over the New England Patriots and Washington Redskins. Green Bay won seven consecutive games to sit comfortably at 8-1, but a pair of tough road losses in November to the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers exposed vulnerability. The team rebounded to rattle off four straight wins, including a gritty 20-14 victory against the San Francisco 49ers, before the regular season ended with the deflating 42-17 collapse against the Jets.

Legacy is often written in January, and the 2002 Packers unfortunately earned historical significance for all the wrong reasons. Entering their Wild Card game, Green Bay had never lost a home postseason game since the NFL instituted a playoff system in 1933. That legendary streak died in the freezing Lambeau Field air when Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons stunned the Packers in a 27-7 blowout. Favre struggled mightily, completing just 47.6 percent of his passes and throwing two interceptions, while the offense surrendered five turnovers. Though Favre finished second in MVP voting and Driver emerged as a star, the season is forever remembered for the night the mystique of Lambeau was broken.