1989 Green Bay Packers season The 1989 Green Bay Packers season was their 69th in the National Football League . The Packers posted a 10 – 6 record , their best since 1972 , but failed to make the playoffs . The team was often referred to as the " Cardiac Pack " due to several close - game wins . The team was coached by Lindy Infante and led by quarterback Don Majkowski , who attained his nickname " The Majik Man . " Offseason . The Green Bay Packers selected Tony Mandarich with their first pick of the 1989 NFL Draft , passing on prospects such as Barry Sanders , Derrick Thomas , and Deion Sanders . Mandarich was a first - team All - American , an Outland Award finalist and a two - time Big Ten Lineman of the Year . Mandarich would later hold out most of the preseason , playing most of the regular season on special teams . Four years after signing Mandarich , the Packers cut him . ESPN rated Mandarich as the third biggest sports flop in the past 25 years . Regular season . Although the Packers failed to make the Playoffs , they recorded their best record since 1972 . The Packers finished 10 - 6 , placing them second in the NFC Central . The Minnesota Vikings also finished 10 - 6 , but held the tiebreaker due to a better conference record . The team finished with a 10 - 6 record for their first winning season since the strike shortended 1982 season . It was also the first club to record 4 1 - point victories in a season . The club was 6 - 2 at home and 4 - 4 on the road . The Packers offense had success due to a strong passing game , headed by quarterback Don Majkowski . Majkowski finished first in the NFL in passing yards and completions . He earned a bid to the NFL Pro Bowl . Wide receiver Sterling Sharpe finished the season first in receptions , and second in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns . Sharpe would also earn a bid to the Pro Bowl . The Herschel Walker trade and the Packers . On October 8 , 1989 , the Packers hosted the Dallas Cowboys , featuring star running back Herschel Walker . Four days later , the Cowboys traded Walker to the Minnesota Vikings ; the next team on the Packers ' schedule . Walker ' s debut with the Vikings occurred three days after the trade , on October 15 , 1989 , against the Packers . The Packers faced Walker for a third time during the regular season , on November 26 , 1989 when the Packers played the Vikings again . These regular season games between the Packers and Walker occurred in three different cities : Green Bay , Minneapolis , and Milwaukee . The instant replay game . On November 5 , 1989 , the Packers beat the Bears 14 - 13 , but not without controversy . Don Majkowski led the Packers to a comeback and a game - winning touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe with less than a minute left to play . Initially the play was called a touchdown , but line judge Jim Quirk had called a penalty on Majkowski for being beyond the line of scrimmage when he threw the pass . With a nervous and tense crowd at Lambeau Field , the call went up to the instant replay official , Bill Parkinson . Several minutes later the call came down and the touchdown was awarded as recorded by instant replay . The Lambeau faithful and Packer players erupted with joy because it marked the first time since 1984 that the Packers had beaten their long - time rivals . The Packers would later beat the Bears again in the season . The game was broadcast on CBS with Dick Stockton and Dan Fouts on the call . The last team to beat San Francisco . On November 19 , 1989 , the Packers traveled to Candlestick Park and beat Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers . It would be one of only two losses for the 49ers , and the last before the 49ers finished out the season 8 - 0 , including a 55 - 10 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV . Although regarded at the time as a fluke , Green Bay would proceed to win 13 of the next 15 contests with San Francisco over the next 21 seasons .