It was a meaningless tackle by Sam Shields in Week 1, but it derailed the Packers chances to win another Lombardi Trophy months later.
When Shields suffered a career-ending concussion on that tackle, the Packers depth in the secondary was tested and ultimately failed.
Former Packers beat writer Bob McGinn produced an annual ranking of the Packers’ roster on the eve of the season’s start. Before last season, he ranked cornerback Sam Shields as the seventh-most valuable player on the Packers roster.
There’s no question players like Jordy Nelson, Mike Daniels and David Bakhtiari may have been better at their respective positions, but Shields was the Jenga block that caused the secondary to fall apart.