NFC Championship, 1996: Green Bay 30 Carolina 13

Game information
The Packers recorded 201 rushing yards and 476 total yards of offense. Green Bay running back Dorsey Levens recorded 117 yards receiving and 88 yards rushing, including a 29-yard touchdown catch. Quarterback Brett Favre managed to overcome two early turnovers that set up 10 Carolina points, completing 19 out of 29 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns. Packers running back Edgar Bennett, who recorded 99 rushing yards, scored a touchdown from four yards out, and kicker Chris Jacke added three field goals. Carolina was held to just 251 total yards and had only one drive longer than 42 yards.

Early in the first quarter, Panthers linebacker Sam Mills intercepted a pass from Favre and returned it 10 yards to the Packers' 3-yard line, setting up Kerry Collins's 3-yard touchdown pass to fullback Howard Griffith. Green Bay struck back with a 35-yard run by Levens before Favre found him in the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown catch. But after the Packers forced a punt, Favre inexplicably dropped the ball while scrambling around in the backfield. Carolina defensive end Lamar Lathon recovered the fumble on the Packers' 45-yard line. A few plays later, John Kasay's 22-yard field goal put the Panthers back in the lead, 10–7.

But after that the Packers dominated the rest of the game. Favre responded by leading Green Bay 71 yards in 15 plays and scoring with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman. Then on the first play after the ensuing kickoff, Tyrone Williams intercepted a pass from Collins on the Packers' 38-yard line. Favre's completions to Andre Rison and Freeman for gains of 23 and 25 yards moved the ball into field-goal range, and Jacke's 31-yard field goal finished the drive, giving Green Bay a 17–10 halftime lead.

On the first drive of the second half, Green Bay moved the ball 73 yards in 11 plays and scored with another Jacke field goal. The Panthers managed to respond with an 11-play, 73-yard drive of their own and score with Kasay's second field goal, which cut their deficit to seven points. But Green Bay stormed right back with a 74-yard touchdown drive, featuring a 66-yard reception by Levens. On the next play, Bennett's 4-yard touchdown run gave the Packers a 27–13 lead with two minutes left in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Packers defensive tackle Gilbert Brown slapped the ball out of the hands of running back Anthony Johnson and safety LeRoy Butler recovered the fumble, leading to Jacke's third field goal that made the score 30–13 with 10:02 left in the game.

This NFC Championship Game was the first one since 1991 that did not feature either the Dallas Cowboys or San Francisco 49ers. It was the first one ever to not feature either the Cowboys, Redskins, 49ers, Rams, or Giants.

This was the first postseason meeting between the Panthers and Packers.

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