IRVING, Texas -- Three years later, Donald Driver still is haunted by the pass he never had the chance to catch.
It was the second play of overtime in the 2007 NFC Championship Game, an errant throw by Brett Favre that ended up in the hands of New York Giants cornerback Corey Webster. The interception set up Lawrence Tynes' game-winning field goal, 23-20, and the Giants were off to the Super Bowl.
Driver, the intended receiver on Favre's final pass as a Green Bay Packer, figured it might have been his last chance to make it to a Super Bowl. To this day, he believes he could've scored if Favre had made a better throw.
"I remember the ball was thrown behind me," Driver said Wednesday, his 36th birthday. "I thought if he threw it outside, I would've gone for another 90-yard touchdown like I did earlier in the game. Unfortunately, it was behind me and it gets picked off.
"In that moment, you know it's over. You drop your head, you go to the sideline and you think, 'The kid can't miss another field goal.' He had missed so many that game."
In fact, Tynes missed twice, from 43 and 36 yards, the latter coming as time expired in regulation.
"I expected him to make it," Driver said. "Greg [Jennings] came to me and said, 'Drive, this is it, this is destiny. We've got to be going [to the Super Bowl]. We're going to win it. This guy missed [twice].'
"I said, 'God doesn't give us burdens we can't bear.' The guy already missed twice and his back was against the wall. He must have been on the sideline praying, too."
Four plays after Wesbter returned it to the Green Bay 34, Tynes made his third try at the game winner, delivering from 47 yards.
Soon Favre would retire, unretire and be traded to the New York Jets. Driver wondered if he'd ever make it to a Super Bowl. Well, he did. He's in his home state of Texas, preparing to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.
But he hasn't forgotten the one that got away.
"That one hurt," Driver said. "You feel like you had an opportunity to reach your goal, and it gets crumbled with one play."