PACKERS-SEAHAWKS POST-GAME NOTES & QUOTES
- With the win, Green Bay advances to its 14th NFC Championship Game in team history (includes NFL Championship Game, 1933-69). The Packers own a 10-3 W-L record in that game.
-Green Bay's six touchdowns set a team postseason record. The previous record was five touchdowns on multiple occasions.
-The Packers 42 points set a franchise record for most points scored in a postseason game. Green Bay scored 41 points vs. the St. Louis Cardinals, Jan. 8, 1983.
-Green Bay amassed 408 total net offensive yards, placing today's game third on the team's list of most net yards gained in a playoff game.
-The Packers 25 first downs set a franchise playoff record. The team gained 24 first downs at San Francisco, Jan. 3, 1999 and vs. Minnesota, Jan. 9, 2005.
-Brett Favre became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 career postseason yards when he completed an 11-yard pass to Greg Jennings in the second quarter. He now has 5,075 postseason passing yards. Joe Montana sits No. 1 on the list with 5,772 yards.
-Favre now has a touchdown pass in 17 consecutive postseason games, extending his NFL record.
-Ryan Grant's 201 rushing yards set a franchise postseason record. The total ranks seventh on the NFL all-time postseason list.
-Grant's three rushing scores also establish a new franchise playoff record.
-Grant's three touchdowns tie him for second on the NFL's most touchdowns in a postseason game list. His 18 points place him second, tied with Sterling Sharpe, on the Packers most points in a postseason game list. Sharpe recorded three touchdowns against Detroit, Jan. 8, 1994.
-The two clubs combined for 28 points in the first quarter, tying an NFL postseason record. Oakland and Houston combined for 28 points in the AFC Divisional Playoffs in 1969.
-The 28 points scored by the Packers in the first half tied a franchise postseason record. The club also scored 28 points in the first half on Jan. 8, 1983, against the St. Louis Cardinals.
-Today's win marks the largest come-from-behind victory of the season. Green Bay's larget previous deficit of the season was 10 points. They fell behind San Diego, 17-7, before pulling out the 31-24 victory.
-The Packers were 7-of-10 (70%) on third downs tonight, a season-high percentage. Their previous high was against Minnesota (11-of-17, 65%) on Nov. 11.
-Today's paid attendance was 72,168, the largest crowd ever to see a game at Lambeau Field.
**
HEAD COACH MIKE MCCARTHY:
(on how quickly they overcame 14 point deficit and scored six straight touchdowns)
"Number one, I thought Brett (Favre) was extremely sharp. He did a great job of keeping us in favorable plays, particularly in the sub groups. (He) threw the ball very well. When we got behind 14-0 I was concerned that the weather was going to turn bad because there were some things in the passing game that we wanted to get to and we were able to accomplish that. The line of scrimmage, I felt like we controlled that on both sides throughout the contest and Ryan Grant had a big day after a tough start. I can't say enough about the performances. That's the performance you're looking for and our guys definitely stepped up."
(on staying with Grant after the fumbles)
"He was a big part of our game plan. I know in the past I've pulled players for turnovers, but he was a big part of the way we approached this game."
(on the play of the offensive line)
"I thought our offensive line was excellent. It started in the run game. The pass protection was very good."
(on the passing game, especially Jennings)
"I thought the passing game was sharp. Protection was very good. Brett was extremely sharp. Greg has been a big-play receiver for us all year. He stepped up big again today. Brett does a good job of giving them the ball in space on the short passes and we had a couple shots down the field, so Greg had a very nice day."
(on the offensive balance and being able to run more)
"Ideally, if I could call a perfect game, I'd call 50 runs. I think that's the way you need to play this time of year, but I'm not also not naïve to the fact of the quarterback and the perimeter group we have, so we wanted to be balanced and running the football's a big part of that because you're able to tap into the action passing game and that's a big part of the way we play on first and second down."
(on facing Mike Holmgren and the significance of the game)
"Mike Holmgren's a great coach, has great history here with the Green Bay Packers. Any time a young coach like myself has the opportunity to compete against an individual like Mike Holmgren, it's a challenge you look forward to. It's something that I'll look back on someday and say 'Boy, that was a heck of a day.'"
QUARTERBACK BRETT FAVRE:
(on whether he'd rather play at home next week)
"We'd love to play at home. I think that goes for every person in this building, but we've got to win the next game whether it's here, whether it's at Dallas. We haven't had a whole lot of success in Dallas. I'm well aware of that, but I'm just pleased that we won this game and gave ourselves an opportunity."
(on the team playoff record 42 points)
"I didn't know that was a record. I think the fact that we were able to score 42 after spotting them 14 right away, you know I don't think you can make a living doing what we did today. When we were down 14-0 I have to admit I was not very optimistic."
(on the stumbling pass to Donald Lee)
"That looked bad. Thank God I got it off and got it completed because it was one of those that I'm sure watching it, it looked slow and unathletic...I'm not quite as nimble as I once was, so when I spun out, I tripped over someone - may have been my own feet, which happened...I finally got enough balance to where I could look up and lo and behold, there's Donald Lee running wide open and I just gave him the old usual underhand toss, which we practice that play all the time. But I think I went down after that and boy, I'll tell you when those plays work, there's no one more excited in the building than me."
(on if this is the most snow he's played in)
"Yeah, that was awesome. I've been hoping for that for 17 years. I watched the weather all day. I'm like 'Just give us one of those big snow games,' and with each other they said we're not going to get much, we're not going to get much and I wanted to play where you couldn't see the field and the snow plow comes out, and it just kept getting worse and worse. It's amazing, I've played a long time up here and that's the first time it snowed like that. Winning sure makes it easier and you can kind of enjoy it. Initially it wasn't that much fun, but it sure makes it a lot more fun when as the game progressed, we knew we were in a favorable position."
(on being one game from the Super Bowl)
"I'd be lying if I said that it didn't feel great, but the downside of having the success, there's this anticipation with us now every week where last year I knew - as everyone else did - fairly early that we were going home. We made a run towards the end, but it was a total different mindset than it is now or the 4-12 year. My mentality is probably and understandably, a lot different than most of those guys in the locker room and it's different than my mentality was 10 years ago. Ten years ago I thought I'd be around forever and I thought we'd have the success that we were having at that time. I said 'What's the big deal?' Now it's a total different outlook and approach and mentality, and I hate to say that I'm more appreciative of games like this or seasons like this because I think I've always respected and appreciated the game. But the last two years, as I look back, I go they're a little harder to come by than I once thought."
RUNNING BACK RYAN GRANT:
(on if he redeemed himself after the fumbles)
"I hope so. It's unfortunate what happened, but I really appreciate everybody backing me. They backed me the whole time. From the training staff, to the coaches, to the players, everybody just said 'Stay with it. You know what you've got to do, let it go.' We knew we could move the ball and everybody up front did a great job."
(on what it means to get the Packers postseason rushing record)
"It's something special. I think it's really something special because I think it says what we did across the board up front. Guys were making it real easy. You look at some of the plays (and) I didn't get touched until the second level. Not to take anything away from them, but guys were doing a great job."
(on how he put the fumbles out of his mind)
"We feel confident with this team and we know when we don't turn the ball over and we don't make mistakes on our end we're pretty dangerous as an offense. I've been playing football for a long time and I understand there are ups and downs, and I've got to keep fighting no matter what."
(on whether Brett has told him how much he appreciates him)
"He has told me that he appreciates what I do, but I think it's just from a stance of it keeps our offense balanced. I appreciate what he does greatly every day. The more balanced you are as an offensive, the more versatile you can be and it keeps the defense honest."
(on playing in Lambeau Field in a playoff atmosphere)
"That was something special. I don't think I've ever heard the crowd that loud and I think that's typical Packer football. To play in that stadium, in front of that crowd, in that type of situation in the snow - and to finish the way we finished as a team - it's something special."
WR GREG JENNINGS:
(on the weather)
"Oh, it was exciting, it was fun. That's what football is all about, the Frozen Tundra. It reminded me of the Ice Bowl. All the ground was covered in snow, it was great. It was a great atmosphere out there today."
(on the weather in the third quarter, when it was snowing the most)
"Third quarter, it started coming down a little harder. Fortunately we were in the position where we could just run the football. It definitely getting a little thick out there, and was hard to see. We were able to execute, move the chains, and keep getting first downs."
(on the offense stumbling out of the gate, but not punting until the fourth quarter)
"Well it's a four quarter football game and we know that. There's going to come a point in time throughout a game when you're going to have to overcome adversity. And we were lucky enough to be able to have that adversity right at the beginning of the game, and we overcame it. Fortunately for us it didn't come back to bite us and haunt us. We're excited about the win and looking forward to next week."
(on the weather not affecting the offense)
"We just had to do what we do best and that's get the quick passes, get the quick hits and allow us to run after the catch, try to make plays that way. Other than that, we stuck with our game plan and executed."
(on the fade route touchdown)
"It was a little corner route. We played inside leverage. I looked and Brett (Favre) looked and it was like, "this is one of the easiest touchdowns ever." But it was exciting."
DT RYAN PICKETT:
(on how it feels to win in the playoffs)
"It feels great. You know, we had goals in mind, we came out, we got them. We wanted to stop the run. We did a good job of that. We made them one dimensional, and it played in our favor."
(on if he was worried in the beginning being behind 14-0)
"No, not really. You know it's so early in the game. And I told him, I said, "Hey man, we got a long game to go. It's only been a minute into the game when all this stuff happened." They had a real quick start, but we kept doing what we was supposed to do and it won the game."
(on the outstanding defensive play)
"Yeah, outstanding. Coming in, like I said, the coaches all week were saying, "Let's make them one-dimensional. Let's take the run from them, and make them pass, make them beat us passing." Because we feel like we have a favorable match-up in that area. And we did that. Cornerbacks, safeties, linebackers, everybody did their job."
(on how it feels to be going to the NFC Championship game)
"It feels great man. One step closer to our goal, to get to the Super Bowl and win it. We're definitely excited. We're definitely going to be watching the games tomorrow. See where we end up going. Hopefully we'll be here."
(on the weather conditions)
"Oh man, it was unbelievable. Growing up and just watching football, I never played in anything like that. Just watching it. You know Lambeau Field, the snow, the weather, it's perfect."
OL JASON SPITZ:
(on possibly playing the New York Giants at home next week)
"Regardless of the outcome, we have to prepare the same. Obviously it's out of our hands, we can't control that. What we can control is what we do and how we take care of our bodies now and how we prepare for next week."
(on if the weather bothered them at all)
"I mean, we're out there such a short period of time, it's a matter of mind set. It's just another thing to overcome. You have to overcome the ambient conditions of the game. It's something you're aware of before hand and it's something you just have to get over."
(on the O-line getting RB Ryan Grant over 200 yards rushing)
"I mean Grant does a phenomenal job, running hard. I mean, it's not all on us. It's tight ends, receivers blocking down the field. Usually when it's not working you point out the O-line and most of the time it is, but when it's really working, when you get those 200-yard rushing games, that's everyone. That's receivers blocking, that's everybody."
(on dominating the battle of the trenches)
"It's our job to win. So you go out there and try to win every play."
LB A.J. HAWK:
(on forcing the Seahawks to put the ball in the air)
"Yeah, once they were playing from behind, their game all year has been throwing the ball. Today, we wanted to make sure, obviously as linebackers at least, to stop the run first off, and make them throw the ball. Especially in the conditions like it was today. You saw them drop balls and everything. It was tough to get the ball through the air. I think, obviously, Brett (Favre) and our guys did a great job of that. It's just when you're playing from behind, it makes the game a lot tougher, and they were most of the time."
(on how tough it was to play in the harsh second half conditions)
"It was tough. It was similar to when we played up there last year on Monday night. It was almost like it was ice just sticking to your cleats. But I think all the conditions are a little bit better when you're winning by that much."
(on having already played both potential opponents for the NFC Championship game)
"I think this team's obviously, we've been confident all year. We're pretty familiar with both of those teams, like you said, playing them, one we beat the other we didn't. But whoever we end up playing, I think we feel good about it, and we'll make sure we get to work on it tomorrow."
CB CHARLES WOODSON:
(on how it feels to be in the NFC Championship game)
"It feels good to get there, but the object is to go win it and get to the Super Bowl. You know we feel good about what's going on right now, but we still have a long way."
(on the defense rallying to the occasion to let the offense get the team back in the game)
"Absolutely. But like I just said, it happened early, there wasn't much time that was taken off the clock after those scores. And we knew, you know, that once our offense got going they'd be able to put up points. So the defense, we just had to go out and do our job. We gave up the one touchdown on the pass play early, but just (bounce) back, keep playing football and we'll get it done."
(on making the Seahawks one-dimensional)
"Well the thing with them is they're a passing team anyway. So that's what they do. So for us to go out there and take them away from what they do, that's going to win games for you."
(on the play of the secondary making big plays all game)
"Making big plays man. Anytime your secondary makes those receivers a little jumpy out there catching the ball, it pays dividends. You (saw) them, they dropped a couple passes. But, this is the playoffs. You know, you got three games to give it all you got and I think we all have 100% to give."
(on if the conditions made it difficult to see the ball)
"Yeah, it was fun. Who cares if you could see or not, it was fun. I like playing in the conditions, whether it's raining, snowing, or whatever it is. And it's not about the conditions, it's about which team is going to execute. And we gave the ball up early, spotted them those 14 points, but once we buckled down and did our thing, you see what happens."
S ATARI BIGBY:
(on forcing the fumble on Seahawks TE Marcus Pollard)
"It was just routine. It's a routine pattern that I'm on. I always tell the guys, "Play fast and I'm going to back you up." They threw the ball and I saw it, before I could blink, I was on him. "
(on lining up deep on the play he forced a fumble)
"Yeah, that's what I was saying, I have his back, whoever's down there. He caught the ball and I just drove on it, when I (saw) the quarterback about to throw it."
(on if he got his helmet on the ball)
"Man, I just tried to get everything on him. I mean he was a big target, he was a tight end."
(on if his big hits gave the team some momentum)
"Well you know what? We just had two turnovers and I knew we had to do something big to get our fans and our team back in it."
TE DONALD LEE:
(on catching Brett Favre's impromptu 'flicked' pass for a first down)
"Yeah man, it was a nice play by Brett. Anything that has to do with Brett, that involves him, you never say die, because he makes plays like that all the time. I mean it starts with practice. You see him in practice, it seems like a plays blown, dead or whatever, and he wants to keep working. By doing it so much in practice I know what (it's) going to be."
(on being in the perfect place on the play)
"When I looked back for the ball the first time, I thought he was going to dump it to me. But I (saw) all those guys jumping on him and I was like, "Oh, man." I (saw) him fighting to stay up, there's no quit in him. And when he's fighting, I'm like, "Hey, if he can fight with all those guys on him, I can keep fighting to get open." And I got open and seen him break loose, and he threw me the ball."
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS HEAD COACH MIKE HOLMGREN:
(on the key to the game)
"Brett (Favre) had a good game, but I think the key to the game was their rushing. Passing yards were pretty close, but they ran the ball very well and to me that was the difference."
(on being up 14-0 after four minutes)
"We were up 14 and we were thinking that it couldn't be any better, but then Green Bay settled in and responded beautifully, and then we just could not stop them. We couldn't stop them today very well."
(on Matt Hasselbeck)
"I think Matt handled himself beautifully all season long. We would have liked to have done better offensively today. He handled his emotions very well today. Matt has become a very fine player. He fought hard today."
(on Packers running back Ryan Grant)
"He looks good to me. His running style is no nonsense and it is a beautiful fit for what Green Bay does with its zone blocking up front. He had a big, big day today and that had a lot to do with them winning the football game."
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS QUARTERBACK MATT HASSELBECK:
(on if the snow impacted his vision)
"Absolutely. It was tough to see people. That was crazy weather out there, but they were playing in the same conditions and they handled it pretty well."
(on the loss)
"It stings quite a bit right now. We are just scratching our heads on a couple of things. Whatever team you are on and you don't win the Super Bowl, it is tough. It is a real hollow feeling."
(on if he was frustrated by some of the dropped passes)
"It is tough, but that's a cycle thing. There are guys I am sure that are harping when I miss them from time to time. Another thing that we have done well this year is to never point the finger and we just stay positive. We all know what needs to happen to get better."
FREE SAFETY BRIAN RUSSELL:
(on the defense ending their season by giving up 42 points)
"It is extremely frustrating to end the year like this because it is way out of character for us. We went out there and stunk it up today. Green Bay executed well and we didn't. This will stick in our craw all off-season and it will be a big motivator for us to get better."
(on what Green Bay did to protect Favre so well)
"They kept a lot of guys in and that was probably a smart move on their part. Our pass rush has been good all year. Favre bought some extra time and he was able to find guys on some key third down conversions. They protected well and we didn't play well enough."
**
SCORING SUMMARY AND GAME NOTES:
<4th Qtr>
GB 42, SEA 20
GB: Grant, 1 run, 13:26
7 plays, 65 yards, TOP 4:20
Key plays: Grant had a 43-yard run to the Seattle 15, and Brandon Jackson added a 10-yard run on the next snap to make it first-and-goal. Grant posted his third rushing TD, a franchise postseason record.
<3rd Qtr>
GB 35, SEA 20
SEA: Brown, 27 field goal, 2:46
14 plays, 70 yards, TOP 7:39
Key plays: Passes of 21 yards to Obomanu and 22 yards to Engram accounted for most of the drive. A second-down throw to the back of the end zone to a wide-open Marcus Pollard went through the tight end's hands, leading to the field goal.
GB 35, SEA 17
GB: Brandon Jackson, 13 pass from Favre, 10:25
6 plays, 66 yards, TOP 3:29
Key plays: A 24-yard pass to Jennings picked up a third down, and Grant followed with a 24-yard run. Two plays later, Favre hit Jackson in the right flat and the rookie ran untouched into the end zone.
<2nd Qtr>
GB 28, SEA 17
GB: Grant, 3 run, :26
14 plays, 70 yards, TOP 6:52
Key plays: Passes of 11 yards to Jennings and 8 yards to Jones picked up a pair of third downs. Then on third-and-8 from the 14, Favre spun out of a sack attempt by a Seattle lineman, managed to keep his feet while running right and underhanded the ball to Donald Lee for an 11-yard gain. Grant ran it in on the next play.
GB 21, SEA 17
SEA: Josh Brown, 29 field goal, 7:18
11 plays, 63 yards, TOP 6:04
Key plays: A roughing-the-punter penalty on Brandon Jackson kept the Seattle drive alive, and passes of 20 yards to Nate Burleson and 11 yards to Engram moved the Seahawks into field-goal range.
GB 21, SEA 14
GB: Jennings, 2 pass from Favre, 13:22
3 plays, 18 yards, TOP 1:34
Key plays: Seattle's Marcus Pollard fumbled on a pass reception on a hit from Atari Bigby, and Aaron Kampman recovered in the red zone. An 11-yard screen to Grant made it first-and-goal, and the TD lob to Jennings came on second down.
<1st Qtr>
GB 14, SEA 14
GB: Ryan Grant, 1 run, 1:02
9 plays, 64 yards, TOP 4:50
Key plays: A successful challenge on the spot on a third-down pass to Bubba Franks gave the necessary yardage for a first down near midfield. Grant then ripped off runs of 26 and 15 yards before plunging in from the 1 on second-and-goal.
SEA 14, GB 7
GB: Greg Jennings, 15 pass from Brett Favre, 7:08
6 plays, 69 yards, TOP 3:51
Key plays: Favre was 4-for-4 on the drive, the biggest pass a 31-yard catch-and-run by James Jones to convert at third down. The TD was Jennings' second catch.
SEA 14, GB 0
SEA: Bobby Engram, 11 pass from Matt Hasselbeck, 10:59
6 plays, 49 yards, TOP 2:52
Key plays: Another Grant fumble gave the Seahawks the ball at midfield. A 16-yard pass to Ben Obomanu converted a third-and-4, one play before the TD.
Injury update: WR Deion Branch left the game with a left knee injury. His return is doubtful.
SEA 7, GB 0
SEA: Shaun Alexander, 1 run, 14:40
1 play, 1 yard, TOP :03
Key plays: On the game's first play from scrimmage, Brett Favre's pass in the flat to Ryan Grant was caught, but Grant stumbled to the ground and then fumbled as he was hit by Leroy Hill. Lofa Tatupu scooped up the fumble and returned it to the 1-yard line, and Alexander ran it in on the ensuing snap.
Injury update: Seahawks RB Josh Scobey left the game with a left ankle injury. His return is questionable.
**
The Packers won the coin toss and elected to receive.
Weather at kickoff: 30 degrees, snow flurries.
**
The following Packers players are inactive for today's game:
16 QB Craig Nall (third QB)
19 WR Shaun Bodiford
27 CB Will Blackmon
55 LB Desmond Bishop
69 T Orrin Thompson
87 TE Ryan Krause
93 DT Conrad Bolston
95 DT Daniel Muir
**
The following Seahawks players are inactive for today's game:
5 QB Charlie Frye
19 WR Logan Payne
34 FB David Kirtman
47 TE Ben Joppru
52 DE Jason Babin
66 G Mansfield Wrotto
74 T Ray Willis
86 WR Courtney Taylor
PACKERS-SEAHAWKS PRESS BOX NOTES
-Playoff football returns to Green Bay as the Packers host the Seahawks Saturday at Lambeau Field in the Divisional round.
-Green Bay matched a club record with 13 regular-season wins, a feat also accomplished in 1962, '96 and '97. It played for the NFL championship each of those previous times.
-Winners of the NFC?North, the Packers collected their 18th division title in club history. The team makes its 24th postseason appearance in club history, this year as the NFC's No. 2 seed. It marks the first time since 1997 the Packers have earned a first-round bye.
-Today marks the 267th consecutive sellout at Lambeau Field (253 regular season, 14 playoffs), the league's longest-tenured stadium.
-Familiar faces return to the sidelines at Lambeau Field as Mike Holmgren and Matt Hasselbeck lead the NFC West champion Seattle Seahawks into Green Bay. Holmgren coached in Green Bay for seven seasons (1992-98), while Hasselbeck was a sixth-round draft pick by the Packers in 1998 who spent his first three seasons in Green Bay. Head Coach Mike McCarthy served as his position coach with the Packers in 1999.
-The Packers' last playoff win came against the Seahawks at Lambeau Field in the 2003 Wild Card round. Al Harris' 52-yard interception return for a touchdown in overtime remains the only NFL postseason game ended by a sudden-death defensive score.
-Including the '03 Wild Card game, the Packers have played the Seahawks five times since Holmgren left Green Bay for Seattle. Holmgren is 2-3 against his former club, including a 1-3 record at Lambeau Field.
-A dominant Week 17 performance highlights a club entering the playoffs on a roll. Green Bay has won 17 of its last 20 games and has not lost back-to-back games in over one year. Its last losing streak came in Weeks 12-13 (Nov. 27 - Dec. 3) in 2006.
THE PACKERS IN THE PLAYOFFS
-Green Bay made the postseason for the 11th time in 15 seasons
-Its 24-14 (.632) W-L record in the playoffs is the second-best winning percentage in National Football League history.
-Also second-best in NFL postseason history is the Packers' 14-2 (.875) record at home. Only the New England Patriots (9-1, .900) own a better home record (min. 10 games). The Packers are 12-2 in postseason games played at Lambeau Field and 2-0 in postseason games in Milwaukee.
-In the Divisional round, Green Bay is 3-5 all-time. However, they are 2-0 in the Divisional round coming off a first-round bye (1996 and '97). The two wins also mark the only Divisional round games the Packers have hosted at Lambeau Field.
-In NFL history, teams coming off a first-round bye are 83-29 (.741) in the Divisional round. NFC teams are 45-11 (.804).
-This season, the Packers were 3-1 against playoff teams, including 2-1 vs. Divisional round participants.
-McCarthy makes his debut as a head coach in the postseason. He has coached in eight playoff games previously as an NFL assistant.
-Brett Favre will start his 21st playoff game Saturday, his 274th consecutive start overall. He owns an 11-9 (.550) career W-L record in the postseason and has thrown a TD pass in an NFL-record 16 consecutive playoff games.
WEARING THE STRIPES
Today's officiating crew includes referee Mike Carey (94), umpire Dan Ferrell (64), head linesman Kent Payne (79), line judge Mark Perlman (9), field judge Buddy Horton (82), side judge Tom Fincken (47) and back judge Bill Schmitz (122). Alternates include Gary Slaughter (30) and Larry Rose (128).
THE PACKERS-SEAHAWKS SERIES
-Saturday marks the second time that the teams will meet at Lambeau Field during the postseason, including a 2003 Wild Card meeting.
-The two clubs have met just 12 times, including the regular season and playoffs, since Seattle entered the National Football League in 1976.
-Other than the fact that they simply haven't played very often, which has changed with Seattle's shift to the NFC in 2002, most differences stop there. Much of Seattle's front office, their coaching staff and even their starting quarterback inaugurated their NFL careers or built their reputations with a stop at 1265 Lombardi Avenue.
-The movement west, beginning with Mike Holmgren in 1999, has reversed itself in some respects, as Packers GM Ted Thompson and personnel men John Dorsey and John Schneider have returned to Green Bay after stops in Seattle.
-Green Bay owns a 4-1 advantage in the five games in the series played at Lambeau Field. Seattle's only win at the NFL's longest-tenured stadium came in 1999, Holmgren's first year coaching in?Seattle.
GAME ACTIVITIES
Green Bay native Sam Brooker will sing the National Anthem...Two Navy F-18s will perform the fly-by... The University of Wisconsin-Madison Marching Band will perform at halftime and at the conclusion of the game.
**
WHAT TO WATCH FOR TODAY
GREEN BAY PACKERS
-Saturday marks the 39th postseason game in franchise history and the 15th game in postseason history at venerable Lambeau Field.
-Aim to win third Divisional Playoff game at Lambeau Field (2-0).
-With a win Saturday, the Packers would advance to their 14th NFC Championship Game in team history (includes NFL Championship Game, 1933-69). Green Bay is 10-3 all-time in that game.
4 BRETT FAVRE
-Will make his 274th consecutive start (including playoffs) at quarterback. His 253 consecutive regular-season starts is the second-longest recorded streak in NFL history. Only Minnesota's Jim Marshall (270, 1961-79) has been documented to have started more games in consecutive fashion.
-Has thrown a touchdown pass in 16 consecutive playoffs games, an NFL record. His last postseason game without a TD pass was the 1994 Divisional Playoffs, a 35-9 loss at Dallas (Jan. 8, 1995).
-Needs 63 passing yards to surpass No. 2 John Elway (4,964) on the league's career postseason passing yardage list. Favre enters play Saturday with 4,902 postseason passing yards.
-Needs 98 passing yards to become the second QB to throw for 5,000 career postseason yards (No. 1, Joe Montana, 5,772 yards).
-Has 40 career game-winning comebacks (fourth quarter deficit or tie), including three in the postseason.
74 AARON KAMPMAN
-With a sack Saturday, will move into a tie with No. 2 Sean Jones and Keith McKenzie with four career postseason sacks. Reggie White is the franchise's all-time leader with eight postseason sacks. |
