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PACKERS FOCUS ON NFC CENTRAL DOWN THE STRETCH, INVADE CHICAGO SUNDAY FOR 160TH REGULAR SEASON BATTLE WITH BEARS
posted 11/28/00
 | | Mike Sherman |
THE GAME: Faced with a "short" week after being ambushed in Carolina on a "Monday Night Football" assignment, the Green Bay Packers (5-7) find it necessary to quickly focus on another challenge.
It will find them invading venerable Soldier Field Sunday evening for a nationally televised, 160th regular season meeting with the Chicago Bears (3-9), renewing professional football's most celebrated rivalry.
Kickoff is set for 7:35, CST (Wisconsin time).
It will be the first of four consecutive NFC Central Division matchups with which the Packers will close out their 2000 National Football League regular season.
After finishing Sunday's business with the Bears, they will host the Detroit Lions in Lambeau Field (December 10), take on the division-leading Vikings at the Minneapolis Metrodome (December 17), then return to Lambeau Field to entertain the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their regular season finale on Christmas Eve afternoon (December 24).
While in Carolina over the weekend, the Packers found little southern hospitality in Charlotte's Ericsson Stadium, where they fell to the fast-starting Panthers, 31-14.
The Bears had a similar fate on a visit to New York over the weekend, bowing to the Jets, 17-10.
THE TV-RADIO COVERAGE: Mike Patrick will call the play-by-play for the ESPN cablecast of Sunday night's game. He will share the booth with analysts Joe Theismann and Paul Maguire, with Solomon Wilcots reporting from the sideline. Fred Gaudelli is the senior coordinating producer and Marc Payton directs.
The game also will be aired over the Packer Radio Network (Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren) and available on the internet at www.packers.com. In addition, it will be broadcast nationally by CBS Radio Sports/Westwood One, with Joel Meyers handling the play-by-play and Bob Trumpy the analysis.
THE SERIES: In squaring off for the 160th time, the Packers and Bears Sunday will become the first two teams in NFL history to reach that lofty level of frequency in regular-season combat, their 80-year-old series dating back to 1921, the first year the league kept official standings.
Although there have been suggestions in recent years that the age-old rivalry might be losing some of its celebrated animosity, largely because the Packers have won 11 of the past 13 meetings, the record also shows that the Bears have won two of the last three encounters - both in Green Bay.
The latter point is documented by how those two Chicago victories were won - by way of a final-play block of a field goal in 1999 for a 27-24 margin on October 1 of this season - marking the 69th time in the history of the series that a game has been decided by a touchdown or less.
The longtime acrimony between the neighborhood rivals is further underscored by the fact that the hallmark of the rivalry - the average scoring differential - is a mere 1.4 points per game over the eight decades of the series.
The Packers have made major strides over the past five years but the Bears continue to lead the series, 83 victories to 70. There also have been 6 ties, the most recent a 21-21 standoff played at Chicago in 1953.
Surprisingly enough, considering the bristling nature of the relationship, it has produced only one overtime game - in the teams' 1980 regular season opener - which saw the longtime antagonists forge into sudden death locked in a 6-6 tie.
The subsequent decision came on one of the most memorable plays in their mutual history. At the 6-minute mark of the overtime, the Packers were in position to win on a routine, "chip shot" field goal by Chester Marcol. That opportunity, however, appeared to dissolve when Bears defensive tackle Alan Page charged through to block Marcol's kick.
Fortunately for Marcol and the Packers, the ball bounced right back to him and, scooping it up, he darted 24 yards down the west sideline for the deciding score in a 12-6 Green Bay victory.
In addition to the 159 regular-season matchups, the immemorial enemies have been involved in one postseason showdown. Appropriately, it was the first divisional playoff in NFL history - a game played at Chicago's Wrigley Field in 1941 after the Packers and Bears ended the regular season tied for Western Division honors with identical 10-1 records. The Bears, then possessors of one of the great teams in league history, won the playoff, 33-14.
The series has been interrupted twice since its inception - in 1922, when the teams did not meet, and in 1982 when their annual home-and-home series was eliminated by a 57-day player strike.
THE COACHES: Mike Sherman, the 13th head coach in the Packers' storied, 80-year NFL history, is in the 22nd year of an extensive coaching career, one that spans experience at every level.
His credentials include a Super Bowl, following the 1997 season, during which he was a member of the Mike Holmgren staff that led the Packers against the Denver Broncos in SB XXXII at San Diego.
It was to be the first of three consecutive years in the playoffs for the thoroughgoing Central Connecticut University alumnus, who returned to the postseason with the Packers in 1998 and with Seattle in 1999 while serving as offensive coordinator for the Seahawks after joining Holmgren's staff in Seattle.
Prior to entering the NFL, Sherman coached in the college ranks for 16 years, among them a year as offensive coordinator at Holy Cross and terms as offensive line coach at such highly regarded programs as Texas A&M and UCLA. The 45-year-old New Englander began his coaching career at Stamford, Conn., High School in 1978.
The Bears' Dick Jauron, earlier a Packers coaching assistant, is a 24-year veteran of the NFL as a player and coach. His resume includes 15 years of experience in the NFC's Central Division - 5 as a player with the Detroit Lions, 9 as a defensive backfield coach for Green Bay (1986-94) and one to date as head coach of the Bears.
Before taking over the Monsters of the Midway, Jauron spent four seasons as Jacksonville's defensive coordinator, a span during which the Jaguars won 35 games and reached the playoffs three times, including a trip to the AFC Championship Game in 1996.
THE LAST TIME: Beset by an unhappy combination of circumstances, the Packers fell behind 17-0 in the first 20 minutes of their initial 2000 encounter with the Bears. They subsequently rebounded sufficiently to come within a whisker of forcing an overtime in the closing seconds of the game, but the Chicagoans managed to depart with a 27-24 decision.
The Packers had reason to wonder from the outset if it might not be their day, the first indication coming when rookie Gary Berry was flattened in a head-on collision with the Bears' James Allen on the opening kickoff and had to be taken to the hospital for observation as a precautionary measure.
Following a lengthy delay, during which a stretcher was dispatched to transport Berry from the field to the Packers' locker room, quarterback Brett Favre saw his first-down pass intercepted by the Bears' Tony Parrish and returned 36 yards to the Green Bay 17. Five plays later, Chicago quarterback Cade McNown was in the end zone off a one-yard bootleg. Paul Edinger's conversion quickly put the Bears up, 7-0.
After two uneventful changes, more misfortune capriciously befell the Green and Gold when Bears receiver Eddie Kennison, executing a reverse, fumbled a pitchout. The ball bounced back into his hands, whereupon he streaked 52 yards down the sideline to the Green Bay 3-yard line.
The Packers' defense held running back James Allen to two yards in three plays, forcing the Bruins to settle for a 19-yard Edinger field goal.
Another misadventure occurred early in the second quarter when safety LeRoy Butler and cornerback Tyrone Williams knocked each other off the ball in attempting to make a play on Bears wide receiver Marcus Robinson. The latter gathered in the leather and cantered into the end zone untouched to complete a 68-yard maneuver. Edinger's conversion made it 17-0.
The Packers ended their scoring drought following the ensuing kickoff, Ryan Longwell capping the possession by kicking a 42-yard field goal, leaving the Packers in arrears 17-3 at halftime.
More trauma awaited the Green and Gold in the third quarter. It appeared to be just the reverse when Scott McGarrahan grounded a Josh Bidwell punt at the Chicago one-yard line. But, with the aid of a 17-yard sortie by McNown, the Bears escaped the trap and, seven plays later, McNown found Robinson on a screen and the latter cruised down the east side line to score, completing a 58-yard collaboration.
It was at this juncture that Favre and the Packers offense finally found the formula, sweeping 71 yards in 6 plays to record their first touchdown of the afternoon - on a 14-yard Favre strike to wideout Antonio Freeman. With Longwell's conversion, the Packers trailed, 24-10.
There it remained until near the midpoint of the fourth quarter when Favre, orchestrating an 8-play, 87-yard drive, found split end Bill Schroeder in the end zone with a 17-yard dart. Longwell's extra point lifted the Packers to within seven, 24-17.
The Bears, however, then gathered their forces for one last drive, moving all the way to the Packers' 17-yard line before having to settle for a 37-yard field, Edinger connecting from 37 yards out for what appeared to be a 27-17 lead. But the Bears were detected holding and Edinger, who earlier had missed from 42 yards, now had to re-kick from 47 yards. But he was successful, just clearing the crossbar and the Midway Monsters were officially up 27-17.
The ever-resourceful Favre was not finished, however. He put together another productive drive, winging 73 yards in 6 plays to score - again finding Schroeder in the end zone, again with a 17-yard strike - and suddenly it was 27-24.
The Bears managed to recover the subsequent onside kick at their own 41-yard line but were stifled by the Green Bay defense and forced to punt, affording the Packers a final opportunity. But, after one first down, the Packers saw their last chance expire when Favre's final-play pass fell incomplete.
Statistically, Favre had his most productive day of the season in the losing effort, completing 31 of 48 passes for 333 yards and all three touchdowns.
THE CONNECTIONS: In addition to Head Coach Dick Jauron, two members of his coaching staff are former members of Packers coaching staffs. Chicago defensive coordinator Greg Blache was a member of Lindy Infante's Green Bay staff from 1988 through 1991, and linebacker coach Dale Lindsey held the same position on the Packers' staff under Forrest Gregg in 1986-87.
Russ Riederer, the Packers' strength and conditioning coach in 1991, is now the Bears' physical development coordinator.
From the player perspective, Bears defensive tackle Jim Flanigan is the son of Jim Flanigan Sr., a Packers linebacker for four seasons (1967-70) and a longtime resident of Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
Teammate Glyn Milburn, the Chicagoans' punt and kickoff returner, was a Packers return specialist during the 1998 preseason.
THE (NFL) STATISTICAL UPDATE: With a pickup of 117 yards in Monday night's game against Carolina, Packers running back Ahman Green remained in the NFC's top ten in total yards from scrimmage. Green continues to hold ninth place with 1,170 yards overall, including 753 rushing - the latter good for tenth place in the conference - and 417 receiving.
The third-year professional also is tied with San Francisco's Jerry Rice for 15th place in receiving with 53 catches, ranks second in then NFC in third-and-one rushing with a 90.9 success rate (10 first downs in 11 attempts) and fifth in the production of first downs overall with 61 (39 rushing and 22 receiving).
The author of those passes, quarterback Brett Favre, ranks ninth among NFC passers with a 78.6 rating, based on 258 completions in 433 attempts for 2,893 yards and 15 touchdowns, with 13 interceptions.
Favre also stands seventh in the conference in third-down passing with 75.4 rating, based on 55 completions in 106 attempts for 644 yard s and 4 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions.
His primary targets, wide receivers Bill Schroeder and Antonio Freeman, rank 14th and tied for 15th, respectively, in the NFC in receiving yards, Schroeder with 687 on 46 catches and Freeman with 684 on 47 receptions.
Returner Allen Rossum continues to rank third in NFC kickoff returns with a 26.1-yard average for 40 runbacks and seventh in punt returns with a 9.4-yard average for 21 returns.
Placekicker Ryan Longwell is tied with Tampa Bay's Martin Gramatica for fourth place in conference scoring with 93 points, having made 24 of 28 field goal attempts and all of his 21 conversion attempts.
Freeman is tied for tenth place in non-kicker scoring with 42 points on 7 touchdowns.
As a team, the Packers rank 13th on offense in the NFL (24th in rushing and eighth in passing) and 12th on offense (13th against the run and 15th against the pass).
THE FAVRE FILE: Although he has had better outings than the one which unfolded in Ericsson Stadium Monday night, Favre once again revisited the NFL record book during the course of the evening.
His second quarter touchdown pass - the 32-yard dart to wideout Donald Driver - was the 250th of his 10-year pro career. Favre thus became the second fastest player in NFL history to reach the 250-TD pass plateau, accomplishing the feat in his 141st game.
Dan Marino holds the "fastest" record, having thrown his 250th TD pass in his 128th game.
Favre also extended his NFL durability record for quarterbacks by starting in his 137th consecutive game. Additionally, he played in his 139th consecutive game, breaking a tie with Bill Forester and Willie Davis and giving him the fifth-longest such streak in Packers annals.
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