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PACKERS INVADE CAROLINA SUNDAY FOR MATCHUP WITH 1-1 PANTHERS
posted 09/26/01
 | | GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman |
THE GAME: Undefeated and out front in the NFL's NFC Central Division on the wings of their first 2-and-0 getaway since 1998, the Green Bay Packers next prime for their first road test of the season, an invasion of Charlotte, N.C., for a matchup with the Carolina Panthers (1-1) on Sunday (September 30).
Kickoff is set for 12 noon, CDT (Wisconsin time).
The Packers, coming off a 37-0 triumph over the Washington Redskins in a nationally televised "Monday Night Football" contest, will be in pursuit of their first 3-and-0 start since '98, their most recent playoff year, when they opened the season with four straight victories en route to an 11-5 record and a wild card berth in the postseason.
In beginning their 2001 agenda 2-and-0, they have outscored their opponents by a combined 65 points to 6, including an opening 28-6 win over the Detroit Lions.
Sunday's conquest of the Redskins also marked the Packers' first shutout victory since December 26, 1993, when they blanked the then-Los Angeles Raiders in Lambeau Field, 28-0, a day on which the wind chill fell to a brisk 22 degrees below zero as the Packers qualified for the NFL playoffs for the first time since 1982.
Reaching back to the 2000 season, the Green and Gold will be carrying a six-game regular-season winning streak into Ericsson Stadium, having won their last four games a year ago by way of sweeping their four NFC Central rivals (Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota and Tampa Bay) in succession.
They, however, have no illusions about the dimensions of the task they will be facing, having been ambushed by the Panthers, 31-14, in Charlotte last November 27 - the week before launching that season-ending, four-game winning streak.
THE TV-RADIO COVERAGE: Sunday's game will be televised by the Fox Sports Network, with Sam Rosen handling the play-by-play and Bill Maas the analysis. Mike Burks is the producer and Rich Russo 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.
THE SERIES: To date, the Packers' series with the Panthers has been almost exclusively a Carolina affair, with respect to location. Next Sunday's encounter marks their fifth regular-season meeting, the fourth in Charlotte's Ericsson Stadium.
Despite the Packers having prevailed on two of those three visits to North Carolina, the regular season rivalry is a 2-2 standoff going into this weekend's contest. The Panthers have won the last two meetings, 33-31 in Green Bay's Lambeau Field in 1999 and followed that victory with their 31-14 success in a "Monday Night Football" showdown in Ericsson Stadium last November.
Though the principals' relationship is in its early stages, they already have met in postseason competition - an NFC Championship Game, no less - following the 1996 season. Playing before a capacity house of 60,216 witnesses in frigid Lambeau Field, the Packers rebounded from early turnovers to emerge with a 30-13 victory and qualify for Super Bowl XXXI against the New England Patriots.
The Green and Gold thus earned their first excursion to the "Big Dance" in 29 years, in large part because of a 205-yard offensive performance by running back Dorsey Levens in the first title game played in Green Bay since the memorable "Ice Bowl" of 1967.
The Packers fell behind early, 7-0, but subsequently retaliated with a 17-point second quarter, then added 10 more points in the third period to pull away.
In the process, they amassed 479 yards to set a team all-time playoff record. Edgar Bennett keyed the 201-yard rushing attack with 99 yards in 25 attempts, Levens adding 88 yards on only 10 carries while also weighing in with 5 pass receptions for 117 yards.
Meanwhile, quarterback Brett Favre complemented the productive ground attack by completing 19 of 29 passes for 292 yards, a remarkable performance on a day which saw the temperature register a frigid 3 degrees with a wind child that plunged to 17 degrees below zero.
THE COACHES: Mike Sherman, in his second year as Green Bay's head coach, is a man of multiple responsibilities - his first in the related roles of executive vice president and general manager.
The imposing Northwood, Mass., native brings to his tri-cornered status an extensive, 22-year coaching resume, one he launched at Stamford, Conn., High School in 1978 and which encompasses experience at every level.
Having served as offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks in 1999, he made an impressive beginning in 2000 as the 13th field leader in Packers, refocusing his team after a 5-7 start and leading the Green and Gold to a rare sweep of their four NFC Central rivals (Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota and Tampa Bay) and a final 9-7 record.
The resourceful New Englander's comprehensive credentials include a Super Bowl following the 1997 season, during which he was a member of the Mike Holmgren staff that led the Packers to SB XXXII against the Denver Broncos at San Diego.
It was the first of three consecutive years in the playoffs for the 46-year-old Central Connecticut State University alumnus, who returned to the postseason with the Packers in 1998 and again as offensive coordinator on Holmgren's Seattle staff in 1999.
Prior to entering the NFL, Sherman coached in the college ranks for 16 years, including 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.
George Seifert, in his third year as head coach of the Panthers, has one of professional football's more impressive coaching resumes. Prior to taking over in Carolina, he coached the San Francisco 49ers for eight seasons and led them to two Super Bowl titles and five NFC Championship game appearances.
Seifert also escorted the Niners to six NFC West Division titles during that eight-year span. And coached teams that boasted the NFL's best regular season record in 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1994, compiling marks of 14-2, 14-2, 14-2 and 13-3, respectively.
The 61-year-old San Francisco native also owns the 49ers' all-time record for coaching victories - 98 regular season wins and 108 total wins, including playoffs.
THE LAST TIME: The Packers were surprised by a fast Carolina getaway in last year's encounter at Ericsson Stadium, the Panthers bolting to a 14-0 lead with less than eight minutes elapsed in the first quarter. The Packers managed to square accounts in the second quarter, tying the score at 14-all.
There, however, the comeback ended. The Panthers mustered a Joe Nedney field goal just before halftime to go up, 17-14, then converted a Packers fumble and an interception into two second half touchdowns - while the Packers went scoreless - to settle the issue.
Quarterback Brett Favre closed out the evening with 31 completions in 51 attempts for 267 yards and one touchdown, with 3 interceptions. In so doing, he spread the football among 9 different receivers, running back Ahman Green emerging with a career-high 9 catches for 56 yards.
Green also was Green Bay's leading rusher with 61 yards in 12 attempts, closing out the night with 117 yards of total offense.
Linebacker Nate Wayne paced spearheaded the defensive effort with 12 tackles, 9 of them unassisted.
CONNECTIONS: Packers receivers coach Ray Sherman coached the 49ers receivers (1992-93) and running backs (1991) under George Seifert. Carolina defensive coordinator John Marshall coached in Green Bay from 1980-82. Carolina special teams coach Scott O'Brien was a defensive end for both the Packers (1979) and Wisconsin-Superior (1975-78); he also coached at Wisconsin-Superior from 1980-82. Panthers cornerback Doug Evans, the Packers' sixth-round draft choice in 1993, played in Green Bay from 1993-97. Green Bay's offensive tackle Chad Clifton, tight end David Martin and Panthers' corner Deon Grant were teammates at Tennessee. Carolina wide receiver Donald Hayes led the Wisconsin Badgers in receiving his last two years in Madison. Panthers cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock, and the Packers' fullback William Henderson, linebacker Bernardo Harris and defensive end Vonnie Holliday were college teammates at North Carolina. Harris is a graduate of Chapel Hill High School and Holliday is a product of Camden (S.C.) High School. Carolina's safety Mike Minter and defensive ends Jason Peter and Michael Rucker teamed in college with Green Bay's Ahman Green, Ty Williams and Steve Warren at Nebraska. Panthers quarterback Chris Weinke and the Packers' Jamal Reynolds played together at Florida State. Reynolds hails from Aiken, S.C. Green Bay offensive line coach Larry Beightol coached at N.C. State from 1972-75, and at Catawba (N.C.) College from 1960-63. Packers tight ends coach Jeff Jagodzinski was on the East Carolina staff from 1989-96. And, Packers special teams coach Frank Novak also spent coaching time at East Carolina (1973). Green Bay's safety Antuan Edwards and Bruce Warwick, the Packers' assistant to the general manager/director of football administration, both had stints at Clemson.
THE CONFERENCE CALLS: Carolina head coach George Seifert and QB Chris Weinke will talk to Wisconsin's sports media via conference call on Wednesday. Packers.com will have complete audio of the conference calls posted later that day.
THE FAVRE FILE: Brett Favre, continuing his assault on the record book, closed in on seventh place on the NFL's career list for passing touchdowns with his three scoring throws against the Redskins. He now has 260 and is only one behind Dave Krieg, who holds seventh place with 261.
During the course of the evening, Favre also became only the 12th player in pro football history to pass for 35,000 yards in a career.
Additionally, when he collaborated with flanker Antonio Freeman on the first touchdown of the game - a 12-yard strike to Number 86 in the heart of the end zone - it marked the 52nd time they have hooked up for a touchdown, lifting them into ninth place on the NFL's all-time list of touchdown tandems.
Favre also extended his NFL record for most consecutive starts by a quarterback to 143 games.
THE GREEN FILE: Ahman Green's 116-yard rushing performance was the sixth 100-yard effort of his young NFL career and his second in a row, leaving him one shy of the Packers' record for most consecutive 100-yard rushing games, set by John Brockington in 1971 and tied by Dorsey Levens in 1997.
Green now has rushed for 100 yards in four of his last five games, having gained 118 yards in 27 carries against Detroit last December 10 and a career-high 161 yards in 25 attempts against Minnesota on December 17 before settling for 74 in the Packers' 2000 season finale against Tampa Bay.
THE FREEMAN FILE: A sidelight to the convincing victory saw the "return" of Antonio Freeman as a punt returner - for the first time since 1995, his rookie year in the NFL. Overall, he returned 5 punts for 39 yards, a 7.8-yard average, with a long of 18 yards, while stepping in for resident returner Allen Rossum, sidelined with a hamstring problem.
THE LONGWELL FILE: Placekicker Ryan Longwell, with a first quarter conversion and 28-yard field goal, became only the sixth player in Packers history to score as many as 500 points in a career.
Longwell closed out the evening with 13 points, including three field goals, lifting his career total to 509 and leaving him only 12 points behind fifth-ranking Chester Marcol, who registered 521 during his 9-year Packers career (1972-80).
THE (NFL) STATISTICAL UPDATE: Ahman Green's 116-yard rushing performance against Washington vaulted him over the Indianapolis Colts' Edgerrin James into the NFL rushing lead with 273 yards in the first two games of the season - in 42 attempts for a robust 6.5-yard average.
James, now second, has rushed for 246 yards to date.
Green also moved into the league lead in total yards from scrimmage with 323, including 50 yards receiving. James also is second in this category with 307, including 61 receiving yards.
Additionally, Green ranks second in the NFC in the production of first downs with 11 (behind Marshall Faulk of St. Louis with 15) and leads the conference in third-and-one rushing with two first downs in as many attempts.
Quarterback Brett Favre now ranks third among NFL passers with a 117.6 rating, based on 42 completions in 59 attempts for 496 yards and 5 touchdowns, with one interception.
Favre also leads the NFC in fourth quarter passing with a 118.8 rating, based on 6 completions in 9 attempts for 52 yards and one touchdown, with one interception, and is fourth in the NFC in third down passing with a 112.4 rating. He has completed 13 of 17 third down passing attempts for 110 yards and one touchdown, without an interception.
Denver's Brian Griese leads the league with a 134.9 rating, followed by Aaron Brooks of New Orleans with a 118.3 mark.
By sacking the Redskins' Jeff George Monday night, he Packers' Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila tied Seattle's Chad Brown for the league lead in quarterback sacks at four. Fellow defender Darren Sharper ranks second among NFC interceptors with two thefts.
Kabeer's teammate, Vonnie Holliday, is tied with Detroit's Robert Porcher and Joe Johnson of New Orleans for second place, each with 3 sacks.
As a team, the Packers rank among the league leaders on both offense and defense - standing third in both.
They lead the NFL in rushing and are seventh in passing on offense while ranking second against the run and fourth against the pass on defense.
The Packers also are tied with next Sunday's opponent, Carolina, for the NFC lead in the takeaway-giveaway table, each owning a plus-4 rating. The Packers have posted 6 takeaways and committed only 2 giveaways while Carolina has collected 7 takeaways and been charged with 3 giveaways.
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