 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PACKERS-PANTHERS PRESS BOX NOTES
posted 09/30/01
- QUARTERBACK BRETT FAVRE, whose record collection is already voluminous, is on the verge of achieving another major milestone in today's game. With the ninth pass he delivers this afternoon, the Packers' remarkable field general will become only the 13th player in the National Football League's 82-year history to throw 5,000 passes in a career.
Just for the record, Favre's total includes the 4,986 passes he has attempted as a member of the Green Bay Packers and the 5 he threw as a rookie with the Atlanta Falcons in 1991.
The retired Dan Marino holds the league record for most passes attempted in a career with 8,358 in his 16 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. The other members of the "5,000 Club" include John Elway (7,250), Warren Moon (6,823), Fran Tarkenton (6,467), Dan Fouts (5,604), Joe Montana (5,391), Dave Krieg (5,311), Vinny Testaverde (5, 256), Boomer Esiason (5,205), Johnny Unitas (5,186), Jim Hart (5,076) and Steve DeBerg (5,024).
By throwing for one score today, Favre also can move into a tie with Dave Krieg for seventh place on the NFL's career list with 261 touchdown passes. Next ahead: Joe Montana, currently in sixth place with 273.
Additionally, Favre today extends his NFL record for most consecutive starts by a quarterback to 144 games.
- ANOTHER LAUREL: Brett Favre was honored in absentia at his alma mater, Southern Mississippi University, in Hattiesburg, Miss., Saturday evening when he was formally saluted as the quarterback of the "Golden Eagle Team of the Century" at halftime of SMU's game against the University of Alabama-Birmingham in M.M. Roberts Stadium.
Favre's father, Irvin, was present to accept the plaque in Brett's behalf.
Others honored as member of SMU's "Team of the Century" included cornerback Patrick Surtain, currently a starter with the Miami Dolphins, and former NFL stars Louis Lipps of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Hanford Dixon of the Cleveland Browns.
- GREEN IS 'GOLD': Running back Ahman Green, who comes today's game leading the NFL in rushing (273 yards in 42 attempts) and total yards from scrimmage (323, including 50 yards on 9 pass receptions), has been consistently productive since stepping on the field in a Green Bay uniform for the Packers' 2000 regular-season opener against the New York Jets (September 3).
In the 18-game interim, he has amassed 2,057 yards, an average of 114.3 yards per game. In so doing, he has surpassed the 100-yard mark in total offense in 12 of those 18 games while rushing for 1,448 yards (a 4.7 average), and catching 82 passes for 609 yards (a 7.4 average).
Since becoming a starter in Week Six of last season, Green has weighed in with more than 100 yards of offense in 10 of 12 games, including 180 yards against Indianapolis (November 19), a season-high 191 against Minnesota (Dec. 17) and 152 against Tampa Bay (Dec. 24).
Over his 13 games as a starter, the mercurial ex-Cornhusker has averaged 130.7 yards per game, rushing for 1,245 yards and catching 57 passes for 454 yards.
- GREEN, INCIDENTALLY, had significant success in last year's appearance against the Panthers in Ericsson Stadium, weighing in with 117 yards of offense (61 yards in 12 rushing attempts), including a 26-yard touchdown run, and 9 pass receptions (for 56 yards).
- WITH BACK-TO-BACK 100-yard rushing efforts in the first two games of the season, Green can tie the Packers' record for the most consecutive such performances with a third one today. John Brockington set the record in 1971 and Dorsey Levens tied it in 1997.
- PLACEKICKER RYAN LONGWELL needs 13 points in today's game (the same number he scored in last Monday night's 37-0 victory over Washington) to take over fifth place on the Packers' all-time scoring list. Longwell enters the game with 509 points and 12 behind the current fifth-ranking scorer in Packers annals, Chester Marcol, who posted 521 points during a nine-year Green Bay career (1972-80).
- LONGWELL ALSO IS CLOSING IN on Marcol in another record book category. He now has 114 career field goals and thus trails the Poland-born specialist, second in Packers history with 120, by only 6. Chris Jacke, with 173, is the team's all-time leader.
- THE SACK SUCCESS of the Packers' defense - a dozen in the first two games - represents the best such back-to-back performance by Green Bay since midseason of 1998 when the Green and Gold amassed 13 sacks on successive weekends - 4 against Baltimore October 25 and 9 against San Francisco November 1.
- QUICK QUOTE: Defensive tackle Jim Flanigan, who joined the Packers this year after playing his first 7 NFL seasons for the Chicago Bears, speaking to the Green Bay Quarterback Club: "Playing with Brett Favre is like nothing I've ever experienced. We had some talent in Chicago but we never had a guy like him, who can keep you in every game...I can't believe I'm sitting here with this team and we're winning games. It's such a new and good feeling for me. It's unbelievable - it really is."
- NEXT WEEK: The Packers again take to the road, invading Raymond James Stadium for an intra-divisional (NFC Central) matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday (October 7), with kickoff set for 3:15 p.m., CDT (Wisconsin time).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
