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PACKERS BID TO REBOUND AGAINST CLEVELAND IN LAMBEAU FIELD HOME SUNDAY; KICKOFF SET FOR 3:15
posted 12/18/01
 | | GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman |
THE GAME: Rudely interrupted in their pursuit of the NFC's Central Division championship, the Green Bay Packers (9-4) are hoping a return to the congenial atmosphere of Lambeau Field will help them regain the winning touch this weekend and qualify for the NFL playoffs.
The Green and Gold, 5-1 at home thus far this season, will be hosting the Cleveland Browns (6-7) in an inter-conference matchup Sunday (December 23). Kickoff for the contest, a customary season-ticket sellout (60,890), will be 3:15, CST (Wisconsin time).
With a victory over the Browns, the Packers would immediately advance to the playoffs for the first time since 1998.
They also would qualify with a tie against the Browns Sunday, or under the following scenario: a Tampa Bay loss, a Washington loss or tie, a New York Giants loss or tie and an Atlanta loss or tie.
Sunday's assignment will be the first of back-to-back appearances in "Lambeau" for the Packers, who will entertain the Minnesota Vikings in their regular-season home finale the following Sunday (December 30), before closing out their '01 schedule against the New York Giants at East Rutherford, N.J., on Sunday, January 6.
Against the Browns, they will be looking to improve their "perfect" December record at home under GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman, who owns a 3-0 mark for the month over the past two seasons, including a 2-0 record in 2000 and a 17-7 victory over the Bears December 9 in their only December home appearance of the season to date.
The Packers, 26-20 victims of the Tennessee Titans on the road Sunday, now find themselves in second place in the NFC Central, one game back of the Chicago Bears (10-3), who regained sole possession of first place with a 27-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Despite the weekend loss, Green Bay still owns the NFL's best overall December record since 1992, having won 29 games while losing 10, a .744 winning percentage. The New York Giants are next up with a 25-12 record for the same nine-year span, a .676 percentage.
The Nashville misadventure ended a three-game winning streak for the Packers, who have won 13 of their last 17 regular season games.
THE TV-RADIO COVERAGE: Sunday's game will be televised by CBS, with Dick Enberg handling the play-by-play, Dan Dierdorf providing the analysis and Bonnie Bernstein reporting from the field. Lance Barrow is the producer and Mike Arnold the director.
The game also will be broadcast over the Packer Radio Network (Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren) and available on the internet via www.packers.com. It also will be aired nationally by Westwood One, with Dave Sims calling the play-by-play and Allen Pinkett providing the analysis.
THE SERIES: The Browns, now in their second "configuration," will be paying their first regular-season visit ever to Green Bay and Lambeau Field.
It will not, however, be their first significant visit to Titletown. The Browns were on display at "Lambeau" on January 2, 1966, a day on which the Packers defeated Cleveland, 23-12, to capture their tenth National Football League championship - a success that sent the Green and Gold on their way to three consecutive titles...the only "trifecta" under the playoff system in NFL history.
The Packers have hosted the Browns in Wisconsin five times in regular season play over the years but it so happened that all five games were played at Milwaukee County Stadium.
For the record, the Browns they will be facing Sunday are not the "same" Browns who represented Cleveland in the past. In 1996, then-owner Art Modell moved the original Browns franchise to Baltimore, where they became the Ravens.
The city of Cleveland, however, retained the Browns' heritage and records, by league decree, and the Browns' franchise was reactivated under new ownership - and in a new stadium - in 1999.
In the interim, the Packers have met the "new" Browns twice - both times in preseason play. The Packers prevailed in the first of these, 34-33, in the 2000 Bishop's Charities Game, and the Browns this year squared matters in an August 11 rematch at Browns Stadium, 10-3.
The Packers lead the regular-season series with Cleveland, 8-6-0, all 14 games having been played against the "original" Browns and including a 31-20 victory at Cleveland's old Municipal Stadium in 1995, just prior to that team's departure for Baltimore.
In the latter, a game played on November 19, 1995, quarterback Brett Favre passed for three touchdowns and ran in the fourth despite an ankle injury - with all three of his passing scores coming in the first half.
Browns quarterback Vinny Testaverde made it close in the late stages with a pair of touchdown passes to wide receiver Michael Jackson. But Favre's 4-yard scoring run, between Testaverde's TD throws, provided ample margin for the victory.
THE COACHES: Mike Sherman, the 13th head coach in the Packers' distinguished history, has been rivaling the late Vince Lombardi in terms of on-field success in his second year as field leader of the Green and Gold - while also handling the additional responsibilities of executive vice president and general manager.
The first man to hold his tri-cornered role since team founder E.L. "Curly" Lambeau last functioned in those capacities in 1949, Sherman owns an 18-11 regular season record at this juncture - just one game below that of Lombardi who held a 19-10 mark after his first 29 games as Green Bay's general manager/head coach.
The 46-year-old New Englander, who paid extensive professional dues prior to taking on his present responsibilities, brings to it a comprehensive, 22-year coaching resume that encompasses experience at every coaching level.
His well-rounded credentials include a Super Bowl following the 1997 season, during which he was a member of the Mike Holmgren staff that led the Packers into SB XXXII against the Denver Broncos at San Diego.
It was the first of three consecutive years in the playoffs for the Central Connecticut State University alumnus, who returned to the postseason with the Packers in 1998 and as the offensive coordinator on Holmgren's Seattle Seahawks staff in 1999.
In 2000, he made an auspicious debut as Green Bay's head coach, rallying his team from a 5-7 start to score a sweep of the Packers' four NFC Central Division rivals (Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota and Tampa Bay) for a final 9-7 record and lead the Green and Gold within "inches" of the playoffs.
Sherman, who launched his coaching career at Stamford, Conn., High School in 1978, later 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 elite programs as Texas A&M and UCLA - before entering the pro ranks in 1997.
Paul Hilton "Butch" Davis, a highly successful coach in the college ranks, also has made his presence felt in this, his first year in the NFL as field leader of the Cleveland Browns.
Davis, who led the University of Miami, Fla., Hurricanes to an 11-1 record and a No. 2 consensus ranking nationally in his final collegiate season last year, has quickly made the fledgling Browns fully competitive, leading them to six victories in their first ten games, including a sweep of the reigning Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.
As a college coach, despite inheriting a Miami program following NCAA sanctions that greatly reduced the number of available scholarships during his first three years, he compiled an imposing 51-20 won-lost record in six seasons as head coach of the Hurricanes, including a perfect 4-0 mark in bowl games.
In 2000, his Hurricanes ranked second in the nation in scoring (42.6 points per game) and fifth in scoring defense (15.5 points per game).
Prior to taking the Miami position, Davis coached six seasons (1989-94) with the Dallas Cowboys, including the final two as the team's defensive coordinator, helping them win a pair of Super Bowls (1992 and 1993) along the way.
THE CONNECTIONS: Four players on the Browns active roster were previously in Green Bay, three this season: safety Chris Akins (2000-01), defensive tackle DeVone Claybrooks (2001), guard Richard Mercier (2001) and tackle Ross Verba (1997-2000). Meanwhile, Packers quarterback Doug Pederson (2000), defensive end John Thierry (1999) and center Frank Winters (1987-88) wore Browns uniforms during their careers. Green Bay defensive line coach Jethro Franklin interned for the Browns in 1995. And, Packers defensive backs coach Bob Slowik spent the expansion 1999 season on the Browns staff. Cleveland head coach Butch Davis held the reigns at the University of Miami (Fla.) when Green Bay drafted tight end Bubba Franks from the school in the first round of the '99 draft. During the '92 season, Davis coached at the pro level in Dallas with Slowik. Green Bay running backs coach Sylvester Croom and Browns offensive coordinator Bruce Arians were together at the University of Alabama from 1981-82. Both defensive coordinators, Cleveland's Foge Fazio and the Packers' Ed Donatell, were on Bruce Coslet's Jets staff from 1990-94. Fazio coached with Green Bay receivers coach Ray Sherman in Minnesota from 1995-97 and 1999. That 1996 Vikings staff also included Browns special teams coach Jerry Rosburg. Cleveland nickel package coach Todd Bowles was a Packers college scout from 1995-96. Browns defensive end Courtney Brown and Packers safety Bhawoh Jue played together at Penn State. Cleveland linebacker Tarek Saleh was twice a first-team All-Big Ten selection at Wisconsin (1995-96).
THE CONFERENCE CALLS: Cleveland Browns head coach Butch Davis and QB Tim Couch will talk to Wisconsin's sports media via conference call on Wednesday morning. Packers.com will have complete audio of the calls posted later that day.
THE (NFL) STATISTICAL UPDATE: Despite having to settle for 33 yards against Tennessee Sunday, Packers running back Ahman Green continues to lead the National Football Conference in total yards from scrimmage with 1,645.
His aggregate includes 1,103 yards rushing, good for third place in the NFC.
Green also is tied with Arizona's David Boston for third in the conference in the production of first downs with 66, including 44 rushing and 22 receiving, and tied for fourth place in the NFC in third-and-one rushing with a 77.8 success rate on 7 "conversions" in 9 attempts.
Quarterback Brett Favre continues to rank second among NFC passers with a 92.9 rating, based upon 264 completions in 424 attempts for 27 touchdowns and 3,300 yards, with 15 interceptions.
Favre also stands third in the conference in third-down passing with an 88.3 rating, produced by 67 completions in 117 attempts for 862 yards and 9 touchdowns, with 5 interceptions, and fourth in fourth-quarter passing with a 98.9 rating based upon 60 completions in 98 attempts for 798 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions.
Defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, who recorded his 13th sack of the season against Tennessee Sunday, is now tied with the Cleveland Browns' Jamir Miller for second place in the NFL as a whole with 13.0. The Giants' Michael Strahan remains the league leader with 17.0.
Wide receiver Bill Schroeder and Green are tied with the Bears' Marty Booker for fifth place in NFC non-kicker scoring with 48 points, and tight end Bubba Franks is tied for eighth place with 42 points.
The Packers' Ryan Longwell ranks seventh in NFC kick scoring with 82 points.
Schroeder leads the NFL (among the top 20 yardage leaders) in average yards per catch with an 18.0 average for 43 receptions.
Safety Darren Sharper is tied for ninth place among NFC interceptors with 4.
The Packers, seventh on offense and fourth on defense in the NFL a week earlier, now rank eighth on offense (23rd in rushing and fourth in passing) and sixth on defense (10th against the run and 11th against the pass).
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