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ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE PACKERS 2002 SCHEDULE
posted 03/28/02
The First Six Weeks
- For only the second time in franchise history, the Packers will play four of their first six away from home. The only other time that happened was 1996, when Green Bay won Super Bowl XXXI.
The Lambeau Season Opener
- The Packers open the season in Wisconsin for a sixth straight year, and for the 16th time over a 17-year stretch (since 1986); the team opened the 1996 slate at Tampa Bay. Green Bay is 6-2 over its last eight season-opening home games, including a 1994 win in Milwaukee.
- Green Bay can avenge its only 2001 home loss, to the Falcons. Atlanta will also travel to Lambeau for a second straight year, after not playing here since 1981.
The Mid-Season "Home" Stretch:
- When the Packers return from New England the night of Oct. 13, they will not leave Green Bay again for 34 days - or until they fly to Minnesota on Saturday, Nov. 16.
- That's the team's longest continuous time in Wisconsin since 1963, when the Packers played their first four games at home, and didn't hit the road until an Oct. 13 game at Minnesota. The team had a similar stretch in 1996 (three Green Bay games and a bye over a four-week span), but not as long as 34 days.
Late-Season Home Games
- For a second straight year, the Packers will play three December home games.
- Since 1992, the Packers own the league's best December home record (18-2, .900). Overall since '92, the Packers also lead the league in December (31-10, .756).
- At Lambeau Field in games Dec. 1 or later (including January and postseason), the Packers have won seven straight and 24 of their last 25. Other than a Dec. 12, 1999 loss to Carolina, the team's last loss in a game Dec. 1 or later at Lambeau was Dec. 15, 1991, 21-17 to Detroit.
- Three of the team's final five are at home.
Possibly the Season's Most Pivotal Stretch
- Four of the Packers' six NFC North games occur over a five-week span, from Nov. 10-Dec. 8.
- The stretch includes both Vikings games.
- Three of the four are at home.
Prime Time
- The Dec. 8 Vikings game is the latest in the year the NFL has ever scheduled a prime-time game in Wisconsin. The previous record was Nov. 9, 1970, when the Baltimore Colts beat the Packers in Milwaukee, 13-10, in the first season of Monday Night Football. The latest Lambeau had ever hosted a prime-time contest was Nov. 6, 2000, a dramatic 26-20 overtime win over Minnesota.
- That Dec. 8 Vikings game is also the Packers' first appearance on ESPN since Dec. 3, 2000, a 28-6 win at Chicago.
- The team's Monday Night Football home game (Nov. 4 vs. Miami) marks the Packers' first meeting with the Dolphins on a Monday night.
- The Packers play at least once on Monday night for a 10th straight year (1993-2002).
- The Packers have three games in prime time this season, after playing just two last year (both on ABC MNF).
On CBS-TV
- Green Bay plays only once on CBS, the home finale, Dec. 22 vs. Buffalo.
- Originally, the Packers had two CBS games, but the Miami contest became a Monday night game on ABC.
Significant Road Games:
- Sept. 15 at New Orleans: First official Superdome appearance since Super Bowl XXXI, 1/26/97; first regular-season trip to Crescent City since 1995. The Packers did play a preseason game there in 1999.
- Oct. 7 at Chicago: First franchise appearance (league or non-league) in Champaign, Ill. The Packers own the longest road winning streak in the 81-year-old series - eight years; they haven't lost to the Bears on the road since 1993.
- Dec. 29 at N.Y. Jets: Packers will close regular season in Meadowlands for second straight year (at N.Y. Giants, 1/6/02).
First-time appearances at three venues:
- Detroit's new Ford Field, Sept. 22
- Foxboro's new CMGI Field, Oct. 13
- Illinois Memorial Stadium, Champagne, Ill, Oct. 7
That Oct. 13 trip to New England...
- Will mark Green Bay's ninth meeting against the defending Super Bowl champion since 1993. Eight of those games will have been on the road.
- All-time against the defending Super Bowl champion, the Packers are 5-14, and 2-9 on the road (including playoffs). Both road wins were at San Francisco, in 1989 and 1996.
Series Interruptions
- The first road game, at New Orleans Sept. 15, will end the Packers' longest active series interruption -- seven years. Green Bay hasn't met the Saints since 12/16/95 at New Orleans, a 34-23 Packers win.
- After Sept. 15, Green Bay's longest series hibernation will be against the Kansas City Chiefs (last meeting: at Arrowhead, 11/10/96, 27-20 loss). Green Bay will host the Chiefs in 2003.
- After ending the NFL's longest active series interruption in 2001 (13 years, vs. Washington, 9/24/01), the Packers meet the 'skins for a second straight year, Oct. 20. Washington still shares in the league's two longest dormant series: vs. Cleveland and Cincinnati, no meetings since 1991.
Series Continuations
- Carolina and Green Bay meet for a seventh consecutive year, including the 1996 NFC Championship game. It's only the third time, though, the Panthers travel to Lambeau.
Familiar Faces
- Allen Rossum and John Thierry (Atlanta) play their former teammates Sept. 8.
- Bill Schroeder (Detroit) sees his former club Sept. 15 and Nov. 10.
- Joe Johnson meets his old team, New Orleans, Sept. 15.
- Terry Glenn meets his old team, New England, Oct. 13.
Four First-Year Head Coaches
- John Fox, Sept. 29 vs. Carolina
- Steve Spurrier, Oct. 20 vs. Washington
- Mike Tice, Nov. 17 (Metrodome) and Dec. 8 (Lambeau), vs. Minnesota
- Jon Gruden, Nov. 24, at Tampa Bay
Divisional Breakdown
- In the first year of the NFL's new eight-year schedule rotation, Green Bay gets six games vs. its own division (new NFC North), four vs. NFC South and four vs. AFC East. What's more, as a second-place finisher in 2001, the team's two conditional intra-conference games pit the Packers against fellow second-place finishers Washington (from the newly-aligned NFC East) and San Francisco (from the new NFC West).
- Three of the first four games are against the NFC South.
- Though the Buccaneers leave Green Bay's division in 2002, the Packers still play at Tampa Bay, Nov. 24.
- The season closes with a pair of AFC East inter-conference games.
Late-Afternoon Road Games
- Three of the team's 2002 road games are late-afternoon starts.
- Over the last two seasons, the Packers have lost eight road games. Four of those eight (including all three 2001 road losses) have been late-afternoon kicks.
Noon kickoffs
- Nine games will kickoff at noon central.
- Under Mike Sherman, the Packers are 13-4 in early games.
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