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Packers-Vikings Press Box Notes
posted 11/11/2007
PACKERS HOST VIKINGS IN NFC NORTH SHOWDOWN
-After collecting their sixth consecutive road victory at Kansas City, Green Bay returns home to take on division foe Minnesota for the final meeting of the season series.
-Green Bay comes into the contest winners of 11 of its last 12 games.
-What's more, the Packers are off to their best start since 2002 and stand tied with Dallas for the best record in the NFC.
-The Packers look to win consecutive Lambeau Field games over the Vikings for the first time since 2000-02 when they took three straight.
-One of the NFL's great rivalries, the border war between Minnesota and Green Bay has exhibited great parity. The two clubs face off Sunday for the 94th time, with Green Bay only holding a slight advantage (47-44-1) in the all-time series.
-The series stood dead even at 44-44-1 when both clubs introduced new head coaches in 2006. Since taking over for the Packers, Mike McCarthy has won all three meetings against Brad Childress and the Vikings.
-It is almost expected that a Packers-Vikings game will come down to the final minute. Dating back to a Packers victory, 26-22, on Dec. 8, 2002, at Lambeau Field, the last 10 regular season meetings have been decided by seven points or less. Four consecutive meetings (2004-05) were decided by a field goal at the end of the fourth quarter. So too was last year's contest at Lambeau Field, a 9-7 Packers victory.
LAMBEAU FIELD SELLOUT STREAK HITS 250
-Sunday marks the 250th consecutive regular-season sellout (264 including playoffs) at Lambeau Field, the league's longest-tenured stadium.
-The crown jewel of the National Football League, Lambeau Field this year is celebrating its 50th anniversary season (1957-2007).
-The sellout streak first began in 1960, also the same year season tickets were first sold out. With season-ticket holders from all 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Canada, Japan and Australia, the team's waiting list now has more than 74,000 names. People who were recently awarded season tickets put their names on the waiting list in the mid 1970s.
-The streak does not include games played in Milwaukee, where home games were played for 62 years (1933-94) before it was decided to move all home games to Green Bay in 1995. This Sunday against Minnesota does mark the third game in the Gold Package, a season-ticket package for former Milwaukee ticket holders.
HONORING THOSE WHO SERVE
-As part of the 'Operation Fan Mail' program, the Packers and Festival Foods will recognize a military family with Wisconsin ties at each home game.
-This week, the Packers and Festival Foods honor Sgt. Matt Williams. An Onalaska, Wis., native, Williams recently completed two tours of duty with the 2nd Brigade Combat team. Williams and the 2nd Brigade Combat team spent 19 months in Iraq and six months in Kuwait. He is joined at the game today by his father Jim, mother Kim, and sister Meredith.
WEARING THE STRIPES
Today's officiating crew includes referee Gerald Austin (34), umpire Ruben Fowler (71), head linesman Ed Camp (134), line judge Carl Johnson (101), field judge Scott Edwards (3), side judge Al Riveron (57) and back judge Bob Lawing (17).
NEXT WEEK
The Packers host the Carolina Panthers while the Vikings return home to host the Oakland Raiders.
**
WHAT TO WATCH FOR TODAY
4 BRETT FAVRE
-Has played in 247 straight games (267 including playoffs) and started 245 in a row (265 including playoffs), the NFL's record among quarterbacks and the second-longest recorded streak in NFL history. Only Minnesota's Jim Marshall (270, 1961-79) has been documented to have started more in consecutive fashion.
-Needs 94 passing yards to become the second ever to reach 60,000, joining Dan Marino (61,361). With 1,456 more passing yards - a number he is on pace to eclipse this season - Favre will break Marino's NFL record. Favre enters with 59,906 career passing yards.
-Needs one TD pass at Lambeau Field to extend the league's single-stadium record to 200. He enters with 199.
-Needs 1,040 passing yards at Lambeau Field to surpass John Elway (27,889 at Mile High Stadium) for the single-stadium record. Favre has 26,850.
-Has 60 career games with at least three TD passes, two games behind Marino's (62) NFL record.
-Has 53 career 300-yard passing games.
-Has 40 career game-winning comebacks (fourth quarter deficit or tie), including four this season.
80 DONALD DRIVER
-Has a reception in 88 consecutive games, the franchise's second-longest streak behind Sterling Sharpe's 103 (1988-94).
-Stands 238 Lambeau Field receiving yards from surpassing No. 2 James Lofton (3,330) and 385 from becoming the stadium's all-time leader ahead of Antonio Freeman (3,477). Driver enters with 3,093.
-Needs six receptions for 50 on the season; would become one of four players in team annals to produce as many as six such seasons, joining Lofton and Sharpe (both seven) and Freeman (six). Driver has at least 50 catches in five seasons.
65 MARK TAUSCHER
-Needs one start for 100 career. He enters with 101 career games and 99 starts.
74 AARON KAMPMAN
-Needs 4 sacks to surpass No. 4 Ezra Johnson (411/2) on the franchise list. He enters with 38 career sacks.
-Needs 2 total tackles for 400 career. He enters with 398.
79 RYAN PICKETT
-Needs one game for 100 career. He enters with 99.
31 AL HARRIS
-Has played in 162 straight games (152 regular season, 10 playoffs), a streak that began in Philadelphia in 1998. Since coming to Green Bay in 2003, has started all 75 games (72 regular season, 3 playoffs) as a Packer. |
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