Of WR Ruvell Martin's 16 catches this season, 15 went for first downs or touchdowns.
On the eve of the Packers' much-anticipated home playoff game, it's worth taking a little time to reflect on an impressive 13-3 regular season.
Last year at this time, Packers.com took a look at some of the oddities in the final regular-season statistics. So, without further ado, here's the 2007 version. They're numbered zero through 16, one for every game, plus the bye week.
0:Touchdown passes Brett Favre threw to running backs this season. All 28 of his TDs went to receivers and tight ends for the first time in his career. In two other seasons, Favre had just one TD pass to a back, in 1998 (William Henderson) and 1993 (Edgar Bennett).
1:Games Mason Crosby did not attempt a field goal. His only game without a three-point try was at Chicago (Dec. 23). The only other game he didn't make at least one field goal was at the New York Giants (0-for-1).
2:Green Bay touchdowns called back on penalties. A 23-yard TD pass to James Jones vs. Washington was nullified by a holding penalty, and Atari Bigby's 70-yard interception return for a score vs. Oakland was wiped out by an unnecessary roughness call for a block on the quarterback.
3:Victories in domes this season. The Packers won at Minnesota's Metrodome, Detroit's Ford Field, and St. Louis' Edward Jones Dome. That brings Head Coach Mike McCarthy's dome record over two seasons to 5-0, improving the team's mark to 21-24 since 1992, Favre's first season here. The Packers can even that record at .500 next year if they can win again in Minneapolis and Detroit, and at the New Orleans Superdome.
4:Games Favre attempted at least 40 passes this season without throwing an interception. Favre attempted 45 passes in back-to-back games vs. San Diego and at Minnesota (Sept. 30) without a pick. He then attempted 46 vs. Minnesota (Nov. 11) and 41 at Detroit (Nov. 22), also without an interception. Favre has now done that 13 times in his career, and the 46 this season was a career-high for a single game and tied the franchise mark also held by Don Majkowski (at Detroit, Sept. 30, 1990).
5:Fair-catches called by Green Bay punt returners, all by Charles Woodson. Last season, the Packers had just three (two by Woodson), giving the unit eight fair-catches while returning 101 punts over the past two seasons (7.3 percent). By contrast, in the three previous years combined, the Packers called 63 fair-catches while returning just 113 punts (35.8 percent).
6:Number of starts by the season-opening offensive line of Chad Clifton, Daryn Colledge, Scott Wells, Jason Spitz and Mark Tauscher. After the season opener, this group went seven games before it was together again, starting four straight from Weeks 9 through 12, and then another four-game gap before starting the regular-season finale.
7:Touchdown drives the Packers surrendered that were 80 yards or longer. By contrast, the Green Bay offense produced 12 TD drives of 80 yards or more.
8:Times the opponent failed to score after reaching the red zone. The Packers thwarted eight red zone possessions by their opponents by getting five turnovers, two turnovers on downs, and one missed field goal. The Packers had just five empty red zone possessions.
9:Number of times the Packers won the time-of-possession battle, an indication of how misleading this statistic can be. The Packers actually won the time-of-possession in one of their losses (vs. Chicago, Oct. 7, 30 minutes, 30 seconds) and lost it in five of their wins. Green Bay's biggest time-of-possession advantage was vs. Minnesota (Nov. 11), 40:40 to 19:20 in a 34-0 win. The largest discrepancy the other way was at St. Louis, 23:36 to 36:24 in a 33-14 win.
10:Scores the Packers posted on their opening drive of the second half. Green Bay had five TDs and five FGs on its opening second-half possessions, including a streak of four straight touchdowns from Weeks 10-13. The Packers had just five scores (four TDs, one FG) on game-opening drives, for a total of 15 scores and 81 points in those situations. The opponents had nearly as many scores (13) but not nearly as many points (55), posting eight scores (three TD, five FG) to open the second half and five (one TD, four FG) to open the game.
11:Number of 100-yard performances by running backs and receivers on the season, led by Ryan Grant's five top rushing outings of 104 yards at Denver, 119 vs. Minnesota (Nov. 11), 101 at Detroit (Nov. 22), 156 vs. Oakland, and 100 at Chicago (Dec. 23). With two apiece were receivers Donald Driver, who had 126 yards vs. San Diego and 147 at Detroit (Nov. 22), and Greg Jennings with 141 at Denver and 100 vs. Oakland. Adding one each were receiver James Jones, with 107 yards at Denver, and running back Brandon Jackson, with 113 vs. Detroit (Dec. 30).
12:Touchdown receptions by Jennings, the highest by a Packers player in three years and accomplished in just 13 games. Jennings missed the first two games of the season with a hamstring injury and then sat out the regular-season finale as a precaution after injuring his ankle the previous week. He had a pair of two-TD games and found the end zone in 10 of the 13 games in which he played. Javon Walker also had 12 TD receptions in 2004 for Green Bay, and those are the only double-digit TD seasons by Packers wide receivers since Antonio Freeman posted 14 in 1998.
13:If you count the 11:30 a.m. CT start on Thanksgiving Day, the number of "noon" kickoffs for the Packers this season. The Packers went 12-1 in those games and were 1-2 in prime time. Interestingly, the Packers have not played a late afternoon game all season, but will do so to open the playoffs, at 3:30 p.m. CT Saturday.
14:Number of coaches' replay challenges called in Green Bay's games, by both teams combined. McCarthy was 4-for-9 in getting calls overturned, the most notable being a 36-yard pass by Kansas City initially ruled complete, but replays showed the receiver stepped out of bounds; and an Oakland fumble on a punt return that was at first ruled down by contact, but replay reversed it, and the fumble had been recovered by the Packers for a touchdown. Opposing coaches were 0-for-5 on challenges, and there were four booth reviews, with all upholding the call on the field.
15:Number of Ruvell Martin's pass receptions, out of 16, that resulted in a first down (or a touchdown). Martin's only catch that did not pick up a first down came vs. Minnesota (Nov. 11), a 7-yard reception on first-and-10 during a two-minute drive at the end of the first half. That was the game Martin posted season-highs in receptions (four), yards (57) and touchdowns (two).
16:Games the Green Bay defense held opponents to less than 50 percent conversions on third downs. Not once this season did the Packers allow the other team to reach 50 percent in a game. Three teams - Philadelphia (8-for-18), San Diego (5-for-11) and Dallas (4-for-9) came within one conversion of hitting or beating 50 percent. For the season, the Packers allowed opponents to convert just 69 of 209 third downs, for 33 percent, third-best in the NFL.
