Dope Sheet: Packers and Titans clash on Thursday Night Football

The Green Bay Packers (4-6) will welcome the Tennessee Titans (6-3) to town for a prime-time matchup on Thursday night.

• It is the third-ever prime-time game against the Titans (Monday Night Football in 2004 and Sunday night in 2020).
• Green Bay has won two of the last three contests between the two teams, including a 40-14 win at home in 2020.
• Each of the last three games and four of the last five between the teams have been decided by 20-plus points.
• The winning team has scored 40-plus points in four of the last five games, including each of the last three.
• The first meeting between the two organizations was in 1972 and the Titans hold a 7-6 (.538) lead in the all-time series.
• It is the first time Green Bay will play an AFC opponent in a Thursday night contest.
• The Packers have won nine straight prime-time games at Lambeau Field.
• Under Head Coach Matt LaFleur, Green Bay is 10-1 at home in prime time, a .900 winning percentage that is No. 1 in the NFL since 2019.
• Since 2019, the Packers have registered five games with 35-plus points and seven games with 400-plus yards at home in prime time, both No. 1 in the NFL over that span.
• After Thursday, Green Bay will return to the road for two games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears and then have its bye week before coming back to host the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football on December 19.

WITH THE CALL

The game will be broadcast across the country on Amazon Prime Video. If you live in the Green Bay market, it will also air on NBC26 and if you live in the Milwaukee market, it will be shown on FOX6.

• Play-by-play man Al Michaels joins analyst Kirk Herbstreit and sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung.
• Westwood One Sports will be broadcasting on radio to a national audience with Kevin Kugler (play-by-play) and Ben Leber (analyst) on the call and Scott Graham hosting pregame and halftime shows. 
• All Packers games can be heard on the Packers Radio Network, which is made up of 49 stations in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and South Dakota. This year, the Packers transitioned to a new flagship station in Milwaukee, iHeartRadio Milwaukee's 97.3 The Game WRNW. For a full listing of radio affiliates, go to packers.com/video/radio-network. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 28th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 24th season of broadcasts together. They surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers with 313 at the 2018 season opener against Chicago.
• The Packers' radio broadcast is also available on a mobile device through the Packers app or packers.com for anyone that lives in the state of Wisconsin. If you live outside the state, you can stream the game broadcast from a desktop computer through packers.com. It is also available via subscription on Sirius Satellite Radio or NFL Plus (nfl.com/plus).

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT

Packers vs Titans:

• Regular season, all-time: 6-7
• All-time, at home: 3-4
• Streaks: Green Bay has won two of the last three meetings.
• Last meeting, regular season: 
• Dec. 27, 2020, Lambeau Field, Packers won, 40-14

COACHES CAPSULES

• Matt LaFleur: 45-19-0, .703; (2-3 postseason); 4th NFL season
• Mike Vrabel: 49-30-0, .620; (2-3 postseason); 5th NFL Season 
• Head to Head: LaFleur 1-0 vs. Vrabel 
• vs. Opponent: LaFleur 1-0 vs. Titans; Vrabel 0-1 vs. Packers 

MATT LaFLEUR…In his fourth season as the Packers' 15th head coach.

• In his 14th season in the NFL, having previously served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (L.A. Rams, 2017; Tennessee, 2018), a quarterbacks coach for six seasons (Washington, 2010-13; Atlanta, 2015-16), and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston, 2008-09).
• With a 13-4 record in 2021, led the Packers to a third straight NFC North crown while also earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the second consecutive season. 
• Became the first coach in NFL history to post 13-plus wins in three straight seasons and his 39 wins from 2019-21 passed George Seifert (38) for the most wins by a head coach in his first three seasons in the league (Elias Sports Bureau). His 39 wins are also tied for the second most by a coach over any three-season span in NFL history, trailing only Mike Ditka's 40 wins with the Chicago Bears 1985-87.
• Guided the Packers to a 22-2 record (.917) in the regular season at Lambeau Field in 2019-21, the top mark in the NFL over that span and the best home winning percentage by a Packers head coach in his first three seasons. His 22 wins at home were also the most in NFL history by a coach in his first three seasons.
• In 2019, became the first coach in club history to lead the team to the playoffs in his debut season. Also led the largest one-year win improvement in team history (plus-seven).

MIKE VRABEL…In his fifth season as the Titans' 19th head coach.

• Joined Jack Pardee and Jerry Glanville as the only head coaches in team history to preside over at least three playoff squads (2019-21)in their initial four seasons. Tied Pardee for the most total wins by a head coach (43) in his first four seasons with the organization. 
• Was named The Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year after directing the Titans to a 12-5 regular-season record in 2021. The Titans won the AFC South for the second straight year, the franchise's first back-to-back division crowns since 1960-62.
• As a player, won three Super Bowls (2001, 2003, 2004) while playing for three teams (Pittsburgh, 1997-2000; New England, 2001-08; Kansas City, 2009-10). Earned back-to-back All-America honors and was twice named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year (1995-96) at Ohio State.

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

THE PACKERS-TITANS SERIES

• The teams split the six matchups from 1972-92 when the Titans were the Houston Oilers.
• The Packers won the first matchup of the series (Dec. 13, 1998) after Houston relocated to become the Tennessee Oilers.
• The winning team has scored at least 40 points in four out of the last five matchups dating back to 2004. 
• Green Bay owns the largest margin of victory in the series with a 55-7 win over Tennessee on Dec. 23, 2012.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur served as the Titans' offensive coordinator in 2018…Packers defensive backs/passing game coordinator Jerry Gray's first NFL coaching job was as a quality control coach for the Tennessee Oilers from 1997-98…Gray went on to serve as the defensive backs coach for the Titans from 1999-2000 and later served as the team's defensive coordinator (2011-13)…Gray played safety for the Houston Oilers in 1992…Gray and Titans assistant offensive line coach Mike Sullivan were teammates with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1993…Packers assistant quarterbacks coach Connor Lewis worked in Vanderbilt's football office from 2012-14…Packers coaching assistant Quinshon Odom coached at Vanderbilt (2016-17, 2019-20)…Packers G Jon Runyan's father, Jon, was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the fourth round in 1997 and played for the franchise for four seasons (Houston in 1996, Tennessee in 1997-99)…Packers WR Amari Rodgers was born in Knoxville, Tenn., and attended Knoxville Catholic High School…Packers WR Sammy Watkins and Titans WR Robert Woods were teammates with the Bills (2014-16) and the Rams (2017)…LaFleur and Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry were on the Rams' staff in 2017 when Woods played for the team…LaFleur and Titans offensive line coach Keith Carter coached on the Atlanta Falcons' staff together in 2015-16…LaFleur coached with Titans running backs coach Tony Dews at Central Michigan in 2004-05 and with Titans safeties coach Scott Booker at Notre Dame in 2014…Titans TE Austin Hooper played for the Falcons in 2016 when LaFleur was on the staff and also was a teammate of Packers LB De'Vondre Campbell in Atlanta…Carter was a teammate of Packers TE Marcedes Lewis at UCLA…Barry coached with Titans inside linebackers coach Bobby King and special teams coach Craig Aukerman on the San Diego Chargers' staff in 2014…Titans secondary coach Anthony Midget, Titans passing game coordinator Tim Kelly and Titans sports performance coordinator Brian Bell all were on the staff at Penn State in 2013 when Packers S Adrian Amos played for the Nittany Lions…Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Titans TE Geoff Swaim both attended Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, Calif., and began their collegiate careers at Butte Community College…Packers wide receivers/passing game coordinator Jason Vrable coached on the Bills' staff in 2014 with Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing, senior defensive assistant Jim Schwartz and wide receivers coach Rob Moore…Vrable and Moore also coached together at Syracuse from 2010-11...Former college teammates include: Packers DL Jarran Reed and Titans RB Derrick Henry (Alabama); Packers CB Eric Stokes, LB Quay Walker, DL Devonte Wyatt and Titans LB Monty Rice (Georgia); Packers S Darnell Savage and Titans TE Chigoziem Okonkwo (Maryland); Packers G Jon Runyan and Titans RB Hassan Haskins (Michigan); Packers LB Preston Smith and Titans DL Denico Autry (Mississippi State)…Packers G Elgton Jenkins and Titans DT Jeffery Simmons (Mississippi State); Packers WR Christian Watson and Titans OL Dillon Radunz (North Dakota State).