Two years after he co-founded the Packers with Curly Lambeau, George Calhoun began writing a piece called The Dope Sheet, which served as the official press release and game program from 1921-24.
Honoring Calhoun, the first publicity director, the Packers are running this weekly feature as their release, which is being made available to fans exclusively on Packers.com.
A complete edition of the Dope Sheet will be available each week during the season in PDF format, located in the Packers.com Game Centers.
Here are some highlights from the Week 6 Bye Week Dope Sheet:
THIS WEEK'S NOTABLE STORYLINES:
-For the sixth straight season, the Packers' bye week will allow healing to key starters. RB Ahman Green (knee/quadricep), TE Bubba Franks (knee), RT Mark Tauscher (foot) and LT Chad Clifton (ankle) will benefit from the time off, and hopefully be ready for the club's next game, at Minnesota Oct. 23.
-Having unleashed a month's worth of pent-up frustrations on the Saints, the Packers captured a mental reward for not giving up after an 0-4 start. Now, they enter the final 11 games with all-important confidence as a building block for whatever success lies ahead.
-The Packers practiced twice this week (Tuesday and Wednesday), having reviewed New Orleans game film Monday. Players get four days off, and return Sunday night ready to kick off full-scale preparations for an always-critical game at Minnesota.
-After the bye, over the balance of five previous seasons, the Packers have never experienced a losing record under Mike Sherman.
-This marks the third straight season the Packers meet Minnesota out of the bye.
FENCE PREDICTED IT, AND HARRIS IS PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
-Nearly everyone who visits Lambeau Field, regularly or infrequently, knows about the fence. It's an innocent gold picket fence across from the stadium, separating a modest back yard from the traffic on Lombardi Avenue.
-Every year, the world-famous fence gets a fresh pun, painted in green block letters. Well, in 2005 the pun begins "INT TD AL HAIRRIS31" and ends with "Packer Fans CAP it off with SUPPORT," an unofficial PSA for the Packers' pink hat program that benefits breast cancer awareness.
-Throughout the disheartening first quarter of the season, everyone passing the sign asked themselves, "Wouldn't that be great, Al Harris returning an interception for a touchdown?" It finally happened in a big way Sunday, when the veteran robbed Aaron Brooks and returned an interception 22 yards for a first quarter touchdown, the most significant play of a 52-3 win.
-And after Harris added another first-quarter interception (his first career multi-interception game), and recorded his first NFL sack, he earned recognition from the National Football League. Today, the league will name him NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
-This marks the second weekly honor of Harris' career. He won the NFL Defensive Player of the Week after the 2003 Wild Card playoffs, when he returned a Matt Hasselbeck interception 52 yards for an overtime touchdown. It marked the first time in league annals that a defensive score ended a sudden-death playoff.
UNANSWERED:
-Of all the notables from a 52-3 win over New Orleans Sunday, the most impressive might be this: According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Packers became the first NFL team in 16 seasons to score at least 50 unanswered points in a game. On Dec. 17, 1989, Cincinnati piled up 52 straight points in a 61-7 win against the Houston Oilers.
A CHANCE TO CATCH THEIR BREATH:
-The Green Bay offense welcomes the bye week after having to place RB Najeh Davenport on injured reserve Monday with a broken ankle. For the third time in five weeks, the Packers lost a key contributor for the year (also WR Javon Walker in Week 1 and WR Terrence Murphy in Week 4).
TIMING IS EVERYTHING:
-The Packers have used their bye to return at least one starter every year of Mike Sherman's tenure (since 2000), and the team has won four straight after the bye.
-The week before the bye in 2002, most of the state of much of the nation held their breath after Washington's LaVar Arrington forced Brett Favre from the game with the quarterback's first lifetime knee injury. Diagnosed with a sprained lateral collateral ligament, Favre used the off week to get used to a knee brace, and kept his starting streak alive by leading Green Bay to a win over Miami on a Monday night. A healed Darren Sharper also returned to action in the Dolphins game, and returned an interception for a touchdown.
-One year later, at St. Louis the week before the 2003 bye, Favre hit his hand on a helmet, fracturing his throwing thumb. The team capitalized on the week off, exploring thumb-protection for the season's second half, and Favre went on to lead the league in TD passes.
Year - Notable injured players who benefitted from bye-week rest
2005 - RB Ahman Green (knee/quad), LT Chad Clifton (ankle), RT Mark Tauscher (foot), TE Bubba Franks (knee), C Mike Flanagan (hernia)
2004 - S Darren Sharper (knee), G Marco Rivera (ankle)
2003 - QB Brett Favre (thumb)
2002 - QB Brett Favre (knee), LT Chad Clifton (knee), S Darren Sharper (hamstring), CB Mike McKenzie (groin)
2001 - NT Gilbert Brown, S LeRoy Butler (chest), WR Bill Schroeder (ankle), LB Nate Wayne (knee)
2000 - DE Vonnie Holliday (hamstring), TE Ty Davis (shoulder)
LONGWELL SOLID FROM INSIDE 40:
-Ryan Longwell has connected on 50 of his last 51 field goal attempts of less than 40 yards. The stretch dates to Oct. 7, 2002. His only miss during the span was a 31-yard attempt in 12-degree conditions at Lambeau Field, Dec. 19, 2004.
BACK IN THE TOP 10:
-The Packers are ranked in the NFL's Top 10 in total defense for the first time since they were ninth after a 10-0 win over Buffalo, Dec. 22, 2002.
-Green Bay enters the bye weekend ranked ninth, allowing 295.6 yards per game.
-The last time the Packers concluded a season in the league's Top 10 was 1998, when they were fourth.
-Excluding quarterback kneel-downs, on 30 occasions in just five games, Green Bay's defense has stuffed a carry for no gain or minus yardage. Eight of those plays came against the Saints.
A FAMILIAR ROOST FOR FAVRE:
-Having fired all 12 touchdown passes over his last four games, Brett Favre has captured the league lead in the category.
-If he can lead the league at season's end for a fifth time, Favre would establish the NFL record. With four, he's currently tied with Johnny Unitas (1957-60), Len Dawson (1962-63, 1965-66) and Steve Young (1992-94, 1998).
