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 1 Dope Sheet:
THIS WEEK'S NOTABLE STORYLINES:
-Green Bay kicks off an 85th NFL season against one of its oldest rivals, the Lions. Sunday marks Game No. 150 in the historic series.
-These teams open a season in Detroit for the first time since 1978, and only the second time overall.
-Brett Favre and many of his teammates with direct ties to the devastated Gulf Coast region, attempt to return their focus to football. After sustaining a "basketball" sprain of his right ankle Thursday at Tennessee, he could appear on the team's injury report for the 43rd time during his consecutive-starts streak. The streak will reach 206 Sunday (226 including playoffs).
-Favre needs 266 yards passing to become the third player in NFL history with 50,000, joining Dan Marino (61,361) and John Elway (51,475).
-Mike Sherman is tied with Mike Martz for the best division record (25-9, .735) among NFL head coaches since 2000. He's 8-2 vs. Detroit and including playoffs 6-1 vs. Steve Mariucci.
TELEVISION: FOX Sports, which kicks off its 12th season as a network television partner, will air the contest to a regional audience. Veteran play-by-play man Kenny Albert calls the action with color commentator Brian Baldinger in the booth. Producer Barry Landis' crew, including director Michael Frank, are in the truck...The league scheduled kickoff for late afternoon because the Detroit Tigers, who play across the street from Ford Field at Comerica Park, have a 12:05 game earlier in the afternoon against the Kansas City Royals.
PACKERS RADIO: Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since 1929, heads up the 62-station Packers Radio Network, with versatile Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (color). Spanning five states, the network covers 50 markets in the upper Midwest. The broadcast also is available to NFL Field Pass subscribers on packers.com.
NATIONAL RADIO: The Sports USA Radio Network, with former voice of the Milwaukee Bucks Howard David (play-by-play), former college and NFL coach John Robinson (color) and sideline reporter Tim Neverett.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:
Packers vs. Detroit Lions/Portsmouth Spartans:
All-time regular season: 79-63-7
All-time, postseason: 2-0, NFC Wild Card wins in 1993 (Silverdome) and 1994 (Lambeau Field)
All-time, Ford Field: 2-1-0
Streaks: Packers have won three of last four in Detroit and eight of last nine overall
Last meeting, regular season: Dec. 12, 2004, Lambeau Field, Packers won, 16-13
Last meeting, regular season, Detroit: Oct. 17, 2004, Ford Field; Packers won, 38-10
COACHES CAPSULES
Mike Sherman: 55-31-0, .640, sixth NFL season, sixth with Packers
Steve Mariucci: 71-64-0, .560, ninth NFL season, third with Lions
Head to Head: Sherman 6-1 vs. Mariucci
vs. Opponent: Sherman 8-2 vs. Lions; Mariucci 2-9 vs. Packers
MIKE SHERMAN...Is in his sixth year as the Packers' 13th head coach.
-Since the 1993 collective bargaining agreement, teams have made 84 coaching changes and only Sherman's tenure has produced winning records in each of its first five seasons.
-Over their first five regular seasons as an NFL coach, since 1970 only Chuck Knox, George Seifert, Joe Gibbs and Mike Ditka produced better records than Sherman (53-27, .663).
-In 2004, his team became only the ninth in NFL history to reach the playoffs after a 1-4 start.
-Has led the Packers to three straight division titles and four consecutive playoff appearances.
-Is 6-0 against teams in the Super Bowl the previous season.
STEVE MARIUCCI...Named the Lions' 22nd head coach in February of 2003, after six years (1997-2002) as head coach of the 49ers.
-In San Francisco, went 60-43 (.583), while his teams earned four playoff berths. Also established an NFL mark for consecutive wins by a rookie head coach with an 11-game winning streak in 1997.
-Served as Brett Favre's first Green Bay position coach (1992-95).
-Left Green Bay to become Ryan Longwell's head coach at California in 1996 and guided the squad to a 5-0 start and the Aloha Bowl.
THE LIONS-PACKERS SERIES: No other NFL teams have played every year since 1932, when the Packers first met the Lions, then known as the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans. This week marks Game No. 150 in the venerable series. Green Bay has won eight of the last nine meetings, and nine of the last 11.
-The Packers have won 14 consecutive contests over Detroit in Wisconsin. The streak includes five Lions head coaches: Wayne Fontes (1992-96), Bobby Ross (1997-99), Gary Moeller (2000), Marty Mornhinweg (2001-02) and Steve Mariucci (2003-04).
-The Packers have scored more points against the Detroit franchise than any opponent (3,078).
-Before the '03 Thanksgiving loss at Detroit, the Packers had won six straight over Detroit, the longest series winning streak by either team since Detroit won 11 straight from 1949-54.
-Brett Favre in 26 regular-season games against Detroit is 18-8 with an 87.4 passer rating (576 of 927, 6,889 yards, 46 touchdowns, 31 interceptions). He's also 9-2, including postseason, vs. Mariucci.
-Notable single-opponent career highs vs. Detroit: Donald Driver - 36 receptions, 504 receiving yards; Brett Favre - 927 attempts, 576 completions, 6,889 yards; Bubba Franks - 36 receptions, 349 yards.
-Notable single-game career highs vs. Detroit: Donald Driver - 11 receptions, 11/10/02 at Lambeau Field (later tied); Bubba Franks - nine receptions, 62 yards, both 9/22/02 at Ford Field, AND 31-yard reception, 11/22/01, Silverdome; Ryan Longwell - nine kickoffs, 11/10/02, Lambeau Field.
Notable connections...Defensive coordinator Dick Jauron coached with Mariucci, Ray Rhodes, Jon Gruden and Andy Reid under Mike Holmgren in Green Bay during the 1990s...Defensive line coach Larry Brooks and special teams coach Chuck Priefer were previously assistants on Green Bay staffs...Linebackers coach Johnny Holland played and coached for the Packers...Green Bay DT Colin Cole spent one week on Detroit's 53-man roster in 2003, and all of the 2004 preseason with the Lions...Offensive coordinator Ted Tollner coached Packers DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila at San Diego State...The Packers mined three diamonds from the state of Michigan, seventh-round pick William Whitticker (Michigan State), rookie free agent Roy Manning (Michigan) and 2003 undrafted free agent Cullen Jenkins (Central Michigan)...Nick Luchey is a product of Farmington Hills, MIch.
LAST MEETING: Dec. 12, 2004, Lambeau Field; Packers won, 16-13:
-Ryan Longwell kicked a 23-yard field goal with two seconds left, moving the Packers (8-5) into first place in the NFC North by a game over Minnesota, which lost at home to Seattle. It was his third game-winning kick in five weeks and his 44th straight conversion from 39 yards or less.
-Trailing 13-0 at half, Brett Favre led Green Bay back with four scoring drives, including a 90-yard march into the wind for the Packers' only touchdown (after Ahman Green's 79-yard TD catch was negated by a debatable holding call on rookie center Scott Wells). Favre, who moved to 14-0 at home against the Lions, hit just 3 of 15 passes for 28 yards before intermission but went 16-for-21 for 160 yards and a TD in the second half.
-Snow flurries turned the field into what Longwell called a "swampy mess" and swirling winds with gusts up to 35 mph wreaked havoc on passes and punts.
-Longwell's decisive kick came after the Packers got the ball back at the Detroit 42 with 3:27 left and the wind at their backs.
LAST MEETING, FORD FIELD: Oct. 17, 2004, Packers won, 38-10:
-Brett Favre threw two TD passes and Darren Sharper returned an interception for another score as the Packers launched a six-game winning streak that resurrected their season.
-On the night before the game, Mike Sherman delivered an emotional team speech that several players said inspired them to answer their coach's challenge.
-Sharper put momentum permanently in Green Bay's hands, returning a third-quarter interception 36 yards for a TD that gave the Packers a 24-10 lead.
-Favre, who played in his 197th Packers game and passed Bart Starr for the team record, led the club on four touchdown drives.
-Green Bay's defense turned in one of the finest efforts in recent franchise history. Its 125 total yards and five first downs allowed were Green Bay's fewest since the "Snow Bowl," Dec. 1, 1985, vs. Tampa Bay (65 yards, five first downs). Its 40 plays allowed were Green Bay's fewest since Dec. 3, 1972, vs. Detroit (34). The Packers didn't allow a first down in the second half, and didn't allow the Lions inside the Green Bay 30 over Detroit's final nine possessions.
-Donald Driver caught nine passes for 110 yards and tied a career high with two TD catches, one of which came from halfback Ahman Green. Green would become the first Packers player to record rushing, passing and receiving TDs in the same season since Gerry Ellis in 1983.
