*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.*
THIS WEEK'S NOTABLE STORYLINES:
-For the third straight season, and the fourth time in the past seven years, the Lions make a December visit to Lambeau Field.
-The Packers bid for their 16th consecutive home win over Detroit, including the 1994 playoffs. Green Bay has not lost to the Lions in Wisconsin since Dec. 15, 1991, a 21-17 decision at Lambeau Field.
-Mike McCarthy plays his first divisional rematch. The Packers' three NFC North rematches close the 2006 schedule.
-Winners of four road games (4-3), the Packers attempt to corral an elusive win at home, where they're 1-5. Only two NFC teams - Chicago (6-1) and New Orleans (5-2) own better road records.
TELEVISION: FOX Sports, in its 13th season as an NFL network television partner, will air the contest to a regional audience. The crew is anchored by play-by-play man Ron Pitts, a second-generation Packer who played 44 games as a defensive back for Green Bay from 1988-90; Pitts' father, Elijah, helped the Packers to five NFL titles under Vince Lombardi in the 1960s. Former Mike McCarthy pupil Jesse Palmer is the color analyst. Producer Ray Smaltz teams up with director Peter Bleckner in the truck.
-The contest also is available to DIRECTV(r) NFL?Sunday Ticket subscribers on Channel 705, and Channel 720 in HD.
PACKERS RADIO: Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since 1929, heads up the 57-station Packers Radio Network, with versatile Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (color). Spanning six states, the 57-station network covers 47 markets throughout the upper Midwest.
-The broadcast also is available to NFL Field Pass subscribers on packers.com and NFL.com.
-Those with SIRIUS Satellite Radio can listen to live play-by-play as part of the network's NFL Sunday Drive. The Green Bay broadcast is available on Channel 181.
LAMBEAU IN DECEMBER, MUST BE LIONS WEEK: For a third straight season, the Packers host the Lions in a December game. Each of the previous two years Green Bay has won, 16-13, on a late field goal.
-The last time Lions and Packers played at Lambeau Field in good weather? Eight years ago, when Green Bay toppled Detroit, 38-19, in the 1998 season opener, a beautiful, 81-degree day. One year later, Nov. 21, 1999, the Lions met the Packers under partly sunny skies, but the temperature was only 46.
-December cold greeted the Lions in 2000, 2004, 2005 and now probably in 2006. Rain was the setting in 2001 and 2003 - both September contests. Wet conditions also were present in a November, 2002, game.
NOTE OF THE WEEK: Take away Green Bay's 1994 playoff win over Detroit, and the Packers' 14 straight regular-season home wins over the Lions ranks tied for second among active NFL streaks (Elias Sports Bureau). Longest active streaks, consecutive home wins vs. a single opponent, regular season only:
17 - Washington over Detroit
14 - *Dallas over Arizona
*Green Bay over Detroit
12 - *Pittsburgh over San Diego
10 - St. Louis over Pittsburgh
*-Arizona defeated Dallas at Texas Stadium in 1998 playoffs; Green Bay defeated Detroit at Lambeau Field in 1994 playoffs; San Diego defeated Pittsburgh at Three Rivers Stadium in 1994 playoffs.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:
Packers vs. Detroit Lions/Portsmouth Spartans:
All-time regular season: 81-64-7
Postseason: 2-0
Playoff meetings: Jan. 8, 1994, Silverdome (Packers won, 28-24); Dec. 31, 1994, Lambeau Field (Packers won, 16-12)
All-time, Lambeau Field: 23-10-3
Streaks: The Packers have won 10 of the last 12 meetings and 15 straight in Wisconsin, including the 1994 playoffs
Last meeting: Sept. 24, 2006, Ford Field; Packers won, 31-24
Last meeting, in Green Bay: Dec. 11, 2005, Lambeau Field; Packers won 16-13 in OT
COACHES CAPSULES
Mike McCarthy: 5-8-0, .385, first NFL season
Rod Marinelli: 2-11-0, .154, first NFL season
Head to Head: McCarthy 1-0
vs. Opponent: McCarthy 1-0 vs. Lions; Marinelli 0-1 vs. Packers
MIKE McCARTHY...Is in his first year as the Packers' 14th head coach.
-Was named Packers head coach on Jan. 12, 2006, his first head coaching job after 13 years as an NFL assistant - all under head coaches with defensive backgrounds.
-One of those previous 13 years was with the Packers, as quarterbacks coach in 1999.
-Spent the past six seasons as an offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints (2000-04) and San Francisco 49ers (2005).
-Had not been a head coach at any level, having begun his coaching career as a college assistant at Fort Hays State (1987-88) and the University of Pittsburgh (1989-92) before breaking into the NFL as a quality control assistant with the Chiefs in 1993.
ROD MARINELLI...Is in his first year as the Lions' 24th head coach.
-Named Lions head coach on Jan. 19, 2006, after 10 seasons with Tampa Bay (1996-2005) as defensive line coach. He held additional duties as assistant head coach from 2002-05.
-In that 10-year tenure in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers recorded 416 sacks, with 328.5 coming courtesy of the defensive line, the most among all NFL defensive lines during that span.
-The Bucs' defensive front four garnered Top 5 rankings in sacks during six of the 10 seasons under Marinelli.
-That defensive line also played a major role in setting an NFL record for consecutive games with a sack (69) from 1999-2003, a streak ended by the Packers' offense on Nov. 16, 2003.
{sportsad300}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.
-Including a pair of playoff clashes, this week marks Game No. 155 in the venerable series.
-Green Bay has won 10 of the last 12 meetings.
-The Packers have won 15 consecutive contests over Detroit in Wisconsin, including the '94 playoffs. The streak includes six Lions head coaches: Wayne Fontes (1992-96), Bobby Ross (1997-99), Gary Moeller (2000), Marty Mornhinweg (2001-02), Steve Mariucci (2003-04) and Dick Jauron (2005).
-The Packers have scored more points against the Detroit franchise than any opponent (3,128).
-Before the '03 Thanksgiving loss at Detroit, the Packers had won six straight against the Lions, the longest series winning streak by either team since Detroit won 11 straight from 1949-54.
-Brett Favre in 29 regular-season games against Detroit is 20-9.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS...Detroit OL Ross Verba (1997-2000) and Barry Stokes (2000-01), LB Paris Lenon (2002-05) and WR Corey Bradford (1998-01) previously played for the Packers...Detroit LB Donté Curry was a member of Green Bay's practice squad in 2001...Detroit RB Brian Calhoun, DB Jamar Fletcher and LB Alex Lewis all played at the University of Wisconsin...Packers DT Cullen Jenkins (Central Michigan), CB Charles Woodson (Michigan), and K Dave Rayner (Michigan State) all played collegiately in the state of Michigan, while RB Noah Herron is from Mattawan, Mich. ...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...Detroit offensive line coach Larry Beightol held the same position in Green Bay from 1999-2005, while special teams coach Chuck Priefer held the same job in Green Bay in 1984-85...Receivers coach Kippy Brown was the Packers' running backs coach in 2000...Offensive coordinator Mike Martz was DT Ryan Pickett's head coach in St. Louis.
INDIVIDUALLY VS. DETROIT...Single-game career highs set by Packers players against Detroit include Donald Driver's 11 receptions (tie, Nov. 10, 2002) and Bubba Franks' nine catches for 62 yards (Sept. 22, 2002). For his career, Franks has more catches (43) and yards (415) against Detroit than any other team...Brett Favre's career totals of 649 completions, 1,038 attempts and 7,600 yards against Detroit are his highest against any opponent, and his 20 wins rank second, one behind Chicago (21)...Ahman Green's 1,307 total yards (991 rushing, 316 receiving) are his most against any single opponent, with the rushing total second-most behind Chicago (999). He also has four 100-yard rushing games against Detroit, one behind his five against Chicago...Corey Williams had two sacks at Detroit earlier this season.
LAST MEETING: Sept. 24, 2006, Ford Field; Packers won, 31-24.
-Favre completed 25 of 36 passes for 340 yards and three TDs for a season-high 127.1 passer rating. He hit Greg Jennings on a hitch route that the rookie receiver turned into a 75-yard touchdown - the 400th of Favre's career - midway through the first quarter, and the Packers never trailed to record McCarthy's first win as an NFL head coach.
-Jennings registered his first 100-yard game, finishing with three catches for 101 yards. Green had 131 yards from scrimmage (63 rushing, 68 receiving) and caught a 10-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter.
-Marquand Manuel's 29-yard interception return for a touchdown, gave the Packers a 14-7 lead, but Detroit responded with a 42-yard TD pass from Jon Kitna to Roy Williams, tying the game at 14 after one stanza.
-After a Green fumble with 54 seconds left gave the Lions one last chance to tie the score, Kitna's Hail Mary to the end zone on the game's final play fell incomplete.
LAST MEETING, LAMBEAU: Dec. 11, 2005; Packers won, 16-13.
-Samkon Gado set a franchise rookie record with 171 yards rushing, including a 64-yard touchdown, and Ryan Longwell kicked a 28-yard field goal in overtime for the win.
-With the score tied at 13 midway through the fourth quarter, the Packers made a goal-line stand, as Grady Jackson helped stuff quarterback Jeff Garcia on a fourth-down sneak.
-On the ensuing possession, Gado was wrapped up in his own end zone but tried to toss the ball forward just as he was being dragged down. Originally ruled intentional grounding and a safety, the officials conferred and said that because Gado was outside the tackle-box, it was a legal forward pass and simply incomplete, keeping the score tied at 13.
-Favre surpassed 3,000 yards for an NFL-record 14th season, and his 17-yard completion to Robert Ferguson coupled with a personal foul on Shaun Rogers set up the overtime kick.
-The Lions led 13-3 in the second quarter with the help of a 74-yard kickoff return by R.W. McQuarters that set up a 4-yard TD toss to Roy Williams, the first TD pass allowed by Al Harris all season.
