*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:
-McCarthy meets former pupil Marc Bulger.
-The Rams make their fourth trek to Wisconsin since the franchise moved from Los Angeles to St. Louis in 1994. The teams also met at Lambeau Field in 1995, 1997 and 2004 - Brett Favre's 200th consecutive start.
-In six seasons as an NFL offensive coordinator (2000-05), Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy is 6-2, including playoffs, against the traditionally high-scoring Rams.
-St. Louis brings into the contest an NFL-leading plus-10 turnover ratio. When committing one turnover or less since 2000, the Packers own the NFL's best mark over the period (40-5, .889).
TELEVISION: FOX Sports, now in its 13th season as an NFL network television partner, will air the contest to a regional audience. In Wisconsin's two largest markets, FOX affiliates WLUK (Ch. 11) in Green Bay and WITI (Ch. 6) in Milwaukee will carry the game. The crew consists of by play-by-play man Kenny Albert, color analyst Brian Baldinger, producer Barry Landis and director Michael Frank.
-The contest also is available to DIRECTV(r) subscribers on Channel 704, and in high-definition on Channel 719.
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 five states, the network covers 47 markets in six states throughout the upper Midwest.
-The broadcast also is available to NFL Field Pass subscribers on packers.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 147.
NOTE OF THE WEEK: Greg Jennings' 15 receptions are the third-most in recorded Packers history (since 1932) for any player - rookie or veteran - over his first four games played for the team (Elias Sports Bureau):
16 - Lee Morris, 1997
Terry Glenn, 2002
15 - Greg Jennings, 2006
-Lee Morris was a so-called "replacement player" during the three-game players' strike in 1987, but he also played two other games for Green Bay that season. All 16 of his catches were in the three games played during the player's strike.
-Jennings is on pace for 60 receptions. The team's single-season rookie record is 55, by Sterling Sharpe in 1988.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:
Packers vs. Cleveland/Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams:
All-time regular season: 40-44-2
All-time, postseason: 1-1
All-time, Lambeau Field: 8-4
Since move to St. Louis (1995): 3-3, incl. playoffs
Last meeting, regular season: Nov. 29, 2004, Lambeau Field; Packers won, 45-17
Postseason meetings (2):
Dec. 23, 1965, Milwaukee County Stadium; Packers won, 28-7 ('67 NFL Western Conference Championship, qualified Green Bay for the Ice Bowl)
Jan. 20, 2002, Dome at America's Center; Rams won, 45-17 ('01 NFC Divisional playoff)
COACHES CAPSULES
Mike McCarthy: 1-3-0, .250, first NFL season
Scott Linehan: 3-1-0, .750, first NFL?season
Head to Head: (never met)
vs. Opponent: McCarthy 0-0 vs. Rams; Linehan 0-0 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.
SCOTT LINEHAN...Is in his first year as the Rams' 22nd head coach.
-Named head coach on Jan. 19, 2006, after spending the 2005 season as offensive coordinator in Miami, where the Dolphins went from 29th in total offense to 14th.
-Spent three seasons (2002-04) as offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, who ranked second, first, and fourth, respectively, in total offense during that time.
-A college quarterback under Dennis Erickson at Idaho, Linehan was a free agent signee with the Dallas Cowboys before a shoulder injury ended his playing career.
-Was an assistant coach on the collegiate level at Idaho (1989-90, 92-93), Nevada-Las Vegas (1991), Washington (1994-98) and Louisville (1999-2001).
THE RAMS-PACKERS SERIES: These clubs first met in 1937, when the NFL launched its long relationship with the city of Cleveland. Green Bay, the defending league champion, swept that season's series with a 35-10 win at Municipal Stadium and a 35-7 win at Green Bay City Stadium.
-The teams have split the last six meetings, including the 2001 NFC Divisional playoff, won by the Rams. Green Bay's victory in 2004 matched the score of that '01 defeat, 45-17.
-These clubs met every year from 1937-71 except 1943, when the Rams didn't field a team.
-Beginning in 1946, when the Rams moved from Cleveland to Los Angeles, these foes consistently played their Wisconsin games early in the year (before cold weather set in) and their warm West Coast games late in the year.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS...Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy worked with quarterback Marc Bulger in New Orleans...St. Louis offensive lineman Adam Timmerman was a stalwart guard for Green Bay from 1995-98, helping the Packers to consecutive Super Bowls...Rams running back Tony Fisher spent the first four years of his pro career in Green Bay (2002-05)...Rams punter Matt Turk played in college at Wisconsin-Whitewater...Packers defensive tackle Ryan Pickett played his first five NFL seasons in St. Louis before signing with Green Bay as an unrestricted free agent this past offseason...Receivers Torry Holt and Koren Robinson sit 1-2 in several receiving categories in the North Carolina State record book...Rams defensive coordinator Jim Haslett was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints during McCarthy's five seasons there (2000-04) as offensive coordinator. Rams assistant head coach Rick Venturi was also a member of that Saints staff...Packers coaches who have previously worked in similar capacities for St. Louis include secondary coach Kurt Schottenheimer (2005), defensive line coach Carl Hairston (1997-2000) and special teams coach Mike Stock (2004)...Rams defensive quality control coach Joe Baker was the Packers secondary/safeties coach in 2005...Rams offensive assistant Jeff Horton was quarterbacks coach at the University of Wisconsin for seven years (1999-2005).
INDIVIDUALLY VS. ST. LOUIS...Brett Favre has a 6-2 regular-season record vs. the franchise. His 51 pass attempts against the Rams on Sept. 3, 1995, is tied for his fifth-most in one game and one of eight times he has attempted more than 50 passes...Koren Robinson had a career-long 83-yard reception at St. Louis on Oct. 20, 2002, while playing for Seattle. He also had the lone rushing TD of his career against St. Louis (Dec. 11, 2005) while playing for Minnesota.
LAST MEETING: Nov. 29, 2004, Lambeau Field; Packers won, 45-17.
-Brett Favre made his 200th regular-season start and threw three TD passes, topping 20 touchdowns for a record 11th straight season, as the Packers won their sixth straight game.
-Najeh Davenport, filling for Ahman Green (ribs), rushed 19 times for 178 yards in his first NFL start, punctuating the performance with a 40-yard TD run late in the fourth quarter.
-The Packers returned two Isaac Bruce fumbles for TDs, one by Ahmad Carroll to open the scoring, and another by Michael Hawthorne to close it. Carroll also had an interception.
-Marc Bulger completed 35 of 53 passes for 448 yards, the highest yardage total by an opposing QB in Packers history.
-Trailing 21-10 late in the third quarter, the Rams called for a fake field goal on a 42-yard attempt by Jeff Wilkins, who was tackled 12 yards shy of the first down on fourth-and-7. The Packers responded with a four-play, 71-yard drive, capped by Donald Driver's leaping 16-yard TD catch.
