TONIGHT: The Titans and Packers, each with a sense of urgency rather than desperation, square off in a battle of 1-3 clubs hoping to turn over a new leaf...Polls and magazines have dubbed Brett Favre and Steve McNair, two close friends who share the same agent and live in the same town, the toughest quarterbacks in the NFL...The Packers have not lost four straight games since Sept. 27-Oct. 17, 1991...Combining records over the last 12 games of their respective seasons from 2000-03, only two teams -- Philadelphia (37-11, .771) and Tennessee (35-13, .729) - own a better record than the Packers (33-15, .688). Two-time Super Bowl champion New England is also 33-15 over the span.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR TONIGHT
BRETT FAVRE:
Will tie Bart Starr for No. 1 on the Packers' all-time list with 196 games played.
Can extend his streak of games with a touchdown pass to 30, tying Dan Marino's 1985-87 stretch for the second-longest in NFL history.
Fresh off a concussion, the 12th significant injury during his 14-year NFL career, will make his 194th consecutive start (213 including playoffs). And, for the second time in his last nine games, will play with a heavy heart, after the death of his brother-in-law Wednesday night. Favre lost his dad, Irvin, two days before the 2003 Oakland game, also a Monday night contest, last December.
Is the Packers' only starting quarterback since Sept. 27, 1992. Meanwhile, 176 other NFL quarterbacks have started since that day, including Tampa Bay's Chris Simms yesterday. The Bears have started a league-high 17 quarterbacks during the period.
AHMAN GREEN:
Needs 100 yards rushing to break Hall of Famer Jim Taylor's franchise record 26 career 100-yard games. Green enters the night with 26.
Needs 1 receiving yard to become the third back in team history with 2,000 in a Packers uniform. He also needs 81 receiving yards to surpass No. 2 Dorsey Levens (2,079) on the all-time list among backs.
Needs 151 yards of total offense to surpass No. 4 Sterling Sharpe (8,206) and 220 to surpass No. 3 Don Hutson (8,275). Green enters tonight with 8,056.
Needs 175 all-purpose yards for 10,000 career. Green, who had 1,438 kickoff return yards with Seattle from 1998-99, enters tonight with 9,825 career all-purpose yards.
Needs two overall TDs to surpass No. 5 Antonio Freeman (57) on the all-time Green Bay list. Green enters tonight with 56.
TORRANCE MARSHALL:
Needs three special-teams tackles for 50 career.
MARCO RIVERA:
Is expected to make his 100th career NFL start.
DARREN SHARPER:
Needs one touchdown to tie both Bobby Dillon and Doug Hart (four) for second on the team's defensive TD list. Herb Adderley leads with seven defensive TD. Sharper enters today with three.
IT'S NOT HOW YOU START, IT'S HOW YOU FINISH: In NFL-AFL history, 33 teams have earned playoff berths after beginning a season with one or fewer wins after four games.
In 1993, both Green Bay and the Tennessee franchise (then known as the Houston Oilers), began their seasons 1-3 and rebounded to make the playoffs.
In the current era, since the 1993 collective bargaining agreement introduced the salary cap and unrestricted free agency, teams have been more likely to answer a difficult start with a strong finish.
Eight teams have made the playoffs after starting 1-4.
More than half, 17 of the 33, went on to win their division.
Three teams have gone on to win their league championship, including the 2001 New England Patriots.
Team, Year, After Four, After Five, Finish, Postseason
N.Y. Jets, 2002, 1-3, 1-4, 9-7, Won division, lost divisional
Pittsburgh, 2002, 1-3, 2-3, 10-5-1, Won division, lost divisional
Tennessee, 2002, 1-3, 1-4, 11-5, Won div., lost championship
Atlanta, 2002, 1-3, 2-3, 9-6-1, Wild card, lost divisional
New England, 2001, 1-3, 2-3, 11-5, Won div., won Super Bowl
New Orleans, 2000, 1-3, 2-3, 10-6, Won division, lost divisional
Buffalo, 1998, 1-3, 2-3, 10-6, Wild card, lost wild card
N.Y. Giants, 1997, 1-3, 2-3, 10-5-1, Won division, lost wild card
Jacksonville, 1996, 1-3, 2-3, 9-7, Wild card, lost championship
Dallas Cowboys, 1996, 1-3, 2-3, 10-6, Won division, lost divisional
Philadelphia, 1995, 1-3, 2-3, 10-6, Won division, lost divisional
Detroit, 1995, 1-3, 2-3, 10-6, Wild card, lost wild card
Houston Oilers, 1993, 1-3, 1-4, 12-4, Won division, lost divisional
Green Bay, 1993, 1-3, 2-3, 9-7, Wild card, lost divisional
San Diego 1992, 0-4, 1-4, 11-5, Won division, lost divisional
N.Y. Jets, 1991, 1-3, 2-3, 8-8, Wild card, lost wild card
Philadelphia, 1990, 1-3, 2-3, 10-6, Wild card, lost wild card
New Orleans, 1990, 1-3, 2-3, 8-8, Wild card, lost wild card
Philadelphia, 1988, 1-3, 2-3, 10-6, Won division, lost divisional
Detroit, 1983, 1-3, 1-4, 9-7, Won division, lost divisional
San Diego 1982, 1-3, 2-3, 6-3, Qualified, lost second round
Tampa Bay, 1982, 1-3, 2-3, 5-4, Qualified, lost first round
N.Y. Jets, 1981, 1-3, 1-3-1, 10-5-1, Wild card, lost wild card
Atlanta, 1978, 1-3, 2-3, 9-7, Wild card, lost divisional
Pittsburgh, 1976, 1-3, 1-4, 10-4, Won div., lost championship
Baltimore Colts, 1975, 1-3, 1-4, 10-4, Won division, lost divisional
Cincinnati, 1970, 1-3, 1-4, 8-6, Won division, lost divisional
Oakland, 1970, 1-2-1, 2-2-1, 8-4-2, Won div., lost championship
San Diego, 1964, 1-2-1, 2-2-1, 9-2-3, Won div., lost AFL title game
Buffalo, 1963, 0-3-1, 1-3-1, 7-6-1, Lost division playoff
Houston Oilers, 1961, 1-3, 1-3-1, 10-3-1, Won AFL title game
L.A. Rams, 1952, 1-3, 2-3, 9-3, Lost conference playoff
*Chicago Bears, 1932, 0-1-3, 1-1-3, 7-1-6, Won NFL title by standing
* - NFL championship decided by league standing (ties did not count)
INSIDE 40 YARDS: Tonight's kickers are among the most reliable in the NFL, especially inside the 40-yard range. Longest active streaks of field goals from 39 yards or less, entering the weekend (courtesy Elias Sports Bureau):
39, Morten Andersen, NYG-KC-Min
36, Doug Brien, NO-TB-Min-NYJ
35, Gary Anderson, Min-Ten
33, Ryan Longwell, GB
32, Mike Vanderjagt, Ind
TONIGHT'S NATIONAL ANTHEM: Tiara Purifoy, a semifinalist on American Idol this past spring who hails from Racine, Wis., will perform the Star Spangled Banner.
AT THE GATES: Carson Pirie Scott is distributing a poster featuring the Packers' starting offensive linemen entering 2004, to fans at all gates.
HALFTIME: The Pulaski High School Marching Band will provide tonight's halftime entertainment.
POOL REPORTERS: Cliff Christl of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, is the home pool reporter. Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette is the alternate.
NEXT WEEK: Each club faces a key divisional test; the Packers are at Detroit, and Tennessee hosts Houston, both early kickoffs Sunday.
