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Packers-Vikings Week 10 Dope Sheet

After collecting their sixth consecutive road victory at Kansas City, Green Bay returns home to take on division foe Minnesota. One of the NFL’s great rivalries, the border war between Minnesota and Green Bay has exhibited great parity. The two clubs face off Sunday for the 94th time, with Green Bay only holding a slight advantage (47-44-1) in the all-time series. More | Packers-Vikings Game Center

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*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 Packers-Vikings Week 10 Dope Sheet:*

PACKERS HOST VIKINGS IN NFC NORTH SHOWDOWN

-After collecting their sixth consecutive road victory at Kansas City, Green Bay returns home to take on division foe Minnesota for the final meeting of the season series.

-Green Bay comes into the contest winners of 11 of its last 12 games.

-What's more, the Packers are off to their best start since 2002 and stand tied with Dallas for the best record in the NFC.

-The Packers look to win consecutive Lambeau Field games over the Vikings for the first time since 2000-02 when they took three straight.

-One of the NFL's great rivalries, the border war between Minnesota and Green Bay has exhibited great parity. The two clubs face off Sunday for the 94th time, with Green Bay only holding a slight advantage (47-44-1) in the all-time series.

-The series stood dead even at 44-44-1 when both clubs introduced new head coaches in 2006. Since taking over for the Packers, Mike McCarthy has won all three meetings against Brad Childress and the Vikings.

-It is almost expected that a Packers-Vikings game will come down to the final minute. Dating back to a Packers victory, 26-22, on Dec. 8, 2002, at Lambeau Field, the last 10 regular season meetings have been decided by seven points or less. Four consecutive meetings (2004-05) were decided by a field goal at the end of the fourth quarter. So too was last year's contest at Lambeau Field, a 9-7 Packers victory.

LAMBEAU FIELD SELLOUT STREAK HITS 250

-Sunday marks the 250th consecutive regular-season sellout (264 including playoffs) at Lambeau Field, the league's longest-tenured stadium.

-The crown jewel of the National Football League, Lambeau Field this year is celebrating its 50th anniversary season (1957-2007).

-The sellout streak first began in 1960, also the same year season tickets were first sold out. With season-ticket holders from all 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Canada, Japan and Australia, the team's waiting list now has more than 74,000 names. People who were recently awarded season tickets put their names on the waiting list in the mid 1970s.

-The streak does not include games played in Milwaukee, where home games were played for 62 years (1933-94) before it was decided to move all home games to Green Bay in 1995. This Sunday against Minnesota does mark the third game in the Gold Package, a season-ticket package for former Milwaukee ticket holders.

ALL EYES ON PACKERS 'D' VS. PETERSON

-One week after Vikings rookie Adrian Peterson set the NFL single-game record with 296 rushing yards, the focus will clearly be on Green Bay's defense against the standout rookie.

-The Packers have been solid all season against the run, ranking eighth in the league. The unit has yielded just three rushing touchdowns on the season and allowed only a single 100-yard rusher - Peterson (112 yards) in Week 4.

-The Vikings will have to find a way to contain defensive end Aaron Kampman, NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October. Kampman has 8 sacks, 34 tackles, three forced fumbles and three passes defensed in his last five games against Minnesota.

-Another matchup to keep an eye on is the Packers' passing attack - ranked second in the league - against the Vikings' pass defense - ranked 30th. Favre ranks second in the NFL in passing yards and third in completions. He passed for 344 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings earlier this year.

WITH THE CALL

-FOX Sports enters its 14th season as an NFL network television partner and will air the contest to a regional audience. Play-by-play man Dick Stockton joins color commentator Brian Baldinger in the broadcast booth.

-Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since 1929, heads up the 56-station Packers Radio Network, with Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (color) calling the action. The network covers 47 markets in six states.

-For out-of-town listeners, the broadcast is available to NFL Field Pass subscribers on www.packers.com as well as on Sirius Satellite Radio (channel 181 WTMJ feed) as part of the network's NFL Sunday Drive.

-DIRECTV subscribers can watch the game on channel 709.

TOUGHEST ROAD VENUES? NO PROBLEM

-In the span of six days, the Packers went into two of the NFL's most hostile stadiums - Denver and Kansas City - and came away with victories.

-Kansas City (104-36-0, .743) and Denver (103-38-0, .730) own the best home records in the NFL since 1990. Green Bay (98-42-0) has the fourth best home record in the league since the '90 season.

-What's more, Green Bay faced a rested Kansas City club coming off a bye week, while the Packers had an abbreviated week thanks to the Monday night showdown in Denver. Facing a Chiefs defense that had yet to yield 20 points to a single opponent in 2007, the Packers put up 33 points.

-"I think our players realize, young and old, that (K.C.) was a tough game going into and a tough place to play," McCarthy said Monday. "This group works hard, stays focused. I tell them every day: smart, tough, fundamentally sound. They're in tune with that. That's the way we grade them every day. You make smart decisions, you play tough and you're fundamentally sound. We try to keep it as simple as possible."

-The Packers have now won five straight against the AFC West and eight of their last 10 against the division, dating back to a 1996 victory over Denver. They wrap up their games against the AFC West this season when Oakland comes to Lambeau Field on Dec. 9.

KAMPMAN, KGB FORM LEAGUE'S MOST LETHAL DUO

-The defensive end tandem of Aaron Kampman and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila have combined to tally more sacks than any group of teammates in the league thus far.

-With a combined 151/2 sacks, the Packers' duo ranks just ahead of their counterparts in New York. Osi Umenyiora (8) and Justin Tuck (7) have combined for 15 sacks for the Giants.

-Kampman, the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October, has six quarterback sacks in his last three games. He is tied for the NFL lead with nine sacks on the season.

-KGB has three multi-sack efforts on the season, including two fourth- quarter sacks against Kansas City. Earlier this season, the eighth-year pro broke Reggie White's franchise record for sacks.

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:

Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings:

All-time regular season: 47-44-1

All-time, postseason: 0-1

All-time, at Lambeau Field: 15-16-1

Streaks: The Packers have won three straight and six of the last eight regular-season meetings.

Last meeting, regular season: Sept. 30, 2007, at HHH Metrodome; Packers won, 23-16

Last meeting, regular season, at Lambeau Field:Dec. 21, 2006, at Lambeau Field; Packers won 9-7.

COACHES CAPSULES

Mike McCarthy: 15-9-0, .625; second NFL season

Brad Childress: 9-15-0, .375; second NFL season

Head to Head: McCarthy 3-0

vs. Opponent: McCarthy 3-0 vs. Vikings; Childress 0-3 vs. Packers

MIKE McCARTHY...In second 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.

-Led the Packers to an 8-8 finish and near playoff berth, losing a tiebreaker with the New York Giants, who also finished 8-8.

-Spent six seasons as an offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints (2000-04) and San Francisco 49ers (2005).

-Began his coaching career as a college assistant at Fort Hays State (1987-88) and at the University of Pittsburgh (1989-92) before breaking into the NFL as a quality control assistant with the Chiefs in 1993.

BRAD CHILDRESS...In second year as the Vikings' seventh head coach.

-In his 29th season of coaching and his ninth in the NFL. Spent first seven (1999-05) in Philadelphia, where he was offensive coordinator.

-During his time as Eagles offensive coordinator, the team's 43 victories were the most in the NFC over that span. His offense also featured seven players who earned a total of 14 berths in the Pro Bowl.

-Broke into the NFL in 1985 as quarterbacks coach for the Colts.

-Also coached at four colleges, including the University of Wisconsin (1991-98). The staff at Northern Arizona (1986-89) included future NFL head coaches Bill Callahan, Marty Mornhinweg and Andy Reid.

THE VIKINGS-PACKERS SERIES

-These two longtime divisional rivals square off for the 94th time in the history of the rivalry.

-Few, if any, rivalries in sports have exhibited more parity. The Packers own a slight advantage over the Vikings (47-45-1, including playoffs) in the all-time series.

-The Packers look for their first four-game winning streak in the series since the 1987-88 seasons.

-The series began when the Vikings entered the league in 1961, and Vince Lombardi's Packers won the first six meetings and nine of the first 10.

-The Vikings swept the Packers in 2005 for the first time since 1998.

-In 2003, the home clubs in the series were 0-2. The last time that happened was 1991.

-Over the last 13 seasons (1994-2006), these teams have accounted for nine NFC Central/North division championships.

{sportsad300}NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

-Vikings K Ryan Longwell is Green Bay's all-time leading scorer, having racked up 1,054 points in nine seasons with the Packers (1997-2005)...Fifth in Packers history with 36 interceptions, Vikings S Darren Sharper spent his first eight NFL seasons (1997-2004) in Green Bay...The Vikings coaching staff has several ties to the University of Wisconsin, where Childress (1991-98) and offensive line coach Jim Hueber (1992-2005) worked together, and where offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell played quarterback (1992-95) and assistant special teams coach Brian Murphy (2000-05) held various recruiting and administrative roles...Bevell also was a Packers offensive assistant coach from 2000-05, including QB coach (2003-05)...Green Bay director of research and development Mike Eayrs (similar capacity, 1985-99) previously worked for the Vikings...Vikings WR Robert Ferguson spent the first six seasons (2001-06) of his NFL career in Green Bay...Vikings backup QB Brooks Bollinger, DT Ross Kolodziej and DE Erasmus James also played at Wisconsin...Packers WR Koren Robinson spent one season with the Vikings (2005) and earned his only Pro Bowl selection as a kick returner...Packers LB Abdul Hodge (injured reserve) played alongside Vikings LB Chad Greenway at Iowa...Packers DT Colin Cole originally signed with Minnesota as a rookie free agent in 2003 and spent separate one-week stints on the Vikings' 53-man roster that season...Green Bay TE Donald Lee and Minnesota CB Fred Smoot were teammates at Mississippi State...T Bryant McKinnie (Vikings) and TE Bubba Franks (Packers) were college teammates at Miami (Fla.).

INDIVIDUALLY VS. MINNESOTA VIKINGS

-Quarterback Brett Favre starts his 31st career game against the Vikings Sunday. He has a W-L record of 16-14 against Minnesota, his most losses against any single opponent...In those 30 contests, Favre has thrown for 7,028 yards and 51 touchdowns...No TD pass against the Vikings has been more celebrated than his 16-yard strike to Greg Jennings earlier this season, his 421st career TD?pass, surpassing Dan Marino as the NFL's all-time leader...Favre tied his career high with five TD passes vs. Minnesota (Sept. 21, 1997), and his 79.5 completion percentage (31 of 39) on Nov. 22, 1998, is the second-highest of his career...Donald Driver established a new career-high for receiving yards with 191 against the Vikings last season (Nov. 12), topping the 162 he had on Dec. 24, 2004, also at the Metrodome...Driver also had a career-high 11 receptions (tie) in that 2004 contest, as well as a career-long 45-yard run on Nov. 2, 2003. His six TD catches against the Vikings are his most against any opponent, as are his 978 receiving yards against Minnesota...Aaron Kampman originally established his career high of three sacks against the Vikings in 2005, and twice tied the mark last season, including the Dec. 21 contest vs. Minnesota.

LAST MEETING, REGULAR SEASON

Sept. 30, 2007, at HHH Metrodome; Packers won 23-16.

-Brett Favre threw for two touchdowns, becoming the all-time NFL leader in TD passes, as the Packers held off a late Minnesota rally.

-Favre hit Greg Jennings for a first-quarter touchdown to make NFL history, and Mason Crosby's late field goal gave Green Bay a 10-6 lead at the break.

-Two more Crosby field goals stretched the lead before Favre found rookie wideout James Jones down the sideline for his first NFL score.

-A late Minnesota rally was halted by Atari Bigby's interception, sealing the win for Green Bay.

LAST MEETING, REGULAR SEASON IN GREEN?BAY

Dec. 21, 2006, at Lambeau Field; Packers won 9-7.

-Dave Rayner's 44-yard field goal with 1 minute, 34 seconds left sealed the 9-7 Green Bay victory after a dominant defensive performance.

-A Thursday night contest played in the rain, Rayner connected on 3-of-5 field goal attempts to account for all of the Packers' points.

-Green Bay's defense held Minnesota to just 104 total net yards, posted three sacks and intercepted one pass.

-The Packers took a 6-0 lead into the fourth quarter before Vikings cornerback Fred Smoot returned an interception 47 yards for a score.

-A 36-yard reception by Ruvell Martin set up Rayner's final field goal, and the defense forced a turnover on downs to ensure victory.

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