VOL. XI; NO. 16 GREEN BAY, NOV. 3, 2009 WEEK NINE

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1 Packers Public Relations Lambeau Field Atrium 1265 Lombardi Avenue Green Bay, WI / / fax Jeff Blumb, Sarah Quick, Adam Woullard, Aaron Popkey, Rob Crane, Tom Fanning, Mike Spofford, Duke Bobber VOL. XI; NO. 16 GREEN BAY, NOV. 3, 2009 WEEK NINE GREEN BAY (4-3) at TAMPA BAY (0-7) Sunday, Nov. 8 Raymond James Stadium 1 p.m. EST PACKERS HEAD SOUTH TO SUNSHINE STATE Green Bay travels to Tampa for a Week 9 showdown against the Buccaneers, a renewal of an old NFC Central rivalry. It marks the second consecutive season the Packers will travel to Tampa. Green Bay dropped a Week 4 game, 30-21, at Raymond James Stadium last season. The Packers arrive at the halfway point of their schedule coming off a tough division loss to the Vikings at home. Down 24-3 at halftime, Green Bay rallied back to come within a touchdown two separate times but ultimately fell short in its comeback bid. The team's bid to avoid back-to-back losses will come at a stadium it has struggled in historically. The Packers are 1-6 all-time at Raymond James Stadium. Before the Buccaneers opened the stadium in 1998, Green Bay had been quite successful in Tampa. Its alltime mark in the city stands at After its inaugural season in the AFC West in 1976, Tampa Bay moved to the NFC Central in 1977 and began its yearly series with the Packers. In the all-time regular-season series, the Packers own a advantage over the Bucs and own the series lone playoff win, which came in But since Tampa moved to the NFC South in 2002, the Bucs have won three of the last four meetings. Under new head coach Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay is still searching for its first victory of the season. It will be a well-rested squad Sunday, as the team had a bye in Week 8. Its last game came across the pond in London s Wembley Stadium, where it dropped a 35-7 decision to the New England Patriots. The Bucs will be looking to jump start an offense that ranks 28th overall behind new starting QB Josh Freeman, the team s first-round draft choice this past April. THE NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE As the NFL calendar hits an unofficial halfway point to the season, the playoff picture begins to become a little more clear after each passing week. Green Bay s loss to Minnesota last weekend puts it in a tie for second place with Chicago (4-3) in the NFC North. The Vikings (7-1) still have both games against the Bears on the schedule. The Packers next stretch of four straight NFC games will go a considerable ways in their 2009 playoff push. Sunday s road contest in Tampa (0-7) kicks off the stretch, while a trip to Detroit (1-6) on Thanksgiving ends the stretch. In between, the Packers will host Dallas (5-2) and San Francisco (3-4), two teams it may be competing against for a postseason berth. Success in these next four games will help put the Packers in good position prior to the season s home stretch. Wild-card playoff berths are given to the conference s top two teams that do not win the division. If teams within the same division are fighting for those spots, division tiebreakers apply. Should teams be competing against teams from another division, conference record is the second tiebreaker after head-to-head matchups. 11 WITH THE CALL FOX Sports, now in its 16th season as an NFL network television partner, will broadcast the game to a regional audience. Play-by-play man Sam Rosen and color analyst Tim Ryan will have the call from the broadcast booth with Chris Myers serving as the sideline reporter. Milwaukee s WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since 1929, heads up the 53-station Packers Radio Network, with Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (color) calling the action. The duo enters its 11th season of broadcasts together across the Packers Radio Network, which covers 43 markets in five states. For out-of-town listeners, the broadcast is available to NFL Field Pass subscribers on as well as on Sirius Satellite Radio (channel 126 WTMJ feed) as part of the network s NFL Sunday Drive. DIRECTV subscribers can watch the game in HD on channel 710. PRESEASON Date Opponent Time TV Sat., Aug. 15 CLEVELAND BROWNS (Gold Pkg.).....W, 17-0 (69.091) (Midwest Shrine Game) Sat., Aug. 22 BUFFALO BILLS W, (68,908) (Bishop s Charities Game) Fri., Aug. 28 at Arizona Cardinals W, (61,753) Thur., Sept. 3 at Tennessee Titans L, (69,143) REGULAR SEASON Date Opponent Time TV Sun., Sept. 13 CHICAGO BEARS W, (70,920) Sun., Sept. 20 CINCINNATI BENGALS (Gold Pkg.).... L, (70,678) Sun., Sept. 27 at St. Louis Rams W, (60,234) Mon., Oct. 5 at Minnesota Vikings L, (63,846) Sun., Oct. 11 Open Date Sun., Oct. 18 DETROIT LIONS W, 26-0 (70,801) Sun., Oct. 25 at Cleveland Browns W, 31-3 (69,797) Sun., Nov. 1 MINNESOTA VIKINGS L, (71,213) Sun., Nov. 8 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers noon FOX Sun., Nov. 15 DALLAS COWBOYS (Gold Pkg.) :15 p.m. FOX Sun., Nov. 22 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS noon FOX Thurs., Nov. 26 at Detroit Lions (Thanksgiving) :30 a.m. FOX Mon., Dec. 7 BALTIMORE RAVENS :30 p.m. ESPN Sun., Dec. 13 at Chicago Bears noon FOX Sun., Dec. 20 at Pittsburgh Steelers *12 noon FOX Sun., Dec. 27 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS *12 noon FOX Sun., Jan. 3 at Arizona Cardinals *3:15 p.m. FOX * Start time and broadcast may shift due to NFL flexible scheduling NFL POSTSEASON DATES Jan AFC and NFC Wild Card Playoffs Jan AFC and NFC Divisional Playoffs Jan AFC and NFC Championship Games Jan AFC-NFC Pro Bowl at Land Shark Stadium, Miami Feb Super Bowl XLIV at Land Shark Stadium, Miami

2 THIS WEEK AT 1265 LOMBARDI AVENUE SUN IS SHINING It s no secret that a team which calls northeast Wisconsin home has little regular-season experience in weather above 80 degrees. In fact, last season s Week 4 loss in Tampa (81 degrees) marked just the second time the Packers have played a regular-season game with the temperature at 80 degrees or above in the tenure of Head Coach Mike McCarthy (2006-present). The only other time the team played in temperatures reaching 80-plus degrees came in McCarthy s first season with the team in In Miami in late October, the game-time temperature was measured at 86 degrees. While the majority of the team hails from warm-weather states, not to mention practices and plays in such temperatures in July and August, the fact remains the team has little experience playing regular-season games in hot weather. Sunday s forecast calls for temperatures in the low 80s. HEALTH WATCH Injuries continue to affect the line and skill positions on offense, while the team lost LB Brandon Chillar to a broken hand last weekend. Third on the team in tackles, Chillar had surgery Monday and could miss a few weeks. Coaches were confident he could play with a club cast once further damage wasn t possible. C Jason Spitz continues to be hampered by back spasms and missed the Minnesota contest. T Chad Clifton could return this weekend against the Buccaneers, so Green Bay may shuffle its offensive line later in the week if he is able to. Knee sprains to WR Jordy Nelson and TE Jermichael Finley limit the multiple-wide formations McCarthy and QB Aaron Rodgers like to run. McCarthy was more optimistic Monday about Finley s possible return, while he said Nelson may still be another week away. A number of other players were banged up in the Vikings game and could be limited in their practice reps this week, including Rodgers who is dealing with foot and toe issues. NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP QB Aaron Rodgers is playing the best football of his young career right now and is on pace to produce one of the strongest seasons by a quarterback in Green and Gold annals. Last week he was honored as the NFC s Offensive Player of the Month for October. Elias Sports Bureau never intended for passer rating to measure the effectiveness of a signal caller in one game, but rather over the course of a group of games or entire season. Having said that, Rodgers performance in Week 7 in Cleveland (15-of- 20, 246 yards, 3 TDs) earned him a passer rating of 155.4, the highest single-game rating (minimum 20 attempts) in the history of the franchise. It bested the previous high, Brett Favre s rating set in Oakland on Dec. 22, It was Rodgers fourth consecutive game with a passer rating over 110.0, becoming only the second signal caller in team history to eclipse the mark four straight times in a single season. The legendary Bart Starr accomplished the feat four straight weeks during the 1966 season (Sept. 18-Oct. 9) en route to an NFL Championship and Super Bowl title. Rodgers just missed becoming the first to do it in five straight games, as he registered a rating against Minnesota last weekend. Not only does the statistic explain his current hot streak, but just how efficient he has been since becoming a starter. In 23 career starts, Rodgers has eclipsed the century mark in passer rating 13 times. Through seven games in 2009, his passer rating ranks tops among all NFL quarterbacks. Peyton Manning (109.3) is second, while Drew Brees (107.6) ranks third. Rodgers is the game s top-ranked passer on third downs (141.1), ahead of Eli Manning (124.4, No. 2) and Tom Brady (109.2, No. 3). Rodgers rating in the fourth quarter ranks seventh. The fourth-year pro has thrown for 1,989 yards through seven games, a pace that would put him at 4,546 passing yards at season s end. That would break Lynn Dickey s franchise record (4,458, 1983) for passing yards in a single season. His 8.84 yards per pass attempt ranks second in the league, just a hair behind Pittsburgh s Ben Roethlisberger (8.85). Rodgers has thrown only two interceptions in 225 attempts, an interception percentage of 0.9. That ranks third in the league behind Kyle Orton (0.4%) and Donovan McNabb (0.8%). In other important numbers for a passer, including yards (1,989) andtouchdown passes (14), Rodgers currently ranks among the game s top 10. And just for good measure, the Cal product tops all QBs with 188 rushing yards on 29 carries (6.5 avg.). STAT OF THE WEEK Quarterback is one of the most difficult positions to make the transition from the college ranks to the NFL. Few quarterbacks see time as a rookie, including the Packers Aaron Rodgers, who did not become the starter until his fourth season. Thanks to the success of rookies starters in 2008, a number of teams including the New York Jets (Mark Sanchez) and Detroit (Matthew Stafford) are putting rookies under center. In addition to Stafford (No. 1) and Sanchez (No. 5), the only other quarterback selected in the first round was Josh Freeman (No. 17) by Tampa Bay. During Tampa Bay s bye week, it was announced by head coach Raheem Morris that Freeman would get his first career start against Green Bay. Since 1980, four quarterbacks have made their first career start in the NFL against Green Bay, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. None of the four have been able to secure wins in the game. In 1985, New Orleans Bobby Hebert made his first career start on Nov. 17 against the Packers in Milwaukee, a Green Bay win. Dallas Steve Walsh made his first NFL start against the Packers on Oct. 8, 1989, at Lambeau Field. Green Bay won In 2002, Joey Harrington took over the starting role in Week 3 against the Packers in Detroit. Harrington is the only member of the group to have his start come at home, which will be the case Sunday in Tampa for Freeman. Harrington and the Lions fell to Green Bay In 2006, Tarvaris Jackson got his first start in a Week 16 primetime game at Lambeau Field. Minnesota lost to Green Bay 9-7. Freeman won t have an easy task, going against a unit tied for fourth in total defense and one that has excelled at takeaways. A look at the numbers for the other four quarterbacks who made their first career start against the Packers since 1980: Att. Cmp. Yds. Pct. TD Int QB Rtg Tarvaris Jackson Joey Harrington Steve Walsh Bobby Hebert

3 THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK S OPPONENT: Green Bay Packers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers All-time, regular season: All-time, postseason: 1-0 All-time, in Tampa: (1-6 at Raymond James Stadium) Streaks: The Buccaneers have won two straight and three of the last four meetings. Last meeting, regular season: Sept. 28, 2008, at Raymond James Stadium; Buccaneers won, COACHES CAPSULES Mike McCarthy: ,.561 (incl. 1-1 postseason); 4th NFL season Raheem Morris: 0-7,.000; 1st NFL season Head to Head: Never met vs. Opponent: McCarthy 0-1 vs. Buccaneers; Morris 0-0 vs. Packers MIKE McCARTHY Is in fourth 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. Honored as the 2007 Motorola NFL Coach of the Year and NFL Alumni Coach of the Year. Became the first Packers coach since Vince Lombardi to lead the team to a championship game in his second season. One of only three head coaches to lead an offense ranked in the top 10 in the league each of the past three years. RAHEEM MORRIS Is in first year as the Buccaneers eighth head coach. Served as a Tampa Bay defensive assistant in two separate stints, from and from , the last two years as defensive backs coach. In between coached one season at Kansas State, his third collegiate coaching stop following Cornell and Hofstra, his alma mater where he played safety. Broke into the NFL serving as a minority coaching intern on defense with the N.Y. Jets in THE PACKERS-BUCCANEERS SERIES Sunday marks the 52nd overall meeting between these former NFC Central rivals. They launched the series in 1977, when the expansion Bucs moved to the Packers division after an inaugural 1976 campaign in the AFC West. Including a 1997 playoff victory, the Packers hold a advantage. But since the Bucs shifted to the NFC South before the 2002 season, Tampa has won three of the last four. The Packers victory at Raymond James Stadium in 2003 ended a fivegame losing streak in the venue and is their only win there in seven tries. From the second meeting in 1992 through the first meeting in 1998, the Packers won 12 of 13 contests. The Bucs lone win in that stretch came in overtime (Dec. 10, 1995). Raheem Morris spent one season on the Kansas State staff (2006), the junior season for Packers WR Jordy Nelson when he led the team in catches and receiving yards...nelson s quarterback for his final two seasons at Kansas State was Bucs rookie QB Josh Freeman...Several Buccaneers assistant coaches previously worked in Green Bay, including DB coach Joe Baker (2005), defensive coordinator Jim Bates (2005), and DL coach Robert Nunn ( ). Nunn worked under McCarthy... Packers NT Ryan Pickett is from nearby Zephyrhills, Fla....Tampa Bay WR Maurice Stovall and Green Bay RB Ryan Grant played together at Notre Dame...Bucs S Will Allen and Packers LB A.J. Hawk played together at Ohio State...Bucs T Jeremy Trueblood and Packers NT B.J. Raji were teammates at Boston College...Bucs T Donald Penn and Packers CB Jarrett Bush were teammates at Utah State...Bucs DE Tim Crowder and DT Roy Miller were college teammates of Packers TE Jermichael Finley at Texas, and Crowder is from the same hometown (Tyler, Texas) as Packers QB Matt Flynn...Bucs LB Barrett Ruud and Packers RB Brandon Jackson were teammates for one season at Nebraska...Bucs DE Kyle Moore and Packers LB Clay Matthews played together at USC...Bucs FB Chris Pressley played collegiately at Wisconsin...Packers scout Alonzo Highsmith played for Tampa Bay for the final two seasons ( ) of his career...packers defensive quality control coach Scott McCurley played at Pittsburgh with Bucs WR Antonio Bryant and CB Torrie Cox. INDIVIDUALLY VS. BUCCANEERS WR Greg Jennings lone two-td performance in 2008, and one of three in his career, came last season against the Bucs...LB Nick Barnett earned NFL Defensive Player of the Week honors as a rookie for his performance at Tampa in 2003; Barnett notched 10 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery...playing for Oakland in Super Bowl XXXVII, CB Charles Woodson intercepted a pass on the third play of the game, leading to a field goal for the first points in Tampa Bay s eventual triumph. Woodson also returned an interception for a touchdown in last year s game at Tampa. LAST MEETING, REGULAR SEASON Sept. 28, 2008, at Raymond James Stadium; Buccaneers won, The Packers lost DE Cullen Jenkins for the season to a torn pectoral muscle and nearly lost QB Aaron Rodgers to a shoulder injury, but Rodgers left the game only briefly before returning. Unfortunately, the first-year starter couldn t pull off the comeback, getting hit from the blindside and throwing an interception to Gaines Adams with just over two minutes to go and the Packers trailing Tampa Bay converted the turnover into the clinching points, as Earnest Graham broke a 47-yard run to the Green Bay 1 and then scored on the next play. The Packers had taken an early 7-0 lead on a 25-yard TD pass to Greg Jennings and then rallied from a 20-7 deficit on a 48-yard TD strike to Jennings and Charles Woodson s 62-yard interception return for a score. Jennings finished with six catches for 109 yards. NOTABLE CONNECTIONS Packers assistant head coach/inside linebackers coach Winston Moss was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 1987 NFL Draft and played four seasons ( ) in Tampa Bay... 3

4 PACKERS TEAM NOTES DEFENSE BEGINS RISE IN RANKINGS Ever since a season-opening win over Chicago, Green Bay s defense has seen a slow and steady rise up the league s rankings, now finding itself tied with Washington for the fourth-ranked unit heading into Week 9. Allowing an average of yards per contest, Green Bay ranks behind only Denver (266.7), the New York Jets (273.4) and the New York Giants (278.1) Some would argue that a more important and telling statistic is scoring defense, and not how many yards a team allows. With 130 points allowed, Green Bay ranks tied for 10th in the NFL. A week ago, Green Bay found itself as the league s No. 3 overall defense and could get back into the league s upper echelon with a solid performance against Tampa Bay. The last time it ranked in the NFL s top three at any point in the season was 2001, when it ranked No. 3 in Week 9. In the first two years of the McCarthy tenure, Green Bay s defense was close to being a top-10 unit, finishing at No. 12 in 2006 and No. 11 in Last season, it slipped to No. 20. Enter a new defensive coordinator, veteran coach Dom Capers, and a switch to the 3-4 scheme. The early results have been good, especially now that the defense is relatively healthy. Green Bay s improved defense against the run has put opponents in third-and-long situations, allowing Capers the opportunity to bring more pressure in different circumstances. Keeping opponents in long down-and-distances has helped the defense s ability to get off the field on third down. Through the first four games, the unit ranked No. 28. Solid thirddown defense over the past three games now has the unit at No. 10. This week s opponent, Tampa, ranks No. 25 in third-down offense. One constant for the defense this season has been its ability to take the ball away, registering 16 of the team s 17 takeaways. Whether it be caused by pressure from a deep and talented front seven, or a fantastic read by a ball-hawking secondary led by Pro Bowlers Nick Collins, Al Harris and Charles Woodson, those 17 turnovers have led to 68 points, the fourth-highest points-off-takeaways total. In Capers previous stints as a coordinator, his units have made a jump in the rankings in his first season. In Pittsburgh, the defense went from No. 22 to No. 13 in 92 under Capers, then continued to rise to No. 3 in 93 and No. 2 in 94. In Jacksonville, the defense climbed to No. 4 under Capers in 99 after ranking 25th the previous season. The Dolphins ranked No. 4 in 2006, Capers first year, after ranking No. 18 in 05. THE BIG PLAY RETURNS Thanks to a bevy of talent around him at the skill positions, QB Aaron Rodgers has been doing plenty of damage through the air in the season s first seven games. Rodgers leads the NFL with nine passes of 40-plus yards, and is tied for the league lead (Eli Manning, N.Y. Giants) with 20 completions of 25-plus yards. The big plays have always been a staple of the offense under Head Coach Mike McCarthy, as the team ranked second in the NFL in gains of 20-plus yards when it went to the NFC Championship in That year, the team racked up 67 such plays, 52 of which came through the air. In 2008 when it went 6-10, the team had 58 plays of 20-plus yards, 12th best in the NFL, and 48 came via the pass last season. Though the team statistics are uneven as teams go through the byeweek process, the Packers currently rank tied for 10th overall with 30 plays of 20-plus yards. While the numbers do show the explosiveness of the Packers offense through the air, it also tells the story of a run game that hasn t sprung the big play. The Packers have just three big runs on the season, two from RB Ryan Grant and a career-long 35-yard scramble from Rodgers. The Packers had 10 big-play runs on the ground in 2008 and 15 in They must aim to get back into the double digits in the category to maintain their place among the NFL s most dangerous offenses. Through the air, it s been tough for opponents to pick just one player to stop. So far, five different players (Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley, James Jones and Spencer Havner) have a reception of 45-plus yards on the season. The last time the team had five or more players post a gain of 45-plus yards was 1983, when a teamrecord six players accomplished the feat. The franchise mark of six was originally established in TAKEAWAYS A PLUS While many football statistics don t have far-reaching implications through the early part of the season, turnover ratio is always a telling statistic when it comes to a game s final outcome. The Packers 17 takeaways ranks tied for the fourth-highest total in the NFL. Philadelphia and New Orleans share the league lead with 21, while Buffalo has 18. Atlanta also has 17 takeaways. Thanks also in part to an offense that has turned the ball over a league-low five times, Green Bay s plus-12 turnover ratio is tied with Philadelphia atop the league rankings. This week s opponent, Tampa Bay, stands at minus-two. It has 11 takeaways (eight interceptions, three fumble recoveries) but has turned the ball over 13 times (11 interceptions, two fumbles). Of the Packers takeaways, 11 have come via the interception, one of just four NFL teams in double digits in the category. The Packers also have six fumble recoveries. Of the Packers turnovers, two have come on interceptions and three have come on fumbles. All five have come in the passing game. Two of the fumbles lost have come on sacks of QB Aaron Rodgers, while another came on a screen pass to RB Ryan Grant. Every single Packers practice, be it during OTAs, training camp or the regular season, has a period devoted to ball security. Headed by assistant head coach/inside linebackers Winston Moss, the drill has offensive skill players carry the ball while two defenders (linebackers and defensive backs) try to strip the ball. Once free, the offensive player then must run through a gauntlet of offensive and defensive linemen attempting to strip the ball loose. The drill puts an emphasis on ball security to offensive players. For defensive players, the drill keeps the focus on stripping the ball from opposing players. The team has seven forced fumbles on the year, five of which it has recovered. While the Packers can be proud of their place atop the league in turnover margin, it is a statistic that has trended upwards in each of McCarthy s three seasons. In 2006, the team finished at even in the category but improved to plusfour in Last season s plus-seven margin, No. 6 among NFL teams, was the franchise s best mark since 2002 (+17). Prior to his arrival, the team had a franchise-worst turnover ratio (-24) in

5 PACKERS TEAM NOTES WOODSON AND JENKINS PERFORMING AT ELITE LEVEL As Pro Bowl balloting opened last week, two of the veteran leaders on defense should start to garner serious attention when it comes to nominations: DE Cullen Jenkins and CB Charles Woodson. Jenkins, who played both inside and outside in the old scheme, seems to be thriving in his new position at end in the 3-4. Thus far, Jenkins has 24 tackles, including four for loss, and leads one of the league s topranked defenses in sacks (3.5) and forced fumbles (3). Jenkins forced fumble total is tied for second highest in the NFL behind Pittsburgh s James Harrison (4). Against Detroit, Jenkins recorded his first NFL interception, sniffing out a screen pass to RB Kevin Smith. Jenkins said after the game it was his first interception since high school, though his one as a schoolboy was called back because of a penalty. This Sunday Jenkins returns to the stadium where he suffered a season-ending pectoral injury last season, a big reason for the defensive struggles that plagued the team toward the end of Stout enough to hold the point against the run and adeptly quick at getting past linemen in pass-rush scenarios, it s no doubt Jenkins is one of the most talented players on the defensive side of the ball. Woodson, who has also had to make an adjustment from playing a man-to-man style to one that involves more reading of the quarterback, also is thriving in the new scheme. Matched up against TE Greg Olsen in Week 1, Woodson limited one of Chicago s biggest offensive threats to just one catch for eight yards. In Week 2 against the Bengals, Woodson recorded his fourth career multi-interception game, his third since coming to Green Bay in He raced one of the interceptions 37 yards for a touchdown, his fifth interception return for a score since coming to Green Bay. That number ties him with No. 2 Bobby Dillon and Darren Sharper on the team s all-time list. Interceptions against the Rams and Browns give him a team-high four on the season. Woodson has been credited with 37 tackles through seven games, a pace that would have him surpass his career high before season s end. Twice he has tallied 79, which he recorded two different times, first in Oakland in 2000 and again last season with Green Bay. The folks in the league office noticed how fast Woodson came out of the gate too, naming him the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September. It was the second such award of his career. There s no doubt Woodson s career has been revitalized since coming to Green Bay in Thanks to the ability of those around him, CB Al Harris and CB Tramon Williams among others, opposing quarterbacks can no longer decide to ignore throwing in Woodson s direction. Woodson now has 40 career interceptions, fifth among active NFL players. For his career, 23 have come in Green and Gold. Those 23 interceptions have come in 53 games with the Packers. In 106 games with the Oakland Raiders, he had 17. JOLLY RECORDS RARE TRIFECTA Seven games into the season, DE Johnny Jolly has filled up the stat sheet in a number of categories. Making the transition from an inside defensive tackle in the old scheme to an end this season, Jolly leads all defensive linemen with 41 tackles. If he is to continue the pace, Jolly will surpass the career high of 82 tackles he set in 2008 when he became a full-time starter for the first time. Displaying rare athleticism for a 6-foot-3, 320-pound man, he made a highlight-reel one-handed interception in the red zone against Jay Cutler and the Bears in Week 1. Jolly also plucked another ball out of the air on a dive against St. Louis, though the ball was ruled a fumble because of a strip by LB Aaron Kampman. That play came just minutes after Jolly blocked a field-goal attempt on the Rams opening drive. It was the second block of his career. It had been awhile since a Packers player recorded an interception, fumble recovery and blocked kick in the same season. That was CB Doug Evans in Jolly s athleticism isn t new to his teammates. To a man, they all credit him with being one of the best basketball players on the team. With Jenkins interception against the Lions, the duo became the first pair of Packers defensive linemen to record interceptions in the same season since 2002, when Kabeer Gbaja-Biamilia and Vonnie Holliday accomplished the feat. GRANT AND THE GROUND GAME Falling behind 24-3 to Minnesota last weekend forced the coaching staff to lean heavily on the pass to get quick scores and get back into the game. RB Ryan Grant finished with a seasonlow 10 carries. One week prior, Grant had his best performance of 2009, in which he set season highs in attempts (27), yards (148) and longest run (37). It was the second-highest regular-season rushing total in Grant s career, coming just shy of the 156 yards he produced against Oakland in The team s 202 rushing yards against Cleveland, including 31 from backup RB Brandon Jackson and 23 from QB Aaron Rodgers, marked a season best. Without much fanfare, Grant s numbers rank among the leaders in the NFC. His rushing total (525 yards) ranks sixth in the NFC and tied for 10th overall in the NFL. Being utilized more in the screen game this season, his 124 receiving yards through seven games is already challenging a career high, set in 2007 with 145 receiving yards. His 649 yards from scrimmage ranks fifth in the NFC. Grant is the Packers lead back, and there is no doubting the success the team has had when he is able to get a significant amount of carries. When Grant gets 22-or-more carries, the team is 9-1 (10-1 including playoffs). A familiar face was brought back to 1265 Lombardi Avenue two weeks after the team placed RB DeShawn Wynn on injured reserve. RB Ahman Green, 45 yards shy of becoming the franchise s all-time leading rusher, was brought back to the team. He made his 2009 debut Sunday in Minnesota as the team s primary kick returner and did get a couple of chances with the ball in his hands from scrimmage. RB Brandon Jackson still sits at No. 2 on the depth chart and has served as the team s third-down back in his two-plus seasons. As Green works his way back into football shape, not to mention Jackson who missed the first four games of the season with an ankle injury he suffered in the preseason, both could begin to spell Grant from scrimmage and keep all three backs fresh as the team makes its push to contend for a playoff spot in the NFC. 5

6 PACKERS TEAM NOTES MORE AGAINST ROOKIE QBS Packers players and coaches will be studying tape from the preseason to get a read on Buccaneers QB Josh Freeman, expected to get his first career start Sunday. Freeman has just four pass attempts in the regular season. If Freeman makes the start Sunday, it would be the first time that the Packers new 3-4 defense, led by Dom Capers, would go up against a rookie signal caller. The team thought it would go against rookie Matthew Stafford in Week 6, but the No. 1 draft choice was sidelined with a knee injury. Drafted No. 17 overall, Freeman brings considerable size (6-6, 248) to the position. A three-year starter ( ) at Kansas State who left after his junior season, Freeman spent two seasons throwing to Packers WR Jordy Nelson. In four games of preseason action, Freeman finished 22-of-49 for 238 yards, one TD and three interceptions. He also had eight rushes for 75 yards. Three times rookie signal callers have gone up against the Packers in the McCarthy tenure. A look at their numbers: Att. Cmp. Yds. Pct. TD Int QB Rtg Matt Leinart Tarvaris Jackson Matt Ryan MR. EVERYTHING FINDS THE END ZONE An unlikely star has emerged for the Packers in the past two weeks, as TE Spencer Havner has found the end zone three times. When TE Jermichael Finley went down on the opening drive in Cleveland, Havner (pronounced HAY-vner) made his presence felt thanks to a 45-yard catch-and-run touchdown. It was the first TD of his career. Coupled with a 62-yard scoring pass by Finley in Minnesota in Week 4, this marks the first time the Packers have had two tight ends with 45-plus yard TDs in the same season. Proving just how versatile, and valuable, he is to the Packers, Havner made the tackle of Browns WR Joshua Cribbs on the ensuing kickoff. Havner ranks second on special teams with eight stops. Last weekend against Minnesota, Havner caught two TD passes in the third quarter, the first multi-td game of his career. His three TD catches tie him with WR Donald Driver for the team lead. Havner is the type of guy all players in the locker room root for, having spent parts of the last three seasons ( ) on the Packers practice squad. He played the last four games of 2008, all on special teams. A decorated linebacker at UCLA, Havner spent the previous three years at linebacker before coaches had him begin practicing at tight end this past spring. He saw time at linebacker and tight end in training camp. Should he see time on defense this season, he would become the first three-way player in Head Coach Mike McCarthy s tenure. Going through the personnel in the spring, we just felt we needed to create an opportunity to get Spencer on the 53, McCarthy said. The opportunity was created with him playing both tight end and linebacker and trying to be a core special teams player, and he definitely took advantage of that in the preseason. I thought his special teams play was definitely exemplary coming off the way he played those last three, four games when he was up on our 53-man roster to finish last season. We just felt he s an instinctive football player. He s a young man that s taken full advantage of his opportunities. You love to see guys like Spencer have success. MATTHEWS SHOWS KNACK FOR BIG PLAY Rookie LB Clay Matthews has a ways to go before entering the stratosphere of his father s exceptional 19-year NFL playing career. Drafted in the first round by the Browns in 1978, Clay Jr. played 16 of his 19 NFL seasons in Cleveland, earning four Pro Bowl berths during that time. Now entrenched as the starter at one of the outside linebacker spots, Matthews has begun to make the big plays the Packers knew he was capable of when they traded back into the first round to select him. In his first career start against the Vikings, just his fourth professional contest, he accomplished something it took his dad nine-plus seasons to cross off his own checklist. Matthews second-quarter strip of All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson and subsequent 42-yard sprint to the end zone marked the first touchdown of his young career. The elder Matthews didn t find the end zone until his 127th pro game, when he returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown on Sept. 20, 1987, in a win over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers. Matthews got two sacks the following game against Detroit, and through six games is filling up the stat sheet. To go along with 21 tackles, he has three sacks, four passes defensed and a forced fumble and recovery for a touchdown. He also has been a staple on the special-teams units. Thanks to a two-sack effort against Detroit, Matthews was honored as the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week in Week 6. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Matthews touchdown in Minnesota made him the sixth player in the NFL this season whose father has also scored in a league game. A look at the names on the list: Father Clay Matthews Jr. Danny Bradley Marion Barber Kellen Winslow Stan Edwards Son Clay Matthews III Mark Bradley Marion and Dominique Barber Kellen Winslow II Braylon Edwards BATMAN RETURNS Taking on the nickname of his favorite comic book hero, RB Ahman Green is just 45 rushing yards away from entering Packers lore. Green enters play Sunday in Tampa with 8,163 career rushing yards with the Packers. Jim Taylor ranks No. 1 on the franchise s all-time list with 8,207 yards. Signed two weeks ago as a free agent, Green was inactive in Cleveland but returned to the playing field for the first time in nearly a year last weekend against Minnesota. Green played seven seasons ( ) in Green Bay, which included four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances ( ). He began his NFL career in Seattle ( ) and also played two seasons in Houston ( ). COACH LOCATIONS Coaches Box: Dom Capers (defensive coordinator), Jerry Fontenot (asst. offensive line), Scott McCurley (defensive quality control), Chad Morton (administrator), Joe Philbin (offensive coordinator), John Rushing (offensive quality control), and Joe Whitt (secondary - cornerbacks). Sideline: Edgar Bennett (running backs), James Campen (offensive line), Tom Clements (quarterbacks), Mike Eayrs (research and development), Curtis Fuller (special teams asst.), Kevin Greene (outside linebackers), Ben McAdoo (tight ends), Winston Moss (inside linebackers/asst. head coach), Darren Perry (secondary - safeties), Jimmy Robinson (wide receivers), Shawn Slocum (special teams coordinator) and Mike Trgovac (defensive line). 66

7 MIKE McCARTHY TRANSCRIPT EXCERPTS FROM THE COACH MONDAY, NOV. 2 I ll start with the injuries. We had a number of players banged up from the game, but the one significant injury, Brandon Chillar had a broken hand. He will have surgery today, and with the information that will come out of the surgery, the forecast will probably be a couple of weeks, and I think he ll then be able to play with a club. (Anybody else who might be in danger of missing practice time this week?) Yeah, I ll just go through. Nick Collins, he had the ankle contusion. I think if he does miss it will be minimal. Donald Driver had the stinger. Knowing Donald he ll practice every day. John Kuhn just had a knee bruise. We ll see how he is on Wednesday. Derrick Martin with the concussion. They say he s fine. And Aaron Rodgers has a toe sprain on one foot and has the foot sprain on the other. So Aaron will probably miss some time this week. (Do you think you ll have Finley this week?) Jermichael Finley? Jermichael was very sore on Saturday, so we didn t work him out on Sunday. So we ll just see how he progresses. I thought he made leaps and bounds on Thursday and Friday. I think he ll be questionable to doubtful, in that range. (How about Jordy?) Jordy, I think he s probably another week away. (What s your starting point going to be with the offensive line this week?) Offensive line, I m going to take the week, very similar to last week. I m going to see how Chad Clifton progresses through the week. I also want to see how Mark Tauscher progresses through the week. Then have an opportunity to grade the film this morning and go through the corrections today with the offensive linemen who played in the game. We ll take that through the week, just very similar to what we did last week. (Last week you said you would start the week with the guys who finished the game. Will you do that again?) We ll take the week to work through it. I don t have all the information. I want to grade the tape first with these players. We ll look at our options as we build the game plan and work the plan through the week. (With Aaron having injuries to both feet, are you concerned about the movement parts of the passing game?) Just speaking with Aaron after the game, I haven t spoken to him yet today. I think he ll be fine to play in Tampa. I don t think it s going to change the way he plays. Just visiting with Dr. McKenzie, I think they re injuries that just need to settle down a little bit. Wednesday and Thursday, he ll probably do very little, and we ll shoot for Friday, is kind of our general plan as we move out of today s rehab. (The amount of times he s getting hit, the concern about how to keep him upright has to be a top priority, right?) That s a negative, that s a negative in our play right now. Our sack numbers are clearly out of balance. That s something we ll continue to work through. We ll have an opportunity to watch the tape again today with the players. The way we re game-planning and the way we re doing things, we should be more productive in our pass protection. That s something we ll continue to improve on. (In retrospect, would you have been better off with Clifton and Tauscher out there?) That would fall under the category of convenient criticism. We talked about it at halftime, something we talked about before the game. Really, I think Chad s situation and Mark s are totally different about where they are as far as their readiness to play. But coming out in the third quarter, we clearly established ourselves. Frankly, the third quarter and halfway through the fourth quarter, our passing game, you can t play much better. We made some errors there going down on that last drive before the field goal attempt that frankly cost us an opportunity to score in that area. But the way the offense was playing in the third and beginning of the fourth quarter, we didn t feel there was a reason to change. (Why was it so difficult to get an offensive rhythm early?) A lot of the variables that happened up there in the Metrodome I felt carried over to the first half of this game. The number of long downand-distances. The ability to be knocked out of a run-pass mindset. It s the negative plays, and the sacks are a big part of it. (Are you concerned the defense is losing faith in the 3-4 or losing faith in the game plan?) No I don t. I just think we need to handle frustration, adversity, however you want to put it. We re the fourth-ranked defense in the National Football League. We re leading the league in turnover ratio right now going into the Monday night game. I ve said it before, and I ll confirm it here, I ll confirm it today again in the team meeting, I m not interested in having Pro Bowl players and having a 27th-ranked defense. Our interest and our focus is on being a top-three defense in the league. It s utilizing all of our players. Sometimes players are asked to do things, to sacrifice so someone else can benefit from it, and that s part of the deal. That s the way we operate. We have a lot of good players on defense. It s not about one guy getting his. That s not the way we operate, and that will be our focus, and it has been our focus since Dom came here. (Are you confident you re significantly better than you were three weeks ago?) We re an improved football team and we ve improved the last two weeks. That s really what my focus is on. We re 4-2. We won two games that we felt we were the better team than our opponent. That s what you are supposed to do, but more importantly, you have to improve. Confidence is a big part of this business and our confidence has definitely grown. It s a plan, a preparation, a perform, and it s a correction mindset, and I think our team has done a very good job with that. (Will you replace Chillar with Bishop?) Or A.J. I think A.J. is playing well. I think he had 25 reps in there. We ll look at A.J. and Desmond there. I m very comfortable with A.J. I think the way he is playing; I think he has been very consistent. Desmond has made some big plays but I like the consistency of A.J. (Where do you view this team is at?) We re 4-3. We re 4-3 for good reason. I think we have not handled two prime-time games very well. I m confident that we ll learn from these experiences. I thought we would have learned more from the first game up there to this one. We had some repeated mistakes; that s frustrating and something that we take with full accountability as coaches. When you see common mistakes that happen, it s disappointing because you know you are repping those things and you re preparing. We have to look at our preparation because it did not get from the practice field to the game field for whatever reason. But I think these are definitely experiences, these two games against the Vikings, I think these are definitely experiences that we can draw from. There are so many more positives to our football team in my view than the negatives, but the thing I don t like about is the valley between our positives and our negatives is too big right now. The way we play at an extremely high level...our bad plays need to be closer to our good plays is the point I am making. You re going to have some plays that don t go very well, number one. Number two, you need to respond from those. We had a big third-down conversion and they convert and we kind of drop off a little bit, the next play it s another big play. We ve had a number of those this year. Same thing on offense, you re moving the ball, moving the ball, sack, third-and-long. So we need to overcome those types of things. Our good plays need to overshadow our bad plays, but we ve just got a little too big of a valley right now. 7

8 PACKERS TEAM NOTES DRIVER MAKES HISTORY AT HOME WR Donald Driver, now in his 11th season with the Packers, had first begun to lay claim to some of the franchise s all-time receiving records in One by one they began to fall, but none had been more meaningful than the one he achieved in Week 6 against Detroit. With his first catch, Driver surpassed WR Sterling Sharpe ( , 595) to become the franchise s all-time leader in receptions. On a quick out, Driver took the pass and fought through a group of defenders for a first down, a play that typifies the career of the former seventh-round pick from Alcorn State. Though he is the second-oldest player on the roster at age 34, Driver has shown no signs of slowing down in He leads the team in catches (33), receiving yards (542) and is tied for the lead in TD catches (3). Those numbers rank near the top of the NFC and certainly put him in the conversation for a fourth career Pro Bowl selection. Driver has been the model of consistency for the Packers, catching at least one pass in 118 consecutive games, also a franchise record. His consistency also serves as a great example for younger teammates, as Driver has rarely missed a practice in his NFL career. And he s not slowing down, literally, either. Driver had another highlight-reel catch against the Browns, beating defenders down the sideline for a 71-yard scoring pass. While his reputation is as a slot guy who will make the tough catch over the middle, Driver has made his share of big plays already this season. His 10 catches of 20-plus yards is tied for the NFL lead. FINLEY BREAKS OUT TE Jermichael Finley was a unanimous choice as the Packers breakout performer in 2009 by the prognosticators. A knee sprain kept the second-year player out against Minnesota, but his possible return in Tampa would be a huge boost to the offense. It has been a breakout year thus far, as his 15.3-yards per catch average ranks second among NFL tight ends (min. 10 catches). Through the season s first seven games, he has become a clear favorite of QB Aaron Rodgers, ranking third on the team in receiving yards (260) and fourth in receptions (17). Finley s coming-out party came in Week 4 at Minnesota in front of the largest television audience in cable history as he established new career highs in receptions (six) and receiving yards (128). His 62-yard touchdown is the Packers second-longest play from scrimmage on the season and the longest reception by a Green Bay tight end since Jackie Harris caught a 66-yard scoring pass against Denver on Oct. 10, Finley s day also stands tied for the most productive day by a tight end in team history. His 128 yards matched Harris output from that Broncos contest, tying the franchise high for most receiving yards by a tight end. There s no doubting the Packers depth at the position should Finley be unable to go. TE Donald Lee remains the unit s starter and is third on the team with 23 catches. TE Spencer Havner has filled in nicely in his absence, as the team often likes to go with multiple-tight end sets. His six catches for 110 yards prove defenses must respect his athletic ability over the middle of the field. AROUND THE BLACK AND BLUE DIVISION At 4-3, Green Bay stands tied in second place in the NFC North with Chicago through the first half of After losing to the Vikings for the second time this season, Green Bay is 2-2 in division play. Division matchups remaining include a Thanksgiving game in Detroit (Week 12) and in Chicago (Week 14). Minnesota, off to a 7-1 start, has the weekend off. After the bye, three straight home games await the Vikings, including division games against the Lions and Bears. The defending division champion Vikings broke a string last season of seven straight years when either the Packers or Bears won the NFC North/Central. This year, Minnesota is working against history again, trying to become the first team other than Chicago or Green Bay to win back-to-back division crowns in three decades. The Vikings were the last to do it, in the seasons, which concluded a string of six straight division championships for Minnesota in the Bud Grant era. Chicago stopped a two-game losing skid with a victory over Cleveland. After a home game against the Arizona Cardinals this weekend, Chicago faces a short week and a long road trip, as it travels out to San Francisco to play on Thursday night. Detroit dropped a home game over the weekend to St. Louis. Now, it hits the road for two straight weeks, first to Seattle and then Minnesota. Head Coach Mike McCarthy has always stressed the importance of division play. Through the first seven weeks of the 09 season, the Packers own the best division mark over the three-plus seasons of McCarthy s tenure at The Packers are trailed by Chicago (13-7) and then Minnesota (12-9) over that period. ON THE ROAD AGAIN With four trips still remaining after Tampa, Green Bay will look to improve upon its 2-1 road record. After Sunday s game in Tampa, the team still travels to Detroit (Week 12), Chicago (Week 14), Pittsburgh (Week 15) and Arizona (Week 17). The Packers have been able to stay above the.500 mark on the road during the tenure of Head Coach Mike McCarthy, a notable achievement in the National Football League. In three-plus seasons, the team has a road record of (.556). Only once under McCarthy has the team finished below.500 on the road, which was a 2-6 (.250) mark in Since 2006, McCarthy s first season as the head coach in Green Bay, only 10 of 32 NFL teams have road records over.500. Team W L T Pct. New England Indianapolis New York Giants Dallas Philadelphia Green Bay New Orleans San Diego Carolina Tennessee

9 PACKERS TEAM NOTES MEET THE NEWCOMERS Of the current 53-man roster, there are only a few new faces in the Packers locker room. 11 players are new to the team this year, while 42 return. The rookie draft class, seven of whom made the opening-day roster, are led by first-round picks NT B.J. Raji and LB Clay Matthews. Raji made his professional debut in Week 3 after missing the first two weeks with an ankle sprain. He has played both the nose tackle and end positions. Matthews began the season as a backup but has now worked his way into a starting role. In his first start with the base defense against the Lions, Matthews registered a career high with two sacks. Sixth-round pick DE Jarius Wynn has seen action in four games on special teams and provided depth along the defensive line, while sixthround pick CB Brandon Underwood made his professional debut against the Lions. LB Brad Jones also made his professional debut in Week 3 and has been a valuable member of the coverage units, collecting seven special teams stops. Rookies on offense include fourth-round pick G/T T.J. Lang, fifthround choice FB Quinn Johnson and non-drafted free agent G/C Evan Dietrich-Smith. Lang and Dietrich-Smith both showed the ability to play multiple positions along the line, while Johnson packs a punch clearing holes for running backs. Lang has made two starts at left tackle. The only other newcomers to the 2009 team are in the secondary with S Derrick Martin, who was acquired in a trade with Baltimore on the roster cutdown day, and S Matt Giordano, who signed prior to Week 3. Martin arrived with a familiarity with the 3-4 defense and a reputation as a solid specialteams player. Martin saw considerable action from scrimmage against the Rams and Vikings given the injury to S Atari Bigby. Martin has made an early impact on special teams, where he has eight stops. Giordano, who played four seasons and won a Super Bowl ring with the Colts, tallied two special teams stops in his Packers debut at St. Louis. While he technically doesn t count as a returning player, RB Ahman Green has spent seven seasons in Green Bay, including the 2006 season with mostly the same offensive staff. STARTING FAST Mike McCarthy, like all NFL coaches, stresses the importance of getting out to a quick start in the first half of the 2009 schedule in order to springboard the team to greater successes. This offseason, one of the main goals was an added emphasis on starting fast literally in the first quarter through an increased tempo at the line of scrimmage and ultimately more point production. The Packers produced a total of 13 points (one TD, two FGs) on their first offensive possessions a year ago, second fewest among all NFL teams (Detroit, 10). Despite ranking No. 5 in total scoring (419 points) in 2008, the Packers produced their lowest output (61 points) in the first quarter. That total ranked tied for 20th. That emphasis appeared to be paying off in the preseason, as QB Aaron Rodgers led an offense that scored touchdowns on nine of 13 possessions as he registered an NFL-best quarterback rating. Not to be outdone, the defense finished its preseason action with 13 takeaways (eight interceptions, five fumbles) and 12 sacks. Thus far, the defense seems to be translating to the regular season. 11 of its 16 defensive takeaways have come in the first half, while it has allowed just 21 first-quarter points, fewest of any quarter. Thanks to opportunities created in part by their ball-hawking defense, the Packers have scored 115 first-half points, including 47 in the first quarter. Opponents have scored only 88 first-half points against the Packers defense. Against Detroit in Week 6, the offense scored a touchdown on its first possession of the game, its first time finding the end zone on the game s opening drive at Lambeau Field since the 2007 regular-season finale, also against Detroit. Last year, its lone touchdown on the opening drive came at Tampa. STATE OF THE O-LINE Playing against the Minnesota Vikings is about as difficult a challenge as there is for an offensive line in the National Football League. Against a talented defensive line that features three Pro Bowl players and a solid linebacking corps, the Packers allowed 14 sacks to their division rivals in two matchups, numbers that have skewed the Packers pass protection numbers. In its five other games, Green Bay has allowed 17 sacks, just over three per game. That still ranks above the league average, highlighting what has been a consistent problem through the first half of the season. In total, the Packers have allowed 31 sacks, the highest total in the NFL. QB Aaron Rodgers has only gone one game (at Cleveland) without getting sacked. McCarthy has pointed out all year that pass protection involves more than just the offensive line, including making calls and adjustments that bring the tight end or back into the protection scheme. Injuries have not helped the unit in terms of continuity, as McCarthy has rarely had the starting unit he settled on midway through training camp. T Chad Clifton has been in and out of the lineup while battling an ankle injury, while C Jason Spitz has been sidelined with back spasms. The team has veteran C Scott Wells to fill in at center, a position he has been the starter at for the past three seasons. Likewise, the coaches have been impressed with rookie G/T T.J. Lang, who has gotten the call at left tackle each of the last two weeks. On the right side, G Josh Sitton and T Allen Barbre have started every game, but the return of T Mark Tauscher adds a veteran presence to the mix. Signed three weeks ago, Tauscher is working his way back to football shape and practiced in team reps for the first time last week. The starter each of the last nine seasons at right tackle, Tauscher tore his ACL in Week 14 last season. One of the issues in Tampa s 0-7 start has been a lack of a pass rush, which to this point has collected 11 sacks, third fewest in the NFL. Exactly half (5.5) have come from DE Jimmy Wilkerson. Considering the current pass-protection issues, one would be hard pressed to think the Packers would overlook the Buccaneers. In last year s meeting in Tampa, the Bucs collected three sacks of Rodgers. 9

10 PACKERS TEAM NOTES JENNINGS AMONG GAME S MOST DANGEROUS After a breakout season in 2008 and a long-term contract extension in the offseason, WR Greg Jennings started the season with a bang with another 100-yard effort and the game-winning TD catch in Week 1. He is already one of the top big-play receivers in the league, something he has proven in each of his first three seasons. Jennings established career highs last season in catches (80) and receiving yards (1,292), finishing sixth among all players in yardage. Jennings 21 catches of 20 yards-or-more tied for second in the NFL behind Carolina s Steve Smith (23). Detroit s Calvin Johnson also had 21 catches of 20-plus yards. On even longer receptions, Jennings begins to break away from the field. He led all players in 2008 with eight catches of 40-plus yards. Of his 26 career touchdown catches, 11 have been at least 40 yards in length. He has a staggering average of 31.2 yards per TD catch. Over the past two seasons, no one has been as productive a deep threat as Jennings. A look at the numbers across the NFL from : Player 40-plus-yard catches 40-plus-yard TDs Greg Jennings, GB 15 8 Randy Moss, NE 12 8 Terrell Owens, BUF 12 8 Donald Driver, GB 10 2 Steve Smith, CAR 10 5 TOP 10 AGAIN For an offense that has registered over 400 yards in four of its last five games, the unit is back among the NFL s top 10 offenses, a familiar place under play caller and Head Coach Mike McCarthy. For the third consecutive season in 2008, the unit finished among the NFL s top 10. Philadelphia and New Orleans are the only other teams to finish in the top 10 in offense each of the last three seasons. Even with a new starting quarterback in 2008, the Packers finished No. 8 overall with an average of yards per contest. The unit finished No. 2 in 2007 (370.7 yards per game) and No. 9 in 2006 (341.1) under McCarthy. McCarthy spent six seasons as an offensive coordinator and play caller prior to his arrival in Green Bay (New Orleans , San Francisco 2005). Twice the Saints ranked among the NFL s top-10 offenses. HIT THE GROUND RUNNING Looking at RB Ryan Grant s numbers from 2008, it d be hard to think the third-year back is hoping for bigger and better in 09. Grant became just the fourth running back in team history to surpass the 1,200-yard mark, as his total (1,203) in 2008 was the seventh-best single-season rushing total in franchise history. Though it didn t cause him to miss any playing time, Grant suffered a hamstring injury during training camp last year, and it clearly had an effect on his early-season performance. Having emerged from 2009 training camp fresh and healthy, Grant hopes to pick up where he left off in 2008 when he recorded 100-yard performances in three of his final seven contests. Statistics from 2008 show how pivotal the success in the run game was to the Packers overall success. Interestingly, the team performed much better on the ground at home than it did on the road. While deficits and game-planning may factor in to how much a team commits to the run, carries at home versus on the road were nearly identical. Five times a Green Bay running back surpassed 100 yards in a game in 2008 (four by Grant, one by DeShawn Wynn). All five 100-yard efforts came at Lambeau Field. The Packers were 3-1 in games in which a running back recorded 100 yards or more. Green Bay lost all five contests last season in which it failed to eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark as a team. One of those came at Lambeau Field (vs. Dallas), while the rest came on the road (at Tampa, at Minnesota, at Jacksonville, at Chicago). Green Bay s four best single-game rushing totals in 08 (vs. Det., vs. Chi., vs. Car., vs. Min.) all came at home. The team was 3-1 in those games. The team had nearly an equal amount of carries at home as it did on the road, but the production on the road was more than 400 yards less than at Lambeau Field. Perhaps most glaring is that the team nearly averaged two more yards per carry at home than on the road. In 2008 Home Away Attempts Attempts/Game Rushing Yards 1, Yards/Game Yards/Attempt PACKERS IN WEEKLY 2009 TEAM RANKINGS NFL Offense NFL Defense After Week Opp. Total Rush Pass Total Rush Pass 1 CHI T 23 2 CIN at StL at Min (bye) T DET at Cle MIN T at TB 10 DAL 11 SF 12 at Det 13 BAL 14 at Chi 15 at Pit 16 SEA 17 at Ari Packers in Packers in Packers in Packers in Packers in Packers in Packers in Packers in Packers in Packers in Packers in Packers in Packers in Packers in Packers in Packers in Packers in

11 PACKERS TEAM NOTES STAFF CHANGES HEADLINE OFFSEASON On the heels of a disappointing 6-10 season, a new defensive staff and scheme headlined the changes this offseason at 1265 Lombardi Ave. Dom Capers was brought in as defensive coordinator, and the Packers began the transition to a 3-4 scheme in offseason workouts. Joining Capers on the defensive staff are Mike Trgovac (defensive line), who spent the last six years in Carolina as defensive coordinator; outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene, third on the NFL s all-time sacks list and a former player under Capers; and safeties coach Darren Perry, who most recently coached in Oakland and also played under Capers in Pittsburgh. Assistant head coach/inside linebackers coach Winston Moss remains on the staff, as does Joe Whitt Jr., who spent 2008 as defensive quality control before his promotion to cornerbacks coach this offseason. Shawn Slocum was promoted to special teams coordinator after serving as the unit s assistant each of the last three seasons. Curtis Fuller, a former Packers safety and training camp coaching intern, serves as his assistant. New strength and conditioning coordinator Dave Redding is in his 23rd season at the NFL level, while Scott McCurley (defense) and John Rushing (offense) are the quality control coaches. MORE ON DOM CAPERS Charged with revamping the Packers defense is veteran coach Dom Capers, who is in his 24th season on the NFL level in 2009, his 17th as a defensive coordinator or head coach. Noted around the league as one of the game s best defensive minds, Capers will transition the Packers to a 3-4 defense. Much of the depth chart on defense returns, including all 11 primary starters. The offseason was heavily focused on learning the new system, including position changes for some. None has received more attention than Pro Bowler Aaron Kampman, who made the switch to playing upright at outside linebacker as opposed to having his hand on the ground at end. In addition to serving as the head coach of two different expansion franchises (Carolina and Houston), Capers brings an impressive résumé as a coordinator. Pittsburgh ranked No. 22 in overall defense in 1991, the year before Capers arrival. The Steelers defense rose up in the defensive rankings to 13th in 1992, Capers first season as a defensive coordinator in the NFL. The unit rose to No. 3 in 1993 and No. 2 in 1994, earning the moniker Blitzburgh with one of the decade s most feared defenses. Capers instant impact was also seen in his stint as defensive coordinator with Jacksonville ( ) and Miami ( ). Ranking 25th in overall defense in 1998, the Jaguars unit rose immediately under Capers in 99 to No. 4 overall in addition to allowing the fewest points in the NFL. The Dolphins ranked No. 18 in overall defense in 2005 but rose to No. 4 in 2006 under Capers, with DE Jason Taylor earning Defensive Player of the Year honors that season as well. ease the transition in the defensive backfield. With the team already in double-digit interceptions, it seems the transition has happened quite seamlessly. You d be hard-pressed to find a more productive cornerback duo than Al Harris and Charles Woodson across the NFL. Harris, named to the NFC Pro Bowl squad each of the last two years, is one of the most physical corners in the game. Woodson, who has lined up all over the field in Capers defense, was named to his fifth career Pro Bowl in 08. Harris will most likely continue to match up against opponents top receivers, while Woodson seems to do more pre-snap reads and adjustments. Woodson also has been sent on different instances as a blitzer. The duo has already collected six interceptions (Woodson 4, Harris 2). S Nick Collins enjoyed a career season last year as he was named to his first Pro Bowl. Collins tied Woodson for the NFC lead with seven interceptions, three of which he returned for touchdowns. His 295 interception return yards led the NFL and established a new franchise record. A tough defender in run support as well, he finished second on the team with 99 tackles. S Atari Bigby s return from a knee injury gives the team more experience in the defensive backfield. With the injury to LB Brandon Chillar, it remains to be seen whether the team will use its Big Okie formation, which puts a fifth linebacker on the field in Bigby s place, or stay with Bigby and Collins in the secondary. IN THE LEAGUE RANKINGS, 2009 GREEN BAY (Team) Category NFC NFL Turnover Margin (+12) T 1T Total Offense (372.7) Rushing (114.0) Passing (258.7) Total Defense (283.4) T 4T vs. Rush (99.4) vs. Pass (184.0) Third-Down Offense (43.2%) Third-Down Defense (35.5%) Red-Zone Offense (48.0%) Red-Zone Defense (65.0%) TAMPA BAY (Team) Category NFC NFL Turnover Margin (-2) T Total Offense (272.3) Rushing (98.0) Passing (174.3) Total Defense (376.4) vs. Rush (162.4) vs. Pass (214.0) Third-Down Offense (31.6%) Third-Down Defense (44.3%) Red-Zone Offense (61.5%) Red-Zone Defense (50.0%).. 6T 13T PRO BOWL SECONDARY While much is made of the transition to the 3-4 defense for the front seven, the secondary also undergoes a change from the man-to-man style it had been known for in the past. Now instead of playing bump-and-run, corners have to work in more space, while safeties now have more responsibility in making calls and checks at the line of scrimmage. Luckily for Capers and the Packers, the team can rely on three Pro Bowl honorees from a year ago to help GREEN BAY (Individual) Category NFC NFL Rushing: Grant (525) T Passing: Rodgers (110.4) Receptions: Driver (33) T 25T Rec. Yds.: Driver (542) Sacks: Jenkins (3.5) T 30T Interceptions: Woodson (4).. 3T 4T TAMPA BAY (Individual) Category NFC NFL Rushing: Williams (310) Passing: Leftwich (71.2) Receptions: Winslow (31)... 16T 29T Rec. Yds.: Winslow (295) Sacks: Wilkerson (5.5) Interceptions: Talib (4) T NR 10T 4T 11

12 PACKERS NOTES - DEFENSE THE TRANSITION TO OUTSIDE LINEBACKER While a number of players are making drastic changes in the new defense, none has received the same attention as LB Aaron Kampman. A two-time Pro Bowl honoree at defensive end, Kampman worked all offseason under position coach Kevin Greene, who perfected the art of the pass rush from the outside linebacker position as a player. Kampman has 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble on the season. While his sack totals have been off his normal clip, he is third on the team with 46 tackles, which puts him on pace to record triple-digit tackles for the third time in his career. LB Clay Matthews moved into the starting lineup opposite Kampman and ranks second on the team with three sacks, second most among NFL rookies. LB Brady Poppinga gives the team an experienced player in the second unit, as well as a proven player on special teams. Kampman is the lone player at the position who does not play special teams. Second-year pro Jeremy Thompson, like Kampman, is making the transition from end to linebacker in the new scheme. Likewise for rookie LB Brad Jones, who comes with some familiarity with the position, having played it at Colorado. Kampman did play linebacker in his first two seasons at Iowa before switching to the defensive line, so playing in space wasn t entirely new to the eighth-year pro. Surely the coaches will try to maximize his rush opportunities throughout the season, as he has been one of the most productive pass rushers across the league over the last three seasons: Rank Player, Team Sacks ( ) 1 DeMarcus Ware, Dal. (LB) Jared Allen, Min. (DE) Aaron Kampman, GB (LB) John Abraham, Atl. (DE) Mario Williams, Hou. (DE) 30.5 TAKEAWAY POINTS KEY FOR PACKERS Green Bay has continued to show its knack for the takeaways in the first seven games with 11 interceptions and six fumble recoveries, which it has turned into 68 points. That total ranks fourth in the NFL behind the Saints (86), Giants (75) and Eagles (69). Last season, the Green Bay defense led the NFL in defensive touchdowns (7) and interception returns for touchdowns (6). Green Bay (plus-seven) finished with the sixth-best turnover ratio in the NFL, its best finish under Mike McCarthy. Green Bay had 28 takeaways (22 interceptions, six fumble recoveries) on the season against 21 turnovers (13 interceptions, eight fumbles). The 21 turnovers tied the second-lowest total in franchise history. Thanks to an opportunistic defense, with its seven touchdowns, and an offense that was able to capitalize after an opponent s mistake, Green Bay led all NFL teams with 124 points off takeaways. Baltimore (123) finished just behind the Packers at No. 2. On the other sideline, the Packers surrendered 75 points off the 21 turnovers last year 24 of which came at Tampa in Week 4. That point total off turnovers tied for 16th in the NFL. If the Packers don t commit a turnover, they re almost guaranteed to win the lone exception being games against the Vikings. They have now won 35 of 38 games playing turnover-free football, since a loss at Dallas, Nov. 18, Green Bay s only losses in such games during that stretch came against Minnesota: twice in Minneapolis (2005, 08) and once at home (2009). Including playoffs, the Packers have won 38 of their last 41 games without a giveaway. ANOTHER TEAM RECORD IN RETURN YARDAGE The Packers finished 2008 with an astounding 685 return yards on their 22 interceptions, tops in the NFL. That was over 200 yards better than the next closest team, Baltimore, which finished the year with 477 return yards on 26 interceptions. The 685 return yards set a new franchise record, but perhaps Green Bay is looking to challenge the mark again this year. It has tallied 217 return yards through seven games. Conversely, opponents have totaled just five interception return yards against the Packers in The 685 mark beat the previous franchise record established in 1943, when the team had 616 yards on 42 interceptions. In the modern era, the two previous highs were 561 return yards on 27 interceptions in 1965, and the following season when Green Bay had 547 return yards on 28 interceptions. The Packers won the NFL Championship both seasons. McCarthy has said his team s ability to make a play after an interception is something the team has repped after every turnover in practice since he arrived in Every offensive player, whether part of the 11 on the play or the group on the sidelines, attempts to catch the defender before he can advance up the field. LINEBACKERS FORM EFFECTIVE ROTATION With a wealth of talent at the inside linebacker position, coordinator Dom Capers and position coach Winston Moss have opted to go with a rotation of players depending upon the formation. Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk are the starters in the base defense. A steady player, Hawk has topped 120 tackles in each of his three NFL seasons. He made three behind the line of scrimmage against the Browns. For the seventh-year pro Barnett, it marks his return to action since Week 10 of 2008 when he tore his ACL at Minnesota. Coaches were careful with his reps in the early going as he worked his way back to full strength. He returned to his normal work load in Week 4 and leads the team with 54 tackles. Barnett has led the team in tackles in four of his six overall seasons. Brandon Chillar ranks third on the team with 41 tackles and often covers tight ends on obvious passing downs, so his loss to a broken hand should not be overlooked against Tampa, which has one of the game s best tight ends in Kellen Winslow Jr. He had also seen time on the field in the team s Big Okie formation, which puts him as a fifth linebacker on the field to help defend against the run, as well as in the nickel package. Coaches will most likely use a combination of Hawk and Desmond Bishop in Chillar s absence, especially in nickel packages where Chillar was paired with Barnett. Bishop is another talented player in the unit, most notably for his presence felt on special teams, where he leads the coverage units with 10 tackles. Bishop led the defense in tackles in the preseason. McCarthy has said he d like to see if the team can find more opportunities for Bishop from scrimmage, which is exactly what the Chillar injury presents. Against the Rams in his most extended action, he recorded four tackles, including one for loss. He had three tackles against Minnesota. 12

13 GAME REVIEW - VIKINGS 38, PACKERS 26 RALLY FOR NAUGHT AS VIKINGS CONTROL DIVISION RACE Brett Favre made a triumphant return to Lambeau Field for the Minnesota Vikings, and much will be made of that, to be sure. But the more lasting impact of Sunday s decision was on the NFC North Division race. Falling to the Vikings for the second time in a month after a valiant second-half comeback fell short, the Packers at 4-3 have dropped two games behind the 7-1 Vikings in the loss column and face a daunting uphill climb if they want to capture the division crown. This loss essentially puts Green Bay three games behind Minnesota because the Vikings will own any tiebreaker scenario based on the season sweep, and that s the part that hurts the Packers the most, far more than seeing their former quarterback win on the turf he called home for 16 seasons. These division games are worth a game and a half, sometimes two, Head Coach Mike McCarthy said. This was a tough one. No doubt about it. It was a tough one for everybody. Things couldn t have started any rougher for the Packers, who tried to rally from a 21-point deficit in the second half. They pulled within four points once and five points another time, firing up the Lambeau regular-season record crowd of 71,213, but it wasn t enough. Like he was in the Metrodome a month ago, Favre was the star once again against his old team. He completed 17-of-28 passes for 244 yards with four touchdowns (128.6 rating) and wasn t intercepted or sacked once. Favre and the Vikings took control early while the Packers were sputtering. Green Bay managed just 47 yards of offense and three first downs in the entire first half. The Packers had to settle for a field goal after recovering a fumbled shotgun snap at the Minnesota 21-yard line, and on four of their other five possessions in the half never moved the ball beyond their own 24. Meanwhile, a 77-yard kickoff return by Percy Harvin set up a 1-yard TD run by Adrian Peterson on fourth-and-goal, Favre hit tight end Visanthe Shiancoe for a 12-yard score, and - after the Packers stopped the Vikings on fourth-and-1 at the Green Bay 7 - former Packers kicker Ryan Longwell still managed to add a field goal before halftime. By the time Favre opened the second half by converting a third-and-17 with a rocket throw to Bernard Berrian, and followed on the next snap with a 51-yard TD pass to Harvin between three Green Bay defenders, Minnesota led 24-3 and seemingly could do no wrong. Then the Packers finally got going. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers directed three straight scoring drives worth 17 points and by the end of the third quarter were back in the game. A 62-yard march for a field goal followed by a fumble on the ensuing kickoff set up a 16-yard TD pass to Spencer Havner. Then after a three-and-out by the defense, Rodgers drove the Packers 84 yards, with the help of a 42-yard catch-and-run by James Jones, to another Havner TD reception from 5 yards out. Suddenly the Packers had racked up 187 yards of offense in about 11 minutes and had given themselves a chance, down only I told them at halftime that this second half was going to be a turning point in our season, McCarthy said. It was important for us to go out there and turn this game around and make a run and win this game. I felt that was happening there in the third quarter. So it was. Unfortunately, Harvin and the Vikings weren t done. The rookie speedster struck again with a 48-yard kickoff return to the Green Bay 38, setting up a seven-play drive capped by a 2-yard TD pass to Jeff Dugan on third-and-goal. The Packers responded with a 74-yard scoring drive, highlighted by a career-long 35-yard scramble by Rodgers and a 10-yard TD pass to Greg Jennings, who had all eight of his catches for 88 yards in the second half. A failed 2-point try left the Packers down with 10:26 left in the game, but it seemed as though the offense was rolling. I started hitting guys who were open, was the simple explanation from Rodgers, who finished 26-of-41 for 287 yards with three TDs (108.5 rating). In the first half I struggled. Missed a couple of throws I should have hit. When we get into a rhythm on offense, we re tough to stop. The Vikings did get the one stop they needed, though. The only time the Packers got the ball trailing by only one score in the second half, they drove all the way to the Minnesota 28-yard line, only to see a sack on second down - the sixth sack Rodgers took in the game - an incompletion on third down and a missed 51-yard field goal stall the rally. We just couldn t get that score to take the lead there in the fourth quarter, Rodgers said. So that s frustrating. Equally frustrating was yet another answer by Minnesota. Peterson was held in check most of the game, gaining 54 of his 97 yards on two carries and just 43 yards on his other 23 rushes. But he broke loose for a 44-yard gain on a swing pass into the left flat, which set up Favre s fourth TD pass of the game, a 16-yarder to Berrian with 3:48 left that sealed the game and the twogame sweep in the season series. While some of the numbers will look comparable in the inevitable Favre vs. Rodgers comparison - Favre threw for 515 yards with seven TD passes and no interceptions in the two games, while Rodgers threw for 671 yards with five TDs and one pick - one stat sticks out like a sore thumb. Favre wasn t sacked once while Rodgers absorbed a whopping 14 sacks in the two contests. This one will hurt for a couple days, Rodgers said. Physically and mentally. Mentally is where the Packers must bounce back the strongest, because with nine games left and a record on the plus side of.500, there s still plenty to play for even if the Vikings are comfortably in front at the moment. This was the game to put us back in first place in the NFC North, and now we re in a hole and we ve got to dig ourselves back out, linebacker Aaron Kampman said. No one is going to help us with that. We ve got to find a way to do that ourselves. As painful as it might be, they ll do it by looking at the chances they had in the two losses to the Vikings, chances that got away. As linebacker Nick Barnett said, We re not throwing the season away, but looking up at their border rivals in the division race for the foreseeable future will be tough to stomach because of what might have been. Both games against Minnesota were playoff-like atmospheres I guess you could say, but it doesn t benefit you when you lose in those games, Rodgers said. We have to store up some confidence in winning these kind of games. The way we played in the second half, we were really one big play away from taking the momentum entirely and taking the lead there. The great teams find a way to win those games. I think we re a good team with the potential to be great, but we re going to have to really improve. 13

14 PACKERS TEAM NOTES 281 AND COUNTING Last weekend s game against Minnesota brought the largest regular-season crowd in Lambeau Field history (71,213) and the stadium s consecutive sellouts streak to 281 games (265 regular season, 16 playoffs). In two weeks, the team welcomes Dallas to Lambeau Field, another game that could challenge stadium attendance records. Lambeau Field, the league s longest-tenured stadium, is hosting its 53rd season of football this year. A total of 565,460 fans came through the turnstiles in the eight home contests in 2008, an average of 70,683. Lambeau Field also saw the then-four largest regular-season crowds in stadium history in 2008 (vs. Minnesota, vs. Dallas, vs. Indianapolis, vs. Chicago). The Dallas game (71,113) set a new regular-season attendance record, surpassed this past weekend by the Vikings game. THE LAMBEAU ADVANTAGE The crown jewel of the National Football League, Lambeau Field has long been known as one of the tougher venues to play in, particularly during the harsh Wisconsin winter. Though 2-2 on the season at home, the Packers have won 15 of their last 22 regular-season games at Lambeau Field. McCarthy has stated consistently that one of the team s goals is to reclaim the mystique of playing at Lambeau Field. Mission accomplished. The team is 11-5 at home over the last two seasons, a marked improvement over the prior three seasons (10-14 combined). Since Ron Wolf and Mike Holmgren began the revitalization of the franchise in 1992, Green Bay owns the best home record in the NFL. A look at the top home W-L records since the 92 season: Team W-L record Pct. Green Bay Denver Pittsburgh Minnesota Dallas WITH THE GAME ON THE LINE Three of the Packers first seven games have come down to plays in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, most notably the season opener. QB Aaron Rodgers hit WR Greg Jennings with the game-winning touchdown pass with just over one minute remaining. In Green Bay s three losses, the team has tried to rally from double-digit deficits but fell short each time in the closing moments. In eight of the 10 losses from 2008, the Packers either led or were behind by no more than one score in the fourth quarter. In those same eight games, the outcome was decided in the final two minutes. Even though the Packers finished the season plus-39 in scoring differential, they finished 6-10 because of their failure to make a play when they needed it. The lessons of 2008, as Coach McCarthy referred to them this entire offseason, center around the Packers coming up with the critical play in crunch time, whether it be on offense, defense or special teams. Their seven losses in games decided by four points or less tied the second-highest total in NFL history. It wasn t a problem of putting up points in the final frame, as Green Bay s 150 fourth-quarter points were second in the NFL behind San Diego (152). Perhaps most telling was the fact that the Green Bay defense allowed the second-most fourth-quarter points (135) in the league. Only Houston (136) allowed more. The two-minute drill was heavily stressed on both sides of the ball all offseason and still occurs in the course of a regular-season week. The drill almost always comes toward the end of practice to help simulate the fatigue and end-of-game conditions. NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAMES HEADLINE 2009 SCHEDULE The Packers play each division rival once in front of a national television audience, including an upcoming Thanksgiving game in Detroit against the Lions in Week 12. The team has already played a season-opening game on NBC Sunday Night Football and a Monday night game at Minnesota, and the Packers will have another appearance on Monday night Dec. 7 in a Week 13 showdown with the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field. It marks the first MNF game played at Lambeau Field in the month of December marks the 17th consecutive season the Packers have appeared on Monday Night Football, the NFC s longest active streak. Green Bay s fifth game in front of a national TV audience comes against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10. The Nov. 15 game will kick off at 3:15 p.m. on FOX. The fifth home game on the schedule, the Cowboys contest is slated as a Gold Package (Milwaukee seasonticket holders) game. Cincinnati came to Lambeau Field in Week 2 for the other Gold Package game. Green Bay s final four games of the season, including matchups at Super Bowl XLIII opponents Arizona and Pittsburgh, as well as the final division game in Chicago, are all subject to the NFL s flexible scheduling. Green Bay is not a candidate to be flexed in Week 11 against San Francisco because the team plays just four days later against Detroit on Thanksgiving. The Packers also are not a candidate to be flexed in Week 14 or 15 because of FOX protecting the Bears and Steelers games. SCHEDULE NUGGETS Green Bay s bye week Week 5 was the earliest bye for the team since 1999, when it had its bye in Week 4. Though its bye week came early, the team will get some rest coming off the Thanksgiving contest. It won t play until the following Monday night, Dec. 7, at home. The Packers have five games against playoff teams from a year ago (Week 4 at Minnesota, Week 8 vs. Minnesota, Week 13 vs. Baltimore, Week 15 at Pittsburgh and Week 17 at Arizona). Green Bay plays three of the four teams who played in last season s conference championships. All three games (vs. Baltimore, at Pittsburgh, at Arizona) occur in the season s final five weeks. Making the season s final stretch tougher too is the fact that three of the final four games will be on the road. For the first time since 2003, the Packers will not play a division opponent in the season s final three weeks. 14

15 2009 OPPONENTS WILLIAMS ON THE RETURNS NFL Rank Record Offense Defense at Arizona Cardinals...(4-3) Baltimore Ravens...(4-3) 7 13 PACKERS TEAM NOTES CB Tramon Williams, whether it be on a punt return or after an interception, is dangerous once he has the ball in his hands. In Week 1, he had a 67-yard interception return against the Bears that gave the Green Bay offense the ball inside the 5-yard line. In Week 6 against the Lions, he filled in for WR Jordy Nelson on punt returns and returned his only opportunity for 45 yards, the team s longest punt return of the season. Throughout Packers history, no player has had an interception return of 65-plus yards and a punt return of 45-plus yards in the same season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Individual interception records were not kept until Chicago Bears...(4-3) Cincinnati Bengals...(5-2) at Cleveland Browns...(1-7) Dallas Cowboys...(5-2) 2 22 Detroit Lions...(1-6) Minnesota Vikings...(7-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers...(5-2) 6 8 San Francisco 49ers...(3-4) Seattle Seahawks...(2-5) at St. Louis Rams...(1-7) PROTECTING THE FOOTBALL It took QB Aaron Rodgers until his fourth game of the season to record his first interception, a second-quarter pass intended for WR Greg Jennings that was picked off by Vikings CB Antoine Winfield. Even under heavy duress, Rodgers has been careful with the football and in his decision-making. Prior to that second-quarter throw against Minnesota, his last interception came in Week 16 of last season, a streak that stretched 159 consecutive attempts. Rodgers streak had been the second-longest streak among active quarterbacks and longest among starting signal-callers. The streak of 159 passes without an interception was a new personal best for Rodgers, topping a record established last year, when it wasn t until the fourth game of the season that he threw an interception. That snapped a streak of 157 consecutive passes without an interception, a streak that began in 2005 and is now the fourth-longest in team history. Rodgers new career high (159) ranks third all-time among Green Bay signal callers for consecutive passes without an interception. Bart Starr holds the franchise record with an astounding 294 straight passes without an interception, second-most in NFL history. Brett Favre stands at No. 2 on the team s all-time list with 163 consecutive passes without an interception. The interception-free streaks have come in bunches in the Mike McCarthy tenure. Much credit must be given to McCarthy, who works closely with those under center, and quarterbacks coach Tom Clements. In addition to Rodgers two long streaks (159 and 157) over the past two seasons, Favre had two of the longest streaks of his career under the duo in Early in the season, he had a 142-pass streak (third longest of his career) and followed up with a 139-pass streak (fourth) later in the season. For the season, Rodgers has thrown two interceptions in 225 attempts, or 0.9% of his passes. In his first season as a starter, he threw 13 interceptions on 536 attempts (2.4%). Rodgers brings a smaller streak into play Sunday at Tampa. He has thrown 61 consecutive passes without an interception. at Tampa Bay Buccaneers..(0-7)

16 PACKERS TEAM NOTES 2009 HONOR ROLL LB Clay Matthews Week 6 - Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week QB Aaron Rodgers NFC Offensive Player of the Month - October CB Charles Woodson NFC Defensive Player of the Month - September NFL S YOUNGEST ROSTER... AGAIN Based upon analysis of Kickoff Weekend rosters done by the league office, the Green Bay Packers have the distinction of being the league s youngest squad for a fourth consecutive season. Dating back to 2000, Arizona was the only other club to hold or share the distinction for at least three years. The Cardinals were the NFL s youngest team in 2001 and tied for the league s youngest roster the following two seasons. With an average 2009 roster age of 25.70, Green Bay again checks in with the youngest average age in the NFL. Indianapolis and Kansas City are tied for second with an average age of years. Green Bay had four players age 30 or over, the lowest total in the NFL. Kansas City and Green Bay tied for the youngest roster last season with an average age of years. The Packers were the youngest team in the NFL in 2007 with an average age of years, while the Colts placed second at years. Both teams made playoff appearances that season. In Head Coach Mike McCarthy s first season, the Packers checked in as the league s youngest team with an average age of years. Tennessee (25.77) was second. Still, rosters are fluid throughout an NFL season, and it s possible the Packers would no longer hold the distinction. Since Kickoff Weekend, the team has added S Matt Giordano (27), RB Ahman Green (32) and T Mark Tauscher (32). PRO FOOTBALL HOF LIST HAS GREEN BAY CONNECTIONS Headlined by all-time leading receiver Jerry Rice and all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith, the Pro Football Hall of Fame preliminary list of modern-era nominees for election to the Class of 2010 was announced. Among the list of 131 players, coaches and contributors were a number of nominees with connections to the Packers. WR Sterling Sharpe and S LeRoy Butler, two of the significant contributors to the Packers revitalization in the 1990s, were among the list. Sharpe, a three-time first-team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler, still ranks near the top of most of the Packers all-time receiving records despite having only played seven seasons. Butler, a four-time first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler, was among the most feared defensive players of his era. He was named to the 1990s NFL All-Decade Team and tallied 38 interceptions and 20.5 sacks. Also on the list was the architect of those teams, former general manager Ron Wolf. Over his tenure ( ), the Packers compiled the league s second-best record (92-52), recorded seven straight winning seasons and six consecutive playoff appearances, and of course emerged victorious in Super Bowl XXXI. More recent Packers connections on the list include outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene. Greene leads all linebackers in NFL history with 160 sacks, a number that ranks third all-time among all players. He has been a semifinalist each of the last two years. Also on the list of nominees was Clay Matthews, father of Packers rookie LB Clay Matthews. The elder Matthews was a four-time Pro Bowler in his 16 seasons in the NFL, and his brother Bruce is already a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame after his illustrious 19-year career as an offensive lineman. Other players on the list who made brief stops in Green Bay during their career include LB Hardy Nickerson (2002), DL Steve McMichael (1994), and RB/WR Eric Metcalf (2002). WHAT 2-2 MEANS IN THE LONG RUN It s no secret that early success dramatically increases a team s chances to make the postseason. Though statistics can only tell so much in the National Football League, they are on the side of teams who start fast. Since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978, 442 teams won their opener. Of those teams, 233 went to the playoffs and 136 won division crowns. Now, compare those numbers to the 442 teams that lost the first game of the season. Of that group, only 103 went to the playoffs and only 58 captured their division. Success in the first quarter of the season has proven to enhance a team s chances of making the postseason. Under McCarthy, Green Bay started 1-3 (2006) and 2-2 (2008) in seasons in which it did not make the playoffs. In 2007, the Packers started 4-0 when they ultimately played in the NFC Championship Game. While the Packers finished their first quarter of the season at 2-2, they have a chance to make some early ground in the NFC playoff chase by finishing the second quarter with a 3-1 mark if it can win this Sunday in Tampa. Teams rebounding from slow starts isn t unheard of, especially with earning a wild-card berth being an alternate route to the postseason. Still, the stats bear out that early-season success goes a long way in determining who will play in January and February. A look at how important fast starts have become to an eventual playoff berth, compiled from : Record through 4 games % of teams in playoffs % % % % % TRAVELIN LIGHT Each season, the NFL compiles the number of miles each team will travel during the season, including preseason trips. Green Bay s first road trip of the regular season, a short trip to St. Louis, covered just under 500 miles, a relatively quick flight by NFL standards. Green Bay had a short flight to Minnesota for its second road contest, and traveled just over 550 miles for its third trip of the year Oct. 25 to Cleveland. This weekend s trip to Tampa marks one of the longest flights of the year, save for the regular-season finale in Arizona. Green Bay also traveled to Phoenix in the preseason. All collected, the team will fly 12,260 miles according to numbers compiled by the NFL league office. That total is the fourth-lowest mileage total among the 32 teams in Perhaps not surprisingly, five West Coast clubs head the list when it comes to logging miles through the air this season: Seattle (29,054), San Francisco (29,020), San Diego (28,628), Arizona (27,840) and Oakland (27,232). 16

17 PACKERS TEAM NOTES WINNING WAYS AFTER THE BYE With the victory over Detroit, the Packers have now won three of the four contests after the bye week under McCarthy. Dating back further, the team has now won 10 of its last 14 games immediately following the bye week. Green Bay finished a disappointing 2-7 (.222) after the bye week in 2008, a stark contrast to the previous two seasons under McCarthy. In 2007, the team finished 8-2 (.800) after the bye, which helped wrap up a first-round playoff bye. In McCarthy s first season, the team was 7-4 (.636) after the week off. Since 2000, the Packers over the balance of their season after the bye are a combined (.618). FIRST YEAR UNDER CENTER Quarterback Aaron Rodgers isn t one to talk about stats or milestones, but he exceeded nearly all expectations in his first season under center. He finished the season with 4,038 passing yards, becoming only the second quarterback in NFL history to surpass 4,000 yards in the same season in which he made his first career start. Kurt Warner (4,353) was the first to accomplish the feat in Rodgers is the fourth player in club history to surpass the 4,000-yard mark, joining Lynn Dickey (1), Brett Favre (5) and Don Majkowski (1). Four times Rodgers went over 300 yards passing in He also tossed three touchdown passes in four games. Rodgers 28 touchdown passes were tops among first-year starters and marked the first time since Daunte Culpepper (33) in 2000 that a firstyear starter threw for 25-plus touchdowns. The California product took care of the ball as well, throwing 13 interceptions in 536 attempts, 2.42% of his throws. It was the lowest percentage by a Packers quarterback in over a decade (Favre, 1996, 2.39%). And perhaps most importantly in Green Bay, Rodgers started all 16 games in 2008, fighting through a serious shoulder injury suffered in Week 4 at Tampa that kept him out of practice for one month. Proving he is among the NFL s top quarterbacks will take years of consistent play, but there is no doubt the 25-year-old Rodgers is off to a great start. A look at where his 2008 totals ranked in the NFL: Statistic 2008 total NFL Rank Passing Yards 4,038 4 Completions Completion % Touchdowns 28 4 QB Rating plus yd. completions 48 5T 40-plus yd. completions 16 1T Third-down QB rating First downs passing 182 9T In his absence, CB Tramon Williams took the first punt return for 45 yards, the team s longest return on punts this season. With the windy conditions at Lambeau Field, the team opted to put CB Charles Woodson back on punt returns. Williams was the team s primary punt returner the past two weekends, with Woodson was the primary backup. Coupled with his 45-yard return against the Lions, Williams 94-yard return for a score in 07 against Carolina shows he has a knack for finding the lane to the open field on punt returns. Though placing Woodson back on punt returns poses a risk to one of the team s best players, he does have ample experience, serving as the team s punt returner from For his career, he has 86 punt returns, including 74 with the Packers, and a solid 8.2-yard average. The team opted to put backup RB Brandon Jackson on kickoffs against the Browns and RB Ahman Green on kick return duty against the Vikings. Williams, who had 30 kickoff returns in 2007, could also be an option. THE SECOND QUARTER The 16-game NFL schedule allows teams to break down their season into quarters, with the Packers now in their second. Opening up the second quarter of their season with two decisive victories gave the team a high level of confidence. Even with the loss to Minnesota, the team will have the chance this weekend to go 3-1 in the second quarter of its schedule. Though Tampa Bay stands winless thus far, the Packers are unlikely to overlook the road trip given the team s loss at Raymond James Stadium last season. Plus, the Packers have won only once in Tampa in their last seven attempts, that coming in 2003, when the Bucs were coming off their Super Bowl triumph. The third quarter of the season begins with three straight NFC matchups which will most likely go a long way in determining the Packers playoff hopes in Home games against Dallas and San Francisco come before the team heads to Detroit for a Thanksgiving matchup. THE RETURN GAME With the season-ending knee injury to CB Will Blackmon, WR Jordy Nelson figured to become the team s primary returner on both kickoffs and punts. In Week 6 against the Lions, Nelson suffered a knee sprain on a punt return and figures to miss this weekend s game in Tampa. 17

18 POSITION-BY-POSITION BY THE NUMBERS Here s a look at the Packers current roster by position. Quarterback 2 Now in his second year under center, Aaron Rodgers looks more comfortable in the offense than he did a year ago. That may not be good news for opponents considering the statistical milestones Rodgers eclipsed in 2008, ones he is on pace to match or surpass in most cases. His stated goals for 2009 were to improve on his consistency and to work with play-caller Mike McCarthy to expand his role in the offensive game plan. Pass protection has been an issue thus far, a problem that coaches have acknowledged falls on many different people. With increased time in the pocket and more awareness by Rodgers, there is no shortage of weapons at the skill positions for him to feature in the passing game. Only one other quarterback is on the 53-man roster, second-year player Matt Flynn. He does serve as the team s primary holder for field goals and extra points and would run the offense in Rodgers absence second-round choice Brian Brohm was released in the final cutdown but did return to the team s practice squad. Both Flynn and Brohm went through their first year of McCarthy s quarterback school this offseason, with Flynn emerging the winner of the No. 2 job. Running back 3 Ryan Grant is entrenched as the clear starter and has gotten the bulk of the carries so far. Grant has produced solid numbers through seven games for the Packers, who have traditionally run more later in the season as the weather turns, particularly at home. Emerging as a threat out of the backfield, Grant also has 16 catches in 09, whereas he had 18 catches all of last season. Vying for carries behind Grant is third-year pro Brandon Jackson and veteran Ahman Green. Jackson made his season debut in Week 6 after an ankle injury, while Green made his 09 debut against Minnesota on kickoff returns and from scrimmage. Fullback 3 Last year the team kept two fullbacks, but with two veterans returning and a rookie draft pick, the team opted to keep all three. McCarthy said that he can foresee a scenario in which all three are active, particularly because all three have seen time on some special teams units. Also, McCarthy has used a two-fullback formation for running plays in previous seasons. Both Korey Hall and John Kuhn have been valuable special teams players each of the last two seasons and also reliable targets out of the backfield. Hall has been sidelined the last three games with a calf injury, a blow to the special teams coverage units for which he was tied for the lead in tackles before getting hurt. Kuhn is a traditional power fullback and has already found the end zone three times on the season. Making his NFL debut in Week 6 was Quinn Johnson, the team s fifth-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Lauded as a traditional fullback, Johnson paved the way for a 1,100-yard rusher in each of his final two seasons at LSU while also proving to be a reliable option in shortyardage situations and as a pass catcher. Wide receiver 5 Donald Driver and Greg Jennings head up what is one of the deepest receiving groups across the league but has been hit by injuries in the first half of the year. Green Bay was one of four teams in 2008 to have at least a pair of 1,000-yard pass catches. The others were Arizona (L. Fitzgerald 1,431; A. Boldin 1,038; S. Breaston 1,006), Kansas City (T. Gonzalez 1,058; D. Bowe 1,022) and New England (W. Welker 1,165; R. Moss 1,008). James Jones and Jordy Nelson are dangerous threats when Green Bay goes to its multiple-wideout formations. Jones looks to be completely healthy after knee troubles plagued his 2008 season, while Nelson still looks to be sidelined from a knee injury suffered in Week 6. Complicating things was the season-ending injury to Brett Swain the following week in Cleveland. Jake Allen was signed from the practice squad last week to take Swain s place on the roster and made his NFL debut against Minnesota, albeit in a limited role. Having been on the team s practice squad since 2008, he is familiar with the playbook and could give the team some options should it choose to go to its multiple-wideout formations. Tight end 3 Tight end is always an interesting posititon to keep an eye on because of the way McCarthy likes to utilize the position in different offensive sets. Donald Lee, the unit s primary starter each of the last two seasons, might be one of the more unheralded players at the position across the NFL. His 23 catches rank third on the team. One of the emerging players on the roster is Jermichael Finley, who missed the Minnesota contest with a knee injury. In his second season and still only 22, Finley is a tough matchup for linebackers with his speed and can utilize his size against defensive backs, as evidenced by his four catches of 20-plus yards so far. Spencer Havner earned the third spot after making the transition to tight end this offseason. Havner had previously spent three seasons on the practice squad at linebacker and is a special teams standout. His three touchdowns the last two weeks prove just how far he has come. Offensive line 10 Injuries have shuffled the starting lineup nearly every week, while pass protection has been a glaring issue through the first half of the year. T Chad Clifton could finally be over a nagging ankle injury, while rookie T.J. Lang has filled in nicely in his absence. C Jason Spitz has been sidelined with back spasms, meaning C Scott Wells has come off the bench to start at center. Mark Tauscher will bring competition to the right tackle spot held by Allen Barbre now that he appears to be getting back into football shape. He held the right tackle position for each of the last nine ( ) seasons. The team played the entire Minnesota game with Lang, Daryn Colledge, Wells, Josh Sitton and Barbre across the front. Clifton s possible return from an ankle injury as well as Tauscher s return from an ACL injury suffered in 2008 could shuffle the lineup again for the Buccaneers game. 18

19 POSITION-BY-POSITION Defensive end 4 Defensive end has a much different look both in responsibility and in roster numbers in defensive coordinator Dom Capers 3-4 defense. Cullen Jenkins, who has played both inside and outside, has looked good thus far in his return from a pectoral injury that cut short what was promising to be a career season in Last season, Jenkins appeared in the first four games, with the Packers defense collecting nine sacks over that time. The team accumulated 18 sacks in the 12 games Jenkins missed. Getting the chance to start opposite Jenkins is Johnny Jolly. A former defensive tackle in the old scheme, Jolly has played well even with some added bulk to hold the line of scrimmage. Both Jenkins and Jolly have interceptions, the first time a pair of Packers linemen have had interceptions since Also in the mix is first-round pick B.J. Raji, who makes a fifth player in the rotation at the end spot. Raji spent significant time at end once he arrived in Green Bay this offseason and will spend time both inside and outside in his first season. On obvious run downs, he adds considerable bulk to the first line of defense. Veteran Michael Montgomery, thought by some a bad fit for the new scheme, has played well and held on to his spot as a backup. At 6-5, Montogomery is able to use his length to his advantage to occupy offensive lineman. DE Jarius Wynn, a sixth-round draft pick from Georgia, showed the ability to rush the passer in the preseason and has seen time on special teams and from scrimmage so far. Nose tackle 2 The Packers kept only three defensive tackles last season in their 4-3 scheme, but only have two nose tackles in the new scheme. Raji will obviously see time at the position once he gets more game reps in general but is behind starter Ryan Pickett. Pickett has been disruptive in the middle and has 32 tackles through seven games. Both Pickett and Raji have the necessary size to hold the line of scrimmage at the position and form a nice 1-2 combo at the spot. Linebacker 9 No position looks more different in 2009 than it did in 2008 than linebacker. Whether it be former defensive ends converting to the outside or veterans adjusting to new responsibilities, it has been one of the most-watched position groups this season. Converted from defensive end were Aaron Kampman and Jeremy Thompson, both of whom are counted on to rush the passer. Kampman, one of the NFL s most productive pass rushers over the past three seasons, is making the transition to playing without his hand on the ground in addition to more coverage responsibilities. Thompson, in just his second season, has seen most of his action on special teams. First-round draft pick Clay Matthews starts opposite Kampman and looks to have a bright future, while LB Brady Poppinga backs up Matthews. In the middle are veterans Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk. Brandon Chillar played in the nickel and Big Okie packages and had been off to a fast start before breaking his hand against the Vikings. Filling his reps in different formations will be Hawk and Desmond Bishop, a physical presence who gives the team great depth along the inside. Both Hawk and Bishop would have more coverage responsibilities in sub-packages replacing Chillar, who was known as perhaps the best of the bunch in space. Cornerback 5 While the team may no longer play as much press coverage as it had become known for in prior seasons, this group is still led by Pro Bowlers Al Harris and Charles Woodson. Both have been impressive in the early going and seem to have grasped the new system quickly. Woodson seems to relish his new role playing with more vision to the quarterback, as evidenced by his four early interceptions. Behind the veteran duo is a group of young corners, led by third-year man Tramon Williams. When Harris was sidelined last season with a spleen injury, Williams stepped up in his absence and finished the season with five interceptions. After Williams, young corners will be looking to establish themselves in sub packages and on special teams. Given the season-ending injury to Will Blackmon, the team s primary return specialist, sixth-round draft pick Brandon Underwood from the University of Cincinnati has seen his first NFL action on special teams. Jarrett Bush, who will play both corner and safety and is a top player on the Packers special-teams units, also will be in the mix. Safety 4 Nick Collins is coming off a career season in which he earned his first Pro Bowl berth. Now, Collins must make more calls and checks in the new scheme, and his importance was magnified given the early-season injuries the secondary had to overcome at the other safety spot. Atari Bigby has made his return from a knee injury suffered in Week 1 and seems to be playing with his usual speed and physical style. In fact, Bigby picked off a pass in the red zone to help preserve the shutout against Detroit. Competing for reps at backup positions are newcomers Derrick Martin and Matt Giordano. Martin arrived from Baltimore in a trade at the roster cutdown, so he has some familiarity with the 3-4, while Giordano was signed prior to Week 3. Both have played on special teams, while Bush gives the coaches another player at the position should injuries continue to occur. The Big Okie formation used LB Brandon Chillar in a hybrid role as a fifth linebacker on the field. It remains to be seen whether the team will employ the package in his absence, either with Bishop or Hawk. Specialists 3 K Mason Crosby and LS Brett Goode are back for another year and have been solid all season. Crosby hopes to improve upon his accuracy and consistency, but there is no doubting his leg strength, as evidenced by his 52-yard field goal in Week 1. Consistency from long range is something the third-year pro hopes to improve. Incumbent punter Jeremy Kapinos won the job in training camp. Kapinos punted in the last four games for the team last season and does cause return men some problems as a left-footed kicker. Given injuries to Blackmon and Nelson, coaches have turned to Ahman Green, Brandon Jackson, Tramon Williams and Charles Woodson on both kicks and punts. All bring experience to the special teams units. 19

20 INDIVIDUAL NOTES & STREAKS 76 CHAD CLIFTON Has played in 134 career games, including 129 starts. Has started 97 of last 103 games since returning from a serious pelvic injury that ended his 2002 season. 36 NICK COLLINS With four interception returns for scores in his career, matches No. 5 Johnny (Blood) McNally on Green Bay s all-time career list. With another, would match No. 2 Bobby Dillon, Darren Sharper and Charles Woodson, each of whom returned five. 2 MASON CROSBY His 268 points from is the most ever by a Green Bay kicker over a two-season span. Needs 121 points this season to set the NFL record for most points scored by a player in his first three seasons (Stephen Gostkowski, NE, 388, ). Has 59 points in For his career, has hit 48-of-52 field goals from 39 yards-and-closer. Has hit 17-of-24 field goals from yards. Has hit 7-of-15 field goals from 50-plus yards. 80 DONALD DRIVER Surpassed Sterling Sharpe (595) to become the franchise s all-time leader in receptions. Driver enters with 610 career catches. Also surpassed No. 3 Sharpe (8,134) on the franchise s all-time receiving yards list. James Lofton (9,656) ranks No. 1. Driver ranks No. 2 with 8,531 career receiving yards. Has a reception in 118 consecutive games, besting the franchise s previous long streak of Sharpe s 103 ( ). In 2008, became the first player in franchise history with 1,000 receiving yards in a sixth overall season. Lofton and Sharpe each had five 1,000- yard campaigns. Extended another Packers record by recording his fifth consecutive season ( ) with 1,000 receiving yards. For the seventh time had 50-plus receptions in 2008, tying a franchise record. Lofton and Sharpe each had seven seasons with 50-plus catches. Driver (33 catches) is on pace to eclipse the mark for an eighth season. Is the all-time leading receiver at Lambeau Field, with 4,131 career receiving yards at the stadium. Also is Lambeau Field s all-time leader in receptions with 296. Stands at No. 3 with 18 touchdown receptions at Lambeau Field. Antonio Freeman (36) ranks first in the stadium s history, while Sharpe (20) is No. 2. Has 21 career 100-yard receiving games, No. 4 in team history. Needs three more games to equal No. 3 Don Hutson (24) on the all-time list. With 46 career TD receptions, joins Hutson (99), Sharpe (65), Freeman (57), Max McGee (50), Lofton (49), Billy Howton (43) and Boyd Dowler (40) as the only Packers with 40 career TD catches. Ranks fourth all-time in yards from scrimmage with 8,748. Driver needs 965 yards to move past No. 3 Jim Taylor (9,712). 88 JERMICHAEL FINLEY His 15.3-yard average per catch ranks second among NFL tight ends. Tied a franchise record for receiving yards by a tight end (Jackie Harris, 128, Oct. 10, 1993, vs. Denver) with 128 receiving yards in Week 4. His 62-yard touchdown was the longest reception by a tight end since 1993 (Jackie Harris, 66t, Oct. 10, 1993). 25 RYAN GRANT Enters with 2,684 career rushing yards. With 1,200 yards this season, would become only the third player in franchise history to post back-to-back seasons of 1,200-plus rushing yards (Ahman Green, ; Jim Taylor, ). Became the eighth back in franchise history to surpass 1,000 yards in a season in 2008, making it the 20th such season by a running back in Packers history. In his first two NFL seasons, totaled 2,159 rushing yards. That ranked eighth among all NFL players over that period. Has yard games in his career. When he gets 22 carries or more, the team is 9-1 (10-1 incl. playoffs). Established a new career-high at Minnesota in Week 4 with 50 receiving yards. 34 AHMAN GREEN Needs 45 rushing yards to surpass No. 1 Jim Taylor (8,207) on the franchise s all-time list. Green is No. 2 with 8,163. Surpassed Taylor (1,811 attempts) for the franchise mark in career carries. Green has 1,812 career attempts. His 10,883 yards from scrimmage also is a franchise best. 31 AL HARRIS Has 119 career starts. Needs to return one interception for a touchdown to tie No. 7 Charley Brock, Doug Hart and Ken Ellis (all with three) on Green Bay s all-time career list. With a second TD on an interception, would match No. 5 Johnny (Blood) McNally and Nick Collins (4). 50 A.J. HAWK Has played in all 55 games in his career, including 53 starts. Tallied over 120 tackles in each of his first three seasons. 85 GREG JENNINGS His 15 catches of 40-plus yards from was tops in the NFL. He has three so far in 09. With 1,200 yards receiving, would become just the fourth player in franchise history to post 1,200 receiving yards in back-to-back seasons (Sterling Sharpe, ; Antonio Freeman, ; Donald Driver, 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