PRESEASON REGULAR SEASON

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1 Packers Public Relations Lambeau Field Atrium 1265 Lombardi Avenue Green Bay, WI / / fax Jeff Blumb, Sarah Quick, Adam Woullard, Rob Crane, Mike Spofford, Jeff Harding, Aaron Popkey VOL. X; NO. 1 GREEN BAY, APRIL 15, NFL SCHEDULE FOUR PRIMETIME GAMES HIGHLIGHT 2008 SCHEDULE The Green Bay Packers 88th regular-season schedule highlighted by three Monday Night Football contests on ESPN and one Sunday night game on NBC was released today by the NFL. The Packers will kick off the 2008 season with a nationally televised Monday Night Football contest against the rival Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. The Sept. 8 game will be the fourth season opener in club history under the bright lights of Monday night. Green Bay is 3-0 in its previous Monday night openers. It will be the 16th consecutive season with an appearance on MNF for the Packers, the NFC s longest active streak. Though Head Coach Mike McCarthy has twice coached on MNF with the Packers, it will mark the first Monday night game at Lambeau Field for McCarthy. The Packers last Monday night home game came in 2005, also against the Vikings. The Dallas Cowboys travel to Lambeau Field for a Sunday night showdown in Week 3. It is the third consecutive year the Packers will play in a Sunday night game on NBC, and the second consecutive season they line up against the Cowboys in primetime. Green Bay plays its third primetime game in Week 12 when it travels to New Orleans for the first time since The MNF game marks McCarthy s return to New Orleans for the first time since serving as the Saints offensive coordinator for five seasons ( ). The fourth primetime game and third Monday night contest comes in Week 16 and showcases the NFL s most historic rivalry: Packers vs. Bears. No two professional football teams have met on the field more than Green Bay and Chicago, and this December contest marks the 177th installment in the series. Green Bay last played in four primetime games in 2005, when it also played three Monday Night Football games in addition to one Sunday night contest. AT FIRST GLANCE The Packers last opened against two divisional opponents in 2003, also against Minnesota and Detroit. For the first time in team history, the first two games at Lambeau Field will be in primetime. The Packers will be tested early, as five of their first eight contests come against playoff teams in 07. They face just one 07 playoff team in their final eight games. Green Bay s bye week which falls in Week 8 is the latest open date since 2004, when the bye fell in Week 9. This season s schedule rotation matches up arguably the strongest division in the AFC, the South, against the NFC North. The AFC South sent three teams to the postseason in 07 (Colts, Jaguars and Titans), and its teams finished a combined (.656) last season. The Houston Texans will make their franchise debut at Lambeau Field in Week 14. December is getting a bit predictable for the Packers. For the fifth straight season, they travel to Chicago and host Detroit. Though start times are subject to change due to NFL flexible scheduling, the Packers are slated for 10 noon starts. That s down from a year ago, when they kicked off 13 times (including Thanksgiving) at noon. PACKERS LOOK TO CARRY MOMENTUM INTO 08 Headed by a strong football operations led by McCarthy and General Manager Ted Thompson both of whom received five-year extensions this offseason the Packers enter 2008 with plenty of momentum. Faced with the reality of being the league s youngest team at the outset of the 07 season, the Packers surpassed nearly all expectations last season by reaching the NFC Championship Game. Winners of 17 of their last 20 regular-season games, the Packers return many of their core players from a year ago. With a number of veterans having left this offseason, most notably quarterback Brett Favre, Green Bay is almost assured to be among the league s youngest teams again in of 22 starters return, plus a number of young contributors who now seem poised to challenge for starting roles. The Packers currently hold eight selections in the NFL Draft later this month, including six picks in the first four rounds. Six of those picks are their own, while they also received Cleveland s second-round pick via trade and were awarded a fourth-round compensatory selection. The offseason workout program began March 17, while mini-camps and OTAs will begin later in the spring following the NFL Draft. PRESEASON Date Opponent Wis. Time TV Mon., Aug. 11 CINCINNATI BENGALS p.m. ESPN (Bishop s Charities Game) Sat., Aug. 16 at San Francisco 49ers p.m. state Fri., Aug. 22 at Denver Broncos p.m. state Thurs., Aug. 28 TENNESSEE TITANS (Gold pkg.) p.m. state (Midwest Shrine Game) REGULAR SEASON Date Opponent Wis. Time TV Mon., Sept. 8 MINNESOTA VIKINGS p.m. ESPN Sun., Sept. 14 at Detroit Lions noon FOX Sun., Sept. 21 DALLAS COWBOYS (Gold Pkg.).....7:15 p.m. NBC Sun., Sept. 28 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers noon FOX Sun., Oct. 5 ATLANTA FALCONS noon FOX Sun., Oct. 12 at Seattle Seahawks :15 p.m. FOX Sun., Oct. 19 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS :15 p.m. CBS Sun., Oct. 26 Open Date Sun., Nov. 2 at Tennessee Titans noon FOX Sun., Nov. 9 at Minnesota Vikings noon FOX Sun., Nov. 16 CHICAGO BEARS (Gold Pkg.) *12 noon FOX Mon., Nov. 24 at New Orleans Saints :30 p.m. ESPN Sun., Nov. 30 CAROLINA PANTHERS *12 noon FOX Sun., Dec. 7 HOUSTON TEXANS *12 noon CBS Sun., Dec. 14 at Jacksonville Jaguars *12 noon FOX Mon., Dec. 22 at Chicago Bears :30 p.m. ESPN Sun., Dec. 28 DETROIT LIONS *12 noon 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 Feb Super Bowl XLIII at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Feb AFC-NFC Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium, Honolulu

2 THE DOPE SHEET 2008 NFL SCHEDULE Pg STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE Though it faces six playoff teams from a year ago the same number of playoff teams on the 07 schedule Green Bay s 2008 schedule appears tougher on the surface than last year s slate. Strength of schedule is a subjective statistic because as coaches often say, it s not who you play, but when you play them. The overall schedule this season shows opposing teams with a combined mark of (.531) from last season. That s up from last year, when opponents had a (.492) record the previous season. In that same vein, the eight opponents coming to Lambeau Field (67-61,.523) have a stronger record than last year s home opponents (61-67,.477). So too are Green Bay s road contests, where the opponents appear stronger this year (69-59,.539) than last (65-63,.508). Last Overall Last Lambeau Field Lambeau Games 07 Record Meeting/Result Meeting/Result *Chicago /23/07 L, /7/07 L, *Detroit /30/07 W, /30/07 W, *Minnesota /11/07 W, /11/07 W, 34-0 Atlanta /13/05 W, /8/02 W, OT Carolina /18/07 W, /18/07 W, Dallas /29/07 L, /24/04 W, Houston /21/04 W, First Appearance Indianapolis /26/04 L, /19/00 W, Totals (.523) RESTORING THE LAMBEAU ADVANTAGE The Packers look to maintain their distinct home-field advantage as they welcome two playoff teams from a year ago the Cowboys and the Colts as part of the 2008 home slate. The Packers finished 7-1 at Lambeau in 2007, the best home record since the 2002 season, when they won all eight games at Lambeau Field. Green Bay heads into the 2008 season winners of nine of its last 10 regular-season home games, a streak that dates back to 06. Since the 1992 season, no team has enjoyed more success at home. A look at the top home W-L records over that period: Team W-L Record Pct. Green Bay Packers Denver Broncos Pittsburgh Steelers Kansas City Chiefs Minnesota Vikings Last Overall Last Meeting Games 07 Record Meeting/Result at Site/Result *Chicago /23/07 L, /23/07 L, 7-35 *Detroit /30/07 W, /22/07 W, *Minnesota /11/07 W, /30/07 W, Jacksonville /19/04 L, /3/01 W, New Orleans /17/06 L, /15/02 L, Tampa Bay /25/05 L, /16/03 W, Tennessee /11/04 L, /16/01 L, Seattle /27/06 L, /27/06 L, Totals (.539) Overall Schedule (.531) * NFC North contests GREEN BAY S NON-DIVISIONAL FOES, ATL CAR BUF MIA ARI STL NE NYJ NO TB NE NYJ SF SEA DEN KC ARI STL OAK SD DAL NYG JAC TEN PHI WAS HOU IND NO TB CLE PIT SF SEA BUF MIA PHI WAS OAK SD DAL NYG DEN KC ATL CAR HOU IND NO TB JAC TEN SF SEA BAL CIN ATL CAR BAL CIN ARI STL CLE PIT NOTE: The final two games on each schedule pair the Packers with the club from that division that finished in the same standing as Green Bay the previous year. In 2008, those clubs are Dallas (at home) from the NFC East and Seattle (on the road) from the NFC West. A NEW ERA BEGINS Fourth-year pro Aaron Rodgers is slated to become the first quarterback other than Brett Favre to start under center for the Packers since Sept. 20, 1992, when Don Majkowski started against the Cincinnati Bengals. Favre s amazing streak under center for the Green and Gold spanned 275 games (253 regular season, 22 playoffs). IT DOESN T ALL FALL ON RODGERS Lost in all of the offseason talk about the change at the quarterback position is just how talented a unit Aaron Rodgers inherits. Green Bay s top seven pass catchers return in 08, and the league s No. 2-ranked passing offense in 07 built its success by its receivers ability to run after the catch. The Packers amassed a league-best 2,294 yards after the catch, 51.4% of their total passing yards. The NFL average in 2007 was 1,596 yards. The only other teams to surpass 2,000 yards after the catch were New Orleans (2,112) and New England (2,052). The big-play ability of the Packers offense didn t come as a total surprise, as Green Bay finished second in yards after the catch, behind New Orleans, in Also returning is running back Ryan Grant, an emerging star who carries a streak of six consecutive games with a rushing TD into 08. Inserted into the lineup in Week 8 at Denver, Grant responded with five 100-yard performances. Over the course of the final 10 weeks of the regular season, his 929 rushing yards was second in the NFL to LaDainian Tomlinson s 947 yards. What s more, all five starters return from the offensive line, including stalwart tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher. It will be the unit s third year together on the line, and there is considerable young talent that will push for playing time this summer. AP

3 Pg NFL SCHEDULE THE DOPE SHEET IN FRONT OF A NATIONAL AUDIENCE Some may have guessed that with the retirement of Brett Favre, the Packers would be less likely to play on the national stage. Not so, as the TV networks will have them play in front of a national audience six times in With the advent of flex scheduling, that number can also increase should a late-season game get flexed to primetime. In addition to the four primetime games, the Packers will face the Seahawks in Week 6 in the FOX national game. The Week 7 matchup at Lambeau Field against the Colts will serve as the CBS national game. TOPS IN THE FREE AGENCY ERA The Packers own more NFL championships (12) than any other franchise, but it s not all about past glory for the Green and Gold. Talk of unrestricted free agency in the early 90s led many to believe small-town Green Bay would be the first franchise to fold. Since the advent of free agency in 1993, the Packers own the best W-L record in the NFL. They have captured seven division titles in that time. The Packers have won 10 or more game in nine seasons since A look at the most successful teams in the free-agency era shows eight of the last 11 Super Bowl champions, beginning with Green Bay s 96 title: Team W-L Record Pct. Green Bay Packers New England Patriots Pittsburgh Steelers Denver Broncos Indianapolis Colts Kansas City Chiefs Philadelphia Eagles GOT TICKETS? With a home schedule that has traditional rivals such as the Bears, Lions and Vikings, and includes visits from top teams such as the Cowboys and Colts, tickets will be hard to find around Lambeau Field again this fall. Monday night, Sept. 8, against the Vikings will be the 270th consecutive sellout (254 regular season, 16 playoffs) at Lambeau Field. SUCCESS AGAINST THE AFC Green Bay swept its four games against the AFC West last season, just the second time since the 1970 merger that the club swept its opponents from the AFC. It also swept each of its AFC opponents in 95. Repeating that sweep may be considerably tougher in This season s schedule rotation pits the NFC North against the AFC South, a division that had three playoff clubs and whose teams finished a combined last season. Indianapolis arrival at Lambeau Field in Week 7 will be one of Green Bay s most highly anticipated matchups in 08, while the Houston Texans make their franchise debut at Lambeau in Week 14. The Packers travel to Tennessee in Week 9 and wrap up their AFC schedule in Week 15 at Jacksonville. TOUGH AFTER THE BYE Green Bay will have its bye in Week 8 this year and then return to the road for contests at Tennessee and at Minnesota. The Packers faced two road games after their bye last season (at Denver and at Kansas City) and were able to come away with victories in two of the league s toughest venues. In games immediately following the bye, the Packers have won nine of their last 12, including last season s dramatic Monday night victory over NFL FLEX SCHEDULING 101 For the third consecutive season, the NFL has built in a primetime flexible scheduling element on Sundays in Weeks Implemented to ensure quality matchups on Sunday night in those weeks, flex scheduling also gives surprise teams a chance to play their way onto primetime, much like the Packers did in 2006 in Week 17. What games can be flexed? Only Sunday afternoon games are eligible to be moved. Flexible scheduling will not be applied to games airing on Thursday, Saturday or Monday nights. Can games be switched from 12 p.m. to afternoon starts? The NFL has commonly moved games between noon CT and 3:15 p.m. CT on Sunday afternoons. The flex practice allows the NFL to employ flexible scheduling to include one of its primetime package of games on Sunday evenings. All flex changes must be announced 12 days prior to kickoff. Sunday afternoon games, as in the past, can still be moved between noon and 3:05 or 3:15 CT. So all flex changes will be announced with 12 days of notice? In Week 17, in order to ensure a Sunday night game with playoff implications, the decision to move the start time may be made on six days notice. Denver. Since 2001, Green Bay is 6-1 in games played after its bye week, tied for the second-best record in the league over that period. Recent success seems to come for the Packers in the second half of their schedule. In their first season under Head Coach Mike McCarthy in 2006, the team collected seven of its eight wins after the bye. Last season, it finished 8-2 after the bye. This decade (since 2000), the Packers over the balance of their season after the bye are a combined (.662). ROAD WARRIORS UNDER McCARTHY Green Bay has actually played better on the road (11-5) than at home (10-6) under McCarthy, and they ll need to rely on that road success in 08, as four of the six playoff opponents on the schedule come on the road. Games at Tampa Bay, Seattle, Tennessee and Jacksonville, all playoff participants in 07, should provide sufficient challenges for the Packers. Also included in the road schedule along with the traditional three NFC North rivals is a Monday night trip to New Orleans, the club s first trip to The Big Easy since McCarthy engineered a seven-game road winning streak over his first two seasons, the third-longest mark in team history. Twice the club has won eight consecutive road games ( and ). A look at the top road teams in the NFL since McCarthy took over in 2006: Team Record Pct. New England Dallas N.Y. Giants Green Bay Indianapolis New Orleans Chicago San Diego Carolina

4 THE DOPE SHEET 2008 NFL SCHEDULE Pg. 4 IN THE LEAGUE RANKINGS 2007 GREEN BAY (Team) Category NFC NFL Turnover Margin (+4) T 10T Total Offense (370.7 total yards per game) Rushing (99.8 net yards per game) Passing (270.9 net yards per game) Total Defense (313.3 total yards allowed per game) vs. Rush (102.9 net yards allowed per game) vs. Pass (210.4 net yards allowed per game) Third-Down Offense (42.6 percent conversion rate) Third-Down Defense (33.0 percent opponent conversion rate) Red-Zone Offense (54.0 percent TD percentage) Red-Zone Defense (48.8 percent opponent TD percentage) GREEN BAY (Individual) Category NFC NFL Rushing: Ryan Grant (956 yards) Passing: Brett Favre (95.7 passer rating) Receptions: Donald Driver (82) T Receiving Yards: Donald Driver (1,048) Sacks: Aaron Kampman (12) T Interceptions: Atari Bigby (5) T 23T McCARTHY TOPS THROUGH TWO Honored by the NFL Alumni and Motorola as the 2007 NFL Coach of the Year, Head Coach Mike McCarthy became the first Packers coach since Vince Lombardi to lead his team to a championship game in just his second season. With 21 regular-season wins, McCarthy tied Mike Sherman for the most wins by a Packers coach in his first two years. In his second season with the Packers in 1960, Vince Lombardi captured the Western Conference title before losing to Philadelphia, 17-13, in the NFL Championship. McCarthy captured the NFC North crown in his second campaign, something Sherman did not accomplish until his third season. Mike Holmgren won his first division title in Green Bay in his fourth season. A look at the most successful coaches in Packers history through their first two seasons in Green Bay: Coach W L T Pct Mike McCarthy Mike Sherman Vince Lombardi Mike Holmgren Dan Devine CHALLENGE FOR THE DEFENSE? STOPPING PRO BOWLERS As coaches for the NFC Pro Bowl squad in 2008, the Green Bay staff got an up close and personal look at some of the most daunting opponents this coming season. Stopping Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, the Pro Bowl MVP, heads the list as the Vikings travel to Lambeau Field for a nationally televised MNF matchup in Week 1. The Packers then travel to the HHH Metrodome in Week 10. Defensive coordinator Bob Sanders and his staff will face all three NFC Pro Bowl quarterbacks this season, a list that includes Dallas Tony Romo, Seattle s Matt Hasselbeck and Tampa Bay s Jeff Garcia. Also keeping the defensive coaches busy this offseason is the looming matchup against AFC Pro Bowl quarterback Peyton Manning in Week 7. Dallas brings in considerable offensive firepower in Week 3, as Romo is surrounded by a cast of Pro Bowlers including WR Terrell Owens,TE Jason Witten and RB Marion Barber. Another unfamiliar opponent that the defensive staff is probably spending a little extra time on this offseason? Manning comes into Lambeau Field with a pretty stellar offensive unit as well, complemented by WR Marvin Harrison, WR Reggie Wayne and RB Joseph Addai. And if that wasn t enough, defensive coaches also get the task of trying to contain QB Vince Young, QB Drew Brees, RB Reggie Bush and the backfield tandem of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. One defensive adjustment to watch this season is the implementation of the new defensive speaker system recently approved at the NFL meetings. Comparabale to the audio system in the quarterback s helmet, just how it affects the defensive calls remains to be seen. McCarthy said linebacker Nick Barnett was a prime candidate to have it installed, though that decision will be made later in the offseason. REMEMBER THE MONTH OF DECEMBER The NFL almost always comes down to the final month of the season, when teams are jockeying for division crowns and playoff seeding. In 2008, the Packers will play two AFC opponents the Texans and Jaguars as well as two division games against the Bears and Lions. December has always been a key month for the Packers, a team whose reputation seems to almost coincide with cold weather games. Since 1997, they own the league s best mark in games played in the final month (including regular-season games played in January) at New England s mark ranks second in the NFL during that time. McCarthy certainly has continued the tradition of December success. He is 7-2 in the final month of the season since coming to Green Bay. IN FINALES, NO ONE IS BETTER For the second consecutive season, the Packers welcome the Detroit Lions to Lambeau Field for the regular-season finale. Having won 17 consecutive games against the Lions in the state of Wisconsin should give the Packers plenty of confidence. So too should their recent record in regular-season finales. Green Bay has won 13 of the last 14 regular-season finales, including a victory over the Lions last season. The Packers last loss in a season finale came to the New York Jets in That 13-1 record in finales, dating back to 1994, is tops in the NFL over that period. The Redskins, with an 11-3 record, rank second. ALL QUIET ON THE TRANSACTION WIRE Despite the retirement of a sure-fire Hall of Famer, it has been a (relatively) quiet offseason in the offices at 1265 Lombardi Ave. For the second consecutive offseason, the team signed just one unrestricted free agent, agreeing to terms with linebacker Brandon Chillar. In four seasons with St. Louis, Chillar appeared in 63 games, including 40 starts. He is expected to push Brady Poppinga for playing time on the outside and should contribute immediately on special teams.

5 Pg NFL SCHEDULE THE DOPE SHEET 2007 REGULAR SEASON Date Opponent Result Att. Sun., Sept. 9 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES W, (70,598) Sun., Sept. 16 at New York Giants W, (78,701) Sun., Sept. 23 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (Gold Pkg.)..W, (70,733) Sun., Sept. 30 at Minnesota Vikings W, (63,779) Sun., Oct. 7 CHICAGO BEARS L, (70,904) Sun., Oct. 14 WASHINGTON REDSKINS W, (70,761) Sun., Oct. 21 Open Date Mon., Oct. 29 at Denver Broncos W, (77,160) Sun., Nov. 4 at Kansas City Chiefs W, (78,988) Sun., Nov. 11 MINNESOTA VIKINGS (Gold Pkg.).....W, 34-0 (70,945) Sun., Nov. 18 CAROLINA PANTHERS W, (70,805) Thurs., Nov. 22 at Detroit Lions (Thanksgiving)......W, (63,257) Thurs., Nov. 29 at Dallas Cowboys L, (64,167) Sun., Dec. 9 OAKLAND RAIDERS W, 38-7 (70,828) Sun., Dec. 16 at St. Louis Rams W, (66,008) Sun., Dec. 23 at Chicago Bears L, 7-35 (62,272) Sun., Dec. 30 DETROIT LIONS W, (70,869) POSTSEASON Date Opponent Result Att. Sat., Jan. 12 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS W, (72,168) Sun., Jan. 20 NEW YORK GIANTS L, (72,740) + overtime PRESEASON DATES, TIMES FINALIZED As previously announced, Green Bay will open up the preseason at Lambeau Field on Aug. 11 for a Monday Night Football contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Packers have designated the MNF preseason opener against the Bengals as the 48th annual Bishop s Charities Game, a charitable contest initiated in 1961 by Vince Lombardi and the Diocese of Green Bay that has raised more than $3.4 million. Green Bay and Cincinnati last met in the preseason in 2006, also a Monday night contest. In the second weekend of NFL preseason action, Green Bay will travel west to take on the 49ers in San Francisco on Sat., Aug. 16. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. The two clubs have not met in the preseason since The Packers then travel to Denver to face the Broncos in the third preseason contest on Fri., Aug. 22 at 8 p.m. CT. Green Bay and Denver last met in preseason action in The Packers and Titans will close out the preseason at Lambeau Field in the 59th annual Upper Midwest Shrine Game on Thurs., Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. The tradition, which began in 1950, has raised more than $3.1 million for the Midwest Shrine s burn centers and hospitals for crippled children. Green Bay has won four in a row, and eight of its last nine, in the Shrine series. The two clubs will meet in the preseason finale for a seventh consecutive year, as the league allows teams to determine one of their preseason opponents. All three will be broadcast by CBS Sports and Green Bay s WFRV-TV (Ch.5), in conjunction with Milwaukee s WTMJ-TV, over a nine-station network throughout the state of Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and Northeastern Minnesota. In addition to WFRV-TV and WTMJ-TV, the games are televised over WKOW/ABC, Madison, Wis.; WAOW/ABC, Wausau/Rhinelander, Wis.; WXOW/ABC, La Crosse, Wis.; WQOW/ABC, Eau Claire, Wis.; WYOW/ABC, Eagle River, Wis.; WJMN/CBS, Marquette, Mich.; and KQDS-TV/FOX, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis. WITH THE 30th PICK IN THE 2008 NFL DRAFT The Packers enter the 2008 NFL Draft to be held April at Radio City Music Hall with eight selections. Green Bay maintains its own pick in each round except for the sixth round. That pick was traded to the New York Giants on Sept. 1, 2007, for running back Ryan Grant. The Packers picked up an additional secondround pick, No. 56 overall, from Cleveland in the Corey Williams trade. A sixth-round pick by Green Bay in the 2004 draft, Williams spent four seasons with the Packers. The club placed the franchise tag on Williams on Feb. 20 and traded him to the Browns on March 1. In March, the Packers were awarded a compensatory selection in the fourth round, No. 135 overall. Armed with three selections in the top 60 and six picks in the first four rounds, general manager Ted Thompson and his personnel staff will go about finalizing their draft board in the coming weeks. Here s a look at where they are picking: Round Round # Overall # From Cleveland Compensatory Selection DEFENDING THEIR CROWN The Packers will have a new task under McCarthy this season defend the NFC North crown. And many will be watching, as two of those division games come in the setting of Monday Night Football. That defense begins immediately, as the Packers open up with two division opponents in the first two weeks of the season. They won t play a divisional rival again until Week 10, when they travel to the HHH Metrodome. They ll continue division play in Week 11 hosting the Bears before stepping out of division play for another month. In games that could ultimately decide playoff seeding and the division crown, the Packers travel to Chicago in Week 16 before wrapping up the season at home against the Lions. McCarthy s solid 9-3 record in the NFL s black and blue division is noteworthy because he s undefeated against two of the division opponents: Detroit and Minnesota. The Packers are just 1-3 against Chicago over the past two seasons. WITH A ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD The Packers play three games in domes this season at Detroit, Minnesota and New Orleans and will look to continue their recent success in domes. Green Bay has won nine of its last 11 games in domes, including all three last season (Detroit, Minnesota, St. Louis). 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

6 THE DOPE SHEET 2008 NFL SCHEDULE Pg. 6 GAME-BY-GAME CAPSULES Mon., Sept. 8 vs. Minnesota, 6 p.m., ESPN The Packers kick off the 2008 season with a Monday Night Football contest at Lambeau Field against the archrival Minnesota Vikings. The game marks the 95th meeting in the all-time series. The game marks the fourth MNF opener in club history, and the first Monday night game at Lambeau Field since the 2005 season, when the Packers lost to the Vikings It will be the sixth Monday night meeting between the teams, the first coming in The Vikings hold a 3-2 advantage in those contests. Head Coach Mike McCarthy has not lost to the Vikings (4-0) since taking over head coaching duties for the Packers. Green Bay s last fourgame winning streak over the Vikings came in the seasons. In a rivalry that has exhibited great parity over the years (Packers , including playoffs), Green Bay could establish the first five-game winning streak in the series since the seasons, when the Packers won five straight. All eyes will assuredly be on Aaron Rodgers, who is expected to become the first quarterback since Sept. 20, 1992, to start under center other than Brett Favre. The Packers are (.569) all-time in season openers but have lost three of their last five. Green Bay opens its season at home for the third consecutive season. Sun., Sept. 14 at Detroit, 12 p.m., FOX Continuing division play, Green Bay makes its annual trip to Detroit where it has won five of its last seven contests, including last season s Thanksgiving Day victory. McCarthy has not lost (4-0) to the Lions. Both he and Rod Marinelli took over their respective clubs prior to the 2006 season. No other NFL teams have played every year since 1932, when the Packers first met the Lions, then known as the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans. This meeting, their first of the season, marks Game No. 158 in the series. The Packers also opened their road schedule in Detroit in 05 and 06. Green Bay has won three of its last four road openers. Sun., Sept. 21 vs. Dallas, 7:15 p.m., NBC Last year s top two NFC playoff seeds, the Cowboys and Packers remain two of the conference favorites in 08 and will meet in primetime for the second consecutive season. Green Bay is 13-3 on Sunday night on the combined ESPN/TNT/NBC series, and will play on NBC for the third consecutive season. The most famous Wisconsinite in the NFL, Tony Romo, leads the Cowboys into Lambeau Field for a rematch of the NFC s most anticipated regular-season matchup of The Cowboys have never won in Green Bay (0-5), which includes a loss in the storied Ice Bowl in the 1967 NFL Championship. Five times they played the Packers in Milwaukee, winning three. Last year s showdown was only the second time since 1970 that two 10-1 clubs met in the regular season, with the Cowboys prevailing It was unquestionably the best test yet for Rodgers, who filled in for an injured Favre midway through the second quarter. Rallying the team from 17 points down to within three in the second half, Rodgers led the squad on three scoring drives in his most extended action to date. Sun., Sept. 28 at Tampa Bay, 12 p.m., FOX The Packers head south to Tampa Bay for the first time since 2003 to take on the Buccaneers, a former NFC Central rival. Prior to the 2003 victory on the road, Green Bay had lost five consecutive games at Tampa Bay. Former Packers assistant coach ( ) Jon Gruden will face Green Bay for the fifth time as an NFL head coach. Gruden is 2-2 against the Packers, having coached against the Packers once as head coach in Oakland (1999) and three times with the Buccaneers. The trip to Tampa Bay is the first of four road games against 07 playoff teams. Sun., Oct. 5 vs. Atlanta, 12 p.m., FOX The Falcons travel to Lambeau Field for the first time since the 2002 Wild Card Playoffs, when Atlanta became the first NFL opponent to win a postseason game at Lambeau Field. Previously undefeated in Lambeau Field playoff games (13-0) and undefeated at home that season (8-0), the Packers fell behind early to Michael Vick and the Falcons and never recovered. The Falcons had traveled to Lambeau Field earlier that season their last regular-season visit with the Packers prevailing in overtime. An entirely different Falcons club under new head coach Mike Smith makes its way to Green Bay this fall, still trying to find a quarterback to replace the troubled Vick. Sun., Oct. 12 at Seattle, 3:15 p.m., FOX Green Bay heads to the Pacific Northwest in the nationally televised FOX afternoon game to take on former head coach Mike Holmgren, who announced this offseason that 08 would be his final year on the sidelines in Seattle. Holmgren spent seven seasons ( ) in Green Bay, leading the team to three NFC Championship Games, two Super Bowls and one World Championship (SB XXXI). The two squads last met in the 2007 Playoffs in the Divisional round, where Green Bay defeated Seattle, 42-20, in blizzard-like conditions at Lambeau Field. The Packers last trip to Qwest Field, a Monday night showdown in 2006, was their first-ever appearance at the stadium. They are 4-2 against the Seahawks since Holmgren became coach in Though the game marks only the 14th time the clubs have met, both regular-season and playoffs, much of Seattle s coaching staff, front office and even their starting quarterback began their NFL careers or built their reputations with a stop at 1265 Lombardi Ave. Packers General Manager Ted Thompson, awarded the 2007 George Young NFL Executive of the Year by The Sporting News, spent five seasons ( ) as the Seahawks vice president of football operations. Sun., Oct. 19 vs. Indianapolis, 3:15 p.m., CBS The Colts travel to Lambeau Field for a highly anticipated matchup between two of the NFL s strongest teams in Both the Packers and Colts earned their respective conference s No. 2 playoff seed last season. Peyton Manning, now the NFL s active leader in nearly every passing category with the retirement of Favre, makes his second career appearance at Lambeau Field. If anyone might challenge Favre s records it would be Manning, who enters 2008 already ranked fourth in career TD passes (306) and ninth in career passing yards (41,626). About to begin his 11th season, Manning must stay healthy the Tennessee product has started 160 consecutive games, the second longest streak at the quarterback position to Favre s 253. The Packers-Colts rivalry, a series first initiated in 1953 when the Colts called Baltimore home, has exhibited great parity. In both regular season and postseason play, the series stands even at The Packers won the only postseason meeting, in 1965, the Western Conference Championship. Sun., Oct. 26 Open Date

7 GAME-BY-GAME CAPSULES Pg NFL SCHEDULE THE DOPE SHEET Sun., Nov. 2 at Tennessee, 12 p.m., FOX The Packers head to Nashville for just the second time in franchise history to take on the Titans in Week 9. The only holdover from the preseason schedule, coaches will undoubtedly play it close to the vest in the Aug. 28 matchup. The Packers are just 1-2 vs. the Titans since the franchise moved from Houston to Tennessee in Both general managers know a little something about the opposing club. Thompson played 10 years ( ) as a linebacker for the Houston Oilers, while Titans GM Mike Reinfeldt spent eight years working at 1265 Lombardi Ave., as Chief Financial Officer ( ) and Vice President of Administration ( ). Sun., Nov. 9 at Minnesota, 12 p.m., FOX The arch-rivals wrap up the season series in Week 10 at the HHH Metrodome, where the Packers have won four of the last five. Their current streak at the Metrodome (4-1) is their winningest in two decades. The Packers best five-year stretches at the stadium, which opened its doors in 1982, were their first five games under the dome from (4-1), and a 4-1 mark also in the early years ( ) of the stadium. The annual Minnesota trip marks game No. 96 in the all-time series. Sun., Nov. 16 vs. Chicago, *12 p.m., FOX The NFL s greatest rivalry is back for the 176th installment in the Chicago- Green Bay series. No two professional football teams have met on the field more than the Packers and Bears. Chicago and Green Bay have dominated the NFC North since the NFL realigned the divisions prior to the 2002 season. The Bears have twice won the division ( ), while the Packers have captured the division crown four times ( ; 2007). With a sweep last season, the Bears have extended their lead in the NFL s richest rivalry to 10 games, The last time Green Bay led the series? On the heels of its three straight NFL championships, 1932, when the Packers led The Bears look for their fifth straight victory at Lambeau Field, a winning streak they last accomplished in the series from Mon., Nov. 24 at New Orleans, 7:30 p.m., ESPN For the first time since 2002, the Packers travel south to the Superdome, where they are 6-4 all-time against the Saints. Prior to 2002, their last appearance at the Superdome came in Super Bowl XXXI, when the Packers defeated the Patriots for their 12th world championship. Rodgers made his professional debut against the Saints in 2005 and completed his only pass. McCarthy returns to New Orleans for the first time since serving as the Saints offensive coordinator for five seasons ( ). In his first job as a coordinator, McCarthy guided the Saints offense to the most prolific era in the team s four-decade history, as the Saints set 10 offensive team records and 25 individual records. The game also matches up two of the game s young accomplished coaches with McCarthy and Sean Payton (Payton is seven weeks younger than McCarthy). Both have led their teams to an appearance in the NFC Championship Game, in addition to capturing Motorola Coach of the Year honors. Sun., Nov. 30 vs. Carolina, *12 p.m., FOX Carolina makes an appearance at Lambeau Field for the second consecutive season. A familiar non-divisional opponent, the clubs will be meeting for the 11th time in 13 seasons. This will mark the fourth game the two clubs have played at Lambeau Field, with the Packers holding a 3-1 advantage. Green Bay defeated Carolina last season in Week 11. The first ever meeting between the two clubs came in the 1996 NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field. Green Bay overcame two early deficits to earn the first Super Bowl berth in 29 years. The game could see McCarthy matched up against former pupil Jake Delhomme, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Delhomme spent three seasons in New Orleans ( ) under McCarthy s tutelage before moving onto Carolina in 03, where he led the club to a Super Bowl berth and earned Pro Bowl honors. Sun., Dec. 7 vs. Houston, *12 p.m., CBS The Houston Texans franchise makes its debut at Lambeau Field, the league s longest tenured stadium. The Texans are the only NFL club yet to play at the famed stadium. It will be the second meeting between the two clubs. The Packers came away victorious in the 2004 meeting at Reliant Stadium. The game marks the return of running back Ahman Green, who spent seven seasons ( ) as a member of the Packers. Green is the only Packers running back in team history to post six 1,000-yard seasons, and his outstanding 2003 campaign (1,883 yards) remains a franchise best. Sun., Dec. 14 at Jacksonville, *12 p.m., CBS Green Bay faces its final AFC South opponent in Jacksonville, a team it has met just three times prior. Neither team has been victorious at home during the series. Green Bay won the first two games in Jacksonville, 24-14, Sept. 24, 1995, and 28-21, Dec. 3, The 95 victory gave Green Bay sole possession of first place in the NFC Central for the first time in 17 years. The Jaguars won in their only appearance in Lambeau Field, 28-25, Dec. 19, Mon., Dec. 22 at Chicago, 7:30 p.m., ESPN Green Bay and Chicago square off on the Monday night stage for the ninth time in the rivalry s history. Green Bay leads the Monday night series (5-3), which includes five straight Packers wins. The last came on Sept. 29, 2003, a Green Bay victory at Soldier Field. Though they lost last year s game at Soldier Field in arctic conditions, the Packers have won 12 of the last 15 meetings at the Chicago stadium. Brett Favre and Robert Brooks made MNF history for the longest pass completion, a 99-yard scoring strike at Chicago on Sept. 11, The play stands today as the Packers franchise record and tied for the NFL record. Sun., Dec. 28 vs. Detroit, *12 p.m., FOX Green Bay hosts NFC North rival Detroit in December for the fifth consecutive season. The Lions have not won in the state of Wisconsin since 1991, a streak that spans 17 consecutive Packers victories and seven Lions head coaches. The Packers dominance in the series hasn t been limited to the state of Wisconsin they ve won 13 of the last 15 overall meetings. The first win in the streak against the Lions in Wisconsin was a victory at County Stadium in Milwaukee on Dec. 6, Take away Green Bay s 1994 playoff win over Detroit, and the Packers 16 straight regular-season home wins over the Lions ranks second among active NFL streaks. Only Washington s streak of 18 consecutive regular-season wins over Detroit is longer.