- The Packers have outgained opponents in six of eight games this season, including today.
- Green Bay is the first 1-7 team in NFL history to outscore its opponents (168-159; Elias Sports Bureau).
- Donald Driver extended his streak of games with a reception to 56. The stretch is the fourth longest in Packers history. Next up on the list are Hall of Famer James Lofton (58), current running backs coach Edgar Bennett (60) and all-time leader Sterling Sharpe (103).
- With a first-quarter field goal, Ryan Longwell became the first player in Packers history to score 1,000 points. He is the 35th player in league annals to reach the milestone. Longwell needed two points coming into the contest.
- Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila now has sacked Charlie Batch five times. Only Daunte Culpepper (six) and Brad Johnson (five) have been sacked as many times by the defensive end.
- Brett Favre's streak of 24 games (27 including playoffs) at Lambeau Field with a touchdown pass came to an end today.
- Antonio Chatman surpassed No. 5 Jonnie Gray (85) on the Packers' all-time punt return list with his four returns today. Chatman now has 88 returns.
- Chatman had a career-long 36-yard punt return in the fourth quarter.
- DT Cullen Jenkins blocked a Pittsburgh field goal attempt at the start of the fourth quarter. It marked his third blocked kick of the year, including his two blocked PAT attempts this season.
- RB Samkon Gado scored his first NFL touchdown on a 1-yard rush in the third quarter.
- LB Robert Thomas made his first career interception in the first quarter.
- RB Walt Williams notched his first career catch, a 19-yard reception, in the third quarter.
HEAD COACH MIKE SHERMAN:
(on Robert Ferguson playing) "I think Ferguson is really close. He was politicking this morning to play today but the doctor said he was not going to let him play, he thought it was way too soon."
(on why the Packers did not attempt field goals) "I didn't feel like we could make it at that point. I did not feel the confidence level that it was a makeable field goal. Going into the game, the wind was such that it wasn't at all (a factor) and then the wind changed a little bit to our advantage but still didn't feel like it was makeable at that distance."
(on if the veteran players are trying to do too much or losing interest) "I don't think that anyone is losing interest. There is absolutely no concern of mine on that. I would say that is not an issue. I think they fought hard, but we made mistakes in this ballgame and in our position every mistake is a pivotal one. We talked before the season started about fine line plays that make a difference in a ballgame and because of where we are it is very difficult to overcome negative plays. We have had a hard time with that. Maybe in the past something could have happened like that, but we haven't overcome it very well this year."
(on the talk in the locker room) "I told them that I could handle almost everything with my job in regards to dealing with the media, dealing with criticism, dealing with all the things that come with being a head coach at 1-7. But what I have a hard time with is getting in front of them after a loss like that and explaining it to them and talking to them and seeing their disappointment and knowing they tried extremely hard to win the football game and talking to them the night before and the excitement and the challenge that will present them playing a team like Pittsburgh at home and the opportunity to win one at home for our fans and seeing the disappointment in their eyes and then the demeanor in the locker room. That is what I talked to them about, that it was a tough thing for me."
QUARTERBACK BRETT FAVRE:
(on what he is going through emotionally) "I think it is pretty simple. If anyone else was standing up here in my shoes and had the success that I have had and this team has had, 1-7 is not acceptable but it is reality. I think the one thing that people can't say about this team or individuals is that the effort has not been there. I always feel like there is something else that I could have done to make a difference. I have said that about every game I have played in this year and I have said it about games that we have won. We have only won one this year but I have said it in that game. Now that we are 1-7 it is easier to second guess. I think more so now than any other time with the new guys we have in there and with the offense struggling I have taken more responsibility to lead us and make those plays and that has not been the case and that is disappointing, but I try my best not to beat myself up over it. I know I am a winner and I know I do the things that it takes to win and with that in mind that is what is so disappointing. I have always felt that when I am on the field, I give this team the best chance to win and will give the best effort and be as physically and mentally as prepared as I have ever been. Being 1-7 it is tough to accept but it is a reality. I am sure there is always something else that I can do but I have to remind myself that I have said that in previous years."
(on accepting the fact that the season will be harder with the loss of players) "I don't want to accept the fact that those guys are not here and therefore it is going to be that type of season. As the leader of this team you can't accept that. Yeah it will be much more difficult I think, but doable. We knew going into this week's game and last week's game even with all of our guys that the schedule gets much tougher. It seems that each week the defenses we play get better and better. We have to score points in order to win. I thought our defense played outstanding. They played well last week. We have to help them out. When we have an opportunity like we had today we have to somehow come away with points. When you don't have all of your guys in there you can say "I thought he was going to do this, he did that" and that may be the case but we have to accept that. I thought the guys that stepped in for us today, Sam (Gado) played his heart out, I was so proud of him. Our offensive line played hard. The bottom line is that we didn't make enough plays. I give a lot of credit to Pittsburgh, they made plays when they needed to, we didn't, but we can't throw to Donald all the time. We try to spread it around. We have to find guys that can make plays and give them opportunities. We have got to give an opportunity and if it doesn't work, you go to someone else or find another play."
WIDE RECEIVER DONALD DRIVER:
(on his tipped pass that was eventually intercepted) "I didn't see (the ball) until the last minute, and me being the person I am, I stuck my hand up there and tried to catch it. (The ball) just came off of them. I put this one on mine, and if I make that one, we win the game."
(on the feeling losing can create in a locker room) "It's numb. Guys have to figure out within themselves how to get better. Like I said before, if I make that play who knows, we probably win the game."
(on what you play for when your record is 1-7) "You still play to win. We have pride. That's one thing about the organization, we have pride. And we have to make sure we continue (to keep) our pride around here. I've never been 1-7 and this one hurts worse than anything."
(on the play of Samko Gado) "(Gado) came out and played well. He ran the ball well. That tells you right there, we still had the running gaming going regardless of the situation. Offensively, we just make some penalties. Turnovers here and there cost (us) the game."
KICKER RYAN LONGWELL:
(on attempting kicks on the last few drives and whether Coach Sherman has confidence in him) "By no means was 49 yards into that wind in range (for us). I know we should have made the kick (we missed.) We had a great first field goal. We're not as consistent as we've been over the years, but we'll just keep swinging away. Hopefully we get some good breaks."
(on any problems with the holds on field goal attempts) "No, not at all. Good snap, good hold and BJ (Sander) has really done a great job the last few weeks. Like I said, we had a good pregame (warm-up), the first field goal was perfect, but the last one just wasn't meant to be."
(on the team's confidence level) "You just keep fighting. If you ever played any sport in your life or athletic in any nature, you want to win. And to be where we are, none of us would have written this script, but it's what we're dealt. We just keep coming into work, keep fighting, and we all have to look at ourselves and see how we can improve. We just have to do our part."
TACKLE MARK TAUSCHER:
(on how to eliminate penalties) "We've tried everything. Every person just has to focus in and eliminate them because they have a sore spot, especially today. We had way too many. Even with that said, we were able to overcome some of them, the ones down on the goal line and get the ball in. We're not doing enough things to win, and in the same respect, we're doing enough things to lose. That's been the recipe for disaster. We continue to turn the ball over, we continue to have penalties and we're not making any plays. When you mix those up, you don't have a lot of success."
(on the offensive frustration) "Pittsburgh is a very good team and they are very physical. We thought we could do some things running the ball and have some success. Like I said, nothing sustained. I think we had a 19-play drive and came away with not points. When you do those things, that's the reason you lose. When you can go 19 plays against a defense of that caliber, continue to move the ball, and then not have any points come out of it...that's a microcosm of where we are at."
(on the running game) "I don't think we had as much success as we had hoped coming in. We felt like we could do some things today and Gado did do a nice job when he was in there. We just have to sustain it. We're just don't have an identity as far as what we want to do."
(on preparing for different starting running backs) "The plays don't get blocked differently if we have Ahman (Green) in there or Gado in there. The coaches might have some different stuff for different people, but I thought the guys that were in there ran hard. If we get holes for people, they are going to do some good things."
LINEBACKER ROBERT THOMAS:
(on his interception) "There were two receivers together and I knew one of them had an inside break. I kind of set the quarterback up and he took that bait."
(on whether the offense's turnovers hurt the defense) "That's something that happens. If the offense gives up a turnover, the defense has to step up. It's a team effort. If the defense gives up a big play, we hope the offense can go out there and score a touchdown."
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN AARON KAMPMAN:
(on how the team has to change to win) "We have to really just keep the faith and despise losing. It's getting to the point where we have to continue to fight against making losing a routine or anything like that, and we will. Again, we have to play smarter football. I don't want to take anything away from Pittsburgh, but we again gave them opportunities to take the lead and hold onto it. So we have to find a way to play smarter."
STEELERS HEAD COACH BILL COWHER:
(on the play of backup quarterback Charlie Batch) "He managed the game well. Certainly we didn't throw the ball for a whole lot of yardage. I like to think he will get better too. This was his first live action in a game, a hostile environment; I think he will get some confidence off of today. You have to be efficient throwing it certainly, but we did what we had to do today."
(on if the Steelers game plan was conservative) "It wasn't that conservative, I mean we had a good game plan. I think we had twenty plays in the first half. You obviously lose a possession when you return a fumble for a touchdown. They had the ball for like 19 plays to end the first half, so we really didn't have a chance to get into the game plan much. We did not have a conservative approach. That wasn't the thinking coming in. It may have unfolded that way, but that is kind of the way the game played out"
(on the Steelers penchant for making big plays) "It is good fortune. We came after Brett (Favre) because you cannot allow him to stand back there. He is going to complete a ball. I'd rather do it at least coming after him. He is going to make some plays and the longer he sits back there, the more chance he has of finding a hole, and he has a cannon of an arm. We were fortunate today, we got a couple of balls that bounced our way and we made the most of it. Brett Favre is what is right about the National Football League. I have nothing but tremendous respect for that guy."
STEELERS QUARTERBACK CHARLIE BATCH:
(on his first NFL start in four years) "It felt good to be back out there again. It is just one of those things, I was anxious to get the first snap out of the way, making sure I secure the snap and do my job. Once I got that out of the way, I was okay."
(on if the Packers defense prevented the Steelers from passing the ball) "We were trying to run the ball to wear them down. There were a couple of times when a receiver was open and I missed a couple passes there. I wish I could have those back just so we could have converted those third down opportunities. Most of the time it was just control the ball and try to keep our defense off the field."
(on how much confidence this win gives him) "It is big for me just because it has been awhile since I have been in there and it has been awhile since I have had a win while I was starting. It feels good to come in here and actually contribute to this football team and that is something that I really haven't been able to do on the field in the past four years."
STEELERS SAFETY TROY POLAMALU:
(on his 77-yard fumble return touchdown) "I missed the sack, which is very disappointing. Bryant (McFadden) and I, like all the other defensive backs, we look out for each other and we make up for each others' mistakes. He made a great play to cause the fumble. I saw the ball lying there, picked it up and ran."
(on if he thinks the Packers play like a team that only has one win) "Every game they have played in, they have been in. The one win they obviously blew somebody out, but by all means they have been in every game and I don't think they should be overlooked."
**
End of game.
**
Antonio Chatman's 36-yard punt return late in the 4th quarter was the longest of his career.
**
Cullen Jenkins logged his third blocked field goal (2 PATs) of the year, blocking Jeff Reed's 51-yard attempt to begin the 4th quarter.
**
End of 3rd quarter.
**
Packers DT Corey Williams left the game in the 3rd quarter with a calf injury. His return is questionable.
**
From the Pittsburgh bench, RB Willie Parker in the 3rd quarter left the game with an injured left ankle. His return is questionable.
**
Packers RB Samkon Gado in the 3rd quarter scored the first touchdown of his career (1 yd., 7:26 in 3rd).
**
From the Pittsburgh bench, LB James Farrior in the 3rd quarter left the game with an injured left knee. His return is questionable.
**
End of 2nd quarter.
**
WR Donald Driver left the game after landing on his neck during an attempt to catch a 33-yard pass from Brett Favre. He had the wind knocked out of him and returned just a couple of plays later. (Troy Polamalu was called for pass interference at the 3 yard line on the play.)
**
Robert Thomas' interception of Pittsburgh quarterback Charlie Batch was the first of his career. He returned it 24 yards to the Pittsburgh 36 yard line.
**
End of 1st quarter.
**
With his 40-yard field goal in the 1st quarter, Ryan Longwell became the first player in Packers history to score 1,000 points. Already Green Bay's all-time leading scorer, Longwell entered the game with 998 points.
**
The following Packers players are inactive for today's game:
Packer fans 12 and under can win the opportunity of a lifetime: Packers Honorary Kickoff Kid! One lucky fan will be selected for each 2006 home game to run onto the field after the Packers first kickoff to retrieve the tee. Each winner will receive the opportunity to be on the field during pre-game warm-ups, four (4) game tickets for the winner and his/her family, and a Packers Goodie Bag. Visit participating Shopko stores for your chance to win!
Crunch Time Catch
The Crunch Time Catch presented by Copps and Pick 'n Save gives two contestants the chance to show their skills catching punts. Both contestants will attempt to catch a thirty yard punt. If they succeed they move on to a sixty yard punt for the chance to win Packer prizes.
Nicolet Water Boy/Girl Sweepstakes
Win a chance to be the Official Water Boy/Girl of the Green Bay Packers. Children between the ages of 8 and 14 may enter by sending in an official entry form available at participating retailers.
Verizon Jr. Captain
For every home game one lucky Packers fan between the ages of 7 and 14 is selected to be the Verizon Jr. Captain of the game and join the team captains on the field during the coin toss. Sign up at participating Verizon Wireless locations. verizonwireless.com
Badger Mutual Family of the Game
Seventh-graders in the state of Wisconsin are eligible to enter an essay contest to see their family named the Badger Mutual Insurance Family of the Game. Winners will receive four game tickets, pre-game VIP on-field passes, recognition on the video board during the game and much more. To enter, Wisconsin seventh-graders should write an essay of 500 words or less that tells "Why Education Is Important to Me." Print out a registration form on packers.com.
Kohl's Fan of the Game
Four randomly selected fans will be selected at every Packer home game to win Kohl's Gift Cards.
Coldwell Banker "Take it to the House"
Two lucky couples will have a chance to win a house courtesy of Coldwell Banker during halftime at every home game. The winning couple will receive either an Ariens snow blower or an Ariens lawnmower. Visit one of Coldwell Banker's Open Houses to sign up!
Kraft Best Seats in the House Sweepstakes
Watch the game from the "Best Seats in the House". Winners and a guest will watch the game from recliners in the stands. The area will also include a color TV and a fully catered picnic lunch. Entry forms available at participating retailers.
MasterCard Fan Photographer
All Associated Bank customers who make a signature-based transaction will automatically be entered into the sweepstakes. You and a guest will receive passes to be on the field for the Packers warm-up to take pictures that will be posted on Packers.com.
Miller Lite End Zone
Watch for Miller promotions throughout the season for a chance to be part of this exciting section.
Packers Dress Your Pet Contest
If your favorite pet likes to show his/her Packers spirit, send us a picture and see if he/she becomes a Packers Dress Your Pet winner.
Your pet could win the chance to debut their Packers pride on the Packers in-stadium TundraVision video board in addition to Packers.com, along with a Packers pet food bowl, pet leash and pet collar!
Packers Ultimate Playhouse
The Green Bay Packers have partnered with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, MasterFoods and Ashley Furniture to raffle off a 10'x10' playhouse which includes a couch, flat screen TV, Packers recliner and Packers memorabilia. Raffle tickets, priced at $1, will be available all season long at the house in the Atrium on game days and in the Packers Pro Shop on non-game days. A winner will be selected Feb. 16, 2007. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit Habitat for Humanity projects in northeastern Wisconsin.
