The Green Bay Packers and New York Jets will face off at Lambeau Field late Saturday afternoon after practicing against each other a couple times this week (Aug. 18-19).
- This will be the ninth time the Packers and Jets have met in the preseason, with Green Bay holding a 6-2 advantage in the exhibition season.
- Saturday will be the first time since 2000 that the Jets and Packers have played in the preseason. That last meeting was also a Green Bay home game and the Packers won, 37-24.
- Green Bay has posted a .500-or-better record in the preseason each of the last six preseasons (2014-19).
- After the Jets game, the Packers will travel to New York to face the Buffalo Bills next Saturday at 12 p.m. (CDT), in the final game of the preseason.
- Postgame media availability on Saturday will be conducted with a combination of in-person media and via Zoom.
- This year is the debut of the new NFL schedule, consisting of three preseason games played in preparation for a 17-game regular season.
- Saturday's game will celebrate youth football as the Play Football Game, with the Packers welcoming eight different Wisconsin youth football organizations to attend the game. Throughout the preseason, 2,000 tickets were distributed to Wisconsin youth football organizations in 10 Wisconsin communities.
SAVE THE DATE
Important dates to remember (all times CT):
- Tuesday, Aug. 24 – Roster reduction to a maximum of 80 players by 3 p.m.
- Saturday, Aug. 28 – Final preseason game, at Buffalo Bills, 12 p.m.
- Tuesday, Aug. 31 – Roster reduction to a maximum of 53 players by 3 p.m.
- Wednesday, Sept. 1 – Upon receipt of the personnel notice, clubs may establish a practice squad
- Sunday, Sept. 12 – Regular-season opener at New Orleans Saints, Caesars Superdome, 3:25 p.m.
- Monday, Sept. 20 – Home opener vs. Detroit Lions, Lambeau Field, 7:15 p.m.
WITH THE CALL
Preseason games are televised over the 21-station Packers TV Network throughout the state of Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, northeastern Minnesota, Peoria in Illinois, Cedar Rapids-Waterloo, Davenport and Des Moines in Iowa, Omaha in Nebraska, St. Louis in Missouri, Bismarck, Fargo and Minot in North Dakota, Sioux Falls in South Dakota and Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau in Alaska.
The top-notch broadcast team includes CBS's Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) alongside fellow CBS broadcaster and Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver James Lofton (analyst), with former Green Bay fullback John Kuhn and Lance Allan of WTMJ-TV serving as the sideline reporters. Allan will also host an informative half-hour pregame show.
In addition to flagship station WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee and WGBA/NBC in Green Bay the game will be televised over, Wis.; WKOW/ABC, Madison, Wis.; WAOW/ABC, Wausau/Rhinelander, Wis.; WXOW/ABC, La Crosse, Wis.; WQOW/ABC, Eau Claire, Wis.; WLUC/NBC/FOX UP, Escanaba/Marquette, Mich.; KQDS-TV/FOX, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis.; WMDB/CBS, Peoria, Ill.; WHBF/CBS, Davenport, Iowa; KCCI/CBS, Des Moines, Iowa; KWWL/NBC, Cedar Rapids/Waterloo, Iowa; KTVI/FOX, St. Louis, Mo.; KETV/ABC, Omaha, Neb.; KNDB/BEK, Bismarck, N.D.; KRDK/BEK, Fargo, N.D.; KNDM/BEK, Minot, N.D.; KDLT/NBC, Sioux Falls, S.D.; KYUR/ABC, Anchorage, Alaska; KATN/ABC, Fairbanks, Alaska and KJUD/ABC, Juneau, Alaska.
This week's game against New York and next week's game at Buffalo will be simulcast across the nation on the NFL Network.
Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since November 1929, heads up the Packers Radio Network that is made up of 49 stations in four states. For a full listing of radio affiliates, go to www.packers.com. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 26th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 22nd season of broadcasts together. They surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers with 313 at the 2018 season opener against Chicago.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:
Packers vs. Jets:
- Regular season, all-time: 5-8
- All-time, Regular season, in Green Bay: 3-4
- Streaks: Green Bay has won three consecutive regular-season games against New York dating back to the 2010 season.
- Last meeting, regular season:
- Dec. 23, 2018, MetLife Stadium, Packers won, 44-38 (OT)
COACHES CAPSULES
- Matt LaFleur: 26-6-0, .813; (2-2 postseason); 3rd NFL season
- Robert Saleh: 0-0-0, .000 (0-0 postseason); 1st NFL season
- Head to Head: 0-0
- vs. Opponent: LaFleur 0-0 vs. Jets; Saleh 0-0 vs. Packers
MATT LaFLEUR…In his third season as the Packers' 15th head coach.
- In his 13th season in the NFL, having previously served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (Los Angeles Rams, 2017; Tennessee Titans, 2018), a quarterbacks coach for six seasons (Washington Football Team, 2010-13; Atlanta Falcons, 2015-16), and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston Texans, 2008-09).
- In his first two seasons leading the Packers, has authored one of the greatest starts to a head-coaching career in NFL history. For the second consecutive season in 2020, led Green Bay to a 13-3 record and captured the NFC North crown while also earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time since 2011. It was just the second time in team history that the Packers had won 13-plus games in back-to- back seasons (13-3 in 1996 and 1997).
- According to the Elias Sports Bureau, was the sixth head coach since 1970 to lead his team to the conference championship game in both of his first two seasons as a head coach, joining Jim Harbaugh (2011-12), Rex Ryan (2009-10), Barry Switzer (1994-95), George Seifert (1989-90) and Don McCafferty (1970-71).
- Became just the second NFL head coach since the league went to a divisional format in 1967 to win 13-plus games and a division title in both of his first two seasons, joining Seifert (1989-90).
- In his first season leading the Packers in 2019, became the first coach in club history to lead the team to the playoffs in his debut season. Also led the largest one-year win improvement in team history (plus-seven wins).
ROBERT SALEH…Named the head coach of the New York Jets on January 19, 2021.
- Entering his 17th season coaching in the NFL, Saleh spent the last four seasons as the defensive coordinator with San Francisco.
- Since 2017, his 49ers defense ranked third in the league in passing yards allowed (211.4), holding opposing quarterbacks to the eighth-lowest completion percentage (62.9%).
- Was a key part of the team's Super Bowl LIV run in 2019, where his defense finished second in total defense, first in passing defense and third in third-down defense, while producing 48 sacks, tied for the fifth most in the league, and 28 takeaways, the sixth most.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur's younger brother, Mike, is the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets…Matt LaFleur and Jets head coach Robert Saleh worked together as graduate assistants at Central Michigan and then again on the staff of the Houston Texans...Packers wide receivers coach Jason Vrable spent two seasons with the Jets' (2017-18) holding the position of offensive assistant…Packers outside linebackers coach Mike Smith worked three seasons with New York (2010-12), holding the titles of coaching intern (2010-11) and outside linebackers coach (2012)…Jets defensive backs/safeties coach Marquand Manuel spent one season of his eight-year NFL career with the Packers (2006)…Packers LB Rashan Gary is from Paramus, N.J. ...Packers DL Willington Previlon is from Orange, N.J. and played at Rutgers...Packers running backs coach Ben Sirmans hails from East Orange, N.J. …Green Bay strength and conditioning assistant Grant Thorne worked for the Jets' strength staff in 2010...Packers OL Ben Braden originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with New York, where he spent three seasons (2017-19) before joining the Packers in the middle of 2020…Jets OL Greg Van Roten played for Green Bay for two seasons (2012-13)...Packers senior analyst John Dunn spent 2019-20 seasons as the tight ends coach for the New York Jets…Green Bay TE Bronson Kaufusi spent the entire 2020 season on the Jets' practice squad…Packers personnel/football administration executive Chad Brinker originally entered the NFL as a undrafted free agent with the New York Jets as a running back in 2003…Packers personnel executive Lee Gissendaner spent three seasons as a national scout for the New York Jets (2015-17)...Jets college scout Alonzo Dotson spent five seasons and six drafts with the Green Bay Packers, working as a Midlands college scout, selecting players that helped the team to four playoff appearances, and three division titles…Jets QB James Morgan is from Green Bay, Wis. and played at Ashwaubenon high school…Packers LB Preston Smith played four seasons (2015-18) for the Washington Football Team, where he played alongside Jets WR Jamison Crowder…De'Vondre Campbell (2016-19) was teammates with Jets RB Tevon Coleman (2016-18) as members of the Atlanta Falcons, with both having key roles in the Falcons' 2016 Super Bowl appearance…Packers S Adrian Amos played with Jets TE Daniel Brown for two seasons (2017-18) with the Chicago Bears…Packers OL Dennis Kelly was teammates with Jets WR Corey Davis as members of the Tennessee Titans (2017-20)…Packers QBs coach/passing game coordinator Luke Getsy coached Davis for one season at Western Michigan as his WR coach in 2013...Kelly was also teammates with Jets DL Vinny Curry when both played for the Philadelphia Eagles (2012-15)…Several Packers coaches have held positions at New York colleges, including Nathaniel Hackett (Syracuse, 2010-12), Justin Outten (Syracuse, 2007), Vrable (Syracuse, 2009-10), Tim Zetts (Fordham (2012-14)…Former college teammates include: Packers QB Kurt Benkert and Jets CB Bryce Hall (Virginia); Packers RB Patrick Taylor and Jets DL Bryce Huff (Memphis); Packers RB AJ Dillon and Jets WR Jeff Smith (Boston College); Packers WR Equanimeous St. Brown and Jets RB Josh Adams and S Bennett Jackson (Notre Dame); Packers OL Royce Newman and Jets WR Elijah Moore (Mississippi); Packers CB Kevin King and Jets CB Corey Ballentine (Washington); Packers CB Jaire Alexander and Jets DL Sheldon Rankins (Louisville); and Packers S Darnell Savage and Jets RB Ty Johnson (Maryland).
