Dope Sheet: Packers take on the Browns at Lambeau

The Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns will face off on Saturday, marking just the third time the Packers will play on Christmas, having hosted the Bears in 2005 and 2011.

• Green Bay is 13-7 all-time against Cleveland, including 1-0 in the postseason.
• The Packers have won each of the last three matchups and five of the last six.
• The two teams last played in 2017, a 27-21 overtime victory by Green Bay in Cleveland.
• The Browns last played at Green Bay in 2013, a 31-13 Packers win.
• Green Bay will finish off its slate against the AFC North this week. The Packers are 3-0 against the division this season. 
• The Packers snapped the Ravens' 13-game winning streak against NFC teams. It was the longest streak by an AFC team vs. the NFC since New England's 17-game winning streak in 2005-09.
• The Packers play on a Saturday for the second straight season.
• This is Green Bay's 10th season with 10-plus wins since 2009, No. 2 in the NFL over that span behind only New England (11).

AGAINST THE AFC

• The Packers are facing their fifth AFC opponent of the season, having previously gone 3-1 against the conference this season.
• In each of the first two seasons (2019-20) under Head Coach Matt LaFleur, Green Bay finished 3-1 against the AFC, with a combined point differential of plus-63.
• Dating back to 2019, Green Bay is 9-3 against AFC opponents, a .750 winning percentage that is tied for No. 1 in the NFL over that span (Tampa Bay).
• Green Bay ranks No. 6 in the NFL in points per game (27.6) against AFC opponents since 2019. 
• QB Aaron Rodgers has registered a passer rating of 100-plus in eight of the last 11 games he has played against AFC teams (2019-21), throwing 30 touchdowns and four interceptions in those contests. The Packers are 9-2 in Rodgers' last 11 starts against AFC opponents.
• Rodgers ranks No. 2 in the NFL with a passer rating of 118.5 against AFC teams since 2019 (min. 200 pass att.).
• WR Davante Adams has recorded at least one receiving TD in six of the last eight games he played against AFC opponents, totaling nine receiving TDs over that span. In those eight contests, Adams has posted 100-plus receiving yards four times (196, 106, 142, 206) and six-plus receptions in each game (13, 8, 7, 11, 6, 11, 6, 6).
• Dating back to 2016, Adams (22 games played) ranks in the top two among NFC players in receptions (148, No. 1), receiving yards (1,828, No. 2) and receiving TDs (18, No. 1) against AFC teams.
• In his last 14 games played versus AFC opponents, RB Aaron Jones has recorded 10 TDs (six rushing and four receiving).

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

WITH THE CALL

FOX Sports, now in its 28th season as an NFL network television partner, will broadcast the game. 

• Play-by-play man Joe Buck joins analyst Troy Aikman with Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi reporting from the sidelines. The game is also available through Amazon Prime Video with your choice of announcers: Hannah Storm and Andrea Kremer, or the scouts feed with Bucky Brooks, Daniel Jeremiah and Joy Taylor.
• Westwood One will air the game on radio across the country. John Sadak (play-by-play) and Derek Rackley (analyst) will call the action with Scott Graham hosting pre-game and halftime shows.
• 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 23rd 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. Both McCarren and Larrivee are members of the Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
• The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (WTMJ feed).

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:

• Packers vs. Browns: 
• Regular season, all-time: 12-7
• All-time, postseason: 1-0
• All-time, in Green Bay: 3-1
• Streaks: The Packers have won the last three regular-season meetings and four of the last five.
• Last meeting, regular season: Dec. 10, 2017, FirstEnergy Stadium, Packers won, 27-21 (OT)

COACHES CAPSULES

• Matt LaFleur: 37-9-0, .804; (2-2 postseason); 3rd NFL season
• Kevin Stefanski: 18-12, .600 (1-1 postseason); 2nd NFL season
• Head to Head: LaFleur 0-0 vs. Stefanski 
• vs. Opponent: LaFleur 0-0 vs. Browns; Stefanski 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).

KEVIN STEFANSKI…In his second season as the Browns' 18th head coach.

• In his first season with the Browns, he led the club to their first playoff appearance since 2002 and first playoff victory in 26 years, earning him AP Coach of the Year. 
• Spent 14 seasons in various roles with the Minnesota Vikings prior to Cleveland. Joined the Vikings in 2006 as an assistant to the head coach and elevated up the coaching ladder, serving as assistant quarterbacks coach (2009-13), tight ends (2014-15) and running backs (2016). From 2017-18, he coached the quarterbacks and was named the team's offensive coordinator in 2019.

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt served in several coaching roles with the Packers including, running backs (2014), quarterbacks (2015, 2018-19), quarterbacks/wide receivers (2016-17)…Browns VP of player personnel Glenn Cook worked four seasons (2012-15) as a pro scout for the Packers…Browns C JC Tretter was drafted in the fourth round (122nd overall) in the 2013 Draft by Green Bay and played for the Packers from 2013-16…Packers assistant defensive backs coach Ryan Downard spent 2014-15 with the Browns as a defensive assistant and was also born in Lima, Ohio…Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski spent 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (2006-19) in various roles, where he coached with Packers defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Jerry Gray (2014-19), who was coaching the defensive backs…Gray also overlapped with Browns special teams coach Mike Priefer, who held the same role for the Vikings' from 2011-18, Browns pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach Jeff Howard, who was a defensive assistant (2013-19), and Browns TE coach Drew Petzing, who was an assistant wide receivers coach/quarterbacks coach (2014-18)…Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry coached linebackers for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2001-06, where he overlapped with Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods, who was serving as a defensive quality control coach from 2004-05…Packers linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti's father, Tom, was a defensive assistant coach for the Browns from 1985-86…Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan coached on the staff for the Washington Football Team (2015-19), coaching alongside Kirk Olivadotti (2014-18), who held the same role…Packers offensive line coach Adam Stenavich was an assistant offensive line coach with the San Francisco 49ers (2017-18), coaching with Browns defensive line coach Chris Kiffin, who was the 49ers pass rush specialist coach from 2018-19, and Browns offensive assistant T.C. McCartney, who was an offensive quality control coach (2017-18)…Packers C Josh Myers played at Ohio State…Packers head coach Matt LaFleur served as the offensive coordinator at Ashland (Ohio) University in 2007…Packers strength and conditioning coordinator Chris Gizzi was born in Cleveland, Ohio. and attended St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland…Packers quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Luke Getsy played quarterback at Akron University (2005-06) leading the Zips' first-ever Division I FBS bowl game…Packers wide receivers coach Jason Vrable played quarterback at Marietta College (Ohio) (2003-06) and coached the quarterbacks for one season in 2007…Packers defensive quality control coach Justin Hood is from Youngstown, Ohio, and played at Ashland University (2004-07)…Packers offensive quality control coach Tim Zetts is from Youngstown, Ohio, and spent two seasons (2015-16) as the offensive coordinator at John Carroll in Ohio…Browns area Scout Dan Zegers is from De Pere, Wis., and attended St. Norbert college.