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 1921-24.
Honoring Calhoun, the first publicity director, the Packers are running this weekly feature as their release, which is being made available to fans exclusively on Packers.com.
A complete edition of the Dope Sheet will be available each week during the season in PDF format, located in the Packers.com Game Centers.
Here are some highlights from the Preseason Week 4 Dope Sheet:
THIS WEEK'S NOTABLES:
-The Packers and Titans conclude a fourth straight preseason. Tennessee has won the finale each of the last two years, including a win last season in Nashville. Rookie Craig Nall led Green Bay to a 21-20 win in 2002.
-After a 27-3 loss to the Patriots last week, Green Bay hopes to gain some momentum and sync headed into its regular-season opener, Sept. 11.
-Returning many of its key contributors to health, Green Bay could see most of its starting defensive unit on the field for the first time. The Packers also will look to return their No. 1 offense back to where it was before last week.
-Pro Bowl tight end Bubba Franks, who signed a multiyear contract Wednesday and passed his physical Thursday, is expected to make his 2005 preseason debut.
-Thursday will mark the final game for several players contending for spots on the 53-man roster. The team needs to reduce its roster by Saturday at 5 p.m. CDT.
WISCONSIN TELEVISION: The Packers television network, with play-by-play man Kevin Harlan, color commentator Bill Maas, sideline reporter Jessie Garcia, producer Ross Schneiderman and director Suzanne Smith. WFRV-TV's Larry McCarren, the team's radio analyst, joins the telecast for pregame, halftime and postgame segments. With the aid of a CBS crew that produces NFL games during the regular season, Green Bay's WFRV-TV and Milwaukee's WTMJ-TV will originate the telecast...Other members of the network: WKOW, Madison; WAOW, Wausau/Rhinelander; WXOW, La Crosse; WQOW, Eau Claire; WYOW, Eagle River; and WJMN, Marquette, Mich. ...NFL Network will re-air the game Saturday at 9 a.m. CDT, using the Titans' broadcast and announcers for the first half and the Packers' broadcast and announcers for the second half...Satellite coordinates for Thursday's game: IA-6, Transponder 9 (C-Band); Audio: 6.2 / 6.8.
LOCAL RADIO: Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since 1929, heads up the 62-station Packers Radio Network, with Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and Larry McCarren (color). Spanning five states, the network covers 50 markets in the upper Midwest. The broadcast also is available to NFL Field Pass subscribers on packers.com.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT
The Packers vs. Tennessee/Houston Oilers:
All-time regular season: 4-5-0
All-time, preseason: 2-3-0
All-time, Tennessee: 0-1-0
All-time, Houston: 3-0-0
Last meeting: Oct. 11, 2004, Lambeau Field; Titans won, 48-27
Last meeting, regular season, Nashville: Dec. 16, 2001, The Coliseum; Titans won, 26-20
Last meeting, preseason: Sept. 3, 2004, The Coliseum; Titans won, 27-7
COACHES CAPSULES
Mike Sherman: 55-31-0, .640, sixth NFL season, sixth with Packers
Jeff Fisher: 98-77-0, .560, 11th NFL season, 11th with Titans/Oilers
Head to Head: Fisher 2-0 vs. Sherman
vs. Opponent: Sherman 0-2 vs. Titans, Fisher 2-1 vs. Packers
MIKE SHERMAN...Is in his sixth year as the Packers' 13th head coach.
-Since the 1993 collective bargaining agreement, teams have made 84 coaching changes and only Sherman's tenure has produced winning records in each of its first five seasons.
-In 2004, his team became only the ninth in NFL history to reach the playoffs after a 1-4 start.
-Has led the Packers to three straight division titles (2002-04) for only the fourth time in team history, joining Vince Lombardi's three-time winners of 1960-62 and 1965-67, along with the 1995-97 division champs of Mike Holmgren. This season will attempt to do what no Green Bay head coach ever has done: lead his team to a fourth consecutive division championship.
-First tenure with Packers came as tight ends/assistant offensive line coach over the 1997-98 seasons, following 16 years as an assistant in the college ranks; coached in Green Bay's Super Bowl XXXII loss to Denver.
-In 2004 became the second-fastest head coach in team history to reach 50 career victories, doing so in his 78th contest; only Lombardi, with 50 wins in 66 games, did so quicker.
-Is 6-0 against teams in the Super Bowl the previous season.
JEFF FISHER...Officially became the franchise's 15th head coach in January 1995, after closing his first campaign with the Oilers as head coach/defensive coordinator (replaced Jack Pardee in November 1994).
-Holds the franchise mark with 98 wins over his 10-year coaching career and ranks third among NFL head coaches (Tony Dungy, Andy Reid) with 61 victories since 1999.
-Last year he became the fourth youngest coach (46) since 1960 to reach 90 regular-season victories (faster than all but John Madden, Don Shula and Bill Cowher).
-Over the last six seasons, Fisher has led the Titans to four playoff appearances, two AFC Championship Games, two division titles and a berth in Super Bowl XXXIV.
-Drafted by Chicago in 1981, he spent five seasons as a cornerback and kick returner for the Bears (1981-85). Assisted Buddy Ryan in Bears' 1985 Super Bowl championship season after being placed on injured reserve with ankle injury.
THE PACKERS-TITANS SERIES: During regular-season play, these clubs have met nine times. With a 48-27 win at Lambeau Field last year, Tennessee gained a 5-4 lead in the all-time series.
-At Lambeau Field, the Titans franchise has won four of five all-time regular-season games. Only the Chiefs (3-0) and Jaguars (1-0) own a better franchise winning percentage in Green Bay than the Titans/Oilers (4-1, .800).
-Ironically however, the Packers have enjoyed much more success against the Titans/Oilers on the road. Green Bay is undefeated in the city of Houston, with three wins there over the Oilers and a 2004 victory over the Texans. The Packers dropped their only regular-season game in Tennessee, a 26-20 setback in 2001.
-Since the franchise moved to Tennessee in 1997, Green Bay has lost two of three contests. Their only win was in 1998 at snowy Lambeau Field, the last Green Bay game for Reggie White and Mike Holmgren.
-Dan Devine launched the all-time series with a pivotal 23-10 win over Dan Pastorini's Oilers at the Astrodome in 1972. The victory helped keep the Packers in line for an eventual NFC Central title.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS: Brett Favre and Steve McNair are virtual neighbors in Hattiesburg, Miss.; the Pro Bowl quarterbacks also share the same agent, Bus Cook...Signed as a non-drafted linebacker by Bum Phillips, Packers General Manager Ted Thompson was one of the most durable players in franchise annals, playing in 146 of a possible 147 games...Tennessee wide receivers coach Ray Sherman held the same role in Green Bay from 2000-04...Safety Arturo Freeman spent the first half of the 2005 preseason in Green Bay...Punter/kicker Craig Hentrich owns the Packers' franchise records for gross average in a season (45.0, 1997) and a career (42.8, 1994-97)...Titans safeties and nickel backs coach Chuck Cecil was a fourth-round Green Bay draft pick and roamed the Packers secondary from 1988-92...Both defensive coordinators, Tennessee's Jim Schwartz and Green Bay's Jim Bates, were on Bill Belichick's Cleveland Browns staff in 1995...Titans cornerback Tony Beckham played collegiately at Wisconsin-Stout...Green Bay offensive line coach Larry Beightol coached under Fisher on the 1995 Oilers staff.
LAST MEETING: Oct. 11, 2004, Lambeau Field; Titans won, 48-27.
-Chris Brown's 148 yards and two touchdowns rushing helped the Titans to a decisive win over the Packers (1-4). Tennesse scored more points than any visiting team at Lambeau Field.
-Tennessee (2-3) halted a three-game losing streak and extended the Packers to their fourth straight loss; it marked Green Bay's first four-game slide since 1991 and its first 0-3 start at home in 16 years.
-The Titans posted points on five of their first six drives. Brown scored on the first two series, from 37 and 29 yards out.
-The Packers had six turnovers, including four in the second half. The Titans didn't turn the ball over at all.
-Steve McNair overcame chest and ankle injuries that had sidelined him the previous week. He threw two TD passes, an 11-yarder to Eddie Berlin and a 14-yarder to Troy Fleming.
-Brett Favre extended his NFL record with a 213th straight start, after he sustained a concussion the week before against the Giants. The quarterback also played shortly after the death of his 24-year-old brother-in-law.
LAST MEETING, TENNESSEE: Dec. 16, 2001, Adelphia Coliseum, Nashville; Titans won, 26-20. The loss ultimately cost the Packers the final NFC Central title. Despite handing Chicago (13-3) two of its three defeats that year, the Packers (12-4) settled for a Wild Card berth.
-Tennessee gave Mike Sherman one of four career losses Dec. 1 and later; the others were Dec. 29, 2002, at N.Y. Jets; Dec. 5, 2004, at Philadelphia; and Dec. 19, 2004, vs. Jacksonville. Sherman is 20-4 overall in that late-season period.
-Steve McNair threw for two TDs and 283 yards, and Skip Hicks added 142 yards on the ground.
-Minus four injured starters, the Green Bay defense was led by Vonnie Holliday (two sacks, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble).
-Ryan Longwell tied a franchise record with a 54-yard field goal.
