*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.*
THIS WEEK'S NOTABLE STORYLINES:
-Brett Favre makes consecutive start No. 250, including 20 playoff contests.
-Among recorded consecutive starts streaks, Favre is expected to pass former Oilers/Titans lineman Bruce Matthews on the league's all-time regular-season list. Only two regular-season streaks published by NFL teams are longer: the Vikings' Jim Marshall (270, 1961-79) and Mick Tingelhoff (240, 1967-78).
-Minnesota head coach Brad Childress, a longtime Wisconsin Badgers assistant, guides a Vikings team that includes Favre's former position coach Darrell Bevell (now Minnesota offensive coordinator), former Packers Pro Bowler Darren Sharper and Green Bay's all-time leading scorer Ryan Longwell.
-In the posterchild series for NFL parity, the teams have split 89 regular-season meetings (44-44-1), with the Vikings taking the lone postseason contest, in 2004. The Packers will attempt to tilt the balance beam back in their favor Sunday and keep Minnesota from a fourth straight series win, something neither team accomplished since Minnesota took four in a row from 1992-93.
-Green Bay and Minnesota have decided their last four regular-season games with a field goal at the end of the fourth quarter. Two of those tilts, both in 2004, were decided on the foot of Longwell, who signed with the Vikings as an unrestricted free agent in March. Paul Edinger did the honors twice last season. Since 1990, only one other series has experienced such late-game dramatics as often: former AFC West foes San Diego and Seattle.
TELEVISION: FOX Sports, in its 13th season as an NFL network television partner, will air the contest to a regional audience. In Wisconsin's two largest markets, FOX affiliates WLUK (Ch. 11) in Green Bay and WITI (Ch. 6) in Milwaukee will carry the game. The crew is anchored by versatile play-by-play man Kenny Albert. Former NFL lineman Brian Baldinger is the color analyst, Jay Glazer is on the sidelines, Pete Macheska will serve as producer and Michael Frank is the director.
-The contest also is available to DIRECTV(r) NFL?Sunday Ticket subscribers on Channel 705.
PACKERS RADIO: Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since 1929, heads up the 57-station Packers Radio Network, with versatile Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (color). Spanning six states, the 57-station network covers 47 markets throughout the upper Midwest.
-The broadcast also is available to NFL Field Pass subscribers on packers.com and NFL.com.
-Those with SIRIUS Satellite Radio can listen to live play-by-play as part of the network's NFL Sunday Drive. The Green Bay broadcast is available on Channel 122.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:
Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings:
All-time, regular season: 44-44-1
All-time, postseason: 0-1
All-time, in Minnesota: 21-23 (10-13 at Metrodome)
Streaks: The Vikings have won three straight, including 2004 NFC Wild Card Playoff
Last meeting, regular season: Nov. 21, 2005, Lambeau Field; Vikings won, 20-17
Last meeting, regular season, Minneapolis: Oct. 23, 2005; Vikings won, 23-20
Postseason meeting: Jan. 9, 2005, Lambeau Field; Vikings won 31-17 (2004 NFC Wild Card Playoff)
COACHES CAPSULES
Mike McCarthy: 3-5-0, .375, first NFL season
Brad Childress: 4-4-0, .500, first NFL season
Head to Head: (never met)
vs. Opponent: McCarthy 0-0 vs. Vikings; Childress 0-0 vs. Packers
MIKE McCARTHY...Is in his first year as the Packers' 14th head coach.
-Was named Packers head coach on Jan. 12, 2006, his first head coaching job after 13 years as an NFL assistant - all under head coaches with defensive backgrounds.
-One of those previous 13 years was with the Packers, as quarterbacks coach in 1999.
-Spent the past six seasons as an offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints (2000-04) and San Francisco 49ers (2005).
-Had not been a head coach at any level, having begun his coaching career as a college assistant at Fort Hays State (1987-88) and the University of Pittsburgh (1989-92) before breaking into the NFL as a quality control assistant with the Chiefs in 1993.
BRAD CHILDRESS...Is in his first year as the team's seventh head coach.
-Now in his 29th season of coaching, his ninth in the NFL, spent the previous seven years with Philadelphia. Over the past four seasons he was the Eagles' offensive coordinator.
-During his time as Eagles offensive coordinator (2002-05), the team's 43 victories were the most in NFC over that span. The offense also featured seven players who earned a total of 14 Pro Bowl selections.
-Broke into the NFL in 1985 as QB coach for the Indianapolis Colts.
-Also coached at four different colleges, including the University of Wisconsin (1991-98). Served on a staff at Northern Arizona (1986-89) that included future NFL head coaches Bill Callahan, Marty Mornhinweg and Andy Reid.
THE VIKINGS-PACKERS SERIES: Few, if any, rivalries in sports have exhibited more parity. These clubs have split 89 regular-season meetings (44-44-1), with the Vikings winning the lone postseason meeting (2004 NFC Wild Card.
-The series began when the Vikings entered the league in 1961, and the Packers - under Vince Lombardi - won the first six meetings and nine of the first 10.
-The Vikings swept the Packers last season for the first time since 1998.
-In 2003, the home clubs in the series were 0-2. The last time that happened was 1991.
-Over the last 12 seasons (1994-2005), these teams have accounted for nine division championships (NFC Central/NFC North).
{sportsad300}NOTABLE CONNECTIONS...Vikings K Ryan Longwell is Green Bay's all-time leading scorer, having racked up 1,054 points in nine seasons with the Packers (1997-2005)...Fifth in Packers history with 36 interceptions, Vikings S Darren Sharper spent his first eight NFL seasons (1997-2004) in Green Bay...The Vikings coaching staff has several ties to the University of Wisconsin, where Childress (1991-98) and offensive line coach Jim Hueber (1992-2005) worked together, and where offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell played quarterback (1992-95) and assistant special teams coach Brian Murphy (2000-05) held various recruiting and administrative roles...Bevell spent the previous six seasons on the Packers' coaching staff, including 2003-05 as quarterbacks coach...Vikings backup QB Brooks Bollinger, DT Ross Kolodziej and DE Erasmus James (injured reserve) also played at Wisconsin...Packers rookie LB Abdul Hodge played alongside Vikings rookie LB Chad Greenway (injured reserve) at Iowa...Packers DT Colin Cole originally signed with Minnesota as a rookie free agent in 2003 and spent separate one-week stints on the Vikings' 53-man roster that season...Green Bay TE Donald Lee and Minnesota CB Fred Smoot were teammates at Mississippi State...Green Bay director of research and development Mike Eayrs (similar capacity, 1985-99) previously worked for the Vikings...T Bryant McKinnie (Vikings) and TE Bubba Franks (Packers) were college teammates at Miami (Fla.)...Packers GM Ted Thompson while with the Seahawks drafted G Steve Hutchinson, now with the Vikings...Green Bay O-line coach Joe Philbin was C Matt Birk's position coach at Harvard.
INDIVIDUALLY VS. MINNESOTA...Donald Driver had career highs in receptions (11, tie) and yards (162) on Dec. 24, 2004, at the Metrodome. He also had a career-long 45-yard run on Nov. 2, 2003, and his five TD catches against the Vikings are tied for his most against any opponent (Detroit, Carolina)...Aaron Kampman originally established his career high of three sacks against the Vikings last season (Nov. 21, 2005, has since tied it this year)...Brett Favre matched his career high with five TD passes vs. Minnesota (Sept. 21, 1997), and his 79.5 completion percentage (31 of 39) on Nov. 22, 1998, is the second-highest of his career. Favre is 13-14 all-time against the Vikings, his most losses against any single opponent...Ahman Green has three 100-yard games against the Vikings, and his nine total TDs and 321 receiving yards are his most against any team. Green's six rushing TDs and 45 receptions are tied for his most against any foe (six TDs vs. Chicago and 45 catches vs. Detroit).
LAST MEETING: Nov. 21, 2005, Lambeau Field; Vikings won, 20-17.
-Paul Edinger's 27-yard field goal as time expired gave the Vikings a Monday night win, their second straight last-second victory over the Packers. Minnesota got 122 yards rushing from Mewelde Moore and completed its first series sweep of Green Bay since 1998.
-Brett Favre threw TD passes of 15 and 53 yards to Donald Driver, while Dovonte Edwards' 51-yard interception return for a touchdown kept Minnesota within 14-7 at the half.
-The Vikings tied the game late in the third quarter on a 1-yard TD run by Ciatrick Fason after the Packers committed two penalties inside the 10-yard line.Edinger and Ryan Longwell then exchanged fourth-quarter field goals, the latter tying the game at 17 with 3:03 left.
-But Brad Johnson, who was sacked five times (three by Aaron Kampman) and fumbled twice, directed the Vikings' 58-yard game-winning drive.
LAST MEETING, MINNESOTA: Oct. 23, 2005; Vikings won, 23-20.
-The Vikings came back from a 17-0 deficit and won on Edinger's career- and franchise-long 56-yard field goal at the gun.
-Brett Favre (28 of 36, 315 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs), threw TDs to Driver and Antonio Chatman in the first half. Daunte Culpepper then answered with TD tosses to Marcus Robinson and Moore to give Minnesota a 20-17 lead with 3:10 left in the game.
-Longwell, who had missed two field goals earlier, hit a 39-yarder with 24 seconds left to tie it at 20. But Minnesota came back with a 14-yard pass to Moore and a 12-yard pass to Robinson, who stepped out of bounds with 2 seconds left to set up Edinger's game-winner.
-Driver had eight catches for 114 yards, but Green was lost for the season to a ruptured quadriceps tendon in the fourth quarter.
