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 Week 6 Dope Sheet:
THIS WEEK: The Packers look to break a four-game slide, their longest since 1991, and look to avenge a 2003 Thanksgiving loss at Detroit, in a key NFC North contest Sunday at Ford Field...The last time these clubs met this late when Detroit had a better winning percentage was Dec. 10, 2000; Green Bay was 6-7 and the Lions were 8-5...Detroit bids for its first winning streak in the series since the Lions won consecutive Silverdome games in 1998 and 1999.
TELEVISION: FOX Sports will broadcast the game, with Dan Miller (play-by-play), Brian Baldinger (color), Barry Landis (producer) and Mike Frank (director). Baldinger joined Packers Pro Bowl guard Marco Rivera in June on an NFL-sponsored USO tour, visiting American troops in Kuwait and Qatar.
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). The broadcast also is available to NFL Field Pass subscribers on packers.com.
LAST MEETING: Nov. 27, 2003, Ford Field (Thanksgiving Day); Detroit won, 22-14.
Detroit notched three interceptions and recovered a fumble from Brett Favre, as the Lions dealt the Packers' playoff hopes a major blow. Jason Hanson kicked five field goals.
Dré Bly picked off two passes and forced a Javon Walker fumble, which set up Jason Hanson's 49-yard field goal to give Detroit a 16-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Coordinator Kurt Schottenheimer, now the Packers' defensive backs coach, also corralled Ahman Green, who entered the contest with four straight 100-yard games. The Lions held him to just 57 yards.
Despite the three interceptions, Favre still passed for 296 yards and two scores, a 5-yard toss to Bubba Franks and a 45-yard strike to Walker.
The Packers played without two defensive starters, linebacker Nick Barnett (ankle) and free safety Darren Sharper (chest), both injured in the Packers' win vs. San Francisco four days earlier.
Green Bay regrouped after the loss to claim the NFC North title, winning five straight, including a Wild Card playoff victory, before losing at Philadelphia in the divisional playoffs.
COACHES CAPSULES
Mike Sherman: 46-28-0, .622, fifth NFL season, fifth with Packers
Steve Mariucci: 68-55-0, .553, eighth NFL season, second with Lions
Head to Head: Sherman 4-1 vs. Mariucci
vs. Opponent: Sherman 6-2 vs. Lions; Mariucci 2-7 vs. Packers
MIKE SHERMAN...Is in his fifth year as Packers head coach, and fourth as executive vice president and general manager. Sherman also:
Has won six of his last seven against Detroit.
Will coach his 75th NFL game Sunday.
Became the last active head coach (minimum one season) to experience a three-game losing streak, on Oct. 3.
Is now 6-0 against teams that played in the Super Bowl the previous season, including Sept. 13 at Carolina.
Since 1970, only George Siefert, Chuck Knox and Joe Gibbs have posted a better regular-season record over their first four years as a coach.
STEVE MARIUCCI...Is in his second season directing the Lions' on-field fortunes, after six years (1997-2002) as head coach of the 49ers. He also:
Has now won two consecutive road contests, including Sunday at previously unbeaten Atlanta.
Served as Brett Favre's first Green Bay position coach (1992-95).
Guided the 49ers to a 60-43 mark and four playoff berths, including his first year at the helm, 1997, when he won 11 consecutive games, most ever by a rookie head coach.
Is a native of Iron Mountain, Mich., about two hours from Green Bay.
HISTORIC DAY ON TAP FOR FAVRE: When Brett Favre takes his first snap Sunday, he will mark game No. 197 in a Packers uniform, surpassing Bart Starr for most in the 85 years of the storied franchise.
The games-played record is probably the last significant career record Favre will claim, conceivably. He owns nearly every other mark in the Green Bay record book.
Also Sunday, Favre needs 155 passing yards to surpass No. 4 Fran Tarkenton (47,003) on the all-time list, trailing only Dan Marino (61,361), John Elway (51,475) and Warren Moon (49,325). Favre enters Sunday with 46,849.
And, with a touchdown pass in a 31st consecutive game, he'll surpass Dan Marino's 30-game streak, the second-longest in NFL history. Only Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas, who recorded TD passes in 47 straight Baltimore Colts contests from 1956-60, would remain in Favre's path. Unitas' record is one of the most revered marks in sports history, comparable to Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:
Packers vs. Detroit Lions/Portsmouth Spartans:
All-time regular season: 77-63-7
All-time, postseason: 2-0, NFC Wild Card wins in 1993 (Silverdome) and 1994 (Lambeau Field)
All-time, Ford Field: 1-1-0
Last meeting, regular season: Nov. 27, 2003, Ford Field, Lions won, 22-14
Next meeting: Dec. 12, 2004, Lambeau Field (12 noon, FOX)
THE PACKERS-LIONS SERIES: No other NFL teams have played every year since 1932, when the Packers first met the Lions, then known as the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans. This week marks Game No. 148 in the venerable series. Green Bay has won six of the last seven meetings, and seven of the last nine.
The Lions' three top coaches, head coach Steve Mariucci, defensive coordinator Dick Jauron and offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis, are former Packers assistants. Meanwhile, the Packers' staff includes the last two Lions defensive coordinators: Defensive backs coach Kurt Schottenheimer and special assistant Vince Tobin.
Last Thanksgiving, the Lions held Green Bay to 14 points, the Packers' fewest in the series since Sept. 8, 1991, when Detroit beat Green Bay at the Silverdome, 23-14.
The Packers have scored more points against the Detroit franchise than any opponent (3,024). The Packers in 2003 were believed to be the first team to score 3,000 against a single opponent.
Before the loss, the Packers had won six straight over Detroit, the longest series winning streak by either team since Detroit won 11 straight from 1949-54.
Brett Favre in 24 regular-season games against Detroit is 16-8 with an 87.2 passer rating (532-of-853, 6,444 yards, 43 touchdowns, 31 interceptions). He's also 7-2, including postseason, vs. Mariucci.
Notable single-opponent career highs vs. Detroit: Donald Driver - 23 receptions; Brett Favre - 853 attempts, 532 completions, 6,444 yards; Bubba Franks - 29 receptions, 301 yards, four TDs.
Notable single-game career highs vs. Detroit: Najeh Davenport - 22 carries, 84 rushing yards, four receptions, 31 receiving yards, all 9/22/02 at Ford Field; Donald Driver - 11 receptions, 11/10/02 at Lambeau Field; Bubba Franks - nine receptions, 62 yards, both 9/22/02 at Ford Field, AND 31-yard reception, 11/22/01, Silverdome; Ryan Longwell - nine kickoffs, 11/10/02, Lambeau Field; Torrance Marshall - 10 tackles, 11/27/03, Ford Field; Darren Sharper - two interceptions (tied), 9/9/01, Lambeau Field.
Other notable connections...Defensive line coach Larry Brooks and special teams coach Chuck Priefer were previously assistants on Green Bay staffs...Defensive assistant Johnny Holland played and coached for the Packers...Packers special teams consultant Frank Novak coached the Lions' special teams from 1995-96.
