TODAY: Two evenly matched clubs who've taken similar up-and-down roads in 2006 square off in a series with plenty of history...For the sixth consecutive road game in the series, the Packers make a late-season trip to San Francisco. Each of the five previous meetings in the City by the Bay have come Nov. 29 or later. Three of those contests were in the playoffs...Including playoffs, Green Bay has defeated the 49ers in five consecutive meetings, and in 10 of its last 11 contests. The only loss in the stretch, Mike Holmgren's last game as Packers coach in the 1998 playoffs, contained an example of a game-changing fumble for which league owners altered the rules this spring...Mike McCarthy returns to face the 49ers, the team for which he was offensive coordinator in 2005...Including Holmgren, hired by Ron Wolf in 1992, two of the Packers' last four Head Coaches came to Green Bay immediately after serving as a 49ers offensive coordinator...McCarthy also meets former pupil Alex Smith, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2005 NFL Draft.
WEST COAST SWING: For the second straight road trip, Green Bay travels to the West Coast; the club played at Seattle Nov. 27. The Packers are making their longest possible road trip based on current NFL geography, an 1,830-mile flight to San Francisco.
-The Packers in 2006 are embarking on their four longest flights since their memorable win at Oakland on Monday night, Dec. 22, 2003. Green Bay's longest road trips, 2004-06:
1,830 miles - San Francisco - San Francisco 49ers - 2006
1,750 miles - San Diego - San Diego Chargers - 2006
1,640 miles - Seattle - Seattle Seahawks - 2006
1,360 miles - Miami - Miami Dolphins - 2006
1,100 miles - Houston - Houston Texans - 2004
1,030 miles - Jacksonville - Jacksonville Jaguars - 2004
775 miles - Atlanta - Atlanta Falcons - 2005
745 miles - Charlotte - Carolina Panthers - 2005
745 miles - Charlotte - Carolina Panthers - 2004
FOUR HEAD COACHES: Former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy in January became Brett Favre's fourth head coach in Green Bay. Several quarterbacks, though, have played for more. Since the league merger in 1970, 13 other quarterbacks have played for at least four head coaches on the same team:
Manning, Archie, NO - 7
Anderson, Ken, Cin - 5
Fouts, Dan, SD - 5
Grogan, Steve, NE - 5
Aikman, Troy, Dal - 4
Cunningham, Randall, Phi - 4
DeBerg, Steve, TB - 4
Favre, Brett, GB - 4
Ferguson, Joe, Buf - 4
Jaworski, Ron, Phi - 4
Jones, Bert, Ind - 4
Kosar, Bernie, Cle - 4
Pastorini, Dan, HouO - 4
Simms, Phil, NYG - 4
THEY SAY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY: Happy birthday to Rob Davis, who turns 38 years young today. The long snapper will play in a 164th straight NFL game today. In addition, two assistant coaches (Bob Sanders, Ty Knott) and two other players (Al Harris, Jason Spitz) celebrated birthdays this week.
ANOTHER FAVRE TRIVIA QUESTION: Who was the 200th other quarterback to start an NFL game since Favre began his streak on Sept. 27, 1992? Answer: Derek Anderson, Cleveland. The 23-year-old made his initial NFL start Thursday night at Pittsburgh, becoming the 16th different quarterback Cleveland has started during the streak. Chicago (20), Arizona/Phoenix (17), Washington (17) and New Orleans (16) also have started 16 in the period.
POOL REPORTER: Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat.
NEXT WEEK: Green Bay returns to begin a two-game "homestand," hosting a pair of teams over a five-day stretch. First up is Detroit on Sunday, a noon CST?kickoff on FOX, followed by a Thursday night clash with the Vikings (7 p.m., Dec. 21, NFL Network)...Speaking of the NFL Network, the 49ers travel to Seattle for this week's NFLN game, a 5 p.m. PST contest Thursday.
{sportsad300}WHAT TO WATCH FOR TODAY & IN THE COMING WEEKS
36 NICK COLLINS:
-Has forced a fumble in each of the last two games.
80 DONALD DRIVER:
-Has 32 career TD receptions from Brett Favre. The duo needs one to break a tie on the franchise's all-time list with No. 5 Lynn Dickey-James Lofton and Favre-Robert Brooks?(both 32). Next up are Cecil Isbell-Don Hutson (33) and Dickey-Paul Coffman (35).
-With 57 more yards receiving, would reach 1,000 and join Lofton (5) and Sharpe (5) as one of three Packers ever with as many as four overall 1,000-yard seasons. Driver currently has three such seasons. Also by reaching 1,000, would join Lofton (3, 1983-85) and Sterling Sharpe (3, 1992-94) as one of three Packers ever with three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
-Needs seven catches to become only the sixth Packer with 400 career, joining Sharpe, Lofton, Hutson, Boyd Dowler and Antonio Freeman. Driver enters with 393 career receptions.
-Has a reception in 76 consecutive games, the franchise's second-longest streak behind Sharpe's 103 (1988-94).
4 BRETT FAVRE: On the NFL's all-time passing list...
-Is expected to play in his 236th straight game (256 including playoffs). He should start his 234th consecutive game (254 including playoffs), extending the NFL's record among quarterbacks.
-Needs 152 passing yards to reach 3,000 and extend two NFL records: Most overall seasons with 3,000 and most consecutive seasons with 3,000?(both would be 15).
-Needs 36 completions to surpass No. 1 Dan?Marino (4,967). Favre enters with 4,932.
-Has thrown only one INT with his team in the lead this year.
88 BUBBA FRANKS:
-Needs one TD reception to reach 30 career. In team history, only 11 previous players have reached the milestone, including Donald Driver this season.
94 KABEER GBAJA-BIAMILA:
-On Green Bay's all-time sacks list, needs five to match Reggie White's career record, 681/2. Gbaja-Biamila enters with 631/2.
30 AHMAN GREEN: On Green Bay's all-time rushing list...
-Needs 315 rushing yards to surpass No. 1 Jim Taylor (8,207). Green enters with 7,893.
-Needs 210 rushing yards to reach 1,000 and surpass Jim Taylor's record of five overall 1,000-yard seasons. Green also has five.
-Needs one overall touchdown to surpass No. 3 Sterling Sharpe (66). Green enters with 66 in a Packers uniform, having already surpassed No. 4 Paul Hornung (62) this season.
-Needs one point to surpass No. 8 Sterling Sharpe (396). Green enters with 396, having already surpassed No. 10 Clarke Hinkle (379) and No. 9 Ted Fritsch (380) this season.
31 AL HARRIS:
-Has five passes defensed over his last three games.
-Needs to return one interception for a touchdown to tie No. 5 Charley Brock, Doug Hart and Ken Ellis (all with three) on Green Bay's all-time career list. Harris enters with two.
85 GREG JENNINGS:
-Can become the first Packers rookie with four TD receptions since Ed West (TE) had four in 1984. The last rookie wide receiver with at least four was James Lofton, who had six in 1978.
87 DAVID MARTIN:
-Needs seven catches, 27 yards and two touchdowns to surpass his respective 2005 career bests.
79 RYAN PICKETT:
-Has three passes defensed over his last two games and needs one to break his 2003 single-season career high. Pickett enters with six.
21 CHARLES WOODSON:
-His five INTs are the most by a Packers player since Darren Sharper had five in 2003. With another pick, Woodson would have the most for a Green Bay club since Sharper had seven in 2002. Also needs one interception to establish a single-season career high; he had five as a rookie in 1998 with Oakland.
-With 18 passes defensed, needs just four more to eclipse his career best, 21 during his 1998 rookie campaign.
