TODAY: Green Bay, who looks for momentum entering the playoffs, has never lost to the Bears twice in a season when Chicago finished with a sub-.500 record...The game has no implications on the playoffs, but the Packers will play to win...Green Bay hasn't lost consecutive games to the Bears since 1991-92. The last time Chicago swept the season series was 1991...The Packers haven't lost a road game to the Bears since 1993. The 10-game streak includes nine contests at Soldier Field and one at Champaign Memorial Stadium (2002)...Brett Favre can clear both the 4,000-yard and 30-touchdown milestone in the same season for a third time (also 1995 and 1998)...Green Bay (5-2) bids for its best road record since 1972, when the Packers were 6-1...Cletidus Hunt celebrates his 29th birthday today.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR TODAY -
BRETT FAVRE:
-Will play in a 207th consecutive game (226 including playoffs) and make his 205th consecutive start (224 including playoffs), 89 more than the next-closest streak on the all-time quarterbacks list, 116 by Ron Jaworski (1977-84).
-Needs 108 yards passing to register a fourth career 4,000-yard passing season, his first since 1999.
-Needs two TD passes to reach 30 for an eighth overall season. What's more, with two TDs, would reach 51 career against the Bears and surpass Dan Marino's 50 against Buffalo for the third-most all-time by a quarterback against an opponent.
-Needs 462 yards passing for 50,000 career. While Favre probably won't play enough today to near that mark (his career best is 402, at Chicago in 1993), the milestone should be well within reach on Opening Weekend 2005. Only two, Dan Marino and John Elway, have reached the mark.
BUBBA FRANKS:
-Needs five receptions to surpass No. 3 Mark Chmura (188) on the team's all-time tight ends list. Franks enters the weekend with 184.
KABEER GBAJA-BIAMILA:
-With one-half sack, would reach 10 and extend his franchise record for double-digit sacks in consecutive seasons to four (2001-04). Simeon Rice (12.0 entering the weekend) is currently the only NFL player with double-digit sacks each year since 2001. Gbaja-Biamila and Leonard Little (6.0) are the only players who can join him.
AHMAN GREEN:
-Needs one rushing TD for 50 career.
-Needs three rushing TDs to surpass No. 2 Paul Hornung (50) on the all-time Packers list. Green enters the week with 48 in a Packers uniform.
-Needs one overall TD to tie No. 4 Paul Hornung (62) on the all-time Green Bay list. Green enters the week with 61.
RYAN LONGWELL:
-Figures to lead the team in scoring for an eighth season, taking the franchise record from Don Hutson (seven).
DARREN SHARPER:
-Could become one of four players to lead the team in interceptions at least five seasons: Bobby Dillon (seven), Willie Wood (five) and LeRoy Butler (five). Sharper is currently tied with Herb Adderley (four).
-With a touchdown, would tie two club records: Herb Adderley's career record of seven, and the single-season mark of three, held by Adderley (1965) and Sharper (1997). Sharper has two entering the weekend.
JAVON WALKER:
-Needs 198 receiving yards to surpass Robert Brooks' 1995 club record. Walker easily this season has surpassed his career numbers entering the year (64 catches, 1,035 yards).
-Needs four catches to become only the third player in team history with 90 in a season (Sterling Sharpe 1989, 1992-94; Robert Brooks 1995).
BACKUP RECORDS: Craig Nall, who in five previous NFL games has entered no earlier than the fourth quarter, could have a shot at these single-game marks, superlatives by a backup quarterback during the Brett Favre era (1992-2004):
Attempts: 24, Mark Brunell, 10/20/94 at Min.
Completions: 11, Mark Brunell, 10/20/94 at Min.
Yards: 103, Doug Pederson, 10/5/98 vs. Min.
TD passes: 2, Doug Pederson, 10/5/98 vs. Min.
2, Craig Nall, 12/5/04 at Phi.
Long: 29, Doug Pederson (to A.Freeman), 10/5/98 vs. Min.
Interceptions: 1, three times, last: Doug Pederson, 10/3/04 vs. NYG
LONGWELL STREAKING: Ryan Longwell has four game-winning field goals in 2004, all in the last seven games. Over a longer stretch, he has at least one FG in 11 straight games. Longest streaks in Packers history:
14 Ryan Longwell, 1997-98
12 Jan Stenerud, 1980-81
Chris Jacke, 1991-92
11 Ryan Longwell, 2000
Ryan Longwell, 2004 (current)
SINGLE-SEASON FRANCHISE RECORD WATCH: At least seven Green Bay team records are within reach today:
Type of Record - Need, Record, Year(s)
First downs, overall - 6, 342, 1989
First downs, passing - 22, 235, 1995
First downs, by penalty - 5, 32, 1985
Total offense - 211, 6,172, 1983
Completions - 10, 375, 1994
Sacks allowed, any season - 2/less, 17, 1972, 1974
Fewest punts, 16-game season - 3/less, 65, 1990, 1998
HOME POOL REPORTER: Mike Mulligan, Chicago Sun-Times.
NEXT WEEK: The Jets can determine Green Bay's Wild Card opponent with a win over the Rams in their early game this afternoon. However, if St. Louis beats the Jets, the Packers will have to wait until the result of the late Atlanta-Seattle contest. Green Bay will play either Saturday (on ABC at 3:30 or 7 p.m. CST) or Sunday (on FOX at 3:30 p.m. CST).
