TODAY: Facing an uphill battle against the league's top-ranked defense, Green Bay bids for a win in the NFL rivalry with the richest history. The teams meet for the 169th time (170th contest, including playoffs)...With a 12th consecutive road win at Chicago, the Packers can match the NFL record, shared by the L.A. Rams (at San Francisco, 1969-80) and San Francisco (at L.A./St. Louis Rams, 1987-98). Green Bay hasn't lost on the road to the Bears since Dec. 5, 1993. Brett Favre is 12-1 in road games with Chicago; he's 11-1 at Soldier Field...The Packers play their last noon kickoff of 2005. Networks will broadcast their final four contests to national audiences, including a Christmas Day rematch with Chicago at Lambeau Field.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR TODAY & IN COMING WEEKS -
NICK BARNETT:
-With 141 tackles in just 11 games, is on pace for 205. Since coaches first began recording tackles in 1975, the team record is 180 by Mike Douglass in 1981. From 1984-2004, the two highest totals for the club's leading tackler were 162 by Barnett in 2004 and 145 by Johnny Holland in 1993.
ANTONIO CHATMAN:
-Need two punt returns to surpass No. 2 Al Carmichael and Phillip Epps (100) on the team's all-time list. Chatman enters with 99 career punt returns, all in a Packers uniform. The franchise leader is Hall of Famer Willie Wood, who racked up 187 from 1960-71.
-Needs 17 punt-return yards to surpass No. 4 Phillip Epps (819) and 32 to surpass No. 3 Billy Grimes (834) on the all-time list. Chatman enters with 803.
DONALD DRIVER:
-With a catch, can extend his streak of games with a reception to 60 and tie the second-longest stretch in Packers history, held by current running backs coach Edgar Bennett (60). Next up would be all-time leader Sterling Sharpe (103).
-Needs 156 receiving yards to become only the fourth player in Packers history with three career 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He would join James Lofton (5), Sterling Sharpe (5) and Antonio Freeman (3).
BRETT FAVRE:
-Needs one TD pass to extend his NFL-record streak of at least 20 TD passes to 12.
-Needs three TD passes today to improve his career total against Chicago to 54. In NFL history, only Dan Marino has thrown for as many TDs against one team: 72 against the N.Y. Jets and 54 against the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts.
-Needs five touchdown passes to become the second in NFL history with 400, joining Dan Marino (420). Favre enters with 395 in 220 NFL games. Marino reached the landmark in his 227th contest.
-Needs 286 yards passing to reach 3,000 for a 14th season and break a tie for the NFL record with Dan Marino (13, 1984-92, 1994-95, 1997-98). Favre's 13 consecutive 3,000-yards seasons are already the league standard.
-Including playoffs, Favre has 47 career 300-yard passing games and needs three for 50.
BUBBA FRANKS:
-Needs 64 receiving yards for 2,000 career. He enters with 1,936.
SAMKON GADO: On the Packers' all-time rookie rushing list:
-Needs 21 carries to surpass No. 5 Bob Monnett (108 in 1933) and 27 to surpass No. 4 Kenneth Davis (114 in 1986). Gado enters with 88 carries.
-Needs 123 yards rushing to surpass No. 5 Bob Monnett (413 in 1933) and 155 to surpass No. 4 Cecil Isbell (445 in 1938). Gado (2) is already the only rookie other than John Brockington (3 in 1971) with multiple 100-yard games.
-Needs one rushing TD to match and two to establish the team record (five), shared by Brent Fullwood (1987) and Gerry Ellis (1985). Gado enters with four.
KABEER GBAJA-BIAMILA:
-On Green Bay's all-time sacks list, needs one to surpass No. 2 Tim Harris (55). Gbaja-Biamila enters with 541/2 career sacks, 14 shy of Reggie White's franchise record, 681/2.
AL HARRIS:
-Needs four passes defensed for 100 career. Harris, who owns a team-leading 11 on the year, enters with 96.
AARON KAMPMAN:
-Needs six tackles to match his 2004 career high (77) and 16 to establish the team record by a defensive lineman, surpassing Ezra Johnson's 86 in 1983.
B.J. SANDER:
-With only one touchback, is on pace to finish with the fewest by a Packers punter since Don Bracken in 1990 (2). Craig Hentrich had 21 in 1997.
DEC. 1 AND LATER: Mike Sherman is 20-4 (.833) in five career seasons (2000-04) Dec. 1 and later. One of the prime contributors to that record? Turnover ratio. Green Bay is plus-28 in 24 regular-season games under Sherman Dec. 1 and later.
DEFENSIVE TDs: The Packers have scored a defensive TD against Chicago in seven of the last eight seasons:
09/01/97: ChiB, G.Wilkins, 1 fum
12/27/98: at ChiB, K.McKenzie, 33 int
12/05/99: at ChiB, K.McKenzie, 45 fum
12/03/00: at ChiB, T.Williams, 38 int
10/07/02: at ChiB, K.Gbaja-Biamila, 72 int
12/07/03: ChiB, M.McKenzie, 90 int
01/02/05: at ChiB, D.Sharper, 43 int
FAVRE NEAR TOP OF SOLDIER FIELD LIST: Brett Favre has thrown more TD passes (24) at Soldier Field than any other venue other than Lambeau Field. The stadium's top five in TD passes, all-time (Elias Sports Bureau):
38, Erik Kramer
37, Jim McMahon
28, Jim Harbaugh
24, Brett Favre
22, Mike Tomczak
ROSTER MOVES THIS WEEK: The Packers Wednesday placed safety Jeremy Thornburg (shoulder), No. 38, on injured reserve and replaced him by re-signing safety Todd Franz (No. 43, pronounced FRANNZ)...Also Wednesday, the team signed rookie RB Noah Herron (No. 23, HAIR-in) off the Pittsburgh practice squad...On Thursday, Green Bay placed its fifth 2005 running back on injured reserve, ReShard Lee (ribs, No. 32).
30 POINTS: The Packers this season are 2-0 when reaching 30 points and 0-9 in the other contests. Over a longer stretch, the team has won eight consecutive games when reaching 30, and 13 of its last 14. Its only loss in that stretch was Sept. 26, 2004, a 45-31 shootout at Indianapolis.
POOL REPORTERS: Appointed by the Pro Football Writers of America, Mike Mulligan of the Chicago Sun-Times is the primary pool reporter for today's matchup. Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald is the alternate.
NEXT WEEK: Green Bay closes its schedule playing three of its last four at home, starting Sunday night when the Packers host the Lions on ESPN (7:30 p.m. CST)...The Bears continue their run at a division title, at Pittsburgh (12 noon CST).
