PACKERS LOOK TO MAKE IT TWO IN A ROW AT LAMBEAU
- Green Bay looks to continue its winning ways this weekend as it hosts Cincinnati, which makes its first regular-season trip to Lambeau Field since 1995. The Bengals' 13-year absence is the longest of any current NFL team.
- Today marks a 'Gold Package' game for season-ticket holders from the Milwaukee area. The Week 10 matchup against Dallas is the other regular-season game in the 'Gold Package'.
- There isn't a whole lot of history between the two franchises because they rarely line up across from one another on the gridiron. In the last 10 seasons, the two teams have met just once, a 21-14 Bengals victory in Cincinnati in 2005.
- Today comes 17 years to the day since a memorable, come-from-behind 24-23 victory for the Packers over the Bengals. It marked the first win of the Ron Wolf, Mike Holmgren and Brett Favre era.
- This will be the 11th meeting between Green Bay and Cincinnati. The Packers are 4-0 all-time against the Bengals at Lambeau Field.
- The two teams come into the game after thrilling finishes in Week 1. Green Bay beat its archrival Chicago thanks to a 50-yard touchdown pass with just over a minute to play. A late interception sealed the season-opening win.
- Cincinnati lost to Denver, 12-7, in one of the more dramatic finishes in recent memory. Broncos WR Brandon Stokely grabbed a deflected pass and raced into the end zone for an 87-yard game-winning touchdown in the final seconds, the longest game-winning touchdown from scrimmage in the final minute of the fourth quarter in NFL history.
QUICK STARTS HELP IN THE LONG RUN
- Green Bay's hard-fought win over Chicago went a long way in correcting some of the problems that plagued the team down the stretch in 2008. Not only did QB Aaron Rodgers lead a game-winning drive in the final two minutes, but the defense preserved the victory with CB Al Harris' interception.
- The Packers lost all seven of their games decided by four points or less in 2008. In eight of the team's 10 losses, the outcome was decided in the final two minutes.
- Coaches often break down the season into four-game segments, and the statistics show that success in the first four games leads to a higher percentage of attaining a playoff berth.
- Success on Kickoff Weekend is no different. Since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978, 442 teams won their opener. Of those teams, 233 went to the playoffs and 136 won division crowns. Now, compare those numbers to the 442 teams that lost the first game of the season. Of that group, only 103 went to the playoffs and only 58 captured their division.
- The Green Bay locker room will almost assuredly keep the Bears win in perspective. The team started 2-0 last year before faltering down the stretch.
TODAY'S CAPTAINS
The Packers select game captains per tradition. Today's captains are Chad Clifton (offense), Al Harris (defense) and Korey Hall (special teams).
GAME ACTIVITIES
- Packers alumni Paul Hornung and Greg Koch will be in attendance and introduced on the field prior to kickoff.
- Navy jets will perform a time-synced fly-by during the National Anthem. The Packers will also celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month Sunday in activities throughout the stadium and Tundra Tailgate Zone.
THE PACKERS-BENGALS SERIES
- The clubs have met 10 times, splitting the contests. This will mark the Bengals' first trip to Lambeau Field in 14 years, ending the longest absence of a current NFL team. Prior to 2005, the Packers owned a three-game winning streak in the series (24-23 in 1992 and 24-10 in 1995, both in Green Bay, and 13-6 in 1998 at Cincinnati). That 1998 meeting is the Packers' lone win in Cincinnati in franchise history.
- Perhaps the most memorable game in the series came in 1992 when Brett Favre, summoned to replace an injured Don Majkowski at quarterback in the first quarter, proceeded to direct the Packers to an electrifying, 24-23 come-from-behind victory, forged when he hit wide receiver Kitrick Taylor with a 35-yard scoring pass as only 13 seconds remained in the game. Chris Jacke's subsequent PAT settled the issue.
- The series launched at Lambeau Field in 1971, when the legendary Paul Brown was head coach of the Bengals, a team he had founded three years earlier as a member of the (then) American Football League. The Packers posted a 20-17 victory in their first meeting, with a Lou Michaels field goal providing the victory margin.
{sportsad300}NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Marvin Lewis and Mike McCarthy were both assistant coaches at the University of Pittsburgh in 1990 and 1991; Packers special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum was also on that 1990 staff...Lewis was LB coach on defensive coordinator Dom Capers' staff while Capers ran the Steelers defense from 1992-94. In that position, Lewis coached Packers LB coach Kevin Greene...Capers grew up in Buffalo, Ohio, and played safety and linebacker for Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio. Capers also coached defensive backs at Ohio State from 1982-83...Bengals TE Chase Coffman's father, Paul, played tight end for the Packers for eight seasons (1978-85) and caught more passes (322) than any Green Bay TE in franchise history...The Packers' Ohio natives include LB A.J. Hawk (Centerville), CB Brandon Underwood (Hamilton), CB Charles Woodson (Fremont) and RB DeShawn Wynn (Cincinnati)...Ohio State products include Hawk and DT Ryan Pickett, while Underwood played at the University of Cincinnati in 2008 and at Ohio State from 2005-06...Bengals WRs Chad Ochocinco and Packers LB Nick Barnett played one season together at Oregon State (2000)...Packers LB Clay Matthews was a teammate of Bengals LBs Rey Maualuga and Keith Rivers and DE Frostee Rucker at USC...Packers TE Jermichael Finley and Bengals WR Quan Crosby were teammates at Texas...Bengals LB Abdul Hodge was a third-round draft choice by the Packers in 2006 and played in eight games with Green Bay in '06...Packers QB Matt Flynn and FB Quinn Johnson were teammates of Bengals G Nate Livings and T Andrew Whitworth at Louisiana State...Bengals QB J.T. O'Sullivan was the Packers' No. 3 quarterback for the final 11 games in 2004...Bengals QB coach Ken Zampese was an offensive quality control assistant for the Packers in 1999, the same year McCarthy was the team's QB coach...Bengals WR coach Mike Sheppard was New Orleans QB coach for three seasons (2002-04) during the time McCarthy was the Saints offensive coordinator, and then Sheppard took over as offensive coordinator in 2005 when McCarthy left for San Francisco...Packers safeties coach Darren Perry held the same position for the Bengals in '02.
WEARING THE STRIPES
Today's officiating crew includes referee Ed Hochuli (85), umpire Chad Brown (31), head linesman Mark Hittner (28), line judge Tim Podraza (47), field judge Craig Wrolstad (4), side judge Barry Anderson (20) and back judge Kirk Dornan (6).
