BILLS COME TO LAMBEAU FOR PRESEASON ACTION
- Green Bay plays its final preseason game in front of the home crowd tonight as the Buffalo Bills travel to town for their first preseason game in Green Bay since 1979.
- The Packers will look to continue the momentum they established last Saturday in their exhibition opener, blanking the Browns 17-0 in front of 69,091 at Lambea- Field.
- QB Aaron Rodgers completed five passes to five different receivers, leading the No. 1 offense to touchdowns on each of its two drives. The unit's play was highlighted by a 53-yard TD connection from Rodgers to WR Donald Driver on its first posession.
- Much of the focus was on the debut of the Packers' new 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator Dom Capers, and it did not disappoint. In fact, it was the first preseason shutout by a Green Bay defense since the 1997 preseason opener. While not revealing too much of its blitz and sub-packages, the unit still came away with four interceptions and three sacks.
- "I thought as a whole for our football team, it was a good solid starting point," Head Coach Mike McCarthy said following the opener. "There were a lot of positives that come out of this game. And there are some negatives and we have to make sure we learn from that."
- Buffalo comes into play having already played two preseason games. It began preseason play Aug. 9 against the Tenessee Titans, dropping the Hall of Fame contest, 21-18.
- The Bills hosted the Chicago Bears last Saturday, coming away with four interceptions en route to a 27-20 victory. Tied 6-6 at halftime, Buffalo rallied for three second-half touchdowns.
- Tonight marks the 13th preseason meeting in the all-time series between Buffalo and Green Bay. The Packers are 6-0 against the Bills in preseason action in the state of Wisconsin, which includes four victories at Lambea- Field and two in Madison.
BISHOP'S CHARITIES GAME
- Tonight marks another Green Bay preseason tradition: the Bishop's Charities Game. It was first played in 1961 after Vince Lombardi was approached by the Diocese of Green Bay about playing a charitable contest in Green Bay (the Shrine contest was a fixture in Milwaukee).
- For more than 30 years, the church handled much of the game's business-related tasks, including game program and advertising sales, using a network of volunteers covering 14 Northeastern Wisconsin counties. The Packers assumed many of those tasks in 1994.
- The series enjoys its 49th contest this year and has raised over $3.4 million.
- The Packers are 24-23-1 all-time in the series. They will be playing Buffalo for the first time in the series.
- Green Bay must get back to its winning ways, having lost six consecutive Bishop's Charities contests. The six-game losing streak (2003-08) comes on the heels of a 12-game winning streak (1991-2002) in the series.
ALUMNI RETURN TO LAMBEAU
- Green Bay Packers alumni Doug Evans and Steve Odom are in Green Bay this weekend taking part in various fan activities.
- Evans (cornerback, 1993-97) and Odom (wide receiver/kick returner, 1974-79) visited with fans at various spots around the stadium, including the Packers Pro Shop, Lambea- Field Atrium, Tundra Tailgate Zone, and in the Legends Club. The pair will be introduced prior to player introductions.
USA FOOTBALL MONTH
- The recognition of "USA Football Month" continues Saturday night as two youth football teams from a Green Bay-area Pop Warner league, Duck Creek Pop Warner, will be on Lambeau Field in the north end zone during the national anthem and then have the opportunity to play each other at halftime. Last Saturday's game featured a similar visit from four youth teams out of the Journey House Football League of Milwaukee. Banners and a field logo also will recognize "USA Football Month."
WHERE THEY'LL BE
Coaches often use the preseason as a test to see where they are best utilized, especially with a new staff. Coach McCarthy is on the sidelines, but here's a look at where the rest of the staff will be:
Coaches' Box: Dom Capers (defensive coordinator), Jerry Fontenot (asst. offensive line), Scott McCurley (defensive quality control), Chad Morton (administrator), Joe Philbin (offensive coordinator), John Rushing (offensive quality control), and Joe Whitt (secondary - cornerbacks).
Sideline: Edgar Bennett (running backs), James Campen (offensive line), Tom Clements (quarterbacks), Mike Eayrs (research and development), Curtis Fuller (special teams asst.), Kevin Greene (outside linebackers), Ben McAdoo (tight ends), Winston Moss (inside linebackers/asst. head coach), Darren Perry (secondary - safeties), Jimmy Robinson (wide receivers), Shawn Slocum (special teams coordinator) and Mike Trgovac (defensive line).
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Bills coach Dick Jauron coached defensive backs for the Packers from 1986-94...Buffalo defensive line coach Bob Sanders was the Packers' defensive coordinator the past three years (2006-08) and spent four seasons total in Green Bay...McCarthy served as quarterbacks coach at the University of Pittsburgh (1990-91) during the early portion of Alex Van Pelt's career there; Van Pelt now is quarterbacks coach with the Bills...Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements was Buffalo's offensive coordinator from 2004-05...Buffalo linebackers coach Matt Sheldon was a graduate assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin from 1997-2000...Bills WR Lee Evans played collegiately at Wisconsin...Packers LB Clay Matthews and Bills CB Cary Harris played on the same defense at USC and were both drafted this past April...Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and LB Desmond Bishop were college teammates at Cal with Bills RB Marshawn Lynch, as were Packers LB A.J. Hawk, Bills S Donte Whitner and Bills CB Ashton Youbouty at Ohio State, and Packers G Daryn Colledge, Packers FB Korey Hall and Bills TE Derek Schouman at Boise State.
SAVE THE DATE
Important dates to remember (all times local):
- Friday, Aug. 28 – Preseason game at Arizona Cardinals, 9 p.m., University of Phoenix Stadium
- Tuesday, Sept. 1 – Final practice open to public, 10:15 a.m., Nitschke Field; NFL-mandated roster reduction, to 75 players, by 3 p.m.
- Thursday, Sept. 3– Preseason game at Tennessee Titans, 7 p.m., LP Field
- Saturday, Sept. 5– NFL-mandated roster reduction, to 53 players, by 3 p.m.
- Sunday, Sept. 6 – Clubs may establish eight-player practice squad, 11 a.m.
WEARING THE STRIPES
Tonight's officiating crew includes referee Walt Coleman (65), umpire Jeff Rice (44), head linesman Julian Mapp (52), line judge Jeff Bergman (32), field judge Scott Steenson (88), side judge Rick Patterson (15) and back judge Todd Prukop (30).
