Packers Bye Week Dope Sheet

*Two years after he co-founded the Packers with Curly Lambeau, George Calhoun began writing a piece called The Dope Sheet, which served as the official press release and game program from 1921-24.

Honoring Calhoun, the first publicity director, the Packers are running this weekly feature as their release, which is being made available to fans exclusively on Packers.com.

A complete edition of the Dope Sheet will be available each week during the season in PDF format, located in the Packers.com Game Centers.

Here are some highlights from the Bye Week Dope Sheet:*

GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-3) BYE WEEK MOMENTUM BUILDS AS PACKERS ARRIVE AT BYE

• Green Bay heads into the bye week coming off a 34-14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts - undoubtedly its most well-rounded performance to date - and tied for the top spot in the NFC North.

• Two interceptions returned for scores, from safeties Nick Collins and Aaron Rouse, complemented an offense that was able to dominate the time of possession behind Ryan Grant's first 100-yard performance of the season.

• "That's the way it was supposed to look so that's definitely something we can build off of," Head Coach Mike McCarthy said.

• The week off comes at a good time for the Packers. They were hit hard by injuries early on but now have the opportunity to get a number of key players back for the second half of the 2008 slate.

• "The goal is to have the majority of our football team come off of this bye healthy, and that will start with Monday's practice," McCarthy said. The Packers next hit the practice field Oct. 27.

• Nine contests remain, including five on the road and four within the divison. The first two games after the bye week will come on the road at Tennessee - the NFL's only undefeated club - and at Minnesota.

CONSISTENT - AND CONSISTENTLY GOOD

• First-year starter Aaron Rodgers has been accurate and efficient through his first stretch under center for the Packers.

• Though there is plenty of football still to play, Rodgers' completion percentage (65.6%) and quarterback rating (98.8) could become some of the highest marks in team annals.

• Rodgers' accuracy has helped minimize Green Bay's turnovers. His four interceptions account for just 1.8% of his attempts (221), a percentage that ranks ninth in the NFL and tops among first-year quarterbacks.

• Earlier in the season, Rodgers went 157 consecutive passes without an interception, the third-longest streak in team history. Rodgers' current streak without an interception stands at 64 attempts. He has not thrown an interception in five of the team's seven games thus far.

• Rodgers has eclipsed a QB rating of 100.0 five times this season, tied for first among all NFL quarterbacks:

Player, Team (Games over 100.0)

Philip Rivers, San Diego (5)

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay (5)

Drew Brees, New Orleans (4)

Tony Romo, Dallas (4)

TEAM RECORD IN SIGHTS

• Through seven games, Green Bay has five defensive touchdowns.

• That's one away from the team record of six, established by Vince Lombardi's 1966 championship team, winners of the first Super Bowl. The statistic first began being recorded in 1950.

• Three of the TDs are interception returns of 60+ yards, tying a team record established in '02.

• Green Bay has recorded five defensive scores three other times: 1997, 2004, and McCarthy's first season in 2006.

TOUGH AFTER THE WEEK OFF

• In games immediately following their bye week, the Packers have won nine of their last 12, including both contests under McCarthy.

• In 2006, Green Bay got a hard-earned victory at Miami in scorching temperatures. McCarthy called the victory a clear turning point in the season as seven of the team's eight victories came after the bye.

• Last season, the Packers enjoyed one of their most memorable victories in recent memory following the bye week. In a Monday night contest at Denver, the Packers won the game on the first snap of overtime, an 82-yard TD to Greg Jennings.

• The Denver contest was the second win of a six-game winning streak as the Packers cruised to an 8-2 mark following the bye.

• McCarthy has continued the Packers' success following the bye. The coach has compiled a 15-6 (.714) mark following the off week.

• Since 2000, the Packers over the balance of their season after the bye are a combined 51-26 (.662).

MANY HAPPY RETURNS

• The Packers are tied with the Bears for the NFL lead with six touchdowns on returns.

• Things got going in Week 1 with CB Will Blackmon's 76-yard punt return against Minnesota.

• CB Charles Woodson and S Nick Collins both returned interceptions for touchdowns against Detroit in Week 2. Woodson returned another interception for a score at Tampa in Week 4.

• Collins and S Aaron Rouse returned Peyton Manning passes for TDs last week, giving the Packers five scores on interceptions. The next closest team in the NFL has two TD returns on interceptions.

• The Packers have allowed just one return TD this season - a 38-yard fumble return by Tampa Bay.

THIRD-DOWN SUCCESS

• For the second straight game, the Packers offense was able to maintain managable down-and-distances on third down, leading to a higher conversion rate, and thus overall success, for the offense.

• On the season, the Packers have converted 43-of-96 (44.8%) third downs. That percentage ranks sixth among NFL clubs.

• Green Bay's third-down defense has begun to show flashes of the dominant unit it was a year ago. So far this season, the defense is 36-of-94 (38.3%), 15th among NFL teams. Last season, the defense ranked third in the league on third down at 33.0%.

• QB Aaron Rodgers seems to be at his strongest on third downs. He ranks second among NFL signal callers on third-down passing with a 120.3 QB rating (45-of-68, 66.1%, 583 yards).

• Nine of his 12 TD passes have come on third down. Dallas' Tony Romo is the next closest passer with 6 TDs on third down.

DRIVER SET TO MAKE HISTORY THIS SUNDAY

• Pro Bowl wideout Donald Driver reached two franchise milestones last week and has yet another in his sights.

• Now in his 10th season in Green Bay, Driver surpassed James Lofton (530) on the franchise's all-time receptions list. Driver stands at No. 2 with 532. Sterling Sharpe has a franchise best 595 career catches.

• Driver also became the all-time receiving leader in Lambeau Field history. He surpassed the stadium's all-time mark, held by Antonio Freeman (3,477 yards). Driver, who has 3,494 receiving yards at the stadium, became the stadium's all-time leader in receptions last season.

• He gets those receptions pretty consistently, too. Driver has caught a pass in 102 consecutive games, just one away from Sterling Sharpe's franchise record of 103 consecutive games (1988-1994).

THE LAMBEAU ADVANTAGE

• The crown jewel of the National Football League, Lambeau Field has long been known as one of the tougher venues to play in, particularly during the harsh Wisconsin winter.

• The Packers ended a two-game home losing streak against the Colts. Green Bay has won 11 of its last 14 regular season games at the stadium.

• McCarthy has stated consistently that one of the team's goals is to reclaim the mystique of playing at Lambeau Field. Mission accomplished. The team finished 7-1 at home last season, a marked improvement over the prior three seasons (10-14 combined).

• Since Ron Wolf and Mike Holmgren began the revitalization of the franchise in 1992, Green Bay owns the best home record in the NFL. A look at the top home W-L records since the '92 season:

Team, W-L record (Pct.)

Green Bay, 99-33-0 (.750)

Denver, 98-34-0 (.742)

Pittsburgh, 94-35-1 (.727)

Kansas City, 93-38-0 (.709)

Minnesota, 88-43-0 (.671)

TURNOVERS USUALLY TELL THE STORY

• The turnover statistic remains one of the most important in all of football.

• Green Bay has 14 takeaways, tied for the best mark in the NFL with Tennessee. Both the Packers and Titans have a plus-6 turnover margin, tops in the league.

• Of the 14 takeaways, 13 have been interceptions. That number leads the league ahead of Tampa Bay, which has 12 picks on the year.

• The Packers have been able to turn takeaways into points better than any other team. They have 69 points off turnovers thus far. Chicago ranks No. 2 with 60 points off turnovers.

• On the other side of the ball, things have not gone as well after turnovers. The defensive unit has surrendered 44 points off the eight Packers turnovers this year - 24 of which came at Tampa in Week 4. That point total off turnovers is the sixth highest in the NFL.

• Green Bay did not have a giveaway against Indianapolis, the second time the team has played turnover-free football this season. It also went without a turnover in the opener against the Vikings, a feat they accomplished four times last season. Not surprisingly, all six were victories.

• Over a longer stretch, the Packers have won 32 of 33 games playing turnover-free football, since a loss at Dallas, Nov. 18, 1996. Green Bay's only loss in such games during that stretch was a 23-20 defeat at

Minnesota, Oct. 23, 2005.

• Including playoffs, the Packers have won 35 of their last 36 games without a giveaway.

{sportsad300}MR. BIG PLAY

• Third-year pro Greg Jennings has been known as a big-play receiver since coming to Green Bay. Now, the rest of the league is catching on.

• Through Week 7, Jennings leads all NFL receivers with 685 yards.

• Jennings' 12 catches of 20 yards-or-more ranks first among all NFL receivers. The next highest total is nine, accomplished by Minnesota's Bernard Berrian and Detroit's Calvin Johnson.

• He has five catches of 40 or more yards this season. That is tied for the NFL lead with Saints WR Devery Henderson.

• Among the league's top 50 in receptions, Jennings' average of 18.5 yards per catch is tied for the league lead with Berrian. Last season, his 17.4 yards per catch ranked fourth in the NFL.

• His reception total (37) ranks eighth among all NFL receivers.

• His long TD catch at Seattle was his 19th career TD and 10th of at least 40 yards in length.

• Jennings has a staggering average of 37.3 yards per TD reception for his career.

COLLINS PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

• Now in his fourth year in the NFL, safety Nick Collins is off to the best start of his young career.

• Battling through an injured back, Collins tallied a career-high 13 tackles against the Falcons. He ranks second on the defense with 51 tackles and is tied for the NFL lead with four interceptions.

• Collins is on pace for a career year. His four interceptions marks a career high. Coming into the season, he had four career picks in 45 games. He's on pace to total almost 120 tackles which would easily surpass his previous career high of 102, set in '06.

• Drafted in the second round of the 2005 draft out of Bethune-Cookman, Collins seems to be putting it all together. He has credited veteran teammate Charles Woodson with much of his success this season. Woodson spent time with Collins in the offseason, teaching the young safety the intricacies of reading a quarterback. The duo now stands tied atop the NFL's interception list.

• "I think Nick has kind of grown up in this defense, as far as the understanding of the scheme," McCarthy said. "The maturity of recognizing the opponent is definitely an asset that he's gained through film study. But I think Nick is off to a great start. The ability to fight through some nagging injuries too. He's really kind of come into his own this year."

UPON A CLOSER LOOK AT THE STATS

• Some of the good, bad and strange statistics through seven games:

• Aaron Rodgers' three rushing scores are the most by a Packers QB since Brett Favre had three in 1995. A fourth rushing TD for Rodgers would mark the most for a Green Bay signal caller since Don Majkowski

had five rushing scores in 1989.

• While it has an offense that is capable of striking for the big score from any point on the field, Green Bay's defense has allowed too many big touchdown plays. It has allowed six TDs of 20 yards or more - five through the air and one on the ground. That's the second highest total allowed in the league this year.

• Mason Crosby's eight touchbacks rank tied for fourth in the NFL.

• Despite a rash of injuries, especially to core special teams players, Green Bay's coverage units have been solid no matter what personnel lines up. Its punt coverage ranks fifth best in the NFL, while its kick coverage ranks 13th.

• Green Bay's offense has 16 drives of 10-or-more plays. That ranks first in the league. Denver, with 14, ranks second.