TODAY: The Packers look for a win over their nemesis of the 1990s, the Dallas Cowboys...Dallas makes only its second trip to Green Bay over the last 15 seasons (also 1997, a 45-17 Packers win)...The Packers bid for their first home win since a playoff victory over Seattle, Jan. 4.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR TODAY -
DONALD DRIVER:
-Needs four receptions for career No. 200.
-Needs 100 yards receiving to become just the sixth in Packers history to record three consecutive 100-yard games. Antonio Freeman was the last to do it, Oct. 15-Nov. 1, 1998. Most by a Green Bay player in consecutive fashion:
4, Don Hutson, 1945
James Lofton, 1982-83
3, Billy Howton, 1952
James Lofton, 1984
Robert Brooks, 1995
Robert Brooks, 1995
Antonio Freeman, 1998
BRETT FAVRE:
-Will play in his 200th career NFL game, and his 100th career NFL home contest (including 1991 with Atlanta).
-Can extend his streak of games with a TD pass to 32, the NFL's second-longest streak behind Johnny Unitas' 47-game stretch (1956-60), one of the most revered marks in sports history.
-Will play in a 198th consecutive game (217 including playoffs) and make his 196th consecutive start (215 including playoffs), 80 more than the next-closest streak on the all-time quarterbacks list, 116 by Ron Jaworski (1977-84).
-Needs 34 completions to surpass No. 2 John Elway (4,123) on the all-time list. Favre enters today with 4,090.
BUBBA FRANKS:
-Needs two receptions to surpass No. 5 Ron Kramer (170) and seven to surpass No. 4 Rich McGeorge (175) on the team's all-time tight ends list. Franks enters today with 169.
-Needs two touchdown receptions to tie No. 2 Ed West (25) on the team's all-time tight ends list. Franks enters today with 23.
KABEER GBAJA-BIAMILA:
Needs 3.5 sacks to surpass Ezra Johnson (41.5, 1982-87) for third all-time in Green Bay history. He enters today with 38.5.
AHMAN GREEN:
-Needs 100 yards rushing to break Hall of Famer Jim Taylor's franchise record 26 career 100-yard games. Green enters today with 26.
-Needs 73 receiving yards to surpass No. 2 Dorsey Levens (2,079) on the all-time list among backs. Green enters today with 2,007.
-Needs 29 yards of total offense to surpass No. 4 Sterling Sharpe (8,206) and 98 to surpass No. 3 Don Hutson (8,275). Green enters today with 8,178.
-Needs 53 all-purpose yards for 10,000 career. Green, who had 1,438 kickoff return yards with Seattle from 1998-99, enters today with 9,947 career all-purpose yards.
-Needs two overall TDs to surpass No. 5 Antonio Freeman (57) on the all-time Green Bay list. Green enters today with 56.
TORRANCE MARSHALL:
-Needs two special-teams tackles for 50 career.
DARREN SHARPER:
-Needs one touchdown to surpass both Bobby Dillon and Doug Hart (five) for second on the team's defensive TD list. Herb Adderley leads with seven defensive TD. Sharper enters today with five.
JAVON WALKER:
-Needs three receptions for 100 career.
TALK ABOUT PEAKS & VALLEYS: After going 16 games without a 100-yard receiver from Dec. 15, 2002, to Dec. 7, 2003, the Packers now have seven 100-yard efforts over their last nine contests. The NFL this week, in previewing the Rams-Dolphins matchup, ranked the most 100-yard receivers over the last 16 games on each schedule, and Green Bay is tied for fifth with seven. Ironically, Green Bay's opponent next week, Washington, hasn't allowed a 100-yard receiver in 12 games, the second-longest active streak behind Miami (16).
NFL PLAYERS NAME PACKERS CLASSIEST ORGANIZATION: In this week's issue, Sports Illustrated will publish results of a poll in which the majority of NFL players chose the Green Bay Packers as the classiest organization in the league. Featured in the magazine's new SI Players section, the poll surveyed 354 players. Results:
Green Bay Packers, 18 percent
San Francisco 49ers, 15 percent
Dallas Cowboys, 10 percent
New England Patriots, 10 percent
STREAKS, DEFENSE: Entering today's game, Green Bay's defense:
-Has not allowed a first down in more than two quarters, or five possessions.
-Has not allowed a third-down conversion in nine attempts. Opponents are 1-for-their-last-14.
-Hasn't allowed a point for two-plus quarters, or 34 minutes, 41 seconds.
-Has not allowed penetration inside its 30-yard line in nine possessions.
STREAKS, OFFENSE: Entering today's game, Green Bay's offense:
-Has not allowed a sack over its last 175 passing plays. The team's last sack allowed came at Indianapolis, Sept. 26. Over a longer stretch, Green Bay has given up just one sack over its last 222 passing plays, a stretch that began on kickoff weekend, Sept. 13 at Carolina.
-Could go four consecutive games without allowing sack for the first time in team history. The club has already gone three consecutive games for only the second time ever (also Sept. 14-29, 2003). Sacks became an official team stat in 1963.
-Has converted five of its last seven third-down snaps.
-Could string together three 400-yard games for the first time since Sept. 17 - Oct. 8, 1989, when Green Bay topped 400 in four straight contests.
TODAY'S NATIONAL ANTHEM: Joanne Shenandoah, a multiple award-winning Native American composer, vocalist and performer, will sing the Star Spangled Banner. She is a Wolf Clan member of the Iroquois Confederacy (Oneida Nation) and has 13 recordings on more than 40 compilations.
AT THE GATES: Sentry Foods is distributing Packers car flags to fans.
HALFTIME: The Oneida Nation Dancers and Challenger, an American bald eagle, will provide today's halftime entertainment.
POOL REPORTERS: Cliff Christl of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, is the home pool reporter. Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette is the alternate.
NEXT WEEK: The Packers make their first trip to Washington D.C. since 1979, looking for an important conference win, a noon kickoff Sunday. The Cowboys return to Dallas, where they host Detroit.
