Packers-Giants NFC Divisional Playoff Game 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. This is an abbreviated version of the Packers-Giants NFC Divisional Playoff Game Dope Sheet. To read the full version, download the PDF by **clicking here**. *

Here are some highlights from thePackers-Giants NFC Divisional Playoff Game Dope Sheet:

N.Y. GIANTS (10-7) AT GREEN BAY (15-1)
Sunday, Jan. 15 - Lambeau Field - 3:30 p.m. CST

PACKERS AND GIANTS TO MEET IN NFC DIVISIONAL CONTEST

• The Packers will host their first playoff game at Lambeau Field since the 2007 season when the N.Y. Giants come to town this Sunday for an NFC Divisional playoff contest.
• It will be the second meeting between the clubs this season, with Green Bay topping New York, 38-35, in Week 13 at MetLife Stadium.
• This marks the fifth time in franchise history that the Packers have faced the Giants during the regular season and the playoffs in the same season, with the other instances coming in 1938, 1944, 1961 and 2007.
• Two of the most venerable franchises in professional football history, the Packers and Giants have combined for 20 championships. Green Bay ranks No. 1 among all NFL franchises with 13 titles, while New York checks in at No. 3 with seven championships.
• Since the advent of free agency in 1993, there has been only one season (1999) that didn't include either the Packers or Giants in the playoffs. Since 2006, Green Bay ranks No. 1 in the NFC in regular-season winning percentage (.656, 63-33), while New York checks in at No. 3 in the conference (.594, 57-39) behind only New Orleans (.646, 62-34).
• The Packers and Giants squared off in five NFL championship games, with Green Bay winning four of those contests. New York won the 1938 title at the Polo Grounds in New York, but the Packers defeated the Giants in the championship game in 1939, 1944, 1961 and 1962.
• Green Bay holds a 31-23-2 edge in the all-time series, which includes a 4-2 postseason record. The teams first met in 1928 in New York.
• Including playoffs, the Packers have won 21 of their last 22 games. That included 19 straight wins from Week 16 last season through Week 14 this season. The 19-game winning streak was the second longest in NFL history, including playoffs, behind only the 21-game winning streak registered by the 2003-04 New England Patriots.
• For the first time since 1996, Green Bay is the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. Last season, the Packers became only the second No. 6 seed to win a Super Bowl since the NFL went to a 12-team playoff format in 1990.

WITH THE CALL

• FOX Sports, now in its 18th season as an NFL network television partner, will broadcast the game to a national audience.
• Play-by-play man Joe Buckand color analystTroy Aikman will have the call from the broadcast booth with Pam Oliverreporting from the sidelines.
• Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since 1929, heads up the 52-station Packers Radio Network, with Wayne Larrivee(play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro BowlerLarry McCarren (color) calling the action. The duo is in its 13th season of broadcasts together across the Packers Radio Network, which covers 43 markets in five states.
• Westwood One radio will air the game across the country. Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Dan Fouts (analyst) will call the action, with Hub Arkushreporting from the sidelines. Scott Graham hosts pregame and halftime shows.

BACK IN THE POSTSEASON

• Green Bay's 27th postseason berth in team history marks the franchise's 14th appearance in the last 19 seasons and the fourth berth in the past five seasons under Head Coach Mike McCarthy. 
• The Packers are the only NFC team to make four playoff appearances in the last five seasons.
• Green Bay is the lone NFC club to advance to the Divisional round of the playoffs each of the past two seasons.
• Green Bay's 27 playoff appearances rank tied for No. 3 in NFL history behind only the N.Y. Giants (31) and Dallas (30).
• The Packers' 14 postseason appearances in the free-agency era (1993-2011) are the most of any team in the NFL.
• Among teams with three or more playoff games, the Packers own the league's best postseason winning percentage (.644, 29-16), ahead of the team they defeated last season in Super Bowl XLV, the Pittsburgh Steelers (.611, 33-21). Green Bay trails only the Steelers and the Cowboys (33 each) for the most playoff victories in NFL history.
• Green Bay posted a 6-0 record this season against 2011 playoff teams, with three of the wins coming at home (New Orleans, Week 1; Denver, Week 4; Detroit, Week 17) and three coming away from Lambeau Field (Atlanta, Week 5; Detroit, Week 12; N.Y. Giants, Week 13).
• Since the NFL went to a 12-team playoff format in 1990, the Packers have had a first-round bye on three other occasions (No. 1 seed in 1996, No. 2 seed in 1997 and 2007). Green Bay is 3-0 in the Divisional round coming off a first-round bye.

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:

• Packers vs. New York Giants:
• All-time regular season:27-21-2
• All-time, postseason:4-2
• All-time, in Green Bay:8-6-0
• Streaks:The Packers have won six of the last eight meetings.
• Last meeting, in Green Bay:Dec. 26, 2010, at Lambeau Field; Packers won, 45-17

COACHES CAPSULES

• Mike McCarthy: 67-35-0, .657, (incl. 5-2 postseason); 6th NFL season
• Tom Coughlin:151-121-0, .555 (incl. 9-7 postseason); 16th NFL season (8th with Giants)
• Head to Head:McCarthy 3-1
• vs. Opponent:McCarthy 3-1 vs. Giants; Coughlin 2-5 vs. Packers

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MIKE McCARTHY…Is in sixth year as the Packers' 14th head coach.

• Joined Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as the only coaches to guide the Packers to a Super Bowl title with a win over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV. Has led the Packers to four playoff appearances in six seasons as head coach.
• His .714 winning percentage (5-2) in the postseason is tied for first among active NFL head coaches, matching the mark of New England's Bill Belichick (15-6).
• One of only two coaches, along with New Orleans' Sean Payton, to have his offense ranked in the top 10 in total yardage each of the last six seasons (2006-11).
• Was named Packers head coach on Jan. 12, 2006, his first head-coaching job after 13 years as an NFL assistant.
• Honored as the 2007 Motorola NFL Coach of the Year and NFL Alumni Coach of the Year.
• Became the first Packers coach since Lombardi to lead the team to a championship game in his second season.

TOM COUGHLIN…Is in eighth year as the Giants' 16th head coach.

• In his 16 seasons as an NFL head coach, has won five division titles and led his team to the playoffs nine times, with one Super Bowl title (2007).
• Has led two different franchises to four consecutive postseason berths (Giants, 2005-08; Jacksonville Jaguars, 1996-99), one of only three coaches in league history to accomplish the feat.
• Was the original head coach of the expansion Jaguars for their first eight seasons (1995-2002).
• Also was a head coach in the collegiate ranks with Boston College (1991-93). 

THE PACKERS-GIANTS SERIES

• Two of the most venerable franchises in professional football history, the teams have combined for 20 championships. Green Bay (13 titles) ranks No. 1 among all NFL franchises, while the Giants (seven) rank third.
• Their first five postseason meetings, prior to the 2007 NFC Championship, were all NFL title games (1938, '39, '44, '61, '62), with the Packers going 4-1 in those games. Brooklyn-born Vince Lombardi, formerly an offensive assistant with the Giants before accepting the head coach and GM position in Green Bay in 1959, led the Packers over the Giants in the 1961 and '62 NFL championships. 
• With both teams finishing 8-8 in 2006, it took four tiebreakers and percentage points to give the Giants – and not the Packers – the NFC's second Wild Card berth that year.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Packers RB Ryan Grant entered the NFL as a non-drafted free agent with the Giants in 2005; he spent the '05 season on the team's practice squad and the '06 campaign on the non-football injury reserve list. Grant was born in Nyack, N.Y. and attended Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J. …S Charlie Peprah was the Giants' fifth-round pick in 2006 and was claimed off waivers by Green Bay before the start of the '06 season...Packers NT B.J. Raji was born in New York City and attended Westwood Regional High in Washington Township, N.J. ...Packers RB James Starks is a Niagara Falls, N.Y. native and attended the University at Bufalo...Packers special teams assistant Chad Morton played two seasons for the Giants (2005-06)...Giants CB Will Blackmon was a fourth-round pick of the Packers in 2006 and played four seasons in Green Bay (2006-09)...Giants S Derrick Martin played two seasons for the Packers (2009-10)…Giants DE Dave Tollefson was a seventh-round draft choice by the Packers in 2006...Giants head coach Tom Coughlin was wide receivers coach in Green Bay for two seasons (1986-87) under Forrest Gregg...Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers was Coughlin's defensive coordinator for the Jaguars for two seasons (1999-2000); Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell was on Capers' defensive staff as DB coach...Giants QB David Carr played for the Texans when Capers was the head coach in Houston…Giants defensive line coach Robert Nunn coached defensive tackles in Green Bay for four seasons (2005-08)...Giants linebackers coach Jim Herrmann was in his first season as the University of Michigan's defensive coordinator (1997) when Packers CB Charles Woodson won the Heisman Trophy and the Wolverines won the national title...Herrmann and Giants running backs coach Jerald Ingram were college teammates of Packers defensive line coach Mike Trgovac at Michigan...Trgovac and Ingram coached together at Michigan and Ball State...Packers running backs coach Jerry Fontenot and Giants asst. strength and conditioning coach Marcus Paul were teammates with the Chicago Bears...Giants strength and conditioning coach Jerry Palmieri was on the Saints' staff in 2003 with Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and asst. head coach/inside LB Winston Moss...Giants asst. off. line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. was the head coach at Louisiana Tech for Packers CB Tramon Williams' entire college career there (2002-05)...Williams and Giants RB Brandon Jacobs were teammates at Assumption High School in Napoleonville, La. …Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin and Giants offensive line coach Pat Flaherty coached at the University of Iowa together in 1999...Giants TE Travis Beckum is from Milwaukee and played collegiately at Wisconsin…Former college teammates include Grant and Giants DE Justin Tuck (Notre Dame), Packers T Chad Clifton and C Scott Wells and Giants S Deon Grant (Tennessee), Packers LS Brett Goode and Giants G Mitch Petrus and T Tony Ugoh (Arkansas), Packers CB Sam Shields and Giants S Kenny Phillips (Miami), Packers QB Matt Flynn and Giants CB Corey Webster (LSU), Webster and Packers DE Howard Green (LSU), Packers RB Brandon Saine and Giants TE Jake Ballard and C Jim Cordle (Ohio State), Raji and Packers LB Robert Francois and Blackmon, Giants LB Mark Herzlich and LB Mathias Kiwanuka (Boston College), Packers DE C.J. Wilson and Giants DT Linval Joseph (East Carolina), Packers TE Ryan Taylor and Giants WR Hakeem Nicks (North Carolina), Packers TE Jermichael Finley and Giants CB Aaron Ross (Texas), Packers T Bryan Bulaga and Giants S Tyler Sash (Iowa), and Packers DE Jarius Wynn and Giants RB D.J. Ware (Georgia).

LAST MEETING, IN GREEN BAY

• Dec. 26, 2010, at Lambeau Field; Packers won, 45-17
• QB Aaron Rodgers returned after missing the previous game (concussion) to throw for 404 yards and four TDs.
• A pair of Green Bay WRs cleared the 100-yard mark, with Greg Jennings leading the way (7-142). Jordy Nelson added 124 yards on four grabs, highlighted by an 80-yard TD catch in the first quarter.
• FB John Kuhn scored a career-high three TDs, rushing for two and catching a TD pass.
• Green Bay's defense recorded a season-high six takeaways, including four interceptions of Giants QB Eli Manning. The takeaway total matched the best mark under Head Coach Mike McCarthy (six at Chicago, Dec. 31, 2006).

PUT IT ON THE BOARD
With 560 points this season, the Packers easily eclipsed the franchise record for the most points scored in a season, besting the previous mark by nearly 100 points:

Season,  Total Points 1. 2011, 560
2. 2009, 461
3. 1996, 456

Green Bay's scoring total was good for No. 2 in NFL history behind only the 2007 New England Patriots:

Team, Total Points 1. New England, 2007, 589
2. Green Bay, 2011, 560
3. Minnesota, 1998, 556

POSTSEASON PROFICIENCY

• As productive as QB Aaron Rodgers has been during the regular season in his four years as the starter, he has further elevated his play during the playoffs.
• Rodgers capped off the 2010 postseason with a 304-yard, three-TD effort vs. Pittsburgh that earned him Super Bowl XLV honors. He became just the fourth quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300 yards and three TDs in a Super Bowl, joining Joe Montana, Steve Young and Jake Delhomme.
• His passer rating of 111.5 in Super Bowl XLV was his fourth game with a 110-plus rating in five postseason starts. That alreadyties him for third in league history behind only Montana (six in 23 starts) and Brett Favre (five in 24 starts).
• A look at where Rodgers ranks in NFL postseason history in several categories (min. 150 attempts):

Quarterback, Passer Rating 1. Aaron Rodgers, GB, 112.6
2. Drew Brees, SD/NO, 106.2
3. Bart Starr, GB, 104.8

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Quarterback, Completion Pct. 1. Aaron Rodgers, GB, 67.8
2. Drew Brees, SD/NO, 67.7
3. Kurt Warner, STL/ARI, 66.5* *

Quarterback, Yards/Attempt 1. Aaron Rodgers, GB, 8.72
2. Kurt Warner, STL/ARI, 8.55
3. Joe Theismann, WAS, 8.45

Quarterback, INT Pct. 1. Drew Brees, SD/NO, 0.60
2. Bart Starr, GB, 1.41
3. Aaron Rodgers, GB, 1.72

• Rodgers threw for 1,094 yards in the 2010 postseason, good for No. 2 in NFL history behind only Warner's 1,147 yards with Arizona in 2008. His nine TDs in last year's playoffs tied him for No. 3 in NFL postseason history behind only Montana (1989) and Warner (2008), who threw for 11 TDs each.
• With his three-TD passing performance at Atlanta in the NFC Divisional Playoff, Rodgers brought his TD total in his first three playoff games to 10, the most in NFL history. That topped the mark of nine held by Jeff George, Daryle Lamonica and Dan Marino in their first three playoff starts.
• Rodgers posted a 136.8 rating in the game against the Falcons, the third time he registered a 120-plus rating in three playoff starts. Rodgers became the first quarterback in NFL history to post a 120-plus rating in each of his first three playoff starts. No other QB in league history had posted a 120-plus rating in their first two postseason starts.
• Rodgers holds both of the top single-game passing yardage marks in postseason history with a 423-yard outing at Arizona in the 2009 postseason and a 366-yard effort last season at Atlanta.
• This will be the first time Rodgers has faced the Giants in the postseason. In two regular-season meetings, he posted a combined 121.2 passer rating (53-83, 773 yards, eight TDs, one INT).

ON ALL CYLINDERS

• For the sixth consecutive season, Green Bay was one of the most productive offenses in the league.
• The Packers ranked No. 3 in the NFL in total offense, their highest finish since a No. 2 ranking in 2007.

Team, Yards Per Game 1. New Orleans, 467.1
2. New England, 428.0
3. Green Bay, 405.1
4. Philadelphia, 399.1
5. Detroit, 396.1

• Green Bay has finished in the top 10 in total offense in every season under Head Coach Mike McCarthy. The only other team in the league to accomplish that feat over the past six seasons is New Orleans.
• The Packers registered at least 390 yards of total offense in the first seven games this season, thefirst time in franchise history they accomplished that feat in seven straight games at any point in a season.
• Green Bay was the only team in the league to post at least 315 yards of offense in every game this season. Dating back to last season, the Packers have registered 315-plus yards of offense in 22 of their last 24 regular-season games.
• The Packers set a franchise record with 6,482 yards on the season. Three of the top five totals in team history have come under McCarthy's direction:

Season, Total Yards

1. 2011, 6,482
2. 2004, 6,357
3. 1983, 6,172
4. 2009, 6,065
5. 2007, 5,931 

The Packers rankedNo. 3 in the NFLthis season with an average of 307.8 passing yards per game:

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Team, Passing Yards Per Game 1. New Orleans, 334.2
2. New England, 317.8
3. Green Bay, 307.8

Green Bay set a franchise record with 4,924 net passing yards on the season:

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Season, Net Passing Yards 1. 2011, 4,924
2. 2004, 4,449
3. 1983, 4,365

• The Packers tied an NFL record for the most TD passes as a team:

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Team, Passing TDs 1t. Green Bay, 2011, 51
1t. Indianapolis, 2004, 51
3. New England, 2007, 50

• This season marked the third straight campaign that the Packers averaged at least 250.0 net passing yards. Prior to 2009-11, Green Bay had never accomplished that feat in back-to-back seasons.
• The Packers had the No. 5 passing offense in 2010 at 257.8 yards per contest, following up an average of 261.3 net passing yards per game in 2009.
• Green Bayranked No. 2 in the NFL in yards per play at 6.56 this season, well above its 5.73-yard average in 2010 that ranked No. 6 in the NFL:

* *

Team, Yards Per Play 1. New Orleans, 6.69
2. Green Bay, 6.56
3. New England, 6.33
4. Carolina, 6.24
5. Philadelphia, 6.16

RACKING UP WINS

• With 15 victories in the regular season, the Packers became just the sixth team in NFL history to post a record of 15-1 or better:

Team**, Record/Season Result

** 1. New England, 2007, 16-0, lost in Super Bowl XLII 2t. Green Bay, 2011, 15-1, ??
2t. San Francisco, 1984, 15-1, won Super Bowl XIX
2t. Chicago, 1985, , 15-1, won Super Bowl XX
2t. Minnesota, 1998, , 15-1, lost in NFC Championship
2t. Pittsburgh, 2004, 15-1, lost in AFC Championship

AT THE HELM

• Having led Green Bay to the playoffs in four of his six seasons as head coach, Mike McCarthy is joined by Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as the only coaches to guide the Packers to a Super Bowl win with a victory over Pittsburgh last season in Super Bowl XLV.
• McCarthy led the Packers to a Super Bowl win in his fifth season in Green Bay, the same point that Holmgren led the Packers for the first time to the NFL title game in 1996.
• McCarthy joined Pittsburgh's Bill Cowher (2005) as the only Super Bowl-winning coaches to lead their respective teams to three road wins as the No. 6 seed in the postseason en route to a world title.
• The Packers' 21-14 win at Chicago last season was their second NFC Championship Game appearance in four seasons, the only team in the conference to do so over that span.
• Including playoffs, McCarthy has a 68-35 record since taking over as head coach in 2006, a .660 winning percentage that ranks No. 3 among current NFL head coaches (minimum 50 games):

* *

Coach, Winning Pct. 1. Mike Tomlin, PIT, .682 (60-28)
2. John Harbaugh, BAL, .676 (48-23)
3. Mike McCarthy, GB, .660 (68-35)
4. Bill Belichick, NE/CLE, .648 (190-103)
5. Mike Smith, ATL, .642 (43-24)

• Since taking over as head coach in 2006, McCarthy has a 63-33 regular-season record (.656) and a 5-2 mark (.714) in the postseason.
• McCarthy's .714 winning percentage in the playoffs is tied for No. 1 among active NFL head coaches, matching the mark of Belichick (15-6). McCarthy trails only the legendary Lombardi (9-1, .900) for the top postseason winning percentage in franchise annals. With the five postseason wins, McCarthy trails only Lombardi and Holmgren (nine each) for the most in Packers history.
• With 68 overall wins, McCarthy ranks No. 4 in team history:

Coach, Overall Wins 1. Curly Lambeau, 1921-49, 212
2. Vince Lombardi, 1959-67, 98
3. Mike Holmgren, 1992-98, 84
4. Mike McCarthy, 2006-, 68
5. Mike Sherman, 2000-05, 59

RODGERS ROLLING

• QB Aaron Rodgers connected on 343-of-502 passes (68.3 percent) for 4,643 yards and a career-high 45 TDs with six INTs this season.
• Rodgers' 122.5 passer rating set an NFL single-season record:

Quarterback, Passer Rating 1. Aaron Rodgers, GB, 2011, 122.5
2. Peyton Manning, IND, 2004, 121.1
3. Tom Brady, NE, 2007, 117.2

With the 45 TD passes, Rodgers set the single-season franchise record(Brett Favre, 39, 1996). The total ranked No. 5 in NFL annals

Quarterback, TD Passes 1. Tom Brady, NE, 2007, 50
2. Peyton Manning, IND, 2004, 49
3. Dan Marino, MIA, 1984, 48
4. Drew Brees, NO, 2011, 46
5. Aaron Rodgers, GB, 2011, 45

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TAKING HIS PLACE AMONG THE GAME'S BEST

• Rodgers surpassed the 1,500-attempt plateau for his career in 2010, the benchmark to qualify for passer rating in the NFL record book.
• Rodgers has completed 1,381-of-2,113 passes (65.4 percent) in his career for 17,366 yards and 132 touchdowns with 38 interceptions for a 104.1 passer rating in the regular season, No. 1 in NFL history:

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Quarterback, Career Passer Rating 1. Aaron Rodgers, GB, 104.1
2. Tony Romo, DAL, 96.9
3. Steve Young, TB/SF, 96.8

• Rodgers became only the fourth quarterback in NFL history to register three straight 100-plus passer rating seasons. He joins Peyton Manning (2004-06), Young (1991-94) and Philip Rivers (2008-10).
• Rodgers has thrown just 37 interceptions in his four seasons as a starter, a 1.8 interception percentage that leads the league over that span among quarterbacks with 50 or more starts.
• A look at where Rodgers ranks in NFL history in career interception percentage:

Quarterback, Career Int. Pct. 1. Aaron Rodgers, GB, 1.8
2. Neil O'Donnell, PIT/NYJ/CIN/TEN, 2.1
3. Donovan McNabb, PHI/WAS/MIN, 2.2

*This is an abbreviated version of the Packers-Giants NFC Divisional Playoff Game Dope Sheet. To read the full version, download the PDF by **clicking here**. *