TODAY: Tom Coughlin returns to Lambeau Field for the first time since he served on the Packers' staff from 1986-87, and Kurt Warner becomes the sixth former Brett Favre backup to duel the Packers' perennial starter...With a win, the Packers would be .500-or-better at the quarter pole for an 11th straight season, and for the 12th time in the last 13 years (the Favre era), remarkable consistency during the Salary Cap generation...Since Mike Sherman became Packers head coach in 2000, Green Bay and Philadelphia are the only NFL teams without a three-game losing streak. Sherman is the only active coach (minimum one season) who has never experienced a three-game slide.
SHERMAN STILL OWNS NFL'S BEST HOME RECORD: Since Mike Sherman took over the Packers in 2000, no other club has a better home-field record. Green Bay is 26-7 (.788), followed by St. Louis (26-8, .765), Denver (25-9, .735), Baltimore (24-9, .727), and Minnesota and Oakland (both 24-10, .706).
*Under Brett Favre, the Packers at Lambeau Field are 72-11 (.868).
*The Packers went 68-12 (.850) at home over the last 10 seasons (1994-2003). In NFL-AFL history, only two other franchises have assembled a better record over any 10 seasons. The Oakland Raiders were 60-8-2 (.871) from 1967-76 and 59-9-2 (.857) from 1968-77. The Pittsburgh Steelers were 63-11 (.851) from 1971-80.
PACKERS TOUGH ON FORMER COACHES...Including postseason, today marks the 35th time since the end of the 1996 season, when Green Bay won Super Bowl XXXI, that a former Packers coach has met the Packers. Five assistants on Mike Holmgren's first Packers coaching staff, in 1992, left Green Bay to head up other NFL teams. Tom Coughlin marks his first game as a head coach at Lambeau Field, where former Green Bay coaches are 4-14 (.286), from 1997-2004. Overall during that span, they're 8-26 (.235):
Head Coach, W-L, Pct In Green Bay
*Andy Reid, Phi, 2-1, .667, TE/offensive line asst., 1992-96; QB, 1997-98
*Mike Holmgren, Sea, 1-2, .333, Head coach, 1992-98
Jon Gruden, Oak-TB, 1-2, .333, Receivers coach, 1992-94
*Steve Mariucci, SF-Det, 2-7, .222, QB coach, 1992-95
Dick Jauron, ChiB, 2-8, .200, DB coach, 1986-94
Tom Coughlin, Jax, 0-2, .000, Receivers coach, 1986-87
Marty Mornhinweg, Det, 0-4, .000, Off. asst./quality control, 1995; QB, 1996
Totals, 8-26, .235 *-includes playoffs
...AND ON FORMER FAVRE BACKUPS: Kurt Warner becomes the sixth of Favre's former backups to start against him (11 overall have departed Green Bay and gone on to start since Favre's streak began). Favre is 5-2 vs. former backups starting against him:
Date, Opponent, Former backup, Result
09/24/95, at Jacksonville, Mark Brunell, GB, 24-14
11/03/96, Detroit, Don Majkowski, GB, 28-18
09/07/97, at Philadelphia, Ty Detmer, Phi, 10-9
12/03/01, at Jacksonville, Mark Brunell, GB, 28-21
09/15/02, at New Orleans, Aaron Brooks, NO, 35-20
10/05/03, Seattle, Matt Hasselbeck, GB, 35-13
01/04/04*, Seattle, Matt Hasselbeck, GB, 33-27 (ot)
*-NFC Wild Card playoff
STARTING STREAK PASSES 12 YEARS: Brett Favre's starting streak, which today reaches 193 games (214 including playoffs) -- an NFL record at his position -- enters its 13th calendar year this afternoon.
*In a Week 4 contest vs. Pittsburgh, on Sept. 27, 1992, Favre made his first NFL start, throwing for 210 yards and two TDs in a 17-3 win.
*Favre today also passes Len Hauss for sole possession of the ninth-longest starting streak on record. Hauss, a center, started 192 consecutive Redksins games from 1964-77. Doug Dieken (194, Cleveland Browns, 1971-84) is next up. And, if Favre starts every game in 2004, he'll enter next season with the seventh-longest streak.
*The quarterback has won six of his last seven Week 4 starts. Including a victory in that 1992 Steelers contest, he's 9-3 career in Week 4.
SPEAKING OF STREAKS: The Packers look to score a touchdown in a 65th straight game, by far the longest active streak in the NFL. An opponent hasn't kept Green Bay out of the end zone since Mike Sherman's first win, Sept. 17, 2000, a 6-3 Packers win at home over Philadelphia.
AHMAN GREEN: On the franchise's all-time list:
*Needs 29 attempts to surpass No. 2 John Brockington (1,293). Green enters today with 1,265.
*Needs one 100-yard rushing game to surpass Jim Taylor's career record, 26. Green enters today with 26 in a Packers uniform.
*Needs one touchdown to tie No. 5 Antonio Freeman (57); Green has 56 TDs in a Packers uniform.
SINCE THAT 2001 GIANTS GAME: Washington's LaVar Arrington probably kept Brett Favre from challenging later this season one of the most hallowed records in sports, Johnny Unitas' 47 straight games with a TD pass.
*Arrington, in an Oct. 20, 2002, game at Lambeau, sprained Favre's knee and forced him from the game early in the second half.
*Since throwing for a TD at the Giants, Jan. 6, 2002, Favre has at least one scoring pass in 35 of his last 36 games. Odds are good his streak would be 36 entering today had he remained in that 2002 Arrington contest for the final two quarters.
*Nontheless, he enters today with a TD pass in 28 straight games, a franchise record. Longest all-time NFL streaks:
47, Johnny Unitas, BalC, 1956-60
30, Dan Marino, Mia, 1985-87
28, Dave Krieg, Sea, 1983-85
Brett Favre, GB, 2002-04
27, Chris Chandler, Atl, 1997-99
Peyton Manning, Ind, 1998-99
PACKERS OWN SIGNIFICANT PLAYOFF EDGE: The Giants and Packers have squared off to decide five world championships. Since the NFL began playoff competition in 1933, only one other series has produced more, the Giants and Bears with six.
*Green Bay dropped the first Giants title game, in 1938, then won four consecutive, in 1939, 1944, 1961 and 1962. Green Bay is 4-1 overall in postseason play against New York.
*Green Bay's four straight postseason wins over the Giants are tied for the NFL record against a single opponent. Only Dallas (over Green Bay), Pittsburgh (over the Colts) and Oakland (over the Oilers/Titans) have as many.
CENTURY MILESTONES: Al Harris is expected to play in a 100th consecutive game, and Doug Pederson is expected to play in a 100th overall game.
TODAY'S NATIONAL ANTHEM: National country recording artist Billy Dean will sing today's Star-Spangled Banner.
AT THE GATES: Sentry Foods is distributing visors to fans at all gates.
HALFTIME: Today's Halftime Tailgate meal is courtesy of Johnsonville, the Official Brat of Lambeau Field...The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Marching Band 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 return to the Monday night stage, hosting the Titans in a battle of the two toughest quarterbacks in the NFL, Steve McNair and Brett Favre. New York, meanwhile, travels to Dallas to meet the coach that led the Giants to two Super Bowl wins, Bill Parcells.
