TODAY: The Packers attempt to overcome a tough loss in snowy Seattle, where Green Bay led for nearly 42 minutes, including a fourth-quarter advantage...Eric Mangini brings his club to Green Bay, its first appearance at Lambeau since Opening Day 2000...The Jets are 7-2 all-time against Green Bay. The only other club with a better record vs. the Packers is Kansas City (6-1-1).
YOUNG ADVERSARIES: With the help of team historian Lee Remmel, the Packers have determined that Eric Mangini will become the eighth-youngest head coach on their opposing sideline since the Vince Lombardi era. Since Lombardi defeated 32-year-old Harland Svare, 41-10, at Milwaukee County Stadium in 1962, the Packers have faced only six other coaches who were younger than Mangini in their first regular-season meeting with Green Bay:
Harland Svare, LARm: 32yrs 0months 17 days
Born: 11/15/1930; First game: 12/2/1962
David Shula, Cin: 33 yrs 3 months 23 days
Born: 5/28/1959; First Game: 9/20/1992
Don Shula, BalC: 33 yrs 8 months 25 days
Born: 1/4/1930; First Game: 9/29/1963
Jack Christiansen, SF: 34 yrs 11 months 4days
Born: 12/20/1928; First Game: 11/24/1963
Bill Cowher, Pit: 35 yrs 4 months 19 days
Born: 5/8/1957; First Game: 9/27/1992
Norm Van Brocklin, Min: 35 yrs 7 months 7 days
Born: 3/15/1926; First Game: 10/22/1961
Joe Schmidt, Det: 35 yrs 7 months 29 days
Born: 1/19/193; First Game: 9/17/1967
Eric Mangini, NYJ: 35 yrs 10 months 14 days
Born: 1/19/1971; First Game: 12/3/2006
ROSTER MOVE: The Jets on Saturday placed WR Tim Dwight (No. 17), their primary punt returner, on injured reserve (thigh). To replace him on the active roster, the club signed WR Wallace Wright (No. 2), a 6-foot, 191-pound rookie out of North Carolina, from the practice squad.
IN DECEMBER: In Lambeau Field games Dec. 1 and later, the Packers have won 14 of their last 16 regular-season games (.875).
-Among starting QBs who've launched their careers since 1970, only three quarterbacks have a better W-L record at home in December than Brett Favre (46-17, .730): Tom Brady (19-4, .826), Joe Theismann (18-5, .783) and Joe Montana (34-11, .756).
-When kickoff temperature is 34 degrees or colder, Brett Favre is 33-2 (.943) in regular-season home games (40-4, .909, including a 7-2 playoff mark).
CENTERVILLE REUNION: Today's contest features three players who grew up in Centerville, Ohio, and went on to play at Ohio State: the Jets' Nick Mangold and Mike Nugent, and the Packers' A.J. Hawk.
SACK-HAPPY DEFENSE: According to Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News, when Pittsburgh failed to tackle Steve McNair last week, the Steelers ended a stretch of 27 games with at least one sack, the league's longest streak. Now, the longest is shared by the Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins (both with 17). Only five other teams have sacks in every game of the 2006 season: Atlanta, Carolina, Green Bay, New Orleans and Seattle.
-The Packers' streak is 13, dating to Dec. 25, 2005. The last time Green Bay played without a sack was Dec. 19, 2005, at Baltimore.
HONORARY CAPTAIN: Former Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman, a member of the Super Bowl XXXI championship team, will serve as honorary captain for today's game.
-As part of the organization's season-long celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Super Bowl win, General Manager Ted Thompson has invited members of the 1996 team to serve as honorary captains for each of the Packers' remaining home games.
PREGAME INFORMATION: Former Air Force officer Donovan Champman, now a country recording artist and songwriter, will perform our national anthem. At the end of the presentation, four F-16 Falcons, from the 115 Fighter Wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard in Madison, will fly-by the stadium. In addition, six members of the 440th Airlift Wing from Milwaukee will perform Color Guard duties; the base will be closing this spring.
POOL REPORTERS: As appointed by the Professional Football Writers of America, Cliff Christl of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Mike Vandermause (alternate) of the Green Bay Press-Gazette are the Lambeau Field pool reporters.
NEXT WEEK: The Packers return to the West Coast for a Sunday afternoon tilt at San Francisco (3:05 CST, FOX)...Credential applications for the contest at San Francisco are due by noon on Monday, Dec. 4 (tomorrow)...The Jets meanwhile return home to the Meadowlands, where they meet the Bills in a 1 p.m. EST contest on CBS.
{sportsad300}WHAT TO LOOK FOR TODAY & IN COMING WEEKS -
80 DONALD DRIVER:
-Has 31 career TD receptions from Brett Favre. The duo needs one to reach No. 5 (tie) Lynn Dickey-James Lofton and Favre-Robert Brooks?(both 32).
-With 98 more yards receiving, would reach 1,000 and join Lofton (5) and Sterling Sharpe (5) as one of three Packers ever with as many as four overall 1,000-yard seasons. Also by reaching 1,000, would join Lofton (3, 1983-85) and Sharpe (3, 1992-94) as one of three Packers ever with three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
-Needs 10 catches to become only the sixth Packer with 400 career, joining Sharpe, Lofton, Don Hutson, Boyd Dowler and Antonio Freeman. Driver enters with 390 career receptions.
-Needs 26 receptions at Lambeau Field to surpass the stadium's all-time leader, Freeman (213). Driver enters with 188 career catches at Lambeau, having already surpassed No. 2 Lofton (178) and No. 3 Sharpe (174) in '06.
-Has a reception in 75 consecutive games, the franchise's second-longest streak behind Sharpe's 103 (1988-94).
4 BRETT FAVRE: On the NFL's all-time passing list...
-Is expected to play in his 235th straight game (255 including playoffs). He should start his 233rd consecutive game (253 including playoffs), extending the NFL's record among quarterbacks.
-Needs 10 TD passes to match Dan Marino's NFL record, 420. Favre enters with 410.
-Needs 60 completions to surpass No. 1 Dan?Marino (4,967). Favre enters with 4,908. Needs 92 completions to become the first ever to reach 5,000.
-Needs six touchdown passes at Lambeau Field for 200. Favre (194) already holds the single-stadium NFL record, having surpassed John Elway's Mile High Stadium mark (180) in 2005.
88 BUBBA FRANKS:
-Needs two TD receptions at Lambeau Field to tie No. 3 Brooks (17) and five to tie No. 2 Sharpe (20) on the stadium's all-time list. Franks enters with 15 Lambeau Field TD receptions. Driver has 12.
-Needs one TD reception to reach 30 career. In team history, only 11 previous players have reached the milestone, including Donald Driver this season.
94 KABEER GBAJA-BIAMILA:
-On Green Bay's all-time sacks list, needs five to match Reggie White's career record, 681/2. Gbaja-Biamila enters with 631/2.
30 AHMAN GREEN: On Green Bay's all-time rushing list...
-Needs 99 rushing attempts to surpass No. 1 Jim Taylor (1,811). Green enters with 1,713.
-Needs 417 rushing yards to surpass No. 1 Jim Taylor (8,207). Green enters with 7,791.
-Could become one of only three players ever to lead the Packers in rushing for six overall seasons, joining Clarke Hinkle (seven) and Jim Taylor (seven). Green has led the team five seasons.
-Needs 312 rushing yards to reach 1,000 and surpass Jim Taylor's record of five overall 1,000-yard seasons. Green also has five.
-Needs one overall touchdown to surpass No. 3 Sharpe (66). Green enters with 66 in a Packers uniform, having already surpassed No. 4 Paul Hornung (62) this season.
-Needs one point to surpass No. 8 Sharpe (396). Green enters with 396, having already surpassed No. 10 Clarke Hinkle (379) and No. 9 Ted Fritsch (380) this season.
31 AL HARRIS:
-Needs to return one interception for a touchdown to tie No. 5 Charley Brock, Doug Hart and Ken Ellis (all with three) on Green Bay's all-time career list. With a second TD on an interception, would match No. 4 Johnny (Blood) McNally, who returned four. Harris enters with two.
85 GREG JENNINGS:
-Can become the first Packers rookie with four TD receptions since Ed West (TE) had four in 1984. The last rookie wide receiver with at least four was James Lofton, who had six in 1978.
