PACKERS WRAP UP REGULAR SEASON WITH LIONS
-Green Bay plays its 16th and final regular-season game Sunday when it hosts the Detroit Lions in the 157th meeting of the rivalry.
-The Lions have not won in the state of Wisconsin since a 21-17 victory over the Packers at Lambeau Field in 1991, a streak that spans 16 consecutive Packers victories and seven Lions head coaches.
-For the fourth straight season, Detroit makes its annual visit to Lambeau Field in December.
-The two clubs met just over one month ago, with Green Bay earning a hard-fought 37-26 win on Thanksgiving.
-The Packers' recent dominance in the series hasn't just been limited to games played in Wisconsin. They've won 12 of the last 14 overall meetings, and Head Coach Mike McCarthy is 3-0 against the Lions.
-Sunday is the 253rd consecutive regular-season sellout (266 including playoffs) at Lambeau Field, the league's longest-tenured stadium.
-Winners of 16 of its last 19 contests, Green Bay has clinched a first-round bye for the first time since 1997.
-One week after a rough performance in wintry conditions in Chicago, quarterback Brett Favre and the offense welcome the sight of the Lions. The Packers have scored more points (3,182) against the Lions than any other franchise, and Favre has completed more passes and thrown for more yards against the Lions than any other opponent. His 52 TD passes against Detroit rank just two behind his personal best of 54 against Minnesota.
-A 13th win would match Green Bay's franchise record for wins in a season. That goal seems attainable, especially given the fact that Green Bay owns the NFL's best W-L record in regular-season finales since 1994:
Green Bay: 12-1-0 (.923)
Washington: 10-3-0 (.769)
Tennessee: 9-4-0 (.692)
New England: 9-4-0 (----)
Indianapolis: 8-5-0 (.615)
N.Y. Giants: 8-5-0 (----)
St. Louis: 8-5-0 (----)
MORE ON THE STREAK vs. DETROIT
-Favre's first game against the Lions in Wisconsin was a 38-10 victory at County Stadium in Milwaukee on Dec. 6, 1992. Fifteen more Packers-Lions games have been played in the state since then, all with Favre under center for the Packers, and each has resulted in a Green Bay victory.
-Take away that '94 playoff victory and Favre's record of 15-0 starting at home against the Lions is the most home wins any starting QB has ever recorded against an opposing team in the regular season. The runner-up is John Elway, who was 13-2 against the Chiefs at Denver.
-Again taking away the '94 playoff win, the Packers' 15 straight regular-season home wins over the Lions ranks second among active NFL streaks:
18 Washington over Detroit
15 *Green Bay over Detroit
14 *Dallas over Arizona
12 *Pittsburgh over San Diego
*-Arizona defeated Dallas at Texas Stadium in 1998 playoffs; Green Bay defeated Detroit at Lambeau Field in 1994 playoffs; San Diego defeated Pittsburgh at Three Rivers Stadium in 1994 playoffs.
40 YEARS AGO TOMORROW
-Monday marks the 40th anniversary of the most famous NFL game ever played, the 'Ice Bowl'.
-Bart Starr's 1-yard scoring dive with 13 seconds left clinched Green Bay's third straight NFL championship en route to its second Super Bowl title.
-Kickoff temperature was 13 below zero and the wind chill was minus-46.
-Monday also marks the end of an era in the Packers front office as Lee Remmel retires, ending a 62-year relationship with the team. A member of the Packers' front office since 1974, Remmel led the organization's public relations and publicity efforts until 2004, when he became the Packers' team historian. Prior to joining the team's front office, Remmel was a sportswriter and columnist for the Green Bay Press-Gazette for nearly 30 years, covering his first Packers game in 1945 in Milwaukee.
WEARING THE STRIPES
-Today's officiating crew includes referee Pete Morelli (135), umpire Darrell Jenkins (76), head linesman George Hayward (54), line judge Charles Stewart (62), field judge Jim Saracino (58), side judge Jeff Lamberth (103) and back judge Keith Ferguson (61).
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WHAT TO WATCH FOR TODAY
4 BRETT FAVRE
-Has played in 254 straight games (274 including playoffs) and started 252 in a row (272 including playoffs), the NFL's record among quarterbacks and the second-longest recorded streak in NFL history. Only Jim Marshall (270, 1961-79) has been documented to have started more games in consecutive fashion.
-Needs 205 passing yards at Lambeau Field to surpass John Elway (27,889 at Mile High Stadium) for the single-stadium record. Favre has 27,685.
-Has 40 career game-winning comebacks (fourth quarter deficit or tie), including four this season.
-Has 55 career 300-yard passing games, including seven already this season, tying his own record of seven 300-yard passing games established in 1995.
-Needs 6 scoring drives for 1,000.
80 DONALD DRIVER
-Has a reception in 95 consecutive games, the franchise's second-longest streak behind Sterling Sharpe's 103 (1988-94).
-Stands 54 Lambeau Field receiving yards from surpassing No. 2 James Lofton (3,330) and 201 from the stadium's all-time leader Antonio Freeman (3,477). Driver (3,277) enters No. 3.
25 RYAN GRANT
-Needs 101 yards rushing for his first 1,000-yard season.
-Has a rushing touchdown in five consecutive games. Only two Packers (Paul Hornung, 7, 1960; Terdell Middleton, 6, 1978) have more consecutive games with a rushing touchdown.
74 AARON KAMPMAN
-Needs 1 sack to surpass No. 4 Ezra Johnson (411/2) on the franchise list. He enters with 41 career sacks.
94 KABEER GBAJA-BIAMILA
-Needs 1/2 sack for his fifth season of 10-or-more sacks. He stands tied with Reggie White (4) for the most seasons with 10-or-more sacks.
31 AL HARRIS
-Needs 1 start for 100 career.
-Has played in 169 straight games (159 regular season, 10 playoffs), a streak that began in Philadelphia in 1998. Since coming to Green Bay in 2003, has started all 82 games (79 regular season, 3 playoffs).
21 CHARLES WOODSON
-Needs one interception for 30 career.
2 MASON CROSBY
-Needs 1 point to surpass Ryan Longwell's franchise record of points in a season by a kicker (131 in 2000) and 8 points to surpass No. 3 Don Hutson (138 points, 1942) on the team's single-season list.
-Needs 14 points to surpass the NFL record for points in a season by a rookie kicker, established by Kevin Butler (144 points) in 1985.
-Aims to become only the seventh rookie in NFL?history to lead the league in scoring and first since Butler in '85.
