PACKERS, LIONS RENEW HOLIDAY RIVALRY
-Green Bay renews a Thanksgiving rivalry as it takes on division foe Detroit in the annual holiday contest for the first time since 2003.
-Green Bay comes into the contest winners of 13 of its last 14 games and tied for the NFC's best record.
-With a win this past Sunday over the Panthers, the Packers are off to their best start since 1962, when Vince Lombardi led Green?Bay to a 10-0 start en route to a 13-1-0 record and the eighth world title in franchise history. The team also started 10-0 in 1929 and went on to capture its first NFL title under team founder Curly Lambeau.
-Green Bay has won seven of its last eight games against NFC North opponents, dating back to last season. Head Coach Mike McCarthy has yet to lose a division game on the road (4-0).
-Including a pair of playoff clashes early in quarterback Brett Favre's career, this marks Game No. 156 in the venerable Detroit-Green Bay series. Favre has more passing yards against the Lions (7,774) than any opponent.
-The Packers have enjoyed recent success against the Lions. Winners of three straight, they have won 11 of the last 13 meetings between the longtime rivals. No other NFL teams have played every year since 1932, when the Packers first met the Lions, then known as the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans.
GREEN BAY ON THANKSGIVING DAY
-Thursday marks the 32nd Thanksgiving NFL game in Packers history.
-The Packers first played a league game on Thanksgiving in 1923, a 19-0 victory over the Hammond Pros. They last played on Thanksgiving against the Lions in Detroit in 2003, a 22-14 Lions victory.
-Thursday marks 56 years to the day when Green Bay first played at Detroit on Thanksgiving, a 52-35 Detroit victory on Nov. 22, 1951. The two rivals played for 13 consecutive seasons, from 1951-1963, before the league began rotating opponents for the Lions.
-Green Bay's 9-1 record marks its best start since 1962. Incidentally, the Packers headed into Detroit for a Thanksgiving showdown in '62 with a 10-0 record, a game also played on Nov. 22. That day, the Packers suffered their only blemish on the season.
-This will mark the third Thanksgiving contest between the Lions and Packers this decade. The Packers won a 29-27 contest against the Lions in 2001 behind two Favre touchdown passes, their last appearance in the Pontiac Silverdome.
-The clubs last met on Thanksgiving in 2003, a 22-14 Lions victory. Green Bay could not overcome five turnovers, and Lions kicker Jason Hanson connected on five field goals, including three in the fourth quarter to seal the victory for Detroit.
PACKERS AMONG NFL'S BEST AWAY FROM LAMBEAU
-Green Bay has now won six straight games on the road, something the franchise has not accomplished since Vince Lombardi's final two seasons (1966-67) in Green and Gold.
-The six-game road winning streak, a feat accomplished twice before (1928-29 and 1935-36), matches the third-longest mark in franchise history. The Packers have won eight consecutive road games twice (1941-42 and 1966-67), the best mark in their history.
-A look at the top road teams in the NFL since 2006:
New England -- 13-1 (.928)
Dallas -- 10-3 (.769)
Green Bay -- 9-3 (.750)
Chicago -- 10-4 (.714)
N.Y. Giants -- 8-4 (.667)
New Orleans -- 8-5 (.615)
Indianapolis -- 8-5 (----)
Carolina -- 8-6 (.571)
San Diego -- 7-6 (.538)
WEARING THE STRIPES
Today's officiating crew includes referee Scott Green (19), umpire Scott Dawson (70), head linesman Tony Veteri (36), line judge Ron Marinucci (107), field judge Boris Cheek (41), side judge Larry Rose (128) and back judge Lee Dyer (27).
NEXT WEEK
The Packers travel to Dallas for a Thursday night game against the Cowboys while Detroit travels to play the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR TODAY
4 BRETT FAVRE
-Has played in 249 straight games (269 including playoffs) and started 247 in a row (267 including playoffs), the NFL's record among quarterbacks, and now owns the second-longest recorded streak in NFL history. Only Minnesota's Jim Marshall (270, 1961-79) has been documented to have started more in consecutive fashion.
-Joined Dan Marino as the only players ever to reach 60,000 career passing yards. Favre needs 887 passing yards - a number he is on pace to eclipse this season - to break Marino's record of 61,361. Favre enters with 60,475.
-Threw for three touchdowns in Week 11 for the 62nd time in his career. Stands tied with Dan Marino's (62) NFL record.
-Surpassed 30,000 road passing yards at Denver. Favre enters with an NFL record 30,645 road passing yards.
-Has 40 career game-winning comebacks (fourth quarter deficit or tie), including four this season.
-Has 54 career 300-yard passing games.
80 DONALD DRIVER
-Has a reception in 90 consecutive games, the franchise's second-longest streak behind Sterling Sharpe's 103 (1988-94).
-Needs 38 receiving yards to surpass No. 5 Antonio Freeman (6,651) on the Packers' all-time list. Driver (6,614) enters No. 6.
-Could tie a franchise record with 1,000 receiving yards in a fifth overall season. Only James Lofton and Sharpe have five 1,000-yard campaigns. Driver enters with 685.
-Needs two TD receptions to become only the eighth player in franchise annals to reach 40 career, joining Don Hutson (99), Sterling Sharpe (65), Antonio Freeman (57), Max McGee (50), James Lofton (49), Billy Howton (43) and Boyd Dowler (40). Driver enters with 38.
86 DONALD LEE
-On pace to surpass the franchise record for catches in a season by a tight end (56) and also may break the mark for receiving yards in a season (814). Lee enters with 38 catches for 458 yards.
56 NICK BARNETT
-Needs 4 solo tackles for 500 career. Barnett enters with 496.
74 AARON KAMPMAN
-Needs 4 sacks to surpass No. 4 Ezra Johnson (411/2) on the franchise list. He enters with 38 career sacks.
31 AL HARRIS
-Has played in 164 straight games (154 regular season, 10 playoffs), a streak that began in Philadelphia in 1998. Since coming to Green Bay in 2003, has started all 77 games (74 regular season, 3 playoffs) as a Packer.
-Needs 6 starts for 100 career.
21 CHARLES WOODSON
-Needs one interception for 30 career.
