PACKERS HOST LIONS IN REGULAR-SEASON FINALE
- The Packers close out the 2011 regular season with an NFC North tilt against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field today, the third time in the last five seasons (2007, 2008) that the teams have met in the season finale in Green Bay.
- The Packers clinched home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with a win over the Bears last Sunday. It marks the first time Green Bay will be the top seed in the conference since 1996. The Lions have also clinched a playoff berth, their first since 1999.
- The Packers set a franchise record for the most wins in the regular season with their 14th victory. That topped the 13-win totals posted by the team in 1962, 1996, 1997 and 2007. Green Bay will try to become just the sixth team in NFL history to finish 15-1 or better.
- Today will be the first time in the history of the series that both the Packers and Lions will enter the game with double-digit win totals.
- This will be the 11th time that the franchises have met in a regular-season finale and just the fourth time (1939, '45, '93) that both clubs have had winning records when they played in the final regular-season contest.
- No other NFL teams have played every year since 1932, when the Packers and the Lions, then known as the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans, began their yearly home-and-home series.
- The rivalry actually kicked off in 1930 at City Stadium in Green Bay, a 47-13 Packers win. Some two seasons later, the teams began a yearly series. Today marks meeting No. 165 in the all-time series.
- The Packers own a 90-65-7 (.580) advantage over the Lions in the regular season and have won both playoff matchups.
- Green Bay has a 10-1 mark against the Lions under Head Coach Mike McCarthy. The Packers have won 19 of the last 22 games in the series.
- The Packers have won 20 straight games against the Lions in the state of Wisconsin (including '94 playoff game). The streak started with Green Bay's win over the Lions at County Stadium in Milwaukee on Dec. 6, 1992.
- Green Bay's 19-game regular-season home winning streak against Detroit is thelongest streak in the NFL, one game ahead of Washington's 18-game home winning streak against the Lions.
- Today is the last of three holiday games for the Packers, who played at Detroit on Thanksgiving and hosted Chicago last Sunday on Christmas. Green Bay is the only team in NFL history to play on all three holidays in the same season.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
- Green Bay will be looking to post a perfect record at home for the first time since 2002 (8-0)...The Packers' 12-game winning streak at home in the regular season is the longest current streak in the NFL and tied for the fifth-longest home winning streak in franchise history.
- With a victory today, the Packers would post a perfect record (6-0) in their division for the first time since the league went to a divisional format in 1967...The last team to go undefeated in the NFC Central/North was the 1987 Chicago Bears (7-0).
- The Packers have won eight straight regular-season finales (2003-10), thelongest current streak in the NFL.
- The Packers rank No. 1 in the NFL in scoring at 34.3 points per game...Green Bay's 515-point total this season ranks No. 1 in franchise annals and No. 8 in NFL single-season history...Green Bay needs 12 points to move into sole possession of the No. 5 spot (St. Louis, 526, 1999).
- Green Bay ranks No. 2 in the NFL with 12 giveaways this season...The franchise record for the fewest giveaways in a season is 16 in 2009.
- The Packers have a league-low 70 penalties this season...The franchise record for the fewest penalties in a 16-game season is 78 in 2010.
- Green Bay needs 68 total yards to hit the 6,000-yard mark for the season...The Packers have topped the 6,000-yard mark only three other times in franchise history (1983, 2004 and 2009)...The single-season team record is 6,357 yards in 2004.
- QB Aaron Rodgers – Enters today's game with a 122.5 passer rating this season; the NFL single-season record for passer rating was set by Peyton Manning (121.1) in 2004...Could become the first Green Bay QB to lead the league in passer rating since the current passer rating system was implemented in 1973...With only six interceptions this season, has a chance to become the first quarterback in NFL history to post two seasons with 500-plus attempts and seven or fewer INTs (also did so in 2009)...If he does not throw an INT today, would become thefirst 4,000-yard passer in league history to have six or fewer INTs (current record is held by Rodgers and Brett Favre, seven INTs each in 2009).
- P Tim Masthay – Enters today with a gross punting average of 45.7; the franchise record is currently held by Craig Hentrich (45.0 in 1997)...Has a net punting average of 38.3; the team single-season record (since 1976) is 37.6 by Masthay in 2010 and Jon Ryan in 2007.
- TE Jermichael Finley – Ranks No. 3 all-time among Green Bay tight ends for the most receiving yards in a season with 703, trailing only Paul Coffman's totals of 814 yards in 1983 and 711 in 1979.
- LB Clay Matthews – Is tied for No. 1 all-time (since 1982) among Green Bay players for the most sacks in his first three seasons in the NFL with LB Tony Bennett (29.5).
- CB Charles Woodson– Has returned an interception for a touchdown in three straight seasons against the Lions (2008-10), the only player in NFL history to accomplish that feat against the same team in three consecutive seasons.
TODAY'S CAPTAINS
- As per team tradition, the Packers select game captains each week. Today's captains will be QB Matt Flynn (offense), LB A.J. Hawk (defense) and LB Brad Jones (special teams).
WEARING THE STRIPES
- Today's officiating crew includes referee Walt Coleman (65), umpire Roy Ellison (81), head linesman Ed Camp (134), line judge Mike Spanier (90), field judge Greg Gautreaux (80), side judge Rick Patterson (15) and back judge Greg Yette (38).
