PACKERS TO FACE LIONS IN THANKSGIVING TILT
- Green Bay visits Detroit today to take on the Lions at Ford Field, the third Thanksgiving Day matchup between the teams in Detroit in the last five seasons.
- The Packers emerged victorious in the Thanksgiving contests at Detroit in 2007 and 2009. This will be Green Bay's 34th league game on Thanksgiving in franchise history and their 20th in Detroit.
- The Packers will be the first undefeated NFL team to play on Thanksgiving since a 10-0 Green Bay team visited Detroit on Nov. 22, 1962.
- That 1962 contest was also the last time that both the Packers (10-0) and the Lions (8-2) entered the matchup this late in the season with a winning percentage of .700 or better. Detroit won that game at Tiger Stadium, 26-14, but Green Bay went on to win the NFL Championship.
- 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. 164 in the all-time series.
- Now rivals in the NFC North, the Packers own a 89-65-7 (.577) advantage over the Lions in the regular season and have won both playoff matchups.
- Green Bay has a 9-1 mark against the Lions under Head Coach Mike McCarthy. Overall, Green Bay has won 18 of the last 21 games in the series, including seven of the last 10 matchups in Detroit.
- The Packers are off to a 10-0 start for the first time since 1962 and only the third time in franchise history. The two previous 10-0 starts in team history (1929 and 1962) both resulted in NFL titles for the Packers.
- Including playoffs, the Packers have won16 straight games, the longest winning streak in team history (12-game streak in 1961-62).
- The Packers' streak of 12 straight wins in the regular season (2010-11)*is a franchise record, topping the previous mark of *11-game streaks in 1928-29 and 1961-62. Green Bay has also tied a single-season franchise record with 10 straight regular-season wins ('29 and '62).
- This is the second regular-season winning streak of eight or more games during McCarthy's tenure (eight-game streak in 2006-07).
ROAD WARRIORS
- The Packers are off to only their fifth 5-0 start on the road in franchise history (1929, 1936, 1941, 2007).
- Including playoffs, Green Bay has won eight consecutive road games and 10 of its last 13. The .769 road winning percentage over that span is tied for No. 2 in the NFL behind only Atlanta (7-2, .778).
- Green Bay's eight-game winning streak away from Lambeau Field is one shy of the franchise record, a nine-game road streak in 1966-67.
- The Packers are one of only two teams in the league (San Francisco, 4-0) that are undefeated on the road this season.
- Today in Detroit, Green Bay will be looking to get off to its first 6-0 start on the road in franchise history.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
- Green Bay will be looking to register its first 11-0 start in franchise history...With a win today, the Packers would set a team record for the the longest single-season winning streak in the regular season in team annals (10-game streaks in 1929 and 1962).
- The Packers rank No. 1 in the NFL in scoring at 35.5 points per game...Their 355 points this season are the most in franchise history through 10 games and the fourth most since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger by an NFL team through 10 contests.
- The Packers have scored at least 24 points in every game this season, the only team in the NFL to accomplish that feat in 2011. It is the franchise recordfor most consecutive 24-point games in a single season, topping the previous mark of eight games in 1963.
- QB Aaron Rodgers – Is the first QB in NFL history to post 3,100 passing yards/30 passing TDs in the first 10 games of the season...Has registered a 110-plus passer rating in every game this season, a 10-game streak that is the longest single-season streak in NFL history...With the 10 games with a 110-plus rating, is tied for the No. 2 mark in NFL history for the most in a single season, trailing only 49ers QB Steve Young (11 in 1994)...With a 300-yard passing game today, would tie Brett Favre (1995, 2007) for the most 300-yard games by a Packer in a single season with seven...Needs 189 passing yards today to top the franchise mark for the most yards in the first 11 games of the season (Favre, 3,356, 2007)...Already holds the team mark for most TD passes through 11 games with 31 entering today's game, besting the mark of 28 by Favre in 1996.
- CB Charles Woodson – Has returned an interception for a TD 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.
- LB Clay Matthews – Is tied for No. 2 all-time (since 1982) among Green Bay players for the most sacks in his first three seasons in the NFL with 28.5, trailing only LB Tony Bennett (29.5).
- CB Tramon Williams – Has posted an interception in three straight games, a career high, and has recorded four INTs in the last three contests.
- WR Greg Jennings – Needs 17 receiving yards to become the eighth player in franchise history to hit the 6,000-yard mark for his career. If he reaches the 6,000-yard mark today in his 86th career game, would match WR James Lofton (86 games) as the second fastest to 6,000 receiving yards in franchise history behind only WR Sterling Sharpe (84 games).
- WR Jordy Nelson – Has registered three 100-yard games and six touchdowns in the last five contests.
- WR Donald Driver – By appearing in today's game, will move into a tie for the No. 5 spot with T Forrest Gregg for the most games played in franchise with 187.
TODAY'S CAPTAINS
- As per team tradition, the Packers select game captains each week.
- Today's captains will be QB Aaron Rodgers(offense), S Morgan Burnett(defense) and CB Pat Lee(special teams).
WEARING THE STRIPES
- Today's officiating crew includes referee Terry McAulay (77), umpire Paul King (121), head linesman Greg Bradley (98), line judge Mark Steinkerchner (84), field judge Terry Brown (43), side judge Michael Banks (72) and back judge Lee Dyer (27).
