Packers-Lions Week 17 Dope Sheet

*Two years after he co-founded the Packers with Curly Lambeau, George Calhoun began writing a piece called The Dope Sheet, which served as the official press release and game program from 1921-24.

Honoring Calhoun, the first publicity director, the Packers are running this weekly feature as their release, which is being made available to fans exclusively on Packers.com.

A complete edition of the Dope Sheet will be available each week during the season in PDF format, located in the Packers.com Game Centers.

Here are some highlights from the Packers-Lions Week 17 Dope Sheet:*

PACKERS WRAP UP REGULAR SEASON WITH LIONS

GREEN BAY (12-3) vs. DETROIT (7-8)

• 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 touchdown 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

THE LIONS-PACKERS SERIES

• No other NFL teams have played every year since 1932, when the Packers first met the Lions, then known as the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans.

• Including a pair of playoff clashes early in Brett Favre's career, this week marks Game No. 157 in the venerable Detroit-Green Bay series.

• The Packers have won 16 consecutive contests over Detroit in Wisconsin, including the '94 playoffs. The streak includes seven Lions head coaches: Wayne Fontes (1992-96), Bobby Ross (1997-99), Gary Moeller (2000), Marty Mornhinweg (2001-02), Steve Mariucci (2003-04), Dick Jauron (2005) and Rod Marinelli (2006-Present).

• Before the '03 Thanksgiving loss at Ford Field, the Packers had won six straight over Detroit, the longest series winning streak by either team since the Lions won 11 straight from 1949-54. Green Bay has the opportunity to win its fifth straight in the series on Sunday.

• The Packers have scored more points (3,182) against the Lions than any other franchise.

WITH THE CALL

• FOX Sports enters its 14th season as an NFL network television partner and will air the contest to a regional audience. Play-by-play man Kenny Albert joins color commentator Daryl Johnston in the broadcast booth with Tony Siragusa serving as the sideline reporter.

• Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since 1929, heads up the 56-station Packers Radio Network, with Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (color) calling the action. The network covers 47 markets in six states.

• For out-of-town listeners, the broadcast is available to NFL Field Pass subscribers on www.packers.com as well as on Sirius Satellite Radio (channel 130 WTMJ feed) as part of the network's NFL Sunday Drive.

• DirecTV subscribers can watch the game on channel 706.

THE PLAYOFF PICTURE

• By virtue of Green Bay's loss at Chicago and Dallas' win at Carolina, the Packers can finish no better than tied with the Cowboys at 13-3. Because of the Nov. 29 loss at Texas Stadium, the Packers are assured of the No. 2 seed in the NFC Playoffs.

• Green Bay will host a Divisional Playoff the weekend of Jan. 12-13, with an exact date and time still to be determined.

• And so too, of course, is the opponent. Seattle, Tampa Bay and the New York Giants have all clinched playoff berths in the NFC, with the sixth and final seed still to be determined this weekend.

• The Packers are 14-2 all-time at home in the playoffs, including a 12-2 record at Lambeau Field. However, the team has dropped two of its last three playoff games in front of the home crowd.

TURNOVERS THE NAME OF THE GAME

• With its turnover margin at plus-five, Green Bay has 12 wins thanks in large part to its ability to turn turnovers into points. On defense, the Packers have been able to clamp down after turnovers, not allowing opponents to capitalize on scoring opportunities.

• Green Bay has 89 points scored off turnovers. On the other side of the ball, the defense has allowed 61 points off turnovers.

• The Packers have won the turnover battle in eight of their 12 wins this season. They came out even in their wins at Minnesota, at Kansas City and at Detroit. They were minus in that category in their only losses, twice against Chicago (minus-four and minus-two) and at Dallas (minus-one), but were able to defeat the Rams despite losing the turnover battle (minus-one).

• Green Bay did not have a giveaway in the victory over Carolina in Week 11, a feat the club accomplished against Minnesota, Denver and San Diego this season.

• Over a longer stretch, the team has won 30 of 31 games playing turnover-free football, since a loss at Dallas, Nov. 18, 1996. Green Bay's only loss in such games during that stretch was a 23-20 defeat at Minnesota, Oct. 23, 2005.

• Including playoffs, the Packers have won 33 of their last 34 games without a giveaway.

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:

Packers vs. Detroit Lions:

All-time regular season: 83-64-7

All-time, postseason: 2-0

Playoff meetings:

• Jan. 8, 1994, Silverdome (28-24)

• Dec. 31, 1994, Lambeau Field (16-12)

All-time, Lambeau Field:24-10-3

Streaks: The Packers have won 12 of the last 14 meetings and 16 straight in Wisconsin, including the '94 playoffs.

Last meeting, regular season: Nov. 22, 2007, at Ford Field; Packers won, 37-26

Last meeting, regular season, at Green Bay: Dec. 17, 2006, at Lambeau Field; Packers won, 17-9.

COACHES CAPSULES

Mike McCarthy:20-11-0, .645; second NFL season

Rod Marinelli: 10-21-0, .322; second NFL season

Head to Head: McCarthy 3-0

vs. Opponent:McCarthy 3-0 vs. Lions; Marinelli 0-3 vs. Packers

MIKE McCARTHY...In second year as the Packers' 14th head coach.

• Was named Packers head coach on Jan. 12, 2006, his first head coaching job after 13 years as an NFL assistant.

• Won more games (16) in his first 25 contests than any other coach in franchise history.

• Spent six seasons as an offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints (2000-04) and San Francisco 49ers (2005).

• Began his coaching career as a college assistant at Fort Hays State (1987-88) and at the University of Pittsburgh (1989-92) before breaking into the NFL as a quality control assistant with the Chiefs in 1993.

ROD MARINELLI...Is second year as the Lions' 24th head coach.

• Named Lions head coach on Jan. 19, 2006, after 10 seasons (1996-2005) with Tampa Bay as defensive line coach; additionally was the Bucs' assistant head coach his last four seasons.

• In that 10-year tenure in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers recorded 416 sacks, with 3281/2 coming courtesy of the defensive line, the most among all NFL defensive lines during that span.

• The Bucs' defensive front four garnered Top 5 rankings in sacks during six of the 10 seasons under Marinelli. That line also played a major role in setting an NFL record for consecutive games with a sack (69) from 1999-2003, a streak ended by the Packers on Nov. 16, 2003.

{sportsad300}NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

Packers DE Cullen Jenkins (Belleville), WR Greg Jennings (Kalamazoo) and WR Ruvell Martin (Muskegon) are all Michigan natives...Packers WR Shaun Bodiford played three games with Detroit in 2006 before he was acquired on waivers by Green Bay...Lions LB Paris Lenon (2002-05) and QB J.T. O'Sullivan (2004) previously played for the Packers...Detroit LB Alex Lewis played at the University of Wisconsin,...Green Bay DT Colin Cole spent one week on Detroit's 53-man roster in 2003, and all of the 2004 preseason with the Lions...Packers secondary coach Kurt Schottenheimer spent two seasons (2002-03) on staff with the Lions as defensive coordinator...Packers offensive quality control coach Ty Knott served a minority coaching internship in Detroit in 2001...Detroit receivers coach Kippy Brown was the Packers' running backs coach in 2000...Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz was Packers DT Ryan Pickett's head coach in St. Louis.

INDIVIDUALLY VS. DETROIT LIONS

Quarterback Brett Favre's career totals of 700 completions, 1,116 attempts and 8,155 yards against Detroit are his highest against any opponent, and his 22 wins against the Lions are tied with Chicago for his most wins against an opponent...Greg Jennings has three touchdown receptions in three career games against the Lions...Donald Driver matched his career high with 11 receptions against the Lions on Nov. 10, 2002...Aaron Kampman has six career sacks against Detroit...Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, the franchise leader in sacks, has 61/2 sacks against the Lions...Cullen Jenkins established career highs in tackles (7) and sacks (3) against the Lions at Lambeau Field last season...Koren Robinson had an 80-yard TD reception on the Vikings' first play from scrimmage at Detroit in 2005 (Dec. 4), the longest TD catch of his career.

LAST MEETING, REGULAR SEASON

Nov. 22, 2007, at Ford Field; Packers won 37-26.

• Favre established a franchise record with 20 consecutive completions and finished with 381 yards and three touchdowns in victory as Green Bay matched its best start (10-1) since 1929.

• The Packers fell behind early, 6-0, before Favre found Greg Jennings for an 11-yard score and Ryan Grant capped an 80-yard drive with a 5-yard TD plunge.

• In the midst of hitting 20 consecutive passes, Favre tossed two more scores, another to Jennings and one to Ruvell Martin, as the Packers built a commanding 34-12 lead.

• The Lions began the fourth quarter with two long scoring drives to pull within eight points.

• Green Bay responded with a 10-play, 72-yard drive that took nearly five minutes off the clock. Mason Crosby's 26-yard field goal ensured the Thanksgiving day win.

LAST MEETING, at GREEN BAY

Dec. 17, 2006, at Lambeau Field; Packers won 17-9.

• Two rushing touchdowns by Vernand Morency lifted the Packers to a sweep over Detroit in the season series.

• Green Bay overcame four turnovers thanks to a defense that yielded just 142 yards and a 2-for-12 third-down conversion rate. In the big-play department, the defense created three turnovers and lineman Cullen Jenkins (3), Aaron Kampman (2) and Corey Williams combined for six sacks, keeping Detroit out of the end zone.

• Detroit closed the gap early in the fourth quarter after Jason Hanson connected on his third field goal to make it 10-9.

• The Packers pounded out a 12-play, 78-yard drive that took 6 minutes, 45 seconds off the fourth-quarter clock, culminating in Morency's second TD run of the day, a 21-yard gallop.

• Kampman and Williams each collected sacks on Detroit's final drive to seal the victory.