*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. This is an abbreviated version of the Packers Playoff Bye Week Dope Sheet. To read the full version, download the PDF by **clicking here**. *
Here are some highlights from thePackers Playoff Bye Week Dope Sheet:
DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF CONTEST AWAITS NO. 1 SEED PACKERS
- Coming off a franchise-record 15-win season, Green Bay will enjoy a bye this weekend before returning to Lambeau Field on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 3:30 p.m. (CST) to host either the Giants, Falcons or Lions in an NFC Divisional playoff game.
- The Packers have already faced each one of those teams during the 2011 season, posting road wins against all three clubs as well as a home victory in the season finale this past Sunday vs. Detroit.
- With the win over the Lions this past Sunday, Green Bay became just the sixth team in NFL history to finish 15-1 or better, joining the 2007 Patriots (16-0) and the 1984 49ers, 1985 Bears, 1998 Vikings and the 2004 Steelers (all 15-1).
- Green Bay's 15 wins in the regular season topped the previous franchise record of 13 victories in 1962, 1996, 1997 and 2007.
- Including playoffs, the Packers have won 21 of their last 22 games. That included 19 straight wins from Week 16 last season through Week 14 this season. The 19-game winning streak was the second longest in NFL history, including playoffs, behind only the 21-game winning streak registered by the 2003-04 New England Patriots.
- For the first time since 1996, Green Bay will be the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. Last season, the Packers became only the second No. 6 seed to win a Super Bowl since the NFL went to a 12-team playoff format in 1990.
- This season, Green Bay won the NFC North title for the first time since 2007.
HOME SWEET HOME
- When the Packers take the field a week from Sunday, it will mark their first playoff contest in front of the home crowd at Lambeau Field since the 2007 postseason when they hosted the Seahawks and Giants in Green Bay.
- Green Bay has won 13 straight contests at Lambeau Field and 19 of its last 20 games at home. It is tied for the fourth-longest home winning streak in franchise history and is the longest current home winning streak in the NFL. The Packers' lone defeat over that span came vs. Miami last season in Week 6.
- The Packers' 19-1 mark (.950) over their past 20 regular-season games at home is tied with New England (19-1) for the best home record in the league over that span.
- Green Bay recorded a perfect 8-0 record at home for the first time since 2002. Since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978, the Packers have posted undefeated home records four times (1996, 1997, 2002, 2011).
- The Packers joined Baltimore and New Orleans as the only teams in the NFL to register undefeated home records this season.
- Green Bay averaged a franchise-record 40.1 points per game at home this season, eclipsing the previous mark of 38.0 in 1942.
- The Packers have a 15-3 all-time record (.833) in home playoff games.
BACK IN THE POSTSEASON
- Green Bay's 27th postseason berth in team history marks the franchise's 14th appearance in the last 19 seasons and the fourth in the past five under Head Coach Mike McCarthy.Â
- The Packers are the only team in the NFC to make four playoff appearances in the last five seasons.
- Green Bay's 27 playoff appearances rank tied for No. 3 in NFL history behind only the N.Y. Giants (31) and Dallas (30).
- The Packers' 14 postseason appearances in the free-agency era (1993-2011) are the most of any team in the NFL.
- The Packers own the league's best postseason winning percentage (.644, 29-16), ahead of the team they defeated last season in Super Bowl XLV, the Pittsburgh Steelers (.623, 33-19). Green Bay trails only the Steelers and the Cowboys (33 each) for the most playoff victories in NFL history.
- Green Bay was 6-0 this season against 2011 playoff teams, with three of the wins coming at home (New Orleans, Week 1; Denver, Week 4; Detroit, Week 17) and three coming away from Lambeau Field (Atlanta, Week 5; Detroit, Week 12; N.Y. Giants, Week 13).
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STAT OF THE WEEK
- In his second-ever professional start, fourth-year QB Matt Flynnetched his name in the franchise record books as he led the Packers to a 45-41 victory over the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field.
- Starting in place of QB Aaron Rodgers (rest), who set the NFL record this season with a 122.5 passer rating, Flynn completed 31-of-44 passes for 480 yards, six TDs and one INT for a 136.4 passer rating.
- The 480 passing yards easily eclipsed the previous franchise record of 418 passing yards by Lynn Dickey at Tampa Bay on Oct. 12, 1980.
- The six passing TDs also set a team record, besting the mark of five TDs registered eight other times in franchise history, including just a week before by Rodgers in the Week 16 victory over Chicago.
- According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it marked the first time in NFL history that a team had two different quarterbacks each throw for five-plus TDs in back-to-back weeks.
- Flynn became just the third quarterback in league history to register 480-plus passing yards and six-plus passing TDs in a game as he joined Giants QB Y.A. Tittle (Oct. 28, 1962) and Jets QB Joe Namath (Sept. 24, 1972).
- According to Elias, Flynn became the first QB in NFL history to throw five or more TD passes in one of his first two career starts.
- Combined with his three passing TDs at New England in Week 15 last season, his first career start, Flynn joined Dan Marino and Kurt Warner as the only QBs whose careers started since 1970 to throw for three or more TDs in each of his first two NFL starts.
- According to Elias, Flynn's combined passer rating of 123.0 in his first two career starts ranks No. 2 among QBs whose careers started since 1970 behind only Miami's Scott Mitchell (125.0 rating in 1993).
PUT IT ON THE BOARD With 560 points this season, the Packers easily eclipsed the franchise record for the most points scored in a season, besting the previous mark by nearly 100 points:
Season (Total Points)
- 2011 (560)
- 2009 (461)
- 1996 (456)
Green Bay's scoring total was good for No. 2 in NFL history behind only the 2007 New England Patriots:
Team (Total Points)
- New England, 2007 (589)
- Green Bay, 2011 (560)
- Minnesota, 1998 (556)
*To read the full version, download the PDF by **clicking here**. *