TODAY: The Packers make their first appearance in Washington since Dec. 2, 1979...In an important NFC matchup, the Packers hope to improve their potential tiebreaking conference record to 4-2 and capitalize on momentum they began building at Detroit two weeks ago, thanks in part to an emotional speech delivered by Mike Sherman the previous night...Not only do the Packers get their bye after this game, they also got a bonus hour's sleep last night, after the change from daylight savings to standard time.
TODAY & IN COMING WEEKS -
DONALD DRIVER:
-Needs one reception for career No. 200.
BRETT FAVRE:
-Will play in a 199th consecutive game (218 including playoffs) and make his 197th consecutive start (216 including playoffs), 81 more than the next-closest streak on the all-time quarterbacks list, 116 by Ron Jaworski (1977-84).
-Can extend his streak of games with a TD pass to 33, the NFL's second-longest streak behind Johnny Unitas' 47-game stretch (1956-60), one of the most revered marks in sports history.
-Needs 11 completions to surpass No. 2 John Elway (4,123) on the all-time list. Favre enters today with 4,113.
BUBBA FRANKS:
-Needs one reception to surpass No. 5 Ron Kramer (170) and six to surpass No. 4 Rich McGeorge (175) on the team's all-time tight ends list. Franks enters today with 170.
-Needs one touchdown reception to tie No. 2 Ed West (25) on the team's all-time tight ends list. Franks enters today with 24.
KABEER GBAJA-BIAMILA:
-Needs 3.5 sacks to surpass Ezra Johnson (41.5, 1982-87) for third all-time in Green Bay history. He enters today with 38.5.
AHMAN GREEN:
-Will play in his 100th career NFL game.
-Needs 69 receiving yards to surpass No. 2 Dorsey Levens (2,079) on the all-time list among Packers backs. Green enters today with 2,011.
-Needs four overall TDs to tie No. 4 Paul Hornung (62) on the all-time Green Bay list. Green enters today with 58.
WILLIAM HENDERSON:
-Will play in his 150th career NFL game.
-Needs 95 receiving yards for 2,000 career.
GRADY JACKSON:
-Will play in his 100th career NFL game.
RYAN LONGWELL:
-Already the franchise's all-time leader, needs 10 points for 900 career.
DARREN SHARPER:
-Needs one touchdown to surpass both Bobby Dillon and Doug Hart (five) for second on the team's defensive TD list. Herb Adderley leads with seven defensive TD. Sharper enters today with five.
SPEAKING OF BYE WEEKS: The Packers play Washington after the Redskins had their bye last week. Green Bay has won four straight and five of its last six over opponents coming off bye weeks. The last time the Packers lost such a game was Oct. 15, 1998, at Detroit. All four wins during the current streak have come under Sherman - at Arizona (Sept. 24, 2000), vs. Miami (Nov. 4, 2002), at Chicago (Sept. 29, 2003), and vs. Seattle (Oct. 5, 2003). Two weeks before that '98 Detroit loss, Green Bay also won at Carolina (Sept. 27, 1998), one week after the Panthers' bye.
LARGEST ATTENDANCE IN PACKERS HISTORY: Today should mark the largest crowd ever for a Packers league game (regular-season or playoffs). Largest all-time attendance figures in Packers history (*-preseason):
92,753--*College All-Stars (@ Chicago), 8/30/45
90,535--@LARm, 12/11/55
90,218--*@ Phi., 9/13/45
85,532--*@ CleB, 8/30/69
84,918--*@ CleB, 9/7/68
84,567--*College All-Stars (@ Chicago), 8/29/40
84,560--*College All-Stars (@ Chicago), 9/1/37
84,236--*@ CleB, 9/2/67
83,943--@CleB, 9/18/66
83,736--*@ CleB, 9/5/64
83,118-- *@ CleB, 9/4/65
82,137--@CleB, 12/7/69
80,558--@LARm, 10/21/73
79,281--@KC, 11/10/96
79,176--@Buf., 10/30/88
79,029--@Buf., 11/20/94
78,947--@LARm, 10/19/69
78,733--@NYJ, 12/29/02
78,601--@NYG, 1/6/02
78,184-- *Den. (@ Madison, Wis.), 8/23/99
78,087-- *@ DalC, 8/28/67
76,704-- *NYG (@ Madison, Wis.), 8/22/97
HOME POOL REPORTER: Jim Ducibella, Virginian Pilot.
NEXT WEEK: The Packers take the weekend off, the last NFC North club to observe its bye. The Redskins travel to Detroit's Ford Field (1 p.m. EST).
