GREEN BAY (0-0) AT TENNESSEE (0-0)
Saturday, Aug. 9 - LP Field - 7 p.m. CDT
packers OPEN PRESEASON ON THE ROAD VS. TITANS
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The Green Bay Packers' 2014 season officially kicks off Saturday night when they travel to take on the Tennessee Titans at LP Field, the first time the Packers have played the Titans in the preseason since 2009. * It marks the ninth time since 2002 that the Packers and Titans have played in the preseason but the first time it won't be in the final week. From 2002-09, Green Bay and Tennessee played each other in Week 4 of the preseason every year. * Green Bay's nine games against Tennessee during the preseason are the most the Packers have played against any team in the NFL dating back to 2000. It will bypass the eight preseason games Green Bay has played against the Cleveland Browns. The Packers' third-most common preseason opponent during that span is the Kansas City Chiefs, who Green Bay will play later this preseason for the sixth time. * This preseason the Packers will play the Titans and Chiefs for the fifth time each under Head Coach Mike McCarthy, marking the most times a McCarthy coached team has faced any club during the preseason. * The teams have met eight times during the preseason since the club moved from Houston to Tennessee in 1997. The Packers are 2-6 vs. Tennessee in the preseason. * Overall, Green Bay is 3-7 against the Houston/Tennessee franchise in the preseason, with the first meeting coming on Aug. 19, 1972, in Houston. Of the 10 preseason matchups, one took place in Houston, one in Milwaukee, four in Green Bay, and this year's game will be the fifth in Tennessee, where the Packers are 1-3. * The last time Green Bay and Tennessee played was in the regular season on Dec. 23, 2012, at Lambeau Field, with the Packers racking up 460 yards of total offense and six different players scoring at least one touchdown in a 55-7 win. * The Packers are opening the preseason on the road for the third time in the last four seasons (at San Diego in 2012 and at Cleveland in 2011). * This is the ninth time in the last 10 years that Green Bay's first preseason opponent is an AFC team. The only exception came in 2013, when the Packers played the Arizona Cardinals. It also marks the ninth time in the last 10 preseasons that Green Bay's preseason slate has consisted of at least three teams from the AFC. * Green Bay's next preseason contest comes a week from Saturday when it travels to St. Louis to face the Rams on Aug. 16 at 3 p.m. It will be only the second time the Packers have played the Rams in St. Louis during the preseason (2013).
WITH THE CALL
- Flagshipped by Milwaukee's WTMJ-TV and in conjunction with WGBA-TV in Green Bay, the game will be televised over the 14-station Packers TV Network throughout the state of Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, northeastern Minnesota, the Quad Cities, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Waterloo in Iowa, Omaha in Nebraska and Honolulu in Hawaii.
- The top-notch broadcast team includes CBS's Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) alongside fellow CBS broadcaster Rich Gannon (analyst), with Rod Burks of WTMJ-TV serving as the sideline reporter. An informative half-hour pregame show prior to the game will feature former Packers tackle Mark Tauscher.
- In addition to WTMJ-TV (Milwaukee) and WGBA-TV (Green Bay), three preseason games will be televised over WKOW/ABC, Madison, Wis.; WAOW/ABC, Wausau/Rhinelander, Wis.; WXOW/ABC, La Crosse, Wis.; WQOW/ABC, Eau Claire, Wis.; WLUC/NBC, Escanaba/Marquette, Mich.; KQDS-TV/FOX, Duluth/Superior, Minn.; KLJB-TV/FOX and KGCW/CW, Davenport, Iowa (Quad Cities); KCWI-TV/CW, Des Moines, Iowa; KWWL-TV, Cedar Rapids/Waterloo, Iowa; KMTV-TV/CBS, Omaha, Neb.; and KFVE-TV in Honolulu, Hawaii.
- In its third season, in conjunction with the Packers TV Network, Telemundo Wisconsin (WYTU-TV in Milwaukee and on Charter Cable elsewhere in Wisconsin) will broadcast three preseason games with Kevin Holden (play-by-play) and Epigmenio (Epi) Guerrero(analyst) calling the action.
- Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since November 1929, heads up the Packers Radio Network that is made up of 50 stations in five states. Wayne Larrivee(play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro BowlerLarry McCarren (color) call the action. The duo enters its 16th season of broadcasts together across the Packers Radio Network, originally being paired together in 1999.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:
- Packers at Titans:
- Regular season, all-time:5-6
- Preseason, all-time:3-7
- Preseason, all-time, in Tennessee:1-3
- Streaks:The Titans have won each of the last four preseason meetings.
- Last meeting, regular season:Dec. 23, 2012, at Lambeau Field; Packers won, 55-7
- Last meeting, preseason:Sept. 3, 2009, at LP Field; Titans won, 27-13
COACHES CAPSULES
- Mike McCarthy: 88-50-1, .637, (incl. 6-5 postseason), 9th NFL season as head coach
- Ken Whisenhunt:49-53-0, .480, (incl. 4-2 postseason), 7th NFL season as head coach
- vs. Opponent:McCarthy 1-1 vs. Titans; Whisenhunt 1-2 vs. Packers
MIKE McCARTHY…Is in his ninth year as the Packers' 14th head coach.
- Joined Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as the only coaches to guide the Packers to a Super Bowl title with a win over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV.
- Led the Packers to their fifth consecutive playoff appearance last season, joining New England as the only two NFL teams to do so over that span. Has also led the team to six playoff appearances in the last seven years (2007, 2009-13).
- Has guided the Packers to top-10 finishes in scoring each of the past seven seasons (2007-13), joining the Patriots as the only other team to accomplish the feat.
- His .637 winning percentage (including playoffs) ranks No. 4 among active NFL coaches (min. 60 games) entering the 2014 season.
- Was named Packers head coach on Jan. 12, 2006, his first head-coaching job after 13 years as an NFL assistant.
KEN WHISENHUNT…Is in his first year as the 17th coach in franchise history.
- Has 17 seasons of NFL coaching experience, including six years as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals (2007-12), where he won a franchise record 49 games. Guided Arizona to a team-record 12-win season in 2008 and an appearance in Super Bowl XLIII.
- In 2013, he was the offensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers and was named NFL Assistant Coach of the Year by the Pro Football Writer's Association.
- Also served as tight ends coach (2001-03) and offensive coordinator (2004-06) for Pittsburgh, tight ends coach for the New York Jets (2000), special teams coach for Cleveland (1999), tight ends coach for Baltimore (1997-98), and special teams/tight ends at Vanderbilt (1995-96).
THE PACKERS-TITANS SERIES
- Green Bay played its first ever dome game, a 23-10 win on Nov. 20, 1972, when the franchises first met over 40 years ago at the Houston Astrodome. The clubs have met only 11 other times in the regular season since then.
- The Packers are 2-3 vs. the Titans in the regular season since the franchise moved from Houston to Tennessee in 1997.
- The teams' first meeting after the move, at Lambeau Field on Dec. 20, 1998, was a memorable contest. A 30-22 Packers win in snowy, 29-degree conditions, the game marked Reggie White's final Lambeau Field performance in a Green Bay uniform. WR Antonio Freeman posted seven catches for 186 yards (26.6 avg.) and three TDs.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Ted Thompson as a Houston Oiler Packers GM Ted Thompson played linebacker for 10 seasons (1975-84) for the Houston Oilers…Thompson was a teammate of Titans asst. secondary coach Steve Brown with the Oilers…Brown also played with Packers senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith, who was selected by the Houston Oilers with the No. 3 overall pick in 1987 and played three seasons for the club…Packers equipment manager Red Batty spent 13 seasons (1981-93) in the same position with the Houston Oilers…Packers area scout Lee Gissendaner was selected by the Houston Oilers in the sixth round of 1994 NFL Draft…Titans offensive line coach Bob Bostad, a Pardeeville, Wis. native, served in the same position at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point from 1990-91 after playing linebacker at UWSP, and coached at the University of Wisconsin from 2006-11…From 2001-03, Titans running backs coach Sylvester Croom served in the same position for the Packers…Packers WR Randall Cobb was born in Maryville, Tenn., and attended Alcoa High…Packers LB/DE Julius Peppers was teammates on the Bears with Titans C/G Chris Spencer from 2011-12...Packers QB Matt Flynn and Titans RB Leon Washington both played for the Seahawks in 2012...Packers QB Scott Tolzien was teammates with Titans TE Delanie Walker on the 49ers in 2011-12...Titans linebackers coach Lou Spanos served as a defensive assistant for the Steelers from 1994-2009, and he was joined by Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers (1992-94), offensive coordinator Tom Clements (2001-03), secondary/safeties coach Darren Perry (played 1992-98/coached 2003-06), defensive/special teams assistant Jason Simmons (played 1998-2001) and Packers FB John Kuhn (2005-06), as well as Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt (2001-06), tight ends coach Mike Mularkey (1996-2003), defensive coordinator Ray Horton (2004-10) and WR Nate Washington (2005-08)…Clements served in the same position for the Bills and Packers quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt was a volunteer offensive quality control coach while Mularkey was the head coach…Highsmith, Horton and Titans assistant offensive line coach Mike Sullivan were teammates on the Cowboys…Sullivan and Packers assistant offensive line coach Steve Marshall coached the offensive line together for the Browns from 2007-08…Titans wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson and Packers running backs coach Sam Gash were teammates on the Patriots and were on the Lions' coaching staff together…Gash was on the New York Jets' coaching staff with Titans offensive coordinator Jason Michael while Washington played for New York…Gash and Perry played at Penn State with Titans quarterbacks coach John McNulty…Packers RB Rajion Neal played for the University of Tennessee and was roommates with Titans WR Justin Hunter…Other former college teammates include Packers LB Clay Matthews and Titans DL Jurrell Casey (Southern California), Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Titans TE Craig Stevens (California), Packers RB Eddie Lacy, S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, LB Adrian Hubbard and Titans G Chance Warmack (Alabama), Packers CB Sam Shields and Titans LB Colin McCarthy (Miami), Packers DE Datone Jones and Titans LB Akeem Ayers (UCLA), Packers S Morgan Burnett and Titans LB/DE Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech), and Packers T Bryan Bulaga and DT Mike Daniels and Titans RB Shonn Greene (Iowa).
LAST MEETING, PRESEASON
- Sept. 3, 2009, at LP Field; Titans won, 27-13
- QB Aaron Rodgers connected on 2 of 3 passes for 7 yards. QB Brian Brohm played the majority of the preseason finale, connecting on 20 of 28 passes for 154 yards (84.5 passer rating).
- TE Spencer Havner led Green Bay with five receptions (22 yards) while WR Jordy Nelson recorded a team-high 50 yards on three receptions. In all, 11 different Packers registered at least one reception.
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