Packers-Titans Week 9 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-Titans Week 9 Dope Sheet:*

**GREEN BAY (4-3) at TENNESSEE (7-0)

Sunday, Nov. 2 | LP Field | 12 p.m. CST**

PACKERS HEAD SOUTH FOR CLASH WITH THE TITANS

• Green Bay returns to game action this weekend, traveling to Nashville to face the NFL's only unbeaten team - the Tennessee Titans.

• Two weeks ago, the Packers turned in their best all-around performance of the season, defeating the Indianapolis Colts 34-14.

• Thanks to a two-game winning streak, Green Bay stands tied with Chicago atop the NFC North.

• The contest Sunday at Tennessee is the first in a critical five-game stretch over the month of November for the Packers. Four of their five opponents currently stand at .500 or better, while the other (Minnesota) could go a long way in determing the division race. What's more, three of the first four contests during the month come on the road.

• The Packers need only to look at last season to provide a blueprint for success over a tough November stretch. Last year, they played five games in the month - including three on the road - and finished 4-1. After wins at Kansas City and Detroit, and blowout victories at home over Minnesota and Carolina, Green Bay dropped its final game of November at Dallas.

• Green Bay and Tennessee have only met twice this decade, but they are familiar with each other's personnel. They have met in the preseason each of the last seven years.

• Sunday marks the second game in Tennessee for Green Bay. Preseason trips aside, it has only traveled to Nashville once (2001) since the franchise moved from Houston prior to the 1997 season.

• The Titans will face the Packers coming off a short week, but they won't have any travel involved. They remain undefeated behind a 31-21 victory over Indianapolis at LP Field Monday night.

• One streak will be snapped Sunday. Green Bay has won five consecutive games against the AFC, while Tennessee has won 10 straight regular-season games, the longest active streak in the NFL.

WITH THE CALL

• FOX Sports enters its 15th season as an NFL network television partner and will air the contest to a regional audience.

• Play-by-play man Kenny Albert joins color analyst Daryl Johnston in the 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 duo are in their 10th season of broadcasts together across the Packers Radio Network, which covers 47 markets in six states.

• Westwood One will air the game across the country. Bill Rosinski (play-by-play) and Dan Reeves (analyst) will call the action. Tommy Tighe hosts the pregame and halftime shows.

• 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 127 WTMJ feed) as part of the network's NFL Sunday Drive.

• DIRECTV subscribers can watch the game in HD on channel 711.

TOUGH AFTER THE WEEK OFF

• In games immediately following their bye week, the Packers have won nine of their last 12, including both contests under McCarthy.

• In 2006, Green Bay got a hard-earned victory at Miami in scorching temperatures. McCarthy called the victory a clear turning point in the season as seven of the team's eight victories came after the bye.

• Last season, the Packers enjoyed one of their most memorable victories in recent memory following the bye week. In a Monday night contest at Denver, the Packers won the game on the first snap of overtime, an 82-yard TD to Greg Jennings.

• The Denver contest was the second win of a six-game winning streak as the Packers cruised to an 8-2 mark following the bye.

• McCarthy has continued the Packers' success following the bye. The coach has compiled a 15-6 (.714) mark following the off week.

• Since 2000, the Packers over the balance of their season after the bye are a combined 51-26 (.662).

TEAM RECORD IN SIGHTS

• Through seven games, Green Bay has five defensive touchdowns.

• That's one away from the team record of six, established by Vince Lombardi's 1966 championship team, winners of the first Super Bowl. The statistic first began being recorded in 1950.

• Three of the TDs are interception returns of 60-plus yards, tying a team record established in '02.

• Green Bay has recorded five defensive scores three other times: 1997, 2004, and McCarthy's first season in 2006.

CONSISTENT - AND CONSISTENTLY GOOD

• First-year starter Aaron Rodgers has been accurate and efficient through his first stretch under center for the Packers.

• Though there is plenty of football still to play, Rodgers' completion percentage (65.6%) and quarterback rating (98.8) could become some of the highest marks in team annals.

• Rodgers' accuracy has helped minimize Green Bay's turnovers. His four interceptions account for just 1.8% of his attempts (221), a percentage that ranks tied for eighth in the NFL and tops among first-year QBs.

• Earlier in the season, Rodgers went 157 consecutive passes without an interception, the third-longest streak in team history. Rodgers' current streak without an interception stands at 64 attempts. He has not thrown an interception in five of the team's seven games thus far.

• Rodgers has eclipsed a QB rating of 100.0 five times this season, tied for second among all NFL quarterbacks:

Player, Team (Games over 100.0)

Philip Rivers, San Diego (6)

Drew Brees, New Orleans (5)

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay (5)

Jason Campbell, Washington (4)

Jake Delhomme, Carolina (4)

Chad Pennington, Miami (4)

Tony Romo, Dallas (4)

THIRD-DOWN SUCCESS

• For the second straight game, the Packers offense was able to maintain managable down-and-distances on third down, leading to a higher conversion rate, and thus overall success, for the offense.

• It has converted 43-of-96 (44.8%) third downs, sixth best in the NFL.

• Green Bay's third-down defense has begun to show flashes of the dominant unit it was a year ago. So far this season, the defense has allowed 36-of-94 (38.3%), 16th among NFL teams. Last season, the defense ranked third in the league on third down at 33.0%.

• QB Aaron Rodgers seems to be at his strongest on third down. He is the NFL's top-rated passer on third down with a 120.3 QB rating (45-of-68, 66.1%, 583 yards).

• Nine of his 12 TD passes have come on third down. San Diego's Philip Rivers is the next closest passer with 7 TDs on third down.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS

• The Packers are tied with the Bears for the NFL lead with six touchdowns on returns. Tampa Bay is next closest with four return scores.

• Things got going in Week 1 with CB Will Blackmon's 76-yard punt return against Minnesota.

• CB Charles Woodson and S Nick Collins both returned interceptions for touchdowns against Detroit in Week 2. Woodson returned another interception for a score at Tampa in Week 4.

• Collins and S Aaron Rouse returned Peyton Manning passes for TDs two weeks ago, giving the Packers five scores on interceptions. The next closest team in the NFL has two TD returns on interceptions.

• The Packers have allowed just one return TD this season - a 38-yard fumble return by Tampa Bay.

TURNOVERS USUALLY TELL THE STORY

• The turnover statistic remains one of the most important in all of football.

• Green Bay has 14 takeaways (13 interceptions, one fumble recovery) on the season. Their plus-6 turnover margin is tied for fourth among NFL clubs.

• The 13 interceptions mark a league high, just ahead of Tampa Bay and Tennessee, which each has 12 picks on the year.

• The Packers have been able to turn takeaways into points better than any other team. They have 69 points off turnovers thus far. Chicago ranks No. 2 with 60 points off turnovers.

• On the other side of the ball, things have not gone as well after turnovers. The team has surrendered 44 points off the eight turnovers this year - 24 of which came at Tampa in Week 4. That point total off turnovers is the 10th highest in the NFL.

• Green Bay did not have a giveaway against Indianapolis, the second time the team has played turnover-free football this season. It also went without a turnover in the opener against the Vikings, a feat they accomplished four times last season. Not surprisingly, all six were victories.

• Over a longer stretch, the Packers have won 32 of 33 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 35 of their last 36 games without a giveaway.

FLAGS ON THE FIELD

• Coaches and players undoubtedly harped upon penalties in their self-scout during the bye week.

• 67 penalties have been called against the club - third most among NFL teams - and it is an area the team must improve on if it expects to be a viable postseason contender.

• 58 of the Packers' penalties have been accepted, resulting in a league-high 534 penalty yards. New Orleans (502) and Dallas (495) are the next closest teams.

• The Packers have been drawing penalties against their opponents, too. 49 of the penalties have been accepted by Green Bay - tied for seventh most - resulting in 381 penalty yards.

UPON A CLOSER LOOK AT THE STATS

• Some of the good, bad and strange statistics through seven games:

• Aaron Rodgers' three rushing scores are the most by a Packers QB since Brett Favre had three in 1995. A fourth rushing TD for Rodgers would mark the most for a Green Bay signal caller since Don Majkowski had five rushing scores in 1989.

• The Packers are the only NFL team that has three players with at least three interceptions (Collins 4, Woodson 4, Williams 3).

• Green Bay's offense has 16 drives of 10-or-more plays. That's tied with four other teams (Houston, N.Y. Jets, Tampa Bay, Washington) for the league lead.

• Opponents have surely noted Green Bay's statistics on first downs. Against the run on first down, the Packers allow 5.19 yards per rush, fourth most in the NFL. When Green Bay defends the pass on first downs, it is holding opposing quarterbacks to a 47.8 rating, lowest in the NFL.

• Despite a rash of injuries, especially to core special teams players, Green Bay's coverage units have been solid no matter what personnel lines up. Its punt coverage ranks fifth best in the NFL, while its kick coverage ranks 12th.

• Its own return units could use a little boost. Green Bay's punt return average ranks ninth in the league, but its kickoff return unit ranks 31st.

• Behind an efficient offense and big-play defense, Green Bay is averaging 27.7 points per game, tied for fourth best in the league.

• Taking away kneeldowns, Green Bay has had 19 rushes for negative yardage, fifth most in the NFL. However, the stat can be deceiving. Minnesota, the No. 8 rushing offense in the NFL, has 20 rushes for negative yardage, which ranks tied for third. Tennessee, the league's No. 4 rushing offense, has 22 negative rushes, second most in the NFL.

RUN GAME PICKING UP STEAM

• For the third consecutive week, there were signs of improvement in the Packers' running game, a rushing attack that was dormant for much of the season's first month.

• Slow starts have plagued the run game each of the last two years. Last season, it ranked last in the league through the season's first 10 weeks.

• RB Ryan Grant rushed a career-high 33 times against Seattle, a mark that tied the second-highest total in Packers history. While Grant was able to gain just 90 yards on the ground, the Packers were able to pick up key first downs when they needed to. Perhaps the most telling statistic of the run game's success in Seattle: time of possession. The Packers held the ball for 37 minutes and 26 seconds.

• Green Bay came in with a similar plan of attack against the Colts and was able to dominate possession through the first three quarters. Grant again went over 30 carries and got his first 100-yard performance (105) and rushing score of the season.

WOODSON CONTINUES TO AMAZE

• CB Charles Woodson will most likely not participate in practice this week to help ease the pain of a broken toe he suffered against Minnesota on Kickoff Weekend.

• Since suffering the injury, Woodson's level of play seems to have risen. In Week 2, his first game action without hitting the practice field, he responded with two fourth-quarter interceptions, one returned for a score, to seal the victory for Green Bay over Detroit.

• Against Dallas in Week 3, Woodson matched up against Pro Bowler Terrell Owens, limiting him to just 17 receiving yards on two catches. It was Owens' lowest output since joining the Cowboys in 2006.

• At Tampa, he picked off a Brian Griese pass in the fourth quarter and returned it for his sixth career touchdown on an interception return.

• In Seattle, he registered another interception and his first sack since Oct. 2006.

• Against the Colts, Woodson matched up in the slot against Pro Bowler Reggie Wayne, limiting the receiver to 24 yards on two catches.

• It's hard to imagine any NFL cornerback playing better than Woodson right now. The 11-year pro appears poised to make his fifth Pro Bowl appearance and first since 2001.

• Among active players, Woodson's six career interception returns for scores ranks near the top of the NFL. Four have come as a member of the Packers:

Player, Team (TDs on INT return)

Darren Sharper, Minnesota (8)

Ronde Barber, Tampa Bay (6)

Derrick Brooks, Tampa Bay (6)

Aaron Glenn, New Orleans (6)

Charles Woodson, Green Bay (6)

Phillip Buchanon, Tampa Bay (5)

Dré Bly, Denver (5)

Nate Clements, San Francisco (5)

Chris McAlister, Baltimore (5)

**

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:

Green Bay Packers vs. Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers:

All-time regular season: 4-5-0

All-time, in Houston/Tennessee: 3-1-0 (0-1 in Tennessee)

Streaks: The teams have split the last six regular season games.

Last meeting, regular season: Oct. 11, 2004, Lambeau Field; Titans won, 48-27

Last meeting, in Tennessee: Dec. 16, 2001, at Adelphia Coliseum; Titans won, 26-20

COACHES CAPSULES

Mike McCarthy: 26-15-0, .634 (incl. 1-1 postseason); third NFL season

Jeff Fisher: 127-104-0, .549 (incl. 5-5 postseason); 14th NFL season

Head to Head: Never met

vs. Opponent:McCarthy 0-0 vs. Titans; Fisher 2-1 vs. Packers

MIKE McCARTHY...Is in third 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.

• Honored as the 2007 Motorola NFL Coach of the Year and NFL Alumni Coach of the Year.

• Became the first Packers coach since Vince Lombardi to lead the team to a championship game in his second season.

• Tied franchise record for most victories by a coach in his first two seasons (21).

JEFF FISHER...Is in 14th year as the 15th head coach in Hou./Ten. history.

• Holds the franchise record for wins by a head coach (127).

• Has taken his team to the playoffs five times in the past nine years. The postseason trips have produced two AFC Championship Game appearances and one Super Bowl berth (XXXIV).

• Presided over the most successful five-year period (1999-2003) in his club's 46-year history, posting 56 regular-season and five postseason victories, including two division titles.

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 35 years ago at the Houston Astrodome.

• Since, the clubs have met only eight other times.

• The teams have split the last four meetings, all during the Brett Favre era, with the Packers getting victories at home in 1998 and at Houston in 1992.

• The Packers are just 1-2 vs. the Titans 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 Packers uniform. Favre threw for three touchdowns, all to Antonio Freeman, who posted seven catches for 186 yards.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

Packers GM Ted Thompson played 10 years (1975-84) as a LB for the Houston Oilers...Titans GM Mike Reinfeldt spent eight years working at 1265 Lombardi Ave., as Chief Financial Officer (1991-93) and Vice President of Administration (1994-98); Reinfeldt is a Wisconsin native (Baraboo) and was a four-year starter at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee...Thompson and Reinfeldt are close friends, as the two were teammates in Houston (1976-83) and co-workers in Green Bay (1992-98)...Titans DB coach Chuck Cecil entered the NFL as a fourth-round choice of the Packers in the 1988 draft and played in Green Bay's secondary from 1988-92...Titans assistant special teams coach Marty Galbraith coached at the University of Pittsburgh with McCarthy in 1991...Green Bay WR coach Jimmy Robinson launched his coaching career as an assistant with the USFL's Memphis Showboats in 1984, when the franchise's roster included DE Reggie White...T Chad Clifton (Martin, Tenn.), C Scott Wells (Brentwood, Tenn.) and DT Justin Harrell (Martin, Tenn.) are all natives of Tennessee and played collegiately at the University of Tennessee; Clifton and Wells played with Titans DT Albert Haynesworth in Knoxville...Titans P Craig Hentrich played for the Packers from 1994-97...Titans QB Kerry Collins and Packers CB Charles Woodson played together in Oakland (2004-05)...Titans S Vince Fuller and Packers S Aaron Rouse were teammates in the secondary at Virginia Tech...Tennessee DB Chris Carr played with Packers G Daryn Colledge and FB Korey Hall at Boise State...Packers LB Brandon Chillar and Titans DE Dave Ball were teammates at UCLA.

{sportsad300}INDIVIDUALLY VS. TITANS

• WR Donald Driver has 12 receptions for 167 yards and one touchdown in two games against the Titans.

LAST MEETING, REGULAR SEASON

• Oct. 11, 2004, at Lambeau Field; Titans won, 48-27.

• On Monday Night Football, the Titans came into Green Bay and scored more points than any visitor ever at Lambeau, handing the Packers at the time their first four-game losing streak since 1991 and first 0-3 start at home since 1988.

• Titans RB Chris Brown rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns, from 37 and 29 yards out on the first two series.

• Tennessee scored on five of its first six possessions, and Steve McNair threw two second-half TD passes to put the game out of reach.

• Brett Favre, playing after the death of his 24-year-old brother-in-law, was 24-of-44 for 338 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Donald Driver (10 catches, 150 yards) and Javon Walker (8-159) each topped 150 receiving yards.

LAST MEETING, REGULAR SEASON, IN TENNESSEE

• Dec. 16, 2001, at Adelphia Coliseum; Titans won, 26-20.

• A 7-yard TD catch by Donald Driver helped give the Packers a 10-2 lead after one quarter, but the Titans outscored the Packers 24-3 over the next 21/2 periods.

• Receiver Derrick Mason (8 catches, 107 yards) and H-back Frank Wycheck (6 catches, 96 yards) were quarterback Steve McNair's primary targets during his 283-yard, two-TD day. Mason's 35-yard touchdown catch late in the second quarter gave Tennessee the lead for good.

• Skip Hicks rushed for 119 of his 142 yards in the fourth quarter, including a 22-yard TD run, for the Titans. On third-and-5 from the Tennessee 20 with just under 2 minutes left, Hicks broke off a 51-yard run to seal the game.

• Meanwhile, Tennessee's defense held Green Bay RB Ahman Green to just 11 yards on 10 carries, and tackled him in the end zone for a safety in the first quarter.