TODAY: The Vikings and Packers square off in a contest that could easily carry late-season tiebreaker implications...Brett Favre looks to even his career record vs. Minnesota (11-12); the Vikings are the only division foe (current or former) against whom he does not own a winning record...Today marks the last of the three-game "Gold Package" for season-ticket holders from the Milwaukee area.
FAVRE REACHES 200 STRAIGHT GAMES PLAYED: Kendall Gammon, Kansas City's long snapper, is the only non-kicker who owns a longer active games-played streak than Brett Favre. A closer look at Favre's streak numbers:
Active games streaks*
200, Kendall Gammon, Pit-NO-KC
199, Brett Favre, GB
196, Tim Brown, Oak-TB
186, Will Shields, KC
Active starts streaks
197, Brett Favre, GB
183, Will Shields, KC
162, Kevin Mawae, Sea-NYJ
136, Derrick Brooks, TB
*does not include kickers
Active starts streaks, quarterbacks
197, Brett Favre, GB
104, Peyton Manning, Ind
61, Aaron Brooks, NO
56, Trent Green, KC
54, Tom Brady, NE
Favre streak breakdown:
Games played, regular season 199
Games started, regular season 197
Games played, including postseason 218
Games started, including postseason 216
For more on Brett Favre's climb up the charts, check out the Packers.com 'Favre Watch'.
$100,000 ON THE LINE: Today's tilt features not only a battle for first place in the NFC North, but Bob Martin of Hubertus, Wis., has a chance to win $100,000 by successfully kicking a 40-yard field goal during a break in third-quarter action. Martin was randomly chosen from five finalists in the 'Kick for Cash' contest sponsored by Piggly Wiggly, along with Johnsonville Sausage, Coca-Cola and Miller Lite. All five finalists entered at Piggly Wiggly supermarkets across Wisconsin. Martin received on-field, personal tips from Ryan Longwell Thursday.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR TODAY & IN COMING WEEKS -
BRETT FAVRE:
-Will play in a 200th consecutive game (219 including playoffs) and make his 198th consecutive start (217 including playoffs), 82 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 34, the NFL's second-longest streak behind Johnny Unitas' 47-game stretch (1956-60), one of the most revered marks in sports history.
BUBBA FRANKS:
-Needs five receptions to surpass No. 4 Rich McGeorge (175) on the team's all-time tight ends list. Franks enters today with 171.
-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 2.5 sacks to surpass No. 3 Ezra Johnson (41.5, 1982-87) in Green Bay history. He enters today with 39.5.
AHMAN GREEN:
-Needs two overall TDs to tie No. 4 Paul Hornung (62) on the all-time Green Bay list. Green enters today with 60.
-Needs three receptions to surpass No. 2 Gerry Ellis (267), and seven to surpass No. 1 Dorsey Levens (271) on the Packers' all-time list among backs. Green enters today with 265.
WILLIAM HENDERSON:
-Needs 78 receiving yards for 2,000 career.
RYAN LONGWELL:
-Needs to hit five straight PAT to tie No. 1 Chris Jacke (134, 1990-94) among the team's all-time streaks. Entering today, Longwell has hit 129 straight, dating to Dec. 23, 2001.
-Already the franchise's all-time leader, needs two points for 900 career.
DARREN SHARPER:
-Can make his 100th career start.
-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.
MIKE SHERMAN:
-With a win would become the second-fastest in team history to reach 50 victories (Vince Lombardi did it in 66 games). Sherman enters today with 49 wins in 77 games.
-Would tie Mike Shanahan for the 18th-fastest in history to reach 50. Shanahan reached 50 in his 78th game (1998 with Denver). While that ranking seems like a high number, consider that Miami's Jim Bates next week will become the 402nd person to lead a team as its head coach, according to the register in Total Football.
-Among active coaches, only Joe Gibbs (71) and Bill Cowher (75) have reached 50 faster. St. Louis' Mike Martz could also reach his 50th win today, in his 78th game.
TODAY'S NATIONAL ANTHEM: The spectacular University of Wisconsin marching band will perform a patriotic, Veteran's Day rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. The band also will provide halftime entertainment, and stage its famous "5th Quarter" after the game.
THE BEST OF THE BEST: Following the National Anthem, today's fly-by features Navy F-14 Tomcats, the planes used in the movie Top Gun. The planes are from Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Va., and recently returned from deployment in the Middle East. Among the pilots is Kristin Jungbluth, the first female pilot to participate in a Lambeau Field flyover.
AT THE GATES: Kohl's is distributing official 2004 team photos to fans.
POOL REPORTERS: Cliff Christl of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, is the home pool reporter. Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette is the alternate.
NEXT WEEK: In a Sunday night clash, Green Bay meets the Texans for the first time, and makes its first trip to the city since Dec. 13, 1992, a 16-14 win over the Oilers at the Astrodome. Minnesota gets the Lions at home, its first of two meetings with Detroit, an early kickoff Sunday.
