Dope Sheet Week 9 (Vs. Pit) WEB SITE.Qxd
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Packers Public Relations z Lambeau Field Atrium z 1265 Lombardi Avenue z Green Bay, WI 54304 z 920/569-7500 z 920/569-7201 fax Jeff Blumb, Director; Aaron Popkey, Assistant Director; Zak Gilbert, Assistant Director; Sarah Quick, Coordinator; Adam Woullard, Coordinator VOL VII; NO. 15 GREEN BAY, NOV. 1, 2005 EIGHTH GAME PITTSBURGH (5-2) at GREEN BAY (1-6) AND IN 1992: Pittsburgh’s 1992 trip to Lambeau Field was a milestone Sunday, Nov. 6 z Lambeau Field z 3:15 p.m. CST z CBS game, too. It marked the first NFL start for Brett Favre. XFavre also used the occasion to launch an NFL-record for consecutive THIS WEEK’S NOTABLE STORYLINES: starts by a quarterback, 212 entering the weekend, Since that day, a 17- XUnder the leadership of Head Coach Mike Sherman 3 win over rookie head coach Bill Cowher, 187 other quarterbacks have and quarterback Brett Favre, the Packers continue started an NFL game, including the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger. The to exhibit a steady outlook in their approach and 49ers’ Alex Smith joined the list Oct. 9. perspective — something highly unexpected given XDuring the 2005 season, four quarterbacks have made their first NFL the team’s 1-6 start and substantial injuries. starts: Brooks Bollinger (N.Y. Jets), Kyle Orton (Chicago), Alex Smith XThe Steelers return to Lambeau Field for the first (San Francisco) and J.P. Losman (Buffalo). time in a decade. It’s also the teams’ first meeting XAlso, 20 NFL teams during the period have started at least 10 quarter- in seven years. In 2001 during the final year of the backs. During the ‘05 campaign, the following have made a starting old NFL scheduling format, Pittsburgh was the debut with their respective teams: Jeff Garcia (Detroit), Trent Dilfer only AFC Central team that did not play Green Bay, (Cleveland), Kyle Orton (Chicago), J.P. Losman and Kelly Holcomb a quirk the league hoped to avoid in its new sched- (Buffalo), Gus Frerotte (Miami), Drew Bledsoe (Dallas), Kurt Warner uling rotation. (Arizona) and Brooks Bollinger (N.Y. Jets). Orton became the 20th quar- XThe two previous Lambeau Field games that fea- terback to start a Bears game, most in the NFL, during Favre’s streak. tured the Steelers represent two of the most mem- XThe NFL’s best teams since Sept. 27, 1992: orable contests during the Brett Favre era. Super Playoff XThe matchup features a pair of Notre Dame run- Club W L T Pct Bowls App ning backs who took contrasting routes to reach Green Bay 136 76 0 .642 2 10 the prominent roles they’ll play Sunday: Jerome Pittsburgh 132 79 1 .625 1 9 Bettis and Tony Fisher. Denver 129 84 0 .606 2 7 San Francisco 126 86 0 .594 1 9 NATIONAL TELEVISION: CBS Sports, with the network’s flagship Kansas City 124 88 0 .585 0 6 voice Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and former Pro Bowl quarterback Phil Simms (color) in the booth, Lance Barrow (producer) and Mike Arnold OUTSTANDING STARTS: Bill Cowher and Mike Sherman each posted (director) in the truck, and Bonnie Bernstein on the sidelines, will air the a 53-27-0 start in their respective first five regular seasons as an NFL contest to a national audience as the anchor of CBS’s doubleheader week- coach. Only four others fared better, among those who launched their end. The network, which is one signifcant reason why teams like the careers after the 1970 AFL-NFL merger: Packers are still operating today, is in Year No. 46 covering the National Head Coach, Club Years W L T Pct. Football League. Chuck Knox, LARm 1973-77 . .54 15 1 .779 George Seifert, SF 1989-93 . .62 18 0 .775 PACKERS RADIO: Milwaukee’s WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games Joe Gibbs, Was 1981-85 . .51 22 0 .699 since 1929, heads up the 62-station Packers Radio Network, with versatile Mike Ditka, ChiB 1982-86 . .50 23 0 .685 Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry Bill Cowher, Pit 1992-96 . .53 27 0 .663 McCarren (color). Spanning five states, the network covers 50 markets in Mike Sherman, GB 2000-04 . .53 27 0 .663 the upper Midwest. The broadcast also is available to NFL Field Pass sub- scribers on packers.com. SCHEDULE & RESULTS NATIONAL RADIO: Ted Robinson (play-by-play) and Bob Trumpy (color) Sun., Sept. 11 at Detroit Lions . .L, 3-17 (61,877) will call the action on the Westwood One Radio Network. Sun., Sept. 18 CLEVELAND BROWNS . .L, 24-26 (70,400) Sun., Sept. 25 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS . .L, 16-17 (70,518) Mon., Oct. 3 at Carolina Panthers . .L, 29-32 (73,657) ONE DECADE LATER: Bill Cowher was the Steelers’ head coach and Sun., Oct. 9 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS . .W, 52-3 (70,580) Brett Favre was Green Bay’s quarterback, but not much has remained the Sun., Oct. 16 Open Date . same since Pittsburgh’s last trip to Green Bay, Dec. 24, 1995. Even vener- Sun., Oct. 23 at Minnesota Vikings . .L, 20-23 (64,278) able Lambeau Field has undergone a $295 million renovation. Sun., Oct. 30 at Cincinnati Bengals . .L, 14-21 (65,940) Sun., Nov. 6 PITTSBURGH STEELERS . .3:15 p.m. CBS XOn that occasion nearly 10 years ago, the Packers clinched their first of Sun., Nov. 13 at Atlanta Falcons . .3:15 p.m. FOX three straight division titles under Mike Holmgren, with a 24-19 win. Mon., Nov. 21 MINNESOTA VIKINGS (Gold Pkg.) . .8 p.m. ABC Green Bay won on a defensive stand in the closing minutes. Led by Sun., Nov. 27 at Philadelphia Eagles . .3:15 p.m. FOX defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur, Green Bay dramatically stopped Sun., Dec. 4 at Chicago Bears . .12 noon FOX Pittsburgh on the first three goal-to-go snaps. The Steelers, though, Sun., Dec. 11 DETROIT LIONS . .7:30 p.m. ESPN caught a break on fourth down when a defender slipped, but Yancey Mon., Dec. 19 at Baltimore Ravens . .8 p.m. ABC Thigpen dropped Neil O’Donnell’s would-be game-winning touchdown Sun., Dec. 25 CHICAGO BEARS . .4 p.m. FOX pass. Sun., Jan. 1 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS . .3:15 p.m. FOX Pg. 2 z NOV. 1, 2005; PITTSBURGH at GREEN BAY NICE TO BE IN NOVEMBER: No question, the Packers are putting THE DOPE ON September and October behind them as they change the calendar this morning. And with good reason, because only two other teams — last THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT: year’s Super Bowl representatives — have a better regular-season record Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Nov. 1 and later since Mike Sherman’s first year as Packers Head Coach All-time regular season: 18-12-0 (2000-04, courtesy Elias Sports Bureau): All-time, Lambeau Field: 2-2-0 Club W L T Pct Streaks: Packers have won two of last three; Philadelphia Eagles . .35 9 0 .795 Steelers have won five of last seven New England Patriots . .33 10 0 .767 Last meeting: Nov. 9, 1998, Three Rivers Stadium; Steelers won, 27-20 Green Bay Packers . .33 11 0 .750 Last meeting, Wisconsin: Pittsburgh Steelers . .31 13 1 .700 Dec. 24, 1995, Lambeau Field; Packers won, 24-19 Baltimore Ravens . .28 15 0 .651 Tennessee Titans . .27 16 0 .628 COACHES CAPSULES St. Louis Rams . .27 17 0 .614 Mike Sherman: 56-37-0, .602, sixth NFL season, sixth with Packers Indianapolis Colts . .27 18 0 .600 Bill Cowher: 143-88-1, .619, 14th NFL season, 14th with Steelers Denver Broncos . .24 17 0 .585 Head to Head: first meeting Seattle Seahawks . .25 19 0 .568 vs. Opponent: Sherman 0-0 vs. Steelers, Cowher 1-2 vs. Packers FAVRE, BRADSHAW AMONG BEST HOME QBs: Top home MIKE SHERMAN…Is in his sixth year as the Packers’ 13th head coach. XIs no stranger to adversity, having overcome several hurdles each of the records among starting quarterbacks who began their careers after the past three seasons to win a trio of NFC North titles. Adversity is again 1970 AFL-NFL merger (minimum 100 starts; regular season marks): in the Packers’ path this season. Starter, Team(s) W L T Pct XSince the 1993 collective bargaining agreement, teams have made 84 Joe Montana, SF-KC . .117 47 0 .713 coaching changes and only Sherman’s tenure has produced winning Terry Bradshaw, Pit . .107 51 0 .677 records in each of its first five seasons. Ken Stabler, Oak-HouO-NO . .96 49 1 .661 XOver their first five regular seasons as an NFL coach, since 1970 only Steve Young, TB-SF . .94 49 0 .657 Chuck Knox, George Seifert, Joe Gibbs and Mike Ditka produced better Brett Favre, GB . .136 72 0 .654 records than Sherman (53-27, .663). XIn 2004, his team became only the ninth in NFL history to reach the OTHER STEELERS MEMORIES: In addition to Favre, previous games playoffs after a 1-4 start. against Pittsburgh carry significance to two Packers Pro Bowlers. XHas led the Packers to three straight division titles and four consecu- XGreen Bay’s starting center Mike Flanagan, the epitome of heart and tive playoff appearances. resiliency, saw his career nearly end before it really began during a 1996 XIs 6-0 against teams in the Super Bowl the previous season. preseason contest vs. Pittsburgh. While blocking on the opening kickoff, a Steelers player broke both bones in his lower right leg, ending his BILL COWHER…Became the 15th head coach in Steelers history when he rookie year.