Packers Public Relations Lambeau Field Atrium 1265 Lombardi Avenue Green Bay, WI 54304 920/569-7500 920/569-7201 fax Jeff Blumb, Aaron Popkey, Sarah Quick, Ricky Zeller, Jonathan Butnick, Tom Fanning, Mike Spofford, Duke Bobber VOL. XII; NO. 21 GREEN BAY, DEC. 14, 2010 WEEK 15 GREEN BAY (8-5) AT NEW ENGLAND (11-2) FINISHING STRONG Sunday, Dec. 19 Gillette Stadium 7:20 p.m. CST Mike McCarthy has often emphasized the importance of his team play- GREEN BAY CLOSES OUT ROAD SLATE IN NEW ENGLAND ing its best football at the end of the season. The Packers travel to New England for the first time since 2002 for a Since McCarthy took over in 2006, the Packers are 13-7 in regular-sea- nationally televised contest against the Patriots, son games in December/January. That .650 winning percentage ranks Green Bay’s fourth prime-time game of the season. No. 2 in the NFC over that span behind only Philadelphia (17-4, .810). This will be the first time the teams have met inn Dating back to the 2008 season finale, Green Bay has won six of its last a prime-time matchup since they squared off onn Monday Night Football in New England on Oct. 27,7, eight regular-season contests in December/January. 1997. The Packers are 2-0 on Sunday Night Footballall tthishis season.season Going back even further, the Packers are 59-24 (.711) in regular-season That was the season after the teams met in Super Bowl XXXI in New games played in December or January since 1992. That is the highest Orleans, as the Packers topped the Patriots, 35-21, to capture their first winning percentage for any team in the league over that span, with the world championship in 29 years. For Green Bay, the victory marked its Patriots checking in at No. 2 with a 57-24 mark (.704). league-high 12th NFL championship as well as its third Super Bowl title. The Packers will certainly be put to the test this Sunday against a New Green Bay will be taking on a Patriots team that has won 15 straight games at Gillette Stadium, the longest current winning streak at home in England team that is 39-9 (.813) in December/January games since Bill the league. New England’s last loss at home came on Nov. 30, 2008, to Belichick took over as head coach in 2000, the best mark in the NFL over Pittsburgh. Patriots QB Tom Brady has won 26 straight starts at home, teat span. The Patriots haven’t lost a Dec./Jan. regular-season home an NFL record for most consecutive regular-season home wins by a game since Jan. 1, 2006, a 28-26 defeat to Miami. quarterback. The Patriots have won 16 straight games against NFC opponents at PRESEASON home, with Green Bay handing them their last loss on Oct. 13, 2002. Date Opponent Time TV That is New England’s only loss to an NFC team at Gillette Stadium since Sat., Aug. 14 CLEVELAND BROWNS (Gold Pkg.) . L, 24-27 (68,958) it opened in ’02. (Midwest Shrine Game) The last time the Packers played on the road against a team with only Sat., Aug. 21 at Seattle Seahawks. .W, 27-24 (65,586) two losses in Week 15 or later was in 2006 when Green Bay traveled to Chicago in the season finale to take on the Chicago Bears (13-2). Thu., Aug. 26 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS . .W, 59-24 (68,987) Ironically, that was also a Sunday night contest. (Bishop’s Charities Game) This is the latest in the season that the Packers have ever traveled to Thu., Sept. 2 at Kansas City Chiefs. L, 13-17 (63,843) New England, with a contest on Nov. 18, 1973, being the previous mark. That was the first-ever meeting between the franchises. REGULAR SEASON The Packers have a 5-4 edge in the all-time series, which includes the Date Opponent Time TV Super Bowl win, and have posted victories in each of their last two trips Sun., Sept. 12 at Philadelphia Eagles . .W, 27-20 (69,144) to New England (1997, 2002). Sun., Sept. 19 BUFFALO BILLS. .W, 34-7 (70,741) This past Sunday, the Packers fell to Detroit, 7-3, at Ford Field to drop to Mon., Sept. 27 at Chicago Bears . L, 17-20 (62,179) 8-5 on the season. With Chicago (9-4) losing to New England at Soldier Sun., Oct. 3 DETROIT LIONS (Gold Pkg.) . .W, 28-26 (70,729) Field on Sunday, Green Bay remains a game back in the NFC North race. Sun., Oct. 10 at Washington Redskins . L, 13-16+ (87,760) WITH THE CALL Sun., Oct. 17 MIAMI DOLPHINS. L, 20-23+ (70,815) NBC Sports will broadcast the Sunday Night Football Sun., Oct. 24 MINNESOTA VIKINGS . .W, 28-24 (71,107) contest to a national audience. Play-by-play man Sun., Oct. 31 at New York Jets . .W, 9-0 (78,484) Al Michaels joins color commentator Cris Sun., Nov. 7 DALLAS COWBOYS (Gold Pkg.) . .W, 45-7 (70,913) Collinsworth in the booth with Andrea Kremer Sun., Nov. 14 Open Date . reporting from the sidelines. Sun., Nov. 21 at Minnesota Vikings. .W, 31-3 (64,120) Fans also can check out the action online, where the Sun., Nov. 28 at Atlanta Falcons . L, 17-20 (68,204) broadcast will be streamed on NBCSports.com and Sun., Dec. 5 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS . .W, 34-16 (70,575) NFL.com. Sun., Dec. 12 at Detroit Lions . L, 3-7 (57,659) Milwaukee’s WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since 1929, Sun., Dec. 19 at New England Patriots . 7:20 p.m. NBC heads up the 53-station Packers Radio Network, with Wayne Larrivee Sun., Dec. 26 NEW YORK GIANTS . 3:15 p.m. FOX (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (color) calling the action. The duo enters its 12th season of broadcasts Sun., Jan. 2 CHICAGO BEARS. *12 noon FOX together across the Packers Radio Network, which covers 43 markets in *—Start time and broadcast may shift due to NFL flexible scheduling five states. + – overtime Westwood One radio will air the game across the country. Dave Sims (play-by-play) and former Packers WR James Lofton (analyst) will NFL POSTSEASON DATES call the action, with Hub Arkush on the sidelines. Scott Graham hosts pregame and halftime shows. Jan. 8-9 ................................................AFC and NFC Wild Card Playoffs ESPN International will air the game in three languages to over 180 Jan. 15-16 .............................................AFC and NFC Divisional Playoffs countries. Jan. 23 ............................................AFC and NFC Championship Games For out-of-town listeners, the broadcast is available on Sirius Satellite Jan. 30 .......................... AFC-NFC Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium, Honolulu Radio (channel 125 WTMJ feed) as part of the network’s NFL Sunday Feb. 6 ............... Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas Drive. PACKERS TEAM NOTES DEFENSE KEEPING THEM OUT POINT PRODUCTION Having finished No. 2 in the league’s final overall rankings and No. 7 in After outscoring their opponents a combined 139-43 over the past six points allowed in 2009, the defense is enjoying an even more productive games, the Packers find themselves near the top of the NFL’s scoring dif- season when it comes to keeping opponents off the scoreboard. ferential column. The Packers rank No. 1 in the league in scoring defense, allowing the The Packers have outscored their opponents 306-189 this season, and opposition an average of just 14.5 points per game, an improvement that 117-point differential ranks No. 2 in the NFL behind the team Green over last season’s mark of 18.6 per contest. Green Bay has allowed 18 touchdowns, the fewest in the league. Bay will see this Sunday night. New England leads the league with a The last time Green Bay led the league in scoring defense this late in a 139-point margin, outscoring its opponents 415-276. season was when it finished No. 1 in the league in that category at the Green Bay ranks No. 3 in the NFL among teams with six or more wins end of the 1996 Super Bowl season (13.1 per game). with an average margin of victory of 16.63. On the flip side, the Packers’ In the last six games, the Packers have given up 7.2 points per game. average margin of defeat in their five losses is the lowest in the league This Sunday they will be facing a New England team that ranks No. 1 in at 3.20. the NFL with an average of 31.9 points per game. Last season the Packers ranked No. 3 in the league with an average Green Bay currently ranks No. 9 in the NFL in overall defense, allowing margin of victory of 18.27, their highest mark since a 21.31 mark in their an average of 314.1 yards per game through Week 14, and No. 3 in the Super Bowl season of 1996. league in passing defense at 196.8 yards per game. The defense has limited opposing signal-callers to a passer rating of just In 2009, Green Bay ranked No. 2 in the league in scoring differential, with 68.1, which ranks No. 1 in the NFL. The 68.1 rating is a shade below a 164-point advantage over its opponents (461-297). That was second what the defense allowed in 2009 when it finished No.