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. 19 GREEN BAY, NOV. 29, 2005 12TH GAME GREEN BAY (2-9) at CHICAGO (8-3) A LONG WAIT TO PLAY THE BEARS: While not frequent, this isn’t Sun., Dec. 4 z Soldier Field z 12 noon CST z FOX the first time league has waited until December to pit the Packers against the Bears. THIS WEEK’S NOTABLE STORYLINES: XIn 1998, the clubs didn’t meet for the first time until Dec. 13, then fin- XFacing an uphill battle against the league’s top- ished off the season series two weeks later. ranked defense, Green Bay bids for a win in the NFL XIt also happened in 1983 (Dec. 4, Dec. 18). rivalry with the richest history. The team’s meet for the 169th time (170th contest, including playoffs). FAVRE’S FAVORITE ROAD STADIUM: Brett Favre is 11-1 lifetime at Soldier XWith a 12th consecutive road win at Chicago, the Field, having won there on 10 consecutive trips. His last loss at the historic Packers can match the NFL record, shared by the venue was on Dec. 5, 1993. L.A. Rams (at San Francisco, 1969-80) and San XThe only other stadium in which Favre has won more games is Lambeau Francisco (at L.A./St. Louis Rams, 1987-98). Field. Green Bay hasn’t lost on the road to the Bears XFavre’s 11 wins at Soldier Field are more than the seven he had in three since Dec. 5, 1993. Brett Favre is 12-1 in road seasons at Milwaukee County Stadium, one of his home venues from games with Chicago; he’s 11-1 at Soldier Field. 1992-94, before Green Bay moved all of its games to Green Bay. XThe Packers play their last noon kickoff of 2005, XHis top stadiums, ranked by wins: and their last game. Networks will broadcast their final four contests to a national audience, includ- Lambeau Field, Green Bay 77 21 .786 ing a Christmas Day rematch with Chicago at Soldier Field, Chicago 11 1 .917 Lambeau Field. Milwaukee County Stadium 7 2 .778 Houlihan's/Tampa Stadium 4 1 .800 TELEVISION: FOX Sports will air the contest to a Bank of America/Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte 4 2 .667 regional audience. Play-by-play man Dick Stockton, HHH Metrodome, Minneapolis 4 10 .286 now in his fourth decade as a professional broad- Qualcomm/Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego 3 0 1.000 caster, joins former Pro Bowler Daryl “Moose” Johnston in the booth. Pontiac Silverdome 3 7 .300 Tony Siragusa, a key cog in Baltimore’s 2000 Super Bowl title, is on the *3Com Park, San Francisco 2 0 1.000 sideline. And, veterans Bob Stenner (producer) and Sandy Grossman ALLTEL Stadium, Jacksonville 2 0 1.000 (director) are in the truck. Louisiana Superdome 2 1 .667 XThe contest also is available to DIRECTV® subscribers on Channel 710. Ford Field, Detroit 2 2 .500 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford 2 2 .500 PACKERS RADIO: Milwaukee’s WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since 1929, heads up the 62-station Packers Radio Network, with versatile END OF BRUTAL STRETCH: The Packers Sunday end a seven-game Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry stretch in which they will have played five games on the road. The team is McCarren (color). Spanning five states, the network covers 50 markets in 1-5 over the first six games of the stretch. the upper Midwest. The broadcast also is available to NFL Field Pass sub- XThe Packers do close their schedule with three of their last four at home. scribers on packers.com. XThe broadcast also is available to NFL Sirius Radio subscribers on Channel 125. SCHEDULE & RESULTS NFL RECORD WITHIN REACH: The Packers, with what would surely Sun., Sept. 11 at Detroit Lions . .L, 3-17 (61,877) be a well-earned victory against the NFL’s top-ranked defense, can tie the Sun., Sept. 18 CLEVELAND BROWNS . .L, 24-26 (70,400) NFL record with a win 12th consecutive win on the road against Chicago. Sun., Sept. 25 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS . .L, 16-17 (70,518) Mon., Oct. 3 at Carolina Panthers . .L, 29-32 (73,657) XThe streak includes a 2002 win on a Monday night at Memorial Stadium Sun., Oct. 9 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS . .W, 52-3 (70,580) in Champaign, Ill., on the University of Illinois campus, where Chicago Sun., Oct. 16 Open Date . played while Soldier Field underwent renovation. Sun., Oct. 23 at Minnesota Vikings . .L, 20-23 (64,278) XIn league annals, only two teams, the Rams and 49ers, have managed to Sun., Oct. 30 at Cincinnati Bengals . .L, 14-21 (65,940) sustain a longer streak of road success against one opponent. Sun., Nov. 6 PITTSBURGH STEELERS . .L, 10-20 (70,607) XLongest road winning streaks in NFL history, against one team: Sun., Nov. 13 at Atlanta Falcons . .W, 33-25 (71,001) 12 L.A. Rams at San Francisco 1969-80 Mon., Nov. 21 MINNESOTA VIKINGS . .L, 17-20 (70,610) San Francisco at L.A./St. Louis Rams 1987-98 Sun., Nov. 27 at Philadelphia Eagles . .L, 14-19 (67,665) Sun., Dec. 4 at Chicago Bears . .12 noon FOX 11 Green Bay at Chicago Bears 1994-2004 (current) Sun., Dec. 11 DETROIT LIONS . .7:30 p.m. ESPN 10 Miami at Buffalo 1970-79 Mon., Dec. 19 at Baltimore Ravens . .8 p.m. ABC Miami at Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts 1978-87 Sun., Dec. 25 CHICAGO BEARS . .4 p.m. FOX Sun., Jan. 1 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS . .3:15 p.m. FOX Pg. 2 z NOV. 29, 2005; GREEN BAY at CHICAGO FAVRE IN DECEMBER: Among starting quarterbacks who launched THE DOPE ON their careers after the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, only two players have a bet- ter winning percentage in December than Brett Favre (minimum 20 home THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT: starts, regular-season only): Packers vs. Decatur Staleys/Chicago Bears: Joe Thiesmann, Was . .17 5 .773 All-time regular season: 78-84-6 Joe Montana, SF . .33 10 .767 Postseason: 0-1 Brett Favre, GB . .41 13 .759 All-time, Soldier Field: 17-15-0 NOTE: Roger Staubach, who started career in 1969, was 17-3 Last meeting, regular season: (.850) in December Jan. 2, 2005, Soldier Field; Packers won, 31-14 Playoff meeting: Dec. 14, 1941, Wrigley Field, EAGLES TO RETIRE NO. 92: The Philadelphia Eagles at halftime of NFL Western Division playoff; Bears won, 33-14 their game Monday vs. Seattle will formally remove No. 92, worn in Philadelphia by Reggie Whtie from 1985-92, out of circulation. COACHES CAPSULES XWhite will become the first player in NFL history to have his number Mike Sherman: 57-40-0, .588, sixth NFL season, sixth with Packers retired by more than one team. The Packers, who had made plans to Lovie Smith: 13-14-0, .481, second NFL season, second with Bears retire his number before White’s tragic death last Dec. 26, did so Sept. Head to Head: Tied, 1-1 18 vs. Cleveland. vs. Opponent: Sherman 8-2 vs. Bears; Smith 1-1 vs. Packers XIn addition, the University of Tennessee on Oct. 1 vs. Mississippi, retired White’s 92. The school chose to honor White as the first former football MIKE SHERMAN…Is in his sixth year as the Packers’ 13th head coach. player to have his number retired in more than 60 years. XIs no stranger to adversity, having overcome several hurdles each of the XOther than Jackie Robinson and Wayne Gretzky, White is believed to be past three seasons to win a trio of NFC North titles. the first athlete in sports history to have his number retired by three XSince the 1993 collective bargaining agreement, teams have made 84 teams in the same year (Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, coaching changes and only Sherman’s tenure has produced winning Tennessee Volunteers). records in each of its first five seasons. XOn the opponent sideline Monday night, White’s former head coach in XOver their first five regular seasons as an NFL coach, since 1970 only Green Bay, Mike Holmgren, and his former defensive coordinator, Ray Chuck Knox, George Seifert, Joe Gibbs and Mike Ditka produced better Rhodes, will be on hand. records than Sherman (53-27, .663). XIn 2004, his team became only the ninth in NFL history to reach the playoffs after a 1-4 start. EXCITEMENT BUILDING FOR FROZEN TUNDRA HOCKEY: XHas led the Packers to three straight division titles and four consecu- University of Wisconsin men’s hockey fans anxiously awaiting February’s tive playoff appearances. Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic at Lambeau Field were no doubt excited to XIs 6-1 against teams in the Super Bowl the previous season. see the Badgers climb to No. 1 in two national polls Monday after a week- end sweep of Michigan State and Michigan. LOVIE SMITH…like Sherman is the 13th head coach in his franchise’s XWisconsin will face Ohio State at 3 p.m., Feb. 11, in the Frozen Tundra history, officially joining the Bears Jan. 15, 2004. He has 22 years expe- Hockey Classic, Lambeau Field’s first hockey offering. The game also rience as a coach, combined at the college and pro levels. will serve as the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game, with a portion of the XSmith joined the Bears from the St.