Governor Declares Monday 'Brett Favre Day' In Wisconsin
Fans Asked To Wear Blaze Orange To Honor Fallen Hunters
Posted: 12:22 pm CST November 26, 2004Updated: 10:29 am CST November 29, 2004
By Matt Canamucio, NFL Analyst -- Packers quarterback Brett Favre has broken many records this season, but one of his biggest accomplishments in the NFL might come Monday night when he starts his 200th consecutive game.And it's not something that's going un-noticed in Wisconsin."Breaking this record is a testament to the determination and perseverance that Brett Favre shows on and off the field. Wisconsin is proud of all of the contributions he has made to the game of football, and to our state," Doyle said.The game may not be an easy one for Favre, however. The Packers are hosting the St. Louis Rams, who are also in the thick of the NFC playoff race.
The Rams lead the all-time regular season series with the Packers, which dates back to the 1937 season, 44-39-2. St. Louis won the last matchup between the teams, 34-24, at home last season. Green Bay won the most recent head-to-head battle at Lambeau, in 1997. The Rams last won in Green Bay during the 1995 campaign. In addition to the regular season series, the teams have split a pair of postseason games, with Green Bay prevailing by a 28-7 margin in a 1967 NFC Championship game held in Milwaukee, and the Rams returning the favor with a 45-17 home dismantling of the Packers in a 2001 NFC Divisional Playoff. Martz is 2-0 in his head coaching career against Green Bay, including the 2001 postseason win, while Sherman is 0-2 against both the Rams and Martz.
Marc Bulger (2819 yards, 15 TD, 11 INT) is coming off a so-so performance against the Bills that saw him complete 27-of-45 passing attempts for 287 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. It was only the second multi- INT game of the season for Bulger, who has been much better holding onto the ball compared to last year. His most crucial INT last Sunday came early in the fourth quarter when a deflected pass was hauled in by Buffalo tackle Sam Adams to all but end any chance of a comeback. Torry Holt (8 receptions, 90 yards) and Isaac Bruce (3 receptions, 58 yards) each caught a touchdown in the loss. Holt played a week after suffering a concussion against Seattle. Overall, the Rams rank fifth in the NFL in passing offense (260.3 yards per game). The Packers were able to limit what David Carr and the Texans could do through the air, allowing the young signal caller only 164 yards. And the bulk of that production came from budding star Andre Johnson, who caught six balls from Carr for 107 yards -- all in the first half. Green Bay really put the clamps on Carr after halftime, surrendering only 49 yards in the air and forcing Houston to punt on all six of its drives. Defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila registered a pair of sacks in the second half, giving him a team-high 6.5 this season. Green Bay ranks 23rd in the league against the pass (112.8 yards per game). The Rams' running game was all but non-existent against Buffalo, as they totaled a meager 35 yards on 20 attempts. Marshall Faulk (676 yards, 3 TD) carried 13 times for six yards, after a 139-yard outing the previous week. Rookie Steven Jackson (337 yards, 2 TD) added 29 yards on seven carries. Faulk has managed over 100 yards only three times this season, and been held to under 50 on four occasions. Overall, the Rams are 18th in the NFL on the ground (109.7 yards per game). Green Bay hasn't allowed a back to gallop for 100 yards since Tennessee's Chris Brown ran wild for 148 on 27 carries in Week 5. Overall the Pack ranks 12th in the NFL against the run (110.7 yards per game), and last week they limited Houston's Domanick Davis to 65 yards on 21 carries. It's expected that the Rams' wideouts will get theirs in some capacity this week, but if Faulk and Jackson are allowed to get going it could prove to be a long evening for the Packers. In its four losses, Green Bay has allowed an average of 171 rushing yards per tilt.
Even if Green cannot go, expect the Packers to get enough run production to allow Favre to do his thing. The temperature is expected to be in the low 30s at kickoff, and the Rams have a documented record of struggling outside of their climate controlled track, especially late in the season. The Packers' air show is weather-proof, so Favre, Walker and Co. should be able to move the ball and carry their winning streak into December and a Week 13 showdown with Philadelphia.
Brett Favre Remains Same 
Series History
The Rams lead the all-time regular season series with the Packers, which dates back to the 1937 season, 44-39-2. St. Louis won the last matchup between the teams, 34-24, at home last season. Green Bay won the most recent head-to-head battle at Lambeau, in 1997. The Rams last won in Green Bay during the 1995 campaign. In addition to the regular season series, the teams have split a pair of postseason games, with Green Bay prevailing by a 28-7 margin in a 1967 NFC Championship game held in Milwaukee, and the Rams returning the favor with a 45-17 home dismantling of the Packers in a 2001 NFC Divisional Playoff. Martz is 2-0 in his head coaching career against Green Bay, including the 2001 postseason win, while Sherman is 0-2 against both the Rams and Martz.
Rams Offense vs. Packers Defense
Marc Bulger (2819 yards, 15 TD, 11 INT) is coming off a so-so performance against the Bills that saw him complete 27-of-45 passing attempts for 287 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. It was only the second multi- INT game of the season for Bulger, who has been much better holding onto the ball compared to last year. His most crucial INT last Sunday came early in the fourth quarter when a deflected pass was hauled in by Buffalo tackle Sam Adams to all but end any chance of a comeback. Torry Holt (8 receptions, 90 yards) and Isaac Bruce (3 receptions, 58 yards) each caught a touchdown in the loss. Holt played a week after suffering a concussion against Seattle. Overall, the Rams rank fifth in the NFL in passing offense (260.3 yards per game). The Packers were able to limit what David Carr and the Texans could do through the air, allowing the young signal caller only 164 yards. And the bulk of that production came from budding star Andre Johnson, who caught six balls from Carr for 107 yards -- all in the first half. Green Bay really put the clamps on Carr after halftime, surrendering only 49 yards in the air and forcing Houston to punt on all six of its drives. Defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila registered a pair of sacks in the second half, giving him a team-high 6.5 this season. Green Bay ranks 23rd in the league against the pass (112.8 yards per game). The Rams' running game was all but non-existent against Buffalo, as they totaled a meager 35 yards on 20 attempts. Marshall Faulk (676 yards, 3 TD) carried 13 times for six yards, after a 139-yard outing the previous week. Rookie Steven Jackson (337 yards, 2 TD) added 29 yards on seven carries. Faulk has managed over 100 yards only three times this season, and been held to under 50 on four occasions. Overall, the Rams are 18th in the NFL on the ground (109.7 yards per game). Green Bay hasn't allowed a back to gallop for 100 yards since Tennessee's Chris Brown ran wild for 148 on 27 carries in Week 5. Overall the Pack ranks 12th in the NFL against the run (110.7 yards per game), and last week they limited Houston's Domanick Davis to 65 yards on 21 carries. It's expected that the Rams' wideouts will get theirs in some capacity this week, but if Faulk and Jackson are allowed to get going it could prove to be a long evening for the Packers. In its four losses, Green Bay has allowed an average of 171 rushing yards per tilt.
Packers Offense vs. Rams Defense
Green Bay enters this contest with concerns surrounding the health of running back Ahman Green, who left last week's win in the second quarter with bruised ribs. Green (879 yards, 6 TD) underwent a CT scan to determine the extent of the injury, and none of his ribs are fractured. He is listed as questionable on the Packers' injury report. Subbing for Green was third stringer Tony Fisher (7 carries, 14 yards) and practice squad call-up Walter Williams (6 carries, 42 yards), who suffered a badly sprained ankle. Regular backup Najeh Davenport, meanwhile, is probable with a hamstring ailment, and the team picked up ex-Brown James Jackson (1071 career yards on 321 carries) to help out if needed. Whichever back is healthy enough to carry the load will face a vulnerable Rams run defense that ranks 29th in the NFL (137.4 yards per game). In last week's loss to Buffalo, St. Louis allowed 119 yards on the ground on 26 carries, including 100 on 20 from Bills starter Willis McGahee. St. Louis has let a back to pass the century mark in three consecutive games, as Seattle's Shaun Alexander (22 carries, 176 yards) and Corey Dillon (25 carries, 112 yards) did so in the previous weeks. Rams safety Adam Archuleta totaled seven tackles last week and leads the team with 68 for the season. With the question marks surrounding the Green Bay running game, Monday night will likely sit in the capable hands of Brett Favre, who will make his 200th consecutive start under center. Favre (2626 yards, 19 TD, 11 INT) led the Pack back from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit versus Houston, completing 33- of-50 passes for a season-high 383 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He closed out the comeback by going 6-for-7 for 42 yards on the final drive, leading to a Ryan Longwell field goal as time expired. Favre's favorite target on the day was Houston native Donald Driver, who hauled in 10 passes for 148 yards and a fourth-quarter TD. Javon Walker added nine catches for 88 yards, and now leads the NFL with 945 receiving yards this season. Overall, Green Bay's aerial attack is third in the NFL (281.5 yards per game). Favre will go against a Rams pass defense that is 19th in the NFL (218 yards per game). Last week, Buffalo's Drew Bledsoe, coming off perhaps the worst performance of his career, completed 15-of-24 passes for 185 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Bledsoe's life was made easier by Buffalo's special teams dominance, which put the St. Louis defense in vulnerable positions throughout the day. One problem to keep an eye on is the Rams' inability to cover the tight end in the red zone,as Buffalo's Mark Campbell caught three TDs. Travis Fisher's first quarter interception was only the Rams' fourth of the season, which is tied for last in the NFL.Overall Analysis
Even if Green cannot go, expect the Packers to get enough run production to allow Favre to do his thing. The temperature is expected to be in the low 30s at kickoff, and the Rams have a documented record of struggling outside of their climate controlled track, especially late in the season. The Packers' air show is weather-proof, so Favre, Walker and Co. should be able to move the ball and carry their winning streak into December and a Week 13 showdown with Philadelphia.
Tribute To Hunters
The Rice Lake business community is asking Packers fans to wear blaze orange to tonight's game in tribute to the six hunters who were shot and killed last week in Sawyer County.Copyright 2007. Courtesy of SportsNetwork.
