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Packers-Giants post-game notes & quotes

GIANTS TOP PACKERS, 37-20, IN NFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF

• The N.Y. Giants beat the Packers, 37-20, on Sunday at Lambeau Field to advance to the NFC Championship.
• Green Bay’s 15 wins overall on the season rank tied for No. 2 in franchise history (1997) behind only the team’s 16 victories overall in 1996.

OTHER POST-GAME NOTES:

• Today’s paid attendance was 72,080. It was the 302nd consecutive sellout (285 regular season, 17 playoffs) at Lambeau Field.
• WR Donald Driver caught three passes today, giving him a franchise-record 49 receptions for his career in the post- season. That surpassed WR Antonio Freeman’s mark of 47 career catches in the playoffs.
• With 45 receiving yards, Driver moved past WR Robert Brooks (651 yards) for the No. 2 spot in franchise postseason history. Driver now has 675 career receiving yards in the playoffs.
• Driver has now caught a pass in 12 consecutive postseason games, which is tied with Freeman for No. 2 in franchise playoff annals behind only RB Dorsey Levens (13 games).
• QB Aaron Rodgers set a single-game franchise postseason record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback with 66 yards on seven carries (9.4 avg.). That topped the previous mark held by Rodgers (39 yards, at Chicago, Jan. 23, 2011). Rodgers’ 66-yard day was the most by an NFL quarterback in a playoff game since Atlanta’s Michael Vick posted 119 yards rushing vs. St. Louis on Jan. 15, 2005.
• With 264 passing yards on the day, Rodgers surpassed QB Bart Starr (1,753 yards) for the No. 2 spot in the franchise postseason record book. Rodgers now has 1,781 career passing yards in the playoffs.
• With two TD passes today, Rodgers moved into a tie with Starr for the No. 2 spot in team history for the most TD passes in the postseason with 15 in his career.
• LB Brad Jones became the first Packer to block a field goal in a playoff game since DL Cletidus Hunt did so vs. San Francisco on Jan. 13, 2002.
• S Morgan Burnett posted his first career postseason interception with his second-quarter INT of QB Eli Manning.

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Packers-Lions post-game notes & quotes

PACKERS TOP LIONS, 45-41, TO FINISH 15-1

• Green Bay beat Detroit, 45-41, today at Lambeau Field. With their 15th victory, the Packers became just the sixth team in NFL history to finish with a record of 15-1 or better.
• The Packers posted a perfect record (6-0) in their division for the first time since the league went to a divisional format in 1967. The last team to register a perfect record in the NFC North/Central was the 1987 Chicago Bears (7-0).
• Green Bay’s 550 yards gained vs. Detroit today was the third-highest single-game total in franchise history behind only the 628 yards at Philadelphia (Nov. 11, 1962) and the 569 yards at Tampa Bay (Oct. 12, 1980).
• Sunday marked the sixth time this season that the Packers scored at least 42 points in a game. That is the most by an NFL team since the merger, besting the previous mark of five games by the 1971 Dallas Cowboys.
• The Packers set single-season franchise records for regular-season games won (15), total points (560), points per game (35.0), total points at home (321), points per game at home (40.1), touchdowns (64 plus today), net passing yards (4,924), fewest giveaways (14), fewest punts in a 16-game season (55), fewest penalties in a 16-game season (76) and fewest penalty yards in a 16-game season (591).
• Green Bay’s 6,482 total net yards this season rank No. 1 in franchise history, besting the 2004 total of 6,357 yards.
• The Packers’ 560 points on the season ranks No. 2 in NFL single-season annals behind only the 2007 New England Patriots (589). Green Bay led the league in scoring for the first time since 1996.
• With 70 total TDs this season, Green Bay tied the 1984 Miami Dolphins for the second-most TDs in a season in NFL history. The two teams trail only the 2007 New England Patriots (75 TDs).
• The Packers’ turnover differential of plus-24 is tied for the No. 2 mark in franchise history behind only the plus-26 margin in 1943.
• Green Bay’s 31 interceptions this season are tied for the most by the team in a season since 1962 (also 31).
• The Packers have now won 21 straight games against the Lions in the state of Wisconsin (including playoffs). The regular-season winning streak of 20 straight games is the longest home winning streak in the league.
• This was Green Bay’s fifth season sweep of the Lions in the past six seasons.
• Today’s victory was Green Bay’s 13th straight at Lambeau Field and the 19th victory in its last 20 contests at home.
• The 13-game home winning streak is tied for the fourth-longest winning streak at home in franchise history.
• Green Bay posted an 8-0 record at home for the first time since 2002.
• The Packers’ 25 regular-season wins over the past two seasons rank No. 2 in team history over a two-year period behind only the 26 wins from 1996-97.

OTHER POST-GAME NOTES

• Today’s paid attendance was 70,294. It was the 301st consecutive sellout (285 regular season, 16 playoffs) at Lambeau Field.
• QB Matt Flynn set franchise records for the most passing yards (480) and the most passing TDs in a game in franchise history (six).
• Flynn is only the fourth quarterback in NFL history to post 475-plus passing yards and six-plus TDs in the same game, joining Y.A. Tittle (Oct. 28, 1962), Joe Namath (Sept. 24, 1972) and Joe Montana (Oct. 14, 1990). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Flynn joined Dan Marino and Kurt Warner as the only NFL quarterbacks to throw three-plus TDs in each of their first two career starts (among quarterbacks whose careers started since 1970).
• According to Elias, the Packers became the first team in NFL history to have two different QBs each throw at least five TDs in consecutive weeks. QB Aaron Rodgers threw five TD passes vs. Chicago in Week 16.
• With a 122.5 passer rating this season, Rodgers set the NFL single-season record, topping the previous mark of 121.1 by Colts QB Peyton Manning in 2004. Rodgers is the first Green Bay quarterback to lead the league in passer rating since the system was implemented in 1973.
• Rodgers is the first 4,000-yard passer in league history to throw six or fewer interceptions in that season. The previous record of seven INTs was held by both Rodgers and QB Brett Favre (seven INTs each in 2009). Rodgers is also the first QB in NFL history to register two seasons with 500-plus attempts and seven or fewer INTs (also did so in 2009). The only other quarterbacks in league history to accomplish the feat in a season are Jason Campbell in 2008 and Favre in 2009.
• Rodgers’ average of 9.25 yards per attempt this season ranks No. 4 since the merger (min. 200 attempts) behind only Kurt Warner (9.88 in 2000), Chris Chandler (9.65 in 1998) and Ken Stabler (9.41 in 1976).
• Rodgers set single-season franchise records for TD passes (45), passing yards (4,643), completion percentage (68.3), yards per attempt (9.25), touchdown/interception ratio (7.50), and 300-yard games (eight), and tied Bart Starr (1966) for the team record for interception percentage (1.20).
• Head Coach Mike McCarthy is the first head coach in team history to win six consecutive season finales. As a team, the Packers have won nine straight season finales (2003-11), the longest current streak in the NFL.
• WR Jordy Nelson’s three TDs gave him 15 for the season. That is the most by a Packer since WR Sterling Sharpe had 18 in 1994. Nelson is the third player in franchise history to have 15-plus TD catches in a season (Sharpe, Don Hutson).
• Nelson’s three TDs and 162 receiving yards were single-game career highs, and his nine receptions were a career high for a regular-season game (also had nine catches in Super Bowl XLV vs. Pittsburgh).
• Nelson became just the second player in franchise history to have at least eight receptions, 150 receiving yards and three receiving TDs in a game (Javon Walker, 11-200-3, at Indianapolis, Sept. 26, 2004).
• Among Packers with 60-plus catches in a season, Nelson’s receiving average of 18.6 ranks No. 2 in team history behind only WR James Lofton’s 22.0-yard average on 62 catches in 1984.
• TE Jermichael Finley’s 767 receiving yards this season are the second most by a Green Bay tight end in a season behind only Paul Coffman’s 814 in 1983.
• Finley matched his career high (2009) with 55 receptions on the season. Those two seasons trail only Coffman’s 56-catch season in 1979 in the franchise record books for tight ends.
• Finley’s eight TD catches on the season are the most by a Green Bay tight end since Bubba Franks’ nine in 2001.
• RB Ryan Grant’s 80-yard TD reception was the longest reception by a Green Bay running back since Elijah Pitts’ 80-yard TD reception from QB Bart Starr vs. the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 25, 1966.
• With 140 points on the season, K Mason Crosby became the second player in team history (Paul Hornung) and only the sixth player in NFL history to record two 140-point seasons in his career (141 points in 2007).
• Crosby’s 649 career points are the most in NFL history by a player in his first five seasons in the league.
• Crosby set a franchise record for the most PATs in a season with 68.
• P Tim Masthay set single-season franchise records for gross punting average (45.6) and net punting average (38.6). Net punting average has been an official stat since 1976.
• WR Randall Cobb’s kickoff return average of 27.7 this season ranks No. 3 in the franchise record book (min. 25 returns) behind only Dave Hampton (28.6 in 1971) and Al Carmichael (28.1 in 1956). Cobb’s 941 kickoff return yards on the season are the most by a rookie in franchise history.
• The Packers outscored their opponents by 201 points this season, the third straight season that Green Bay has outscored its opponents by at least 145 points on the season. The last NFL team to accomplish that feat was the San Francisco 49ers (1991-95).
• Green Bay’s third-down percentage of 48.1 ranks No. 2 in team annals since the merger behind only the 49.1 percent mark in 1995.

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Packers-Bears post-game notes & quotes

PACKERS TOP BEARS TO CLINCH HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE IN NFC

• Green Bay beat Chicago, 35-21, tonight at Lambeau Field. With their 14th victory, the Packers set the franchise record for most wins in the regular season, topping the previous record of 13 wins in 1962, 1996, 1997, 2007.
• With the win, the Packers clinched home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. It marks the first time since 1996 that Green Bay will be the top seed in the NFC.
• Tonight’s victory gives Green Bay four wins over Chicago in 2011 (including playoffs). According to STATS LLC, the Packers are only the second team in NFL history to beat the same opponent four times in a calendar year, joining the 1994 Los Angeles Raiders (4-0 vs. Denver).
• This was Green Bay’s second season sweep of the Bears in the past three seasons (also 2009). The Packers’ four-game winning streak against the Bears is their longest vs. Chicago since a seven-game streak from 2000-03.
• Tonight’s victory was Green Bay’s 12th straight at Lambeau Field and the 18th victory in its last 19 contests at home.
• The 12-game home winning streak is the fifth-longest winning streak at home in franchise history.
• This marks Green Bay’s first 7-0 start at home since 2002.
• With the win, the Packers improved to 26-9 (.743) in NFC North regular-season games under Head Coach Mike McCarthy. That winning percentage ranks No. 2 in the NFL since 2006 behind only New England (27-8, .771). The Packers are now 5-0 in NFC North games this season. The five victories are tied for the most divisional wins (2002, 2004, 2006) by the Packers since the league went to an eight-division format in 2002.
• The Packers became the 14th team in NFL history to score 500 points in a season (515 this season).

OTHER POST-GAME NOTES:

• Tonight’s paid attendance was 70,574. It was the 300th consecutive sellout (284 regular season, 16 playoffs) at Lambeau Field.
• With 283 passing yards tonight, QB Aaron Rodgers set the single-season franchise record for most passing yards in a season with 4,643. That tops the previous team record of 4,458 passing yards by Lynn Dickey in 1983.
• Rodgers threw a career-high five TD passes, which matched the single-game franchise record (seven other times).
• Rodgers posted his 10th game with at least three TD passes this season, becoming just the third QB in NFL history to accomplish that feat (Tom Brady, 12 in 2007; Dan Marino 10 in 1984).
• It was also Rodgers’ fifth game with four TD passes this season. That ties the franchise record set by Brett Favre in 1996.
• With his 142.7 passer rating tonight, Rodgers set an NFL single-season record with his 13th 100-plus passer rating game (Steve Young, 12 in 1994; Tom Brady, 12 in 2010).
• It was also Rodgers’ fourth game with a 140-plus passer rating this season, a franchise record. It matches the NFL single-season record (min. 10 attempts), tying the four 140-rating games posted by Roger Staubach in 1973 and Tom Brady in 2007 and 2010.
• WR Donald Driver went over the 10,000-yard receiving mark for his career (now has 10,008 yards). He is the 36^th player in NFL history to accomplish that feat.
• With 115 yards receiving tonight, WR Jordy Nelson now has 1,101 receiving yards this season, his first career 1,000-yard season. It also marked Nelson’s fourth 100-yard receiving game this season.
• Nelson tied his career high with two TD receptions. He now has 12 TD catches this season as he becomes only the eighth player in franchise history to have 12-plus TD catches in a season.
•  TE Jermichael Finley’s 2-yard TD catch in the first quarter gave him four TD receptions vs. Chicago this season, the most by a Green Bay tight end against an opponent in a single season in franchise history. The last NFL tight end to accomplish that feat was San Diego’s Antonio Gates in 2005 (four TDs vs. Kansas City).
• WR James Jones’ posted a career-high two TD catches. It brought his season total to seven TD receptions, a career high (five in 2009 and 2010).
• LB Clay Matthews’ second-quarter interception was his third INT of the season, further adding to his career high.
• S Charlie Peprah added to his career high with his fifth interception of the season.

GREEN BAY PACKERS HEAD COACH MIKE McCARTHY:
(on what’s left to accomplish next week) “Well, that’s a great question. I’m focused on what we just accomplished tonight. 14 wins, anytime I can stand up here and talk about a record that stands in front of the great history and tradition of the Green Bay Packers, that’s special. The goal was to get home-field advantage all the way through. We accomplished that tonight, but we do need to get healthy as a team, which every team in the league is probably saying today. We’ll look at all our options. I’m not going to stand here and tell you we want to give away opportunities to win a game. We’re going to play to win the game next week. I’m real excited about a division opponent coming in here, and we’re going to do everything we can to get to 15-1. Health is an issue for us, I think that’s stating the obvious.”

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