National Football League

Week 16 pregame notes for every game

Published Dec. 21, 2008 4:33 a.m. ET

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Sunday - Early games

The Bengals took a 20-13 win over the Redskins last Sunday and are now 10-2-1 in their last 13 home games vs. NFC teams. Cincinnati needs to win one of its last two games to avoid the second 2-win season in franchise history (2-14 in 2002).

Cleveland won the first meeting of the season between these teams, 20-12, in Week 4. Prior to that, the Bengals had won six of the previous seven contests vs. the Browns overall and are 3-2 the last five times they've visited Cleveland.

The Browns lost, 30-10, in Philadelphia on Monday night — their fourth straight loss overall and the fourth consecutive time that they've failed to score more than 10 points.

Ken Dorsey started his second straight game for Cleveland in Week 15 and completed just 11-of-28 passes for 156 yards and two interceptions in the loss. Dorsey is now 2-10 as an NFL starter and hasn't won a game in over three years (since 10/30/05 vs. TB).

Braylon Edwards was on the receiving end on five of Dorsey's completions Monday and ended up with 102 yards receiving in the game. It marked his third 100-yard performance of the season and 11th of his career (Browns are 5-6 in those games).

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for a touchdown and also ran for a touchdown against the Redskins in Week 15 — the last Bengals signal-caller to record both a passing TD and rushing TD in the same game was Carson Palmer on 11/7/04 vs. the Cowboys.

Bengals QBs have had just 20 completions of 20+ yards this season — fewest in football. Cincinnati had 51 such plays in 2007 — tied for 7th most in the league.

Willie McGinest took down Donovan McNabb and recorded his first sack of the season last Monday. As a team, Cleveland has 17 sacks on the season (3rd fewest in NFL) — the Bengals have just 13 sacks in 2008 (2nd fewest in league).

Cincinnati was one of four teams without a Pro Bowl selection this season while the Browns had two players make the squad (Joe Thomas and Shaun Rogers).

Saints (7-7) at Lions (0-14)

The Saints dropped a 27-24 decision in Chicago last Thursday night and at 7-7, have been officially eliminated from the postseason for the second consecutive season. New Orleans has now missed the playoffs seven of the last eight seasons overall.

New Orleans has allowed 20+ points in each of its last eight games and opponents are averaging 27.5 ppg vs. the Saints during that span (4th highest in the league since Week 7).

Detroit hung with Indianapolis for three quarters last weekend, but eventually lost the game, 31-21 — its 15th straight loss in a row. The Lions are now the third team in NFL history to have a record of 0-14 (1976 Buccaneers, 1980 Saints). No team has ever lost 15 straight games to begin a season (the 1980 Saints won their 15th game vs. the Jets in 1980).

Peyton Manning joined Aaron Rodgers, Kyle Orton and Jason Campbell as quarterbacks who have thrown for at least 300 yards against the Lions in 2008. The only team in football that has allowed more than four 300-yard performances in 2008 is Seattle (5).

Drew Brees has gone three games since last having a 300-yard game and he'll need to average 376.5 yards per game in his last two contests to top Dan Marino's single-season NFL record of 5,084 passing yards (1984). Brees was selected to play in the Pro Bowl for the third time in his career after garnering more votes from fans than any player in the league this season.

Calvin Johnson had a career-high nine catches in Week 15 for 110 yards — his fifth career 100-yard receiving game. Johnson is now 35 receiving yards shy of becoming the eighth Lion all-time to record a 1,200-yard season.

Jason Hanson kicked a 51-yard field goal last weekend and now has made an NFL record 41 kicks from 50+ yards in his career. Hanson is 8-for-8 in 2008 and dating to Thanksgiving Day 2006, has converted on 13 of his last 14 attempts from 50+.

New Orleans has lost three straight times to Detroit and hasn't beaten the Lions in over 11 years (since 9/21/97). Each of the Saints' last three losses to the Lions has been by five points or less (14-10 in 2000, 26-21 in 2002 and 13-12 in 2005).

Cardinals (8-6) at Patriots (9-5)

The Cardinals fell behind 28-0 at home to the Vikings last Sunday and ended up losing the game by the score of 35-14. The game marked just the second time all season that Arizona has failed to score at least 20 points and was its third loss in the last four games overall.

Arizona is 0-4 and been outscored by an average of 15 points per game when playing in the Eastern Time Zone this season. The last time a Cardinals' squad won such a contest was Week 11 of 2007 vs. the Bengals in Cincinnati.

New England went into Oakland and spanked the Raiders, 49-26, last weekend and kept pace with the Dolphins and Jets at the top of the AFC East. It was the third time this season that the Patriots have scored 40+ in a game — most of any team in the league.

The Patriots have won 14 straight games overall against NFC teams and haven't lost at home to an NFC squad since Green Bay beat them, 28-10, in October of 2002.

Kurt Warner was selected to participate in the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his career this week and for the first time since the 2002 Pro Bowl. He will be joined in the starting lineup by Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald — both three-time selections. The Cards' other player selected to play in Hawaii was Adrian Wilson who will start at strong safety for the NFC.

New England had just two Pro Bowl selections this season — Stephen Gostkowski and Wes Welker will both be participating in Hawaii for the first time in their respective careers.

Matt Cassel threw a career-high four touchdown passes last week against the Raiders — three of which came in the first half of the game. The last Patriot QB not named Tom Brady to have three TD passes in the first half of any game was Drew Bledsoe (10/1/00 vs. Denver).

The Cardinals are averaging 299.0 net passing yards per game in 2008 — second-highest in the league and currently a single-season franchise high.

Dolphins (9-5) at Chiefs (2-12)

Miami beat the 49ers, 14-9, last week to maintain a share of the AFC East lead with the Jets and Patriots. The last time the Dolphins were 9-5 through 14 games was in 2002 and they are now the third team in NFL history to go from being 1-15 in one season to winning nine games in the next (1992 Colts and 1997 Jets).

The Dolphins have finished a season 9-7 or better three times since 2002 and missed the playoffs each and every time (9-7 in 2002, 10-6 in 2003 and 9-7 in 2005). Miami finishes its 2008 campaign with a game against the Jets at the Meadowlands.

Kansas City let another game slip through its hands with the 22-21 loss to the Chargers in Week 15. The Chiefs have now dropped two straight and nine of their last 10 games overall with four of those losses coming by four points or fewer.

The Chiefs have defeated the Dolphins three straight times at home. The last time the Dolphins won a game at Arrowhead Stadium was 27 years ago in 1981 when David Woodley was their starting quarterback.

Tony Gonzalez was selected to his 10th Pro Bowl this week — an NFL record for tight ends. Gonzalez had 62 yards receiving last weekend against the Chargers and is just 59 yards shy of his fourth career 1,000-yard season.

Joey Porter was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time and Ronnie Brown for the first time this week. Porter leads all AFC players with 17 sacks this season and Brown is the first Miami running back selected since Ricky Williams in 2002.

Miami has just 10 turnovers in 2008 — fewest in the league. The Dolphins' team record for fewest giveaways in a single season is currently 20 (1997).

Kansas City has allowed 205 points in the second half this season — second-most in the league (Cincinnati-210).

49ers (5-9) at Rams (2-12)

San Francisco made a valiant effort, but still dropped a 14-9 decision to the Dolphins in Miami last weekend. The loss snapped the Niners' modest 2-game win streak and lowered their record to 1-7 in the Eastern Time Zone since the beginning of 2007.

The 49ers defeated the Rams, 35-16, in these teams' first meeting of the season and are 5-2 overall vs. St. Louis since the beginning of 2005 (2-1 at the Edward Jones Dome).

The Rams lost, 23-20, to the Seahawks last Sunday and have now dropped eight straight overall. St. Louis has had three 8-game losing streaks since the beginning of last season — the last time the Rams had a longer losing skid was 10/21/91-9/6/92 (11 games).

St. Louis is 0-5 vs. its own division this season and with a loss today will finish winless vs. divisional opponents for the first time since going 0-8 vs. the "old" NFC West in 1998.

San Francisco's lone selection to participate in the Pro Bowl was Patrick Willis who will be making his second straight appearance in Hawaii. St. Louis had no players chosen to play in the 2009 Pro Bowl.

Still just 22 yards from recording his third straight 1,000-yard season, Frank Gore's status for this game is still up in the air after he missed last weekend's matchup against Miami with an ankle injury. Gore has run for over 100 yards in three of his five career starts against the Rams and has reached paydirt eight times in seven career games against St. Louis.

Shaun Hill was held without a touchdown pass for the first time in seven 2008 games last weekend, but did complete 30 of his 46 pass attempts against the Dolphins in Week 15 action. The last 49er QB to have as many as 30 completions in a single game was Tim Rattay — 38 vs. the Cardinals on 10/10/04.

Marc Bulger is 3-1 with a 94.4 rating at home vs. the 49ers in four career starts. Bulger has 27 career 300-yard performances, three of which have come against the Niners.

Steelers (11-3) at Titans (12-2)

The Steelers scored a controversial touchdown with under a minute left in Baltimore last weekend and went on to beat the Ravens, 13-9, clinching the NFC North in the process. It's Pittsburgh's second straight and fifth divisional title in the last eight campaigns.

Pittsburgh was down, 9-3, at the beginning of the fourth quarter last week and once again came back to win the game. It was the Steelers' fifth straight victory — all five wins during the streak have been recorded after trailing by six points or more at some point in the game.

Tennessee lost, 13-12, to the Texans last Sunday and is now 2-2 in its last four games after beginning the season 10-0. If the Titans beat the Steelers, they will clinch the top seed in the AFC throughout the playoffs. If the Steelers win on Sunday, they need only beat the Browns in their season finale to gain the No. 1 seed.

The Titans have won two of the last three meetings with the Steelers and are 9-4 overall vs. Pittsburgh since the franchise moved from Houston prior to the 1997 season. Including the postseason, the Titans are 6-1 against the Steelers in Tennessee.

Tennessee had six players selected to participate in the 2009 Pro Bowl including first-timers Chris Johnson, Michael Roos, Cortland Finnegan and Chris Hope. Albert Haynesworth, who was injured last weekend (knee), and Kevin Mawae will also represent the Titans in Hawaii at the end of the season.

Pittsburgh had three players chosen to represent the AFC in Hawaii this season — Troy Polamalu (fifth selection), James Harrison (second selection) and James Farrior (second selection).

With 65 yards on the ground against the Texans, Chris Johnson still leads all rookie running backs with 1,159 rush yards on the season. Johnson has had 33 runs of 10 or more yards in 2008 — third most in the league (Peterson-40, Turner-39).

Hines Ward recorded his third 100-yard performance of the season and 19th of his career last weekend against the Ravens. The Steelers are 9-9-1 all-time, but just 5-8 since the beginning of 2003 when Ward has 100+ yards receiving (2-1 in 2008).

Chargers (6-8) at Buccaneers (9-5)

San Diego stayed alive in the chase for the AFC West crown with a miraculous, 22-21, come-from-behind win over the Chiefs in Kansas City last Sunday. A Charger loss or tie vs. the Buccaneers will eliminate them from postseason consideration.

With two straight wins over divisional foes, the Chargers are now 4-1 vs. the AFC West, but just 2-7 vs. everyone else in 2008. San Diego is 0-3 vs. the NFC this season with none of the losses coming by more than six points (26-24 vs. Car, 37-32 vs. NO and 22-16 vs. Atl).

With Brian Griese under center, Tampa Bay dropped a 13-10 overtime decision to the Falcons last weekend and is now tied with Atlanta and Dallas in the chase for the two NFC wild-card spots. The Buccaneers have lost two straight for the first time this season.

The Bucs can clinch a playoff spot with a win over San Diego coupled with a loss or tie by either Dallas or Philadelphia in Week 16. Tampa Bay is looking for its second straight and fourth trip to the postseason in the last seven years.

San Diego had two players selected to participate in the 2009 Pro Bowl this week. Antonio Gates was chosen for the fifth consecutive season and Kris Dielman is scheduled to start his second straight Pro Bowl in February.

The Buccaneers will also have two representatives in the 2009 Pro Bowl — perennial All-Pro Derrick Brooks will make a franchise-record 11th appearance in Hawaii and kick return specialist, Clifton Smith is scheduled to make his Pro Bowl debut.

Tampa Bay is 6-0 at home this season and dating to November of last season is 9-1 in its last 10 games at Raymond James Stadium. The best single-season home record in Bucs' franchise history is currently 7-1, accomplished in 1999.

LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for a touchdown last week vs. the Chiefs — his third straight game with a TD on the ground. LT is now tied with Marcus Allen for the second on the all-time list with 123 career rushing touchdowns.

Sunday — Late games

Falcons (9-5) at Vikings (9-5)

Atlanta kept its playoff hopes alive with a 13-10 overtime victory over the Buccaneers last weekend. The Falcons are looking for their first postseason berth since 2004 and third since division realignment in 2002.

John Abraham recorded his third 3-sack game of the season last week against the Bucs and now has 15.5 total sacks in 2008. With his Week 15 performance, Abraham has established not only a career high, but a Falcons franchise single-season record as well (formally held by Patrick Kerney — 13 sacks in 2004).

The Vikings beat the Cardinals, 35-14, in Arizona last weekend and have now won four straight and eight of their last 10 games overall. Minnesota's average margin of victory during its current win streak is over 15 points per game (15.8). With a win over Atlanta in Week 16, the Vikes will clinch the NFC North.

These two teams have alternated wins and losses in each of the last five meetings with the Vikes winning the latest game, 24-3, last season. Minnesota has won five straight home games and is looking for its first 6-game home win streak since 11/23/03-10/24/04.

Minnesota had six players named to participate in the 2009 Pro Bowl (tied for the NFC-high with the Giants), including four starters (Adrian Peterson and Steve Hutchinson on offense and Kevin Williams and Antoine Winfield on defense). The other Vikes selected to play in Hawaii were Pat Williams and Jared Allen.

Atlanta will have two representatives in the Pro Bowl and both are first-timers: Michael Turner and Roddy White. Turner is the first Falcons running back to go to Hawaii since Warrick Dunn in 2006 and White is the first Falcons receiver to make the trip since Terance Mathis played in the 1995 game.

With 1,310 receiving yards on the season, Roddy White needs just 49 against the Vikes to break Alfred Jenkins' all-time franchise record of 1,358 set in 1981. White has three 100-yard performances in his last five games but has failed to score a TD in any of those contests.

Adrian Peterson recorded his third straight and seventh 100-yard rushing game in his last nine games last weekend against the Cards. Peterson's first career NFL game came vs. the Falcons last season and he ran for 103 yards in that contest.

Eagles (8-5-1) at Redskins (7-7)

The Eagles beat the Browns, 30-10, on Monday night and have now strung together three straight wins overall. After beginning the season by losing three of its first five games, Philadelphia is 6-2-1 since Week 6.

Washington won the first meeting of the season between these teams, 23-17, in Philadelphia. That said, the Eagles are 7-1 in their last eight trips to Washington D.C. (losing only in 2005).

The Redskins dropped a 20-13 decision in Cincinnati last Sunday and have now lost three straight and five of their last six games overall. Washington is 1-4 in its last five games at FedEx Field and hasn't scored more than 17 points in any of those contests.

Washington has alternated postseason appearances in each of its last three campaigns and after making the playoffs in 2007, will see that trend continue with a loss or tie against the Eagles in Week 16.

The Eagles will have two players representing the team in the 2009 Pro Bowl — Asante Samuel (second selection) and Brian Dawkins (seven selections — ties Reggie White for second-most in franchise history).

Washington had four players selected to participate in Hawaii — all on the offensive side of the ball. Clinton Portis (second selection) is the first Redskin running back to be selected since Stephen Davis in 2001, Mike Sellers (first selection), Chris Cooley (second selection) and Chris Samuels (sixth selection) will also represent the Â¿Skins in the 2009 Pro Bowl.

Donovan McNabb had the thirty-eighth 100+ rating contest of his career last weekend and the Eagles now boast a 36-2 record when he has such a game. Dating to the beginning of 2005, Philadelphia is 14-0 when McNabb's rating is 100 or higher.

Opponents have posted just 1222 "yards after catch" vs. the Redskins in 2008 — the fewest allowed by any team in the NFC and second-fewest in the league (Cleveland-1164).

Bills (6-8) at Broncos (8-6)

The Bills looked to have a win over the Jets last weekend before a J.P. Losman fumble was returned for a touchdown by Shaun Ellis with under two minutes remaining and they lost, 31-27. Buffalo has now dropped three straight and seven of its last eight games overall.

After beginning the season by winning five of their first six games, the Bills will watch the playoffs from home for the eighth straight season. Buffalo becomes the sixth team since 1997 to start 5-1 and miss the postseason (2000 Jets, 2002 Dolphins, 2002 Chargers, 2002 Saints and 2006 Broncos).

Denver was blown out, 30-10, by the Panthers in Carolina last Sunday and is now 4-5 since Week 6 after starting the season 4-1. The Broncos will clinch the AFC West with a win/tie vs. the Bills or a Chargers loss/tie in Week 16.

These two teams met in 2007 with the Broncos taking a 15-14 victory on Jason Elam's 42-yard field goal with no time left on the clock. Denver has beaten the Bills five straight times overall and hasn't lost to Buffalo at home since 1967 (four straight wins since).

The Broncos had two players selected to play in the 2009 Pro Bowl this week. Jay Cutler will be making his first trip to Hawaii and is the first Denver QB to make the squad since Brian Griese was selected in the 2000 season and Brandon Marshall (first selection) will also make the trip to the Pro Bowl in February.

Jason Peters is the lone Bill to be selected to play in the Pro Bowl this season. It will be Peters' second trip to Hawaii and he is the first Buffalo offensive lineman to make the trip to Hawaii in back-to-back seasons since Reuben Brown made it eight straight campaigns from 1996-2003.

With 127 rush yards against the Jets last Sunday, Marshawn Lynch now has 1,002 on the season — his second straight 1,000-yard season since joining the league in 2007. Lynch has three 100-yard performances in his last five games and needs 114 yards against the Broncos to top last season's total of 1,115.

Jay Cutler is currently just 239 passing yards shy of setting the Broncos' all-time mark. Jake Plummer currently holds Denver's all-time record with 4,089 pass yards in 2004.

Texans (7-7) at Raiders (3-11)

The Texans took out the Titans, 13-12, at home last weekend and have now won a franchise-high tying four straight games overall. With a victory over the Raiders, Houston assures itself of a second straight eight-win season (most in franchise history).

Houston is 3-0 all-time vs. Oakland, including a 24-17 win at McAfee Coliseum in 2007. The Texans are 4-1 (.800) vs. the AFC West and just 12-18 (.400) against all other AFC squads since the beginning of 2006.

The Raiders were blown out, 49-26, at home by the Patriots last Sunday and have now lost three straight and seven of their last eight games overall. Oakland needs to win its last two contests of the season to avoid losing 12+ games for the fourth straight year.

Oakland has lost four straight and eight of its last nine home games dating to last season. The Raiders have been outscored by a combined 110-45 during their current 4-game losing streak at McAfee Coliseum.

The Texans will have two starters representing the team at the end of the season in Hawaii — Andre Johnson, who leads the NFL in catches (103) and yards (1,408) will make his third appearance and 2006 No. 1 draft pick Mario Williams is scheduled to make his first Pro Bowl start in February.

Oakland will have two players represent the team in the 2009 Pro Bowl. Nnamdi Asomugha will make his first trip to Hawaii (first by a Raider cornerback since Charles Woodson in 2001) and Shane Lechler was selected to play in his fourth Pro Bowl and will be the AFC's punter for the second straight campaign.

Justin Miller returned a kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown last weekend — his second consecutive game with a kickoff return for a TD (also 92 yards in Week 14). Including Johnnie Lee Higgins' two punt-return touchdowns, Oakland now has four special-team return TDs on the season — most in the league.

Andre Johnson needs just one catch against the Raiders to break his own franchise record of 103 set in 2006. Johnson and fellow Pro Bowler, Wes Welker are currently the only players in the league with two 100+ reception seasons in the last three campaigns.

Jets (9-5) at Seahawks (3-11)

The Jets claimed a miraculous 31-27 victory over the Bills in Week 15, snapping their 2-game losing streak in the process. New York won the game on a Shaun Ellis fumble return for touchdown with under two minutes remaining and now has five defensive TDs on the season (3 INT, 2 Fum).

New York is 2-1 vs. the NFC this season (2-5 since the beginning of 2007) and Brett Favre is 5-2 all-time against the Seahawks (includes postseason). That said, Favre is 1-1 in Seattle with his lone win coming in 1996 (31-10 at the Kingdome).

Seattle beat the Rams, 23-20, last weekend on an Olindo Mare field goal with no time left on the clock and snapped its 6-game losing streak in the process. The last time the Seahawks had a 6-game losing streak prior to this season was in 1994.

The Seahawks have scored over 21 points just four times this season and are now 3-1 in those games. Dating to the beginning of 2005, Seattle is 29-4 when putting 22+ points on the scoreboard.

New York had an NFL-high seven players selected to play in the 2009 Pro Bowl this week. Brett Favre was chosen to play in his 10th Pro Bowl (tying Johnny Unitas for the most in NFL history by a quarterback) and will be the first Jets QB to make the trip to Hawaii since Vinny Testaverde in 1998.

Seattle had just one player make the NFC's Pro Bowl squad this season — Walter Jones is scheduled to make his ninth trip to Hawaii in February (Seahawks franchise record).

First time Pro Bowler Thomas Jones recorded his third straight game with a rushing touchdown last weekend and now has 13 on the season — most of any Jet player all-time. After scoring just once in his first four games of 2008, he has 14 TDs (12 rush, 2 rec) in his last 10 games — most of any player in the league since Week 6.

This contest marks Mike Holmgren's last home game as Seattle's head coach. The Seahawks are just 1-6 at Quest Field this season and need a win against the Jets to avoid their fourth season all-time with one or fewer wins at home (0-8 in 1980, 1-7 in 1992 and 1-6 in 1976).

Sunday night

Panthers (11-3) at Giants (11-3)

Carolina and Denver were tied 10-10 after one quarter last Sunday, but the Panthers reeled off the game's last 20 points and went on the win the contest, 30-10. It was Carolina's third straight and seventh victory in the last eight games overall.

The Panthers have scored at least 30 points in each of their last three games and have now won 15 straight games when doing so (dating to December of 2004).

The Giants lost, 20-8, to the Cowboys last Sunday night and have now dropped two straight for the first time since losing their first two games of the 2007 campaign. New York has lost three or more games just one time since the beginning of 2005 (4-game losing streak in November of 2006).

The winner of this game will clinch the top seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Carolina has never claimed the NFC's best record since joining the league in 1995 and the last time the Giants had the best record in the conference was 2000.

Carolina will be sending four players to the 2009 Pro Bowl this season. Jordan Gross and Jon Beason will make the trip to Hawaii for the first time, while Steve Smith and Julius Peppers are scheduled to make the trip for the fourth time in their respective careers.

New York will be represented by six players in Hawaii at the end of the season. First-timers include Eli Manning, Chris Snee, Shaun O'Hara and Justin Tuck while Jeff Feagles (first selection since 1996) and John Carney (first selection since 1995) will both be making their second trips to Hawaii in February.

Steve Smith had 165 receiving yards vs. the Broncos last weekend — his fourth straight and seventh game in the last nine that he has gone over 100 yards. Smith leads all NFL players with 103.3 receiving yards per game in 2008.

The Giants recorded their third safety of the season last weekend — tied for the league-high (Min, Bal) and also tied for most in franchise history (1927).

Monday night

Packers (5-9) at Bears (8-6)

The Packers lost, 20-16, to the Jaguars in Week 15 and have now dropped four straight and six of seven games overall. After beating Indianapolis (34-14) in Week 7, Green Bay lost its last three games against AFC South teams by a combined 10 points.

One year removed from winning the NFC North with a 13-3 record, Green Bay will miss the 2008 postseason — the third time in the last four seasons the Pack will miss the playoffs. In 16 seasons under Brett Favre, the Packers had a sub-.500 record just once (4-12 in 2005) but at 5-9, will have one in 2008.

The Bears kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 27-24 overtime win over the Saints last Thursday night. Chicago has won two straight (three of four overall) and is 7-1 this season when scoring more than 20 points.

Green Bay pummeled Chicago, 37-3, in the two teams' first meeting of 2008 (Week 11) — the worst Bears loss since September of 2003 (49-7 to the 49ers). Overall the Bears have won five of the last seven meetings between the two squads.

The Packers will be sending two players to play in the 2009 Pro Bowl at the end of the season. Nick Collins is making his first trip to Hawaii and Charles Woodson is scheduled to make his fifth trip to the islands in Februay.

Just one Bear player was selected to go to the 2009 Pro Bowl in February — Lance Briggs was chosen to play in Hawaii for the fourth consecutive campaign.

Ryan Grant had 56 yards on the ground last weekend and has now gone over the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career. Grant is the first Packer running back not named Ahman Green to rush for over 1000 yards since Dorsey Levens did it in 1999.

Opponents have scored just 10 points on their opening drives against the Bears this season — fewest in the league.