The Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals will meet in a matchup of 10-plus win teams.
Green Bay has won four of its last five games, including the first three-game road winning streak in the same season for the Packers since 2012.
The last time Green Bay played a team in the regular season with 12-plus wins was at the Chicago Bears (13-2) on Dec. 31, 2006.
With a win last week at the Oakland Raiders, the Packers clinched their seventh consecutive postseason berth (2009-15), a franchise record as they topped the previous mark of six straight from 1993-98.
Green Bay has now made the postseason 31 times, tied with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants for No. 1 in league annals.
The Packers join the New England Patriots as the only teams to make the playoffs each of the last seven years.
Head Coach Mike McCarthy has now led Green Bay to seven seasons with 10-plus regular-season wins, the most in franchise history (since 1921).
The Packers have made the playoffs eight times in 10 seasons under McCarthy.
Green Bay leads the NFC with eight trips to the postseason since 2006.
The Packers are 7-3 against NFC teams this season. It is the eighth regular season since 2006 that Green Bay finished with seven-plus wins against NFC opponents.
Under Head Coach Mike McCarthy, the Packers are 80-37-1 against NFC opponents during the regular season. Green Bay’s 80 wins are nine more than any other team over that span (New Orleans, 71-48).
The Packers return to Lambeau Field for the regular-season finale, a division matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers won the first meeting with the Vikings this season, 30-13.
On the road
The Packers have won six of their last eight road games during the regular season and nine of their last 13.
With a 5-2 road record so far this season, Green Bay has secured at least a .500 record away from Lambeau Field for the eighth time in 10 regular seasons under McCarthy.
The Packers have won five-plus regular-season road games for the fifth time since 2006 (7-1 in 2011 / 6-2 in 2007 / 5-3 in 2006 and 2009).
Green Bay is 45-34 in regular-season away games during the McCarthy era. Its .570 road winning percentage since 2006 is tied for No. 1 in the NFC and tied for No. 2 in the NFL over that span (New England: 55-23, .705 / Dallas and Indianapolis: 45-34, .570).
Green Bay’s offense has only turned the ball over five times in road games this season, tied with Kansas City and San Francisco for the fewest in the NFL.
Dating back to 2008 when he became the starter, QB Aaron Rodgers has recorded a passer rating of 99.6 in regular-season road games, No. 1 in the NFL over that span (min. 450 pass att.).
WITH THE CALL
FOX Sports, now in its 22nd season as an NFL network television partner, will broadcast the game.
Play-by-play man Joe Buck joins color commentator Troy Aikman and sideline reporter Erin Andrews.
Milwaukee’s WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since November 1929, heads up the Packers Radio Network that is made up of 50 stations in five states. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (color) call the action. McCarren first joined the team’s broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 21st season calling Packers’ games. McCarren has four times been voted Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 17th season of broadcasts together.
Westwood One Sports will air the game across the country. John Sadak (play-by-play) and Mark Malone (analyst) will call the action and Scott Graham will host pre-game and halftime shows.
The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (WTMJ feed).
DIRECTV subscribers can watch the game on channel 715.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
The Packers would clinch the division with:
1) GB win MIN loss or tie OR
2) GB tie MIN loss
A win would mark the sixth season Head coach Mike McCarthy has guided the Packers to 11-plus wins (2007, 2009, 2011-12, 2014), extending his franchise record.
Green Bay has posted eight zero-turnover games this season, tied for No. 1 (2009) in franchise history (since 1933).
Dating back to 1963, the Packers’ three six-plus sack games ties a single-season franchise record (1966, 1978, 1991).
The Packers have won nine of the last 11 games they have played in the month of December, including five in a row.
OFFENSE
If QB Aaron Rodgers throws for 300-plus yards, it will be the 44th 300-yard passing game of his career during the regular season.
Rodgers looks to throw for multiple touchdowns for the 11th time this season. It would mark the fourth time in his career he has recorded 11 or more games with multiple touchdowns in a single regular season (14 in 2011 / 11 in 2012 and 2014).
Rodgers is one touchdown away from his fifth season with 30-plus passing touchdowns. He ranks second in team history behind Brett Favre's eight. Rodgers’ four 30-plus passing touchdown seasons since 2009 are the fourth most in the NFL over that time span (NE Tom Brady and IND/DEN Peyton Manning, five / NO Drew Brees, six)
Rodgers ranks No. 2 in the NFL with seven games this season with two-plus touchdown passes and zero INTs (New England QB Tom Brady, nine).
Since the start of the 2014 season, Rodgers has thrown 67 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
WR Randall Cobb needs one catch to extend his streak of consecutive regular-season games with a reception to 55, the fifth-longest streak in franchise history. He trails WR James Lofton (58, 1979-83) for fourth place in team history.
Last week, WR James Jones became the 12th player in franchise history to reach 5,000 career receiving yards as a Packer.
Jones (742) is 76 yards away from surpassing his single-season career high of 817 receiving yards he set in 2013.
Jones (41) is nine catches away from his fourth consecutive season with 50-plus receptions.
TE Richard Rodgers has five touchdowns in the last seven games.
RB Eddie Lacy has three 100-yard rushing games in the past five weeks.
Lacy’s 356 rushing yards since Week 11 are the sixth most in the NFL over that span.
Lacy is one 100-yard rushing game away from tying his single-season career high of four (2013).
RB James Starks has set new career bests in receptions (40), receiving yards (374) and receiving touchdowns (three) this season.
Starks has recorded 100-plus yards from scrimmage four times this season. His 940 yards from scrimmage are a new career high, surpassing the 794 yards in 2011.
Starks is 13 yards away from surpassing his single-season career high of 578 rushing yards from 2011.
DEFENSE
LB Clay Matthews has 13 career games with two or more sacks. He is one shy of tying Tim Harris (14, 1986-90) for No. 3 in team history (Reggie White, 16; Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, 15).
Matthews will play in his 100th career regular-season game this Sunday.
LB Julius Peppers leads the team with 9.5 sacks this season. Dating back to last season (including playoffs), Peppers has 14.0 sacks in the last 18 games.
Peppers is a half a sack away from his ninth season with 10-plus sacks, which would tie John Randle for the fourth most 10-sack seasons since 1982 (Bruce Smith, 13 / Reggie White, 12 / Kevin Greene, 10)
With 2.5 sacks last week at Oakland, Peppers moved into 10th place on the all-time list (since 1982) with 135 career sacks. He trails Jared Allen (136.0) for the ninth most and both Richard Dent and John Randle (137.5) for the seventh most.
Special Teams
K Mason Crosby eclipsed 100 points for the season last week, which which was his ninth 100-point season and passed K Ryan Longwell for the franchise record.
Over the last three weeks, P Tim Masthay became the first Packers punter to post a net average of 44-plus yards (min. four punts) in three straight games since net punting average was first tracked in 1976 (according to the Elias Sports Bureau).
The Packers lead the league in opponent punt return average this season at 4.0 yards.
Since Week 11, opponents have averaged -0.2 yards on nine punt returns, No. 1 in the league over that span. Opponents have either had zero yards in punt returns or negative yardage in four of those five games.
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT:
Packers vs. Cardinals:
Regular season, all-time:44-22-4
All-time, at Arizona:16-14-4
Streaks: The Packers have won four of the last five regular-season meetings at Arizona.
Last meeting, regular season: Nov. 4, 2012, at Lambeau Field; Packers won, 31-17
COACHES CAPSULES
Mike McCarthy: 111-59-1, .649, (incl. 7-6 postseason); 10th NFL season
Bruce Arians: 33-14-0, .702, (incl. 0-1 postseason); 3rd NFL season
vs. Opponent: McCarthy 3-1 vs. Cardinals; Arians 1-0 vs. Packers (as interim coach with Colts in 2012)
MIKE McCARTHY…Is in his 10th year as the Packers’ 14th head coach.
Joined Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as the only coaches to guide the Packers to a Super Bowl title with a win over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV.
Led the Packers to their seventh consecutive playoff appearance this season, joining New England as the only two NFL teams to do so over that span. Has also led the team to eight playoff appearances in the last eight years (2007, 2009-14).
Has guided the Packers to top-10 finishes in scoring each of the past eight seasons (2007-14), joining the Patriots as the only other team to accomplish the feat; Packers finished first overall in scoring in 2014.
His .661 winning percentage during the regular season (104-53-1) is ranked second among active NFL coaches (min. 50 games).
Was named Packers head coach on Jan. 12, 2006, his first head-coaching job after 13 years as an NFL assistant.
BRUCE ARIANS…Is in his third year as the Cardinals’ 35th head coach.
Led the Cardinals to an 11-5 mark and a playoff berth in 2014 (their first appearance in the postseason since 2009), earning him The Associated Press Coach of the Year award for the second time in three seasons (Indianapolis, 2012).
From 2013-14, Arizona led the NFL with 17 come-from-behind victories, including nine last season (tied with Pittsburgh for the most).
Came to Arizona after working as offensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts in 2012, while also serving 12 games as interim head coach during Chuck Pagano’s absence while being treated for leukemia.
Prior to joining the Colts, spent the previous eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2004-11), including five as the offensive coordinator (2007-11).
Also served as Cleveland’s offensive coordinator for three seasons (2001-03). Was also the quarterbacks coach in Indianapolis (1998-2000), the tight ends coach in New Orleans (1996) and the running backs coach in Kansas City (1989-92).
THE PACKERS-CARDINALS SERIES
One of the oldest rivalries in sports, the series launched on Nov. 20, 1921, when the Packers and Cardinals tied 3-3.
The series has been noted for its streaks, with the Packers winning 15 straight between 1937-46, followed by the Cardinals winning seven straight through 1948. The Packers have won 15 of the last 21 regular-season games (with one tie) since.
With the Cardinals franchise located in Chicago prior to 1960, the teams played two or more times in a season 20 different years between 1926-49.
The postseason meeting following the 1982 season marked the Packers’ first trip to the playoffs in 10 years and first playoff victory since winning Super Bowl II.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Packers QB Brett Hundley is from Chandler, Ariz. ...Packers CB Damarious Randall , DT Mike Pennel and assistant special teams coach Jason Simmons all played at Arizona State...Packers assistant offensive line coach Mike Solari coached the offensive line for the Phoenix Cardinals in 1989 while Cardinals running backs coach Stump Mitchell played running back...Cardinals linebackers coach Bob Sanders served as the defensive ends coach in 2005 and defensive coordinator from 2006-08 for Green Bay...Packers head coach Mike McCarthy coached at the University of Pittsburgh with Cardinals defensive backs coach Nick Rapone...McCarthy also coached with Cardinals special teams coordinator Amos Jones at Pittsburgh in 1992...Cardinals cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross played for the Chiefs and Cardinals pass rush specialist Tom Pratt coached there when McCarthy was on the coaching staff in Kansas City...Packers secondary-safeties coach Darren Perry coached with Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians on the staff in Pittsburgh...Perry and Cardinals assistant special teams/assistant tight ends coach Steve Heiden were teammates with the Chargers in 1999....Perry coached defensive backs and Packers associate head coach/offense Tom Clements coached quarterbacks in Pittsburgh while Cardinals inside linebackers coach Larry Foote played...Foote played in Detroit in 2009 while Packers RBs coach Sam Gash was on staff...Sanders coached alongside Packers special teams coordinator Ron Zook at the University of Florida...Sanders and Packers quarterbacks/wide receivers coach Alex Van Pelt were on the same staff in Buffalo in 2009...Packers WR James Jones played with the Raiders in 2014 while Sanders was on staff...Solari coached for the Kansas City Chiefs while Ross was a player in 1997...Packers defensive line coach Mike Trgovac coached Cardinals defensive line coach Brentson Buckner in Carolina as defensive line coach and defensive coordinator...Buckner also played in Pittsburgh while Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers held the same position with the Steelers...Packers assistant linebackers coach Scott McCurley was a teammate of Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald at the University of Pittsburgh…Former college teammates include Packers LB Clay Matthews and Cardinals DE Frostee Rucker and Packers LB Nick Perry and Cardinals QB Matt Barkley (Southern California), Packers CB Sam Shields and Cardinals DE Calais Campbell (Miami), Packers FB Aaron Ripkowski and Cardinals S Tony Jefferson (Oklahoma), Packers TE Kennard Backman and Cardinals WR J.J. Nelson (Alabama-Birmingham), Packers TE Andrew Quarless and Cardinals C/G A.Q. Shipley (Penn State) and Packers RB Eddie Lacy and FS Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Cardinals DT Ed Stinson (Alabama).
LAST MEETING, REGULAR SEASON
Nov. 4, 2012, at Lambeau Field; Packers won, 31-17
QB Aaron Rodgers connected on 14 of 30 pass attempts for 218 yards, four TDs and one INT (96.9 passer rating).
The Packers scored 21 points in the first half, and after a K Mason Crosby field goal early in the fourth quarter, led Arizona 24-7. The Cardinals rallied back, scoring 10 consecutive points to pull within a touchdown late in the third quarter, but Rodgers connected with TE Tom Crabtree for a 72-yard touchdown go back up by 14 points.
RBs James Starks (61) and Alex Green (53) led the way for a Packers rushing attack that recorded 176 yards on 39 rushes (4.5 avg.).
QB John Skelton completed 23 of 46 passes for 306 yards, one TD and one INT (69.7 passer rating).
WR Larry Fitzgerald hauled in six catches for 74 yards (12.3 avg.) and one TD.
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