OAQBs

Packers 31 - Panthers 17

The combined age of the starting QBs in today's game: 82. That's the same combined age as Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and Cullen Jenkins... or two years younger than the combined age of the four people in my household (sorry, dere, Bob). Testaverde was the QB in Tampa Bay in the first game Favre played in for Green Bay (one week before the streak began, when he played a second-half relief role) in Florida in Week 3 of the 1992 season. FOX said Sunday afternoon that Vinnie had been to Green Bay to play against the Packers a total of 12 times... and 8 of those were before Favre started playing for us.

But who cares? We're 9-1! This is our best start since 1962, when we started 10-0 (and won our 8th championship, BTW). The World Champion Indiana-noplace Colts have lost two games in a row (although they won this weekend), so we're ahead of them. We're still tied with the Cowgirls, and Bill Belicheat's Pats are still undefeated, so we're in very good company at the top of the league standings... and, for the first time in years, #3 in the Power Rankings. This weekend, both Dallas and New England had individual receivers catch four TDs (Owens and Moss, respectively -- not respectfully). Meanwhile, we're known for spreading the ball around. I'm fairly certain that Favre completed passes to 20 different receivers in this game. So if Driver or Jennings is catching four each, watch out, 'cuz the score's probably going to wind up something like 66-12. I'd be okay with that.

Actually, Favre's 3 TDs in this game meant he tied (with Marino again) the NFL record for most games with 3 or more. I'm hopeful that the Turkey Day outing will make #63 so he can put another record behind him.

One of the plays of the day came from Tramon Williams in the first quarter. It looked like Carolina would try a field goal after making it to the 34 yard line, but John Kasay did a pooch punt instead and Tramon was ready. He caught the ball and ran like a hot knife through the coverage's butter (with an escort by Jason Hunter -- the least he could do after nearly knocking Tramon down at the 25!) and 94 yards later the score was 7-zip.

The second quarter was an exciting 14-point affair, with TD passes to the Jennerator and Donald Lee. Lee then caught his second TD pass in the third quarter, which meant we were up 28-3. After keeping Minnesota scoreless, it would have been nice to have been able to keep the Panthers out of the end zone completely, but we did somehow allow them in not once but twice before the end of the match. Luckily we got 3 turnovers and gave up none. Also, if this is the only thing I can find to complain about, we're in pretty damn good shape.

The most-impressive-but-somehow-easily-forgotten play was the one that started the clock ticking in the second half. Koren Robinson returned the kickoff 67 yards to the Carolina 28. That was our longest kickoff return so far this year, and it set up Lee's second touchdown four plays later. Not forgotten at all was Favre's 47-yard completion to Double-D on a play fake that was so good the folks at FOX nearly missed it completely. That led to Jennings' TD five plays later.

The Lions are in second place in the NFC North, and if we win in Detroit on Thursday, we'll be four games ahead of them. My predictions for the game: The Lions are good at taking the ball away. Brett's probably due for a pick, so maybe they can get one on him. As long as we don't have bad turnover luck like we had in the Chicago game, though, I think we'll come through unscathed. In fact, given how bad Detroit's O-line is at protecting Kitna, and how awesome Kampman (and even KGB) has been doing, we may force twice as many turnovers as they could hope to.

Frankly, the thing I'm most immediately concerned about regarding this Thursday's game is having to watch it on my sister- and brother-in-laws' crap-ass console TV from 1972. Pass me the HDTV.