Week 17 vs. Detroit Game Release.indd - NFL.com

LIONS AT PACKERS - WEEK 17
OUT OF THE BREAK
For the second straight season, the Packers have been one of the most
productive teams in the league in the third quarter of games.
In 15 contests this season, the Packers have outscored their opponents
143-51 in the third quarter, a 92-point differential that ranks No. 1 in
the league:
Team
Third-Quarter Scoring Differential
1. Green Bay +92 (143-51)
2. New England +77 (127-50)
3. San Francisco +57 (94-37)
4. Seattle +53 (83-33)
5. San Diego +48 (109-61)
In 2010, Green Bay finished No. 2 in the NFL in third-quarter scoring differential
at plus-74, outscoring its opponents 110-36. That trailed only
San Diego, who posted a 76-point margin (107-31) in the third quarter.
The Packers have been efficient on their opening drives in the second
half, scoring seven touchdowns and two field goals this season:
Team
Points On First Poss. of 2nd Half
1t. Green Bay 55
1t. San Diego 55
3. Carolina 49
The Packers have won the coin toss and deferred seven times this season.
In those seven games, Green Bay has scored a TD on the opening
possession of the second half four times (at Carolina, at Minnesota, vs.
Minnesota, at Detroit) and scored once on a field goal (at San Diego).
Green Bay tied for No. 7 in the NFL in 2010 with 37 points on the opening
possession of the second half, which topped the Packers’ mark of 20
points in 2009 (No. 20 in the NFL).
The high mark by the Packers since 1995 (according to STATS LLC)
came in 2004, when they led the league with 55 points
STARTING AND CLOSING
Green Bay has been efficient starting games this season as well, scoring
59 points on game-opening drives. That total ranks No. 1 in the NFL and
more than doubles the Packers’ 23-point output in 2010:
Team
Points On First Possession
1. Green Bay 59
2. Houston 51
3. Pittsburgh 48
Green Bay's 59-point total is the best posted by the Packers since
STATS LLC began recording the statistic in 1995. It is the best
mark in the league since New England registered 71 points on gameopening
drives in 2007.
The Packers have posted 58 points in the final two minutes of the first
half this season. That easily tops Green Bay’s season total of 31 points
in 2010 and is the best by the team since 64 points in 2002:
Team
Points In Final Two Min./1st Half
1. Green Bay 58
2. Oakland 56
3. Philadelphia 54
TRAMON TAKES IT AWAY
After getting off to a slow start when it comes to interceptions early this
season, CB Tramon Williams has made his presence in the second half.
Williams posted an INT in three straight games (Weeks 9-11), only the
second time in his career that he had accomplished that feat. That included
a regular-season career-high two INTs vs. Tampa Bay in Week 11.
His four INTs over that span was a career-high for a three-game stretch.
Williams is the only undrafted player in the league to record at least four
INTs in each of the past four seasons (2008-11).
In Green Bay’s Week 9 win at San Diego, Williams posted the first TD
of his career in the regular season on a 43-yard INT return for a score.
Williams led the team in INTs last season with a career-high six picks,
and added three more during the 2010 postseason.
Including playoffs, Williams ranks No. 1 in the NFL in both interceptions
and interception return yards since 2010:
Player
Interceptions
1. Tramon Williams, GB 13
2. Ed Reed, BAL 11
3t. Three players 10
Player
INT Return Yards
1. Tramon Williams, GB 258
2. Chris Houston, DET 225
3. Brandon Browner, SEA 220
MASTERFUL PERFORMANCES
P Tim Masthay hasn’t had many opportunities to punt the ball this season,
but he has made the most of his chances of late.
At Kansas City in Week 15, Masthay posted career highs (min. four
attempts) in gross average (53.4) and net average (46.2). He boomed
a career-long 71-yard punt, the longest by a Packer since Jon Ryan’s
72-yarder vs. Detroit on Dec. 30, 2007. The gross average ranks No.
4 in team annals and the net average checks in at No. 3 (since 1976).
In Week 13 at the N.Y. Giants, Masthay placed four punts inside the
20-yard line, the second straight week he had done so. He earned NFC
Special Teams Player of the Week honors for the performance against
New York, the second straight season he won the award after an outing
at MetLife Stadium (Week 8 at N.Y. Jets in 2010).
Masthay became the first Green Bay punter to post four punts
inside the 20-yard line in consecutive games since the statistic
began to be recorded in 1976.
In Week 7 at Minnesota, Masthay only punted three times, but he registered
a gross average of 59.3 and a net average of 55.3.
His 59.3-yard gross average was the best by a Green Bay punter with
three or more attempts since Don Chandler registered a 59.7-yard average
on three punts vs. San Francisco on Oct. 10, 1965.
Masthay’s 55.3-yard net average at Minnesota in Week 7 was the best
by a Packers punter with three or more attempts since the NFL
began tracking net punting average in 1976. It also the third best by an
NFL punter in a game (min. three attempts) since 1976.
Over the past 10 games, Masthay has posted a gross average of 48.2
yards and a net average of 41.8. He has placed half of his punts (17-of-
34) inside the 20-yard line over that span.
The Packers have punted just 51 times in 15 games this season. The
franchise record for the fewest punts by Green Bay since the NFL went
to a 16-game schedule in 1978 was 62 punts in 2007.
Masthay has a gross punting average of 45.7 this season. The best mark
in franchise history is a 45.0-yard average by Craig Hentrich (1997).
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