Winter Football

In the press conference after the Green Bay Packers 38-7 victory over the Oakland Raiders at Lambeau field, the first thing Brett Favre starts talking about is the cold. The GB Game 13 Stats have the game being played in 18 degree windless cold and Favre says the cold gets colder as the afternoon goes on. He then talks about starting the game with numbness in two fingers, from the hit knocking him out of the Dallas contest, and ending the game with numbness in every finger. Yeah, the weather outside is tough. It's part of the unique legacy of this team and their fans.

PackersNews: Mark Murphy is scheduled to become the Packers’ next president in January, but he showed up at Lambeau Field on Sunday to get a sneak peek at his new team. Instead of watching the game from the warmth of an indoor suite, Murphy and his wife braved the elements and sat in the stands. It’s another indication Murphy plans to be a man of the people.

This is a complete team victory. The return of Charles Woodson to the secondary brings the defense to back to normal after their substandard mistake filled outing at Dallas. The unit allows Oakland only 10 first downs the entire game, and two of those come from Packer penalties. Cornerback Will Blackmon returns one punt for a touchdown and scores a second TD by falling on a fumbled Oakland punt in the end zone. Ryan Grant continues providing an effective running attack to balance a passing game in which all members of the receiving corps are productive.

Now 11-2 on the season, the victory seals the NFC Central Division Title and assures the Packers a place in the playoffs. I suspect Coach McCarthy will remind the team they have yet to clinch a first round bye, and admonish them for being assessed more penalty yards than the Raiders. Photo: Dan Powers/The Post-Crescent. No NFL team should ever be penalized more than the Raiders.