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NFL Preseason Preview - New England (1-1) at Green Bay (1-1)
By Tony Moss, NFL Editor (Sports Network) -
A pair of the top quarterbacking talents in the NFL will convene at Lambeau Field on Friday night, when Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers play host to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
Favre, an eight- time Pro Bowl selection who has started an NFL-record 205 consecutive games at QB, will be at the helm of a Green Bay club that has split its first two preseason contests of '05.
The Packers were 27-7 road losers against the Bills last Saturday. Brady's Patriots also come off a defeat, theirs a 37-27 setback at the hands of the New Orleans Saints last Thursday.
Brady, who has been named to three Pro Bowls and has three Super Bowl rings in just four seasons as a starter, will this season be attempting to lead New England to what would be a league-record third consecutive Super Bowl title.
Among the big stories for New England on Friday night will be the first Patriots appearance for wideout Andre' Davis, who was obtained earlier this week in a trade with Cleveland.
Davis' a former second-round draft choice who has 93 catches and 13 touchdowns in three NFL seasons, will try to inject himself into the receiving mix that includes holdovers David Givens, Deion Branch, and offseason acquisition David Terrell.
Of that group, only Givens has a catch in the preseason. Following Brady in the quarterback rotation this week will likely be longtime backup Rohan Davey, who was held out against New Orleans in the interest of getting veteran Doug Flutie some live repetitions.
Flutie (3-4 passing, 52 yards, 1 TD), who threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to wideout Jason Anderson in the third quarter against the Saints, is attempting to win the top backup job from Davey (4-7, 42 yards, 1 INT in the preseason).
On the injury front, defensive end Ty Warren (leg) and right tackle Matt Light (leg) are considered questionable. The Packers have scored just two touchdowns through their first two preseason games, though it should give Green Bay fans peace of mind that both scores have come off Favre touchdown passes.
The veteran is a solid 13-of-16 for 132 yards and two TD strikes in two games. Favre will be followed in the lineup by either first-round draft choice Aaron Rodgers (6-15, 28 yards, 1 INT), who has struggled in the preseason, or incumbent No. 2 Craig Nall (5-13, 39 yards).
The Packers will want to see a better effort out of both the backup quarterbacks and running back Ahman Green, as Green has just 38 rushing yards on 15 carries in the preseason to date.
Tight end Bubba Franks, who ended a contract dispute with the team earlier this week, is unlikely to be in uniform versus the Patriots. Franks will join nose tackle Grady Jackson (knee), defensive tackle Cletidus Hunt (knees, shoulder) and linebacker Na'il Diggs (knee) on the list of Packers who will not play on Friday.
The all-time preseason series between New England and Green Bay is knotted at 6-6, with the Packers' even-ing the series on the strength of a 7-3 home win prior to the 1997 campaign.
The Packers have a 4-3 lead in the regular season series, breaking a deadlock with a 28-10 road victory in 2002.
The most memorable matchup between the clubs occurred following the 1997 season, when the Packers were 35-21 winners over the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI from New Orleans.