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- Mar 19, 2019
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THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT:
Matt LaFleur: 7-2, .778; 1st NFL season
Ron Rivera: 79-63-1, .552, (incl. 3-4 postseason); 9th NFL season
vs. Opponent: Rivera 2-2 vs. Packers
MATT LAFLEUR…In his first season as the Packers’ 15th head coach.
RON RIVERA…In his ninth year as the Panthers’ fourth head coach.
THE PACKERS-PANTHERS SERIES
Green Bay players with connections to the Carolinas include: Jaire Alexander (Charlotte, N.C.); B.J. Goodson (Lamar S.C., Clemson); Jimmy Graham (Wilson, N.C.); Lucas Patrick (Duke)…Panthers G Bryan Witzmann is from Somerset, Wis., and attended Somerset HS…Panthers wide receivers coach Jim Hostler was the passing game coordinator for the Packers in 2018… Panthers G Greg Van Roten signed as an undrafted free agent with Green Bay in 2012 and played in 10 games with the Packers over two seasons (2012-13)…Panthers LS J.J. Jansen signed as an undrafted free agent by Green Bay in 2008…Packers director of player engagement Grey Ruegamer and Panthers special teams coach Chase Blackburn played two seasons together with the N.Y. Giants (2006-09)…Packers special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga, Panthers offensive coordinator Norv Turner and quarterbacks coach Scott Turner were on the Cleveland coaching staff together in 2013…Packers wide receivers coach Alvis Whitted played for Oakland while Turner was the head coach (2004-05)…Whitted is from Durham, N.C., where he played four years at North Carolina State, and began his coaching career at Orange HS (Wilmington, N.C.)…Packers assistant special teams coach Maurice Drayton is from Moncks Corner, S.C., and played and coached at The Citadel (Charleston). Additionally, Drayton coached at Goose Creek (S.C.) HS, South Carolina State and Coastal Carolina…Packers chief of staff Joe McKillip worked at N.C. State for six years (2013-18)...Packers S Adrian Amos played for Chicago while Panthers defensive coordinator Eric Washington was the defensive line coach (2015-17)…Packers assistant offensive line coach Luke Butkus was on the Chicago staff for two seasons with Washington (2008-09)…Panthers assistant linebackers coach Everette Brown played the 2014 season in Washington when Packers inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti was his position coach…Brown also spent the 2015 training camp in Cleveland when Mennenga was on the coaching staff and Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine was the head coach…Panthers wide receivers coach Jerricho Cotchery played for the N.Y. Jets when Pettine was the defensive coordinator (2009-10)…Panthers secondary coach Perry Fewell coached with Olivadotti in Washington for two seasons (2015-16) and Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett in Jacksonville for two seasons (2017-18)…Hostler coached with Pettine for one season in Baltimore (2008) and one season with Hackett in Buffalo (2014)…Panthers assistant special teams coach Ben Jacobs played for Cleveland while Mennenga was on the coaching staff (2011-12)…Pettine coached with Panthers running game coordinator John Matsko in 2008 while with Baltimore…Panthers running backs coach Jake Peetz was an offensive assistant/assistant quarterbacks coach in Jacksonville in 2012 when Packers TE Marcedes Lewis was on the roster...Peetz was offensive quality control/assistant wide receivers coach in Washington when Olivadotti was on the coaching staff (2014)…Lewis was teammates with Panthers DT Kyle Love for part of the 2013 season in Jacksonville…Packers strength and conditioning coordinator Chris Gizzi and Panthers linebackers coach Steve Russ were first teammates at the Air Force Academy (1994) and later with the Denver Broncos (2000)…Gizzi was the assistant strength and conditioning coordinator at the University of North Carolina in 2013…Panthers linebacker Mario Addison spent the 2012 season with Washington when Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was on the coaching staff…Goodson and Panthers CB Ross Cockrell played together with the N.Y. Giants in 2017…Cockrell and Panthers TE Chris Manhertz were rookies in Buffalo in 2014 when Hackett was on the coaching staff…Graham and Panthers LB Bruce Irvin played together in Seattle in 2015…Panthers TE Greg Olsen was drafted by Chicago when Butkus was on the coaching staff in 2007…Packers G/T Billy Turner and Panthers C Matt Paradis were teammates in Denver for three seasons (2016-18)…Panthers DT Dontari Poe was with Kansas City when Packers outside linebackers coach Mike Smith was on the coaching staff in 2016…Amos and Witzmann were teammates in Chicago in 2018…Former college teammates include: Packers CB Tony Brown, P JK Scott, LB Tim Williams and Panthers LB/DE Christian Miller (Alabama); Patrick and Cockrell (Duke); Alexander and Panthers RB Reggie Bonnafon (Lousiville); Packers S Darnell Savage, Panthers LB Jermaine Carter and WR DJ Moore (Maryland); Packers LB Blake Martinez and Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey (Stanford); Packers LB Kyler Fackrell and Panthers C Tyler Larsen (Utah State); Packers CB Kevin King and Panthers LB Shaq Thompson (Washington).