Lambeau Field

SEPT. 9 Chicago 1 p.m., PSINet Stadium, Ch. 45 Ravens seek revenge against Bears' James Allen, the last running back to break 100 yards against them. SEPT. 17 Minnesota 9 p.m., PSINet Stadium, Ch. 2 Ravens' first-ever Monday night game features coach Brian Billick against his ex-boss, Dennis Green. SEPT. 23 at Cincinnati 1 p.m., Paul Brown Stadium, Ch. 13 Ravens haven't lost in the Queen City since 1997; this game begins a stretch of six of eight on the road. SEPT. 30 at Denver 4:15 p.m., Invesco Field, Ch. 13 Shannon Sharpe makes his first trip back to Denver, where he won two Super Bowl rings.

I've been in some cold places, but the combination of arctic chill and wind in Green Bay was unbelievable. It hurt to walk to your car. So I was reminded of that as the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Cowboys and Packers are both 12-2, and Dallas still has the tie-breaker edge for the home field in the NFC playoffs. But Tony Romo's throwing thumb was hurt against the Eagles, Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode limped off, defensive end Chris Canty got a scare on a knee injury and safety Roy Williams is suspended for Saturday's game against Carolina for breaking his namesake rule, the horse-collar tackle, for the third time this season.

The Ravens, who started the 1998 season at 2-2, lost their third straight game when the Green Bay Packers limited them to 233 yards of total offense in a 28-10 win at legendary Lambeau Field on Oct. 25, 1998. In addition, the Ravens had a full-blown quarterback controversy as Eric Zeier was replaced by Jim Harbaugh in the second half. The key play was a 71-yard punt return by the Packers' Roell Preston just 1:47 into the game. It put the Packers up 7-0 at home, where they had won 25 of their past 26 games.

Growing up in Richmond, Va., Darren Sharper carried on endless rivalries with his older brother, Jamie. The trash-talking debate after recreational football games typically centered on who scored the most touchdowns. During the winter, the argument shifted to who would score the most points on the basketball court.Tomorrow at Lambeau Field, Darren plans to welcome Jamie and at least 15 friends and family members into his new home. No house-warming gifts will be necessary, although more talk promises to break out on the field.

Just 38 days shy of the 30th anniversary of the Ice Bowl, the Dallas Cowboys go back to Lambeau Field on Sunday for a game that will contrast how they once were and how they are now.The Cowboys' duel with the Packers -- a team that has lost seven straight games, including three in the playoffs, in Dallas -- is the game they have been waiting for in Green Bay since the NFL schedule was announced."

Former Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick appeared on “The Norris and Davis Show” on 105.7 The Fan on Tuesday to talk about Baltimore's chances of advancing to the Super Bowl in Indianapolis next month. Those chances are very good, said Billick, who predicts that the Ravens will play the Green Bay Packers for the title. “We're making a,” Billick said, realizing he said “we” then restarting his sentence. “The Ravens are making a championship run and they are in the think of it. I've got the Ravens going to the Super Bowl.

Even after their unsightly 27-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Monday night, the Ravens still have a shot at the playoffs because they don't face a team with a winning record the rest of the way. The Ravens' biggest opponent over the final four weeks of the regular season might be themselves - or the officials, depending on your perspective. Penalties have dogged the Ravens throughout the season and have cost them a chance to keep pace in the AFC wild-card race. The Ravens' 12 penalties at Lambeau Field were the most in the 31-game John Harbaugh era. Their five pass-interference penalties (four of which were on the defense)

They fell like leaden dominoes in an NFL weekend of sheer expansion fantasy.The San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos -- with six Super Bowl appearances in the past 10 years between them -- lost on Saturday.The Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys -- with eight Lombardi trophies between them -- followed in defeat yesterday.So, one of the wildest weekends in playoff history left the NFL with an incongruous final four and the possibility of an all-expansion Super Bowl in New Orleans later this month.

Lambeau Field isn't such an intimidating place for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers anymore. Carnell "Cadillac" Williams helped the Buccaneers end a 13-game road losing streak to Green Bay with a 17-16 win over the Packers yesterday. He broke Alan Ameche's NFL record for most yards in his first three NFL games by rushing for 158 on a sprained left foot. The Buccaneers, 3-0 for the first time since 2000, also got two touchdown receptions from Joey Galloway and two interceptions from safety Will Allen in winning at Lambeau Field for the first time since Sept.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- One Green Bay Packers fan held up a sign yesterday that read, "Where's Deion?"Deion Sanders wasn't on the imported tundra from Maryland. Neither were Troy, Emmitt or Michael.Those guys might have given the Green Bay Packers a game yesterday. But when the Carolina Panthers' Lamar Lathon knocked Michael Irvin out last Sunday, the Packers were on their way to the Super Bowl.We'll never know if the Dallas Cowboys, with a healthy Irvin, could have beaten the Packers the way they have for the past seven games between the two teams in Dallas.