Leap From Lambeau Not Bad

Even with a 12-3 record and their third consecutive division title, the Green Bay Packers may not get home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

Judging from their recent performances on the road, it may not matter.

“We’re playing very well right now, and we don’t care where we have to play,” Brett Favre said after the Packers won their third consecutive game away from Lambeau Field, 31-10 over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

The Packers, who have outscored their opponents 78-27 on those road games, got 256 yards passing and three touchdowns from Favre, as well as 86 yards rushing from Aaron Hayden and 73 from Dorsey Levens.

“It was important to make a statement to this team and the rest of the league that when you come to play us this late in the season, you better bring it all,” said Antonio Freeman, who had 10 receptions for 166 yards and two touchdowns.

Green Bay had wrapped up its third NFC Central title in a row one week earlier, also earning a first-round bye in the playoffs and a second-round game at Lambeau. The Packers can get the home-field advantage for the conference championship game if they win their final regular-season game and the San Francisco 49ers lose both their remaining games.

The Packers, who stopped the Panthers a game short of the Super Bowl last season, kept them from even getting to the playoffs this time. The loss dropped Carolina to 7-8.

Carolina’s Kerry Collins completed only six of 26 passes for 51 yards. He didn’t add to his NFL-leading total of 18 interceptions, but his often wildly inaccurate throws earned him chorus after chorus of boos from the Ericsson Stadium crowd.