A Well-Traveled Rhodes

After Sunday’s 31-10 drubbing by the Denver Broncos, Coach Ray Rhodes of the Green Bay Packers has lost 19 consecutive road games, dating to his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He hasn’t won on the road since Dec. 14, 1996, when the Eagles beat the New York Jets, 21-20.

Said Packer safety LeRoy Butler of Sunday’s debacle: “The word pathetic is a little bit too nice. We’re still tied for the division lead--does that say our division is crappy or what?”

Running back Leroy Hoard is back in the starting lineup for the Minnesota Vikings in place of Robert Smith, who is expected to be sidelined about six weeks after undergoing a hernia operation this week, but that doesn’t mean Hoard’s not hurting too.

In Sunday’s 25-23 loss to the Detroit Lions, he bit through his bottom lip and needed three makeshift stitches without a painkiller to stay in the game, then had to have 13 stitches sewn in afterward. He’ll need plastic surgery.