Carson Palmer was an 8-year-old playing with Legos back then, but now he's Oakland's starting passer, faced with the challenge of leading the 7-5 Raiderspast a Packers squad that appears on the fringe of invincibility.
"They are going to score points," Palmer told reporters Wednesday. "It's not going to be a game to be (just) smart with the ball and hope the defense holds them. (That's) not the type of game it is. You need to play efficient for four quarters."
Efficient alone won't cut it. Green Bay's slapping 35 points per game on opponents, an outrageous wave that's masked a defense leaking yardage all season. All-Pro linebacker Clay Matthews and his teammates are aware of the ugly numbers, but the team is middle of the road in points allowed, and nobody's pushing the panic button.
"It's the theme this year and we will have to change that," Matthews said. "We are making plays when it counts -- and the stats that matter. Despite being 31st with yards, (what matters is) points on the board, and as long as we continue that and have our quarterback playing and putting up points for our team, we are going to win a lot of games. We are winning games, so something is working."
That "something" represents the biggest obstacle Palmer and the Raiders have faced this season.
