With the Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre representing unprecedented stability at quarterback, the Raiders face the possibility of needing their fourth wheel when they visit Lambeau Field Sunday.

Coach Lane Kiffin confirmed Friday before the Raiders boarded buses headed for the airport that Josh McCown will start and that Andrew Walter would be the backup, assuming Daunte Culpepper is not available to be No. 2.

Culpepper has not been with the team all week at practice with a right quadriceps injury and is listed as doubtful.

“We’re going to let Daunte warm up (Sunday), see if he can go,” Kiffin said. “He could be anywhere from No. 2 to being out.”

Despite a two-series debut that included a few nice throws and no turnovers, No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell has not sufficiently impressed Kiffin to the point where he would be trusted with the bulk of a game on the road with temperatures in the 20s and the possibility of snow.

“A lot of things into it. Everything into it,” Kiffin said. “Josh is a guy who has been banged up a lot, you’ve got to be prepared that whoever your No. 2 is, you’ve got to be prepared to play that guy the whole game, basically.”

McCown’s discloated pinky finger proved no problem in Oakland, but ballhandling could be more difficult if there is snow on the ground in Green Bay.

It is to Walter’s credit that he has stayed on top of things since the trade deadline passed and he realized he was going to be No. 4 and spend much of his practice time watching Russell play catch-up.

But while Russell has been getting more work until this past week, Walter still has more experience in the system than any quarterback on the roster, having come aboard for OTAs before any of the other three.

“He’s had an advantage that he’s been here longer than anybody, so he has a great grasp on our offense,” Kiffin said. “Even though he hasn’t had a bunch of reps the past couple of months, he’s got a bunch stored up in there, more reps than JaMarcus has had.”

Both Culpepper and center Jake Grove did not practice and were listed as doubtful. Jarrod Cooper remains on the 53-man roster following ACL surgery and is out. McCown (finger) is listed as probable. Justin Fargas got the day off with no reported injury, a concession to the wear and tear his body has taken in carrying 55 times for 285 yards over the past two games.

Kiffin said LaMont Jordan would be the backup for Fargas.

Favre vs. Raiders

When Favre makes his 250th consecutive start to extend his NFL record for quarterbacks, it will be only his third against the Raiders.

All were memorable in their own way.

Dec. 28, 2003 at Network Associates Coliseum, Game No. 178, Packers 41, Raiders 7: Playing a day after the sudden death of his father, Favre completes 22 of 30 passes for 399 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in a 41-7 Packers win.

Sept. 12, 1999 at Lambeau Field, Game No. 100, Packers 28, Raiders 24: Favre hit his right thumb on the helmet of Russell Maryland in the third quarter, but stayed in the game and led the Packers on 82- and 76-yard drives on their last two possessions for the win.

On Green Bay’s final drive, Favre flipped a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Thomasson with safety Anthony Newsman screaming that he had been the victim of an illegal pick. An emotional Favre collapsed in tears afterward. The comeback spoiled a solid debut by free agent quarterback Rich Gannon.

Dec. 26, 1993 at Lambeau Field, Game No. 20, Packers 28, Raiders 0: Favre was an unremarkable 14 of 28 for 190 yards and one touchdown in a 28-0 win over the Los Angeles Raiders.

History was made in the game by safety LeRoy Butler, who took a lateral after an Oakland fumble, ran it back for a touchdown, and leaped into the stands, inventing the Lambeau Leap.

Some Favre perspective

We can all agree Favre has been magnificent this season, although his most recent performance against Dallas before leaving with shoulder and elbow injuries conjured up images of the throw-it-up Brett of the last few years.

In truth, Favre’s play seemed to slowly and steadily deteriorate after Mike Holmgren left the Packers, as he reverted to bad habits of trying to force passes into places which resulted in turnovers.

In 2005 and 2006, Favre had quarterback ratings of 70.9 and 72.9 and his touchdown pass-to-interception ratio was 38-to-47 _ figures that would have the home crowd calling for a new quarterback if it were anyone else other than an icon.

That said, the consecutive games streak may be the most remarkable in professional sports, at least on par with Cal Ripken’s 2,632-game streak in baseball, even if football numbers aren’t treated with the same reverence reserved for baseball records.

The Raiders this season have lost both McCown and Culpepper to injury and have gone back to McCown. No one even knows exactly how Culpepper got hurt, and he will in all probability miss his second straight game.

“You say luck but I think it’s also a high degree of toughness and finding a way to get yourself out there every week and to be able to compete and play at a high level, too,” McCown said. “It’s the coolest thing in sports to me, the streak that he has going. I especially have a new respect for it this year. I’ve never been hurt myself so to go through what I’ve gone through this year, I have a deeper respect. I thought it was cool before but now I kind of feel it, I understand what he’s done. It’s pretty remarkable.”

The Green Bay media guide lists 15 instances where serious injuries threatened the streak. Included were a separated left shoulder (1992) a severely bruised left hip (1993), a severely sprained left ankle (1995), a sprained thumb on his right hand (1999 vs. Raiders), tendinitis in his right elbow (2000), sprained lateral collateral ligament (2002), broken thumb on right hand (2003), concussion (2004) and a strained ulnar nerve of the right elbow (2006).

McCown has managed to play through a compound dislocation of the left pinky that had to be put back in place and then stitched because the bone was coming through the skin. McCown joked that maybe Walter should be sent to Green Bay to play catch with favre.

“Obviously, he’d play through that,” McCown said. “It wouldn’t be a problem.”

Raiders 16, Packers 1

Since Favre’s streak as a starting quarterback began on Sept. 27, 1992, the Raiders have had 16 different starting quarterbacks.

Listed in alphabetical order, Oakland’s starting quarterbacks since Favre’s starting debut: Aaron Brooks, Kerry Collins, Daunte Culpepper, Vince Evans, Rich Gannon, Jeff George, Billy Joe Hobert, Donald Hollas, Jeff Hostetler, Todd Marinovich, Josh McCown, Rich Mirer, Jay Schroeder, Marques Tuiasosopo, Andrew Walter and Wade Wilson.

By Jerry McDonald

     NAPA _ To tell the truth, practice didn’t look all that much different Friday than it did the previous day.

     Except, of course, it went the full two hours.

      And when it ended, instead of seeing a large group of grown men jogging to locker room, each looking as if he’d been hit on the snout with a rolled-up newspaper, there was the more familiar sound of laughing and joking.

    “I thought practice today was very good,” Shell said. “A good practice. A lot of attention. A lot of focus.”

      A day after calling his team to the center of the field at 4:10 p.m. and essentially kicking them off the field, Shell was not about to go into detail about what had him so angry.

     “I just decided to give them the day off,” Shell said. “That’s all. Just give them the day off.”

    Perhaps practice was slightly more animated and players had energy which wasn’t there 24 hours earlier. Quarterback Aaron Brooks said he thought the team had sort of  “hit the wall,” and that the issue was talked out among the team Thursday night.

    It must take a coach to tell the difference. Paid professionals don’t often muster up phony enthusiasm and an NFL practice is nothing like a high school or college practice. It’s more technical, more studious, more businesslike.

    Only Shell knows whether Thursday’s aborted practice was a ploy. Whether it was or not, Shell has succeeded in enhancing the notion that he is the man in charge.

    He’s been working at it since the day he arrived with the team, with the media, with his staff.

     As coach of the Oakland Raiders, that’s no small thing. The only other coach who has managed it since 1995 is Jon Gruden. Mike White didn’t. Joe Bugel certainly didn’t. Neither did Bill Callahan or Norv Turner.

     How Shell will handle his next “situation” remains to be seen. He has yet to make a depth chart change based on performance, or cut an established player.

     One thing for sure _ none of the Raiders want to find out the hard way.

      Bits and pieces from Thursday’s practices:

      — Nice bit of generational history going on Friday with Burl Toler Sr. and Burl Toler Jr. on the sideline, with Burl Toler III playing wide receiver with the Raiders.

       Burl Sr. played football at USF along with Hall of Famers Gino Marchetti and Ollie Matson.

    He became the first black official in NFL history in 1965, and he was still reviewing officials all the way up to 1999. Burl Jr. played linebacker at Cal under Mike White and works as an architect.

     Burl III had himself a nice practice Friday, catching a few passes and managing to get in a wave to his grandfather on the sidelines.

    — Shell said the Raiders first team would play at least a half against San Francisco. Brooks connected on three big pass plays with Randy Moss as the Raiders offense showed some improvement.

     — No. 4 quarterback Kent Smith got in so many throws he may need a cortisone shot in his left shoulder.  Shell said, however, Smith was merely getting in extra work in practice because he is unlikely to play in a game. Brooks will be followed by Andrew Walter and Marques Tuiasosopo.

   — One throw Smith would like to forget was a screen intended for LaMont Jordan that as snatched out of the air with a one-handed interception by Warren Sapp, who ran unimpeded the other way.

    — Barry Sims will not play at left guard against the 49ers because of inflamed right triceps. Corey Hulsey will take his place with the first team.

   — Tight end Marcellus Rivers caught a deep ball at the goal line over Michael Huff when the rookie turned the wrong way in coverage.

     — Either the Raiders are comfortable with what they know about Bobby Hamilton and are simply looking at other players, or Hamilton is being phased out and is unlikely to make the 53-man roster.

     He often works with the third team in the base defense and on second team in the nickel.

   — The Raiders had no meetings scheduled Friday night and were scheduled to visit a local winery for dinner.

  — Jarrod Cooper made a diving interception of a pass from Reggie Robertson.

   –  Defensive line coach Keith Millard was using Warren Sapp as an example for Michael Quarshie on how to properly execute an inside rush.

    “Watch Warren do it,” Millard said.

    — Free agent wide receiver Will Buchanon has cooled off over the past few days after several sessions of outstanding and eye-catching play.

    – Adam Treu worked with the first team at center as Jake Grove rested a sore heel.