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Notes Jacked From GB Press Gazette / Linkage>>

McCarthy tells team to shape up
Packers coach Mike McCarthy called the entire team together in the middle of practice on Wednesday to essentially tell players to get their act together. “It wasn’t good enough,” McCarthy said in reference to how practice was going. McCarthy said practice was too sloppy for his tastes. McCarthy said neither practice on Thursday will be conducted in full pads because it's two days before a game. The Packers host the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday. The players will wear shells (lighter, smaller shoulder pads), according to McCarthy. The Packers will conduct a walk-through practice on Friday at Lambeau Field that will be closed.

Moss downplays shoving incident
There were reports that Packers linebacker coach Winston Moss was pushed by fullback William Henderson in the midst of a pass-blocking drill at practice Tuesday evening, but Moss downplayed the incident. “I didn’t feel a shove,” Moss said. The drill involves running backs blocking against blitzing linebackers and it generated some spirited one-on-one battles. It escalated into a shoving match between the two positions groups, with Henderson and linebacker Nick Barnett in the middle of the fracas. Moss said he didn’t have a problem with the lively exchange. “There’s nothing wrong with that,” he said. “We better have some type of spirit. You need that to increase your level of intensity.”

Smoke hovers over practice field
A cloud of smelly smoke hovered over Clarke Hinkle briefly about 90 minutes into Wednesday afternoon's practice. The smoke was coming from a dump truck fire on nearby Potts Avenue, where several emergency vehicles were on the scene.

(Edit: And here I thought it was just the 'Stench' of the way the Pack played on Saturday... just now catching up with them)

Favre Keeps Faith in Offense
By Steve Lawrence / Packer Report

Packers quarterback Brett Favre says he wasn't surprised by his young offensive line's struggles against the Chargers, but says his blockers must pick up the pace — especially in the run game — for the team to be successful. Brett Favre did not announce his retirement during a news conference that started at noon Wednesday at Lambeau Field. In fact, he says he hasn’t even considered retiring, even after running for his life and taking an unusual number of hits behind a porous offensive line during humbling Saturday’s preseason opener at San Diego.

“I’m very satisfied with the decision I made (to play another season,” Favre said. “I’m sure a lot of people watching the game the other night were thinking, ‘I bet he’s thinking he’d rather be at home.’ That’s not true. I’m committed to this decision, I’m comitted to helping this team win, regardless of who we have.”

Favre gave his embattled offensive line a vote of confidence, but also said the blocking must get better in a hurry.

“I think they’ll do fine,” Favre said. “Sure, I would expect in that game for us to proetct better, but first go-around, I try to think back to my first go-around and it probably wasn’t too pretty, either. They gave great effort. It’s a new offense, and it showed. I’m hoping, as well as everybody else, that we get better.” MORE >>

Related Article --

Favre Believes Young Linemen Will Learn, Improve

Tight Ends Getting Their Share Of Action
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com

The Green Bay Packers' tight ends have heard throughout mini-camps and training camp that they're going to be a big part of the offense this year. So far, Head Coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski are paying it more than lip service. Both of them believe in using the tight end to stretch the field, both vertically with routes up the seam and horizontally with drags across the middle. As a consequence, rarely does an 11-on-11 series go by in camp that Bubba Franks, David Martin, Donald Lee, Tory Humphrey or Zac Alcorn isn't catching at least one pass, and the group is loving the attention being paid to them.

"You can see it out there on the field," Martin said. "You get excited when a play is called, especially with the quarterback we have. You never know where he's going to go with the ball. You always have to be ready, and Coach McCarthy is putting us in positions we can get the ball." MORE >>

Spitz, Moll Still Starters
By Jason Wilde / Madison.com

They're still avoiding the dreaded "D" word - demotion - but whatever euphemism the Green Bay Packers' braintrust wants to use, the reality was this Tuesday:

The offensive line shuffle that occurred Monday in the wake of a disastrous preseason opener was not a one-day experiment. For the second straight day, the No. 1 guards were third-round pick Jason Spitz on the left side and fifth-round pick Tony Moll on the right. Daryn Colledge, a second-round pick who'd been the starter at left guard from the first snap of the post-draft minicamp, remained with the second unit. Not that Colledge had been demoted or anything.

"I don't know if you'd necessarily consider it a demotion as much as we're just trying to get the right mix right now," general manager Ted Thompson said. "Daryn is going to be a fine football player for the Packers for years to come. Whether he's a starter opening day, that's still to be determined. MORE >>

Packers Seeking a Backup Back
By Pete Dougherty / greenbaypressgazette.com

The Green Bay Packers need a viable fallback at halfback as much as ever this season. Yet, after Ahman Green returned to 11-on-11 drills only this week in his comeback from major leg surgery, it's clear his combination of vision and explosiveness is in a different league than the other running backs on the roster. Seeing Green's quick, decisive handful of runs in Monday's non-padded practice had to be a hopeful sign to a Packers coaching staff that needs him to make an exceptional recovery from the torn quadriceps tendon that ended his 2005 season. "He's a special player," said Jeff Jagodzinski, the Packers' offensive coordinator. "Hopefully, we can get him back and be healthy." However, the Packers also have to be concerned about the contrast of Green's runs Monday to backups Najeh Davenport, Samkon Gado, Noah Herron and Arliss Beach over the first two weeks of camp. MORE>>

Davenport Reaches Crucial Crunch Time
He will likely start against Atlanta
By TOM SILVERSTEIN / journalsentinel.com

For the time being, it's Najeh Davenport's world. With Ahman Green taking part in a full-pads workout for the first time Tuesday night and Samkon Gado sidelined with a groin injury, the Green Bay Packers' starting halfback job belongs to Davenport. If there ever has been a do-or-die situation, it's right now because Davenport won't get another opportunity like this one the rest of training camp.

After four years of teetering between being a force to be reckoned with and an injury waiting to happen, Davenport is facing life in a new system. If he doesn't show he's a good fit for it and doesn't do the other things that constitute being a complete back, it's not inconceivable that he could be out of a job.

"You worry about that and you won't wind up doing anything," Davenport said Tuesday between practices. "I'm trying to show I'm healthy and ready to go for the season."