9/26/2006
Pickett status iffy for Eagles' game
Before spraining his right ankle in the 31-24 victory over the Detroit Lions Sunday, Pickett was playing the most consistent football of perhaps anyone on defense. He was injured in the second quarter but returned to play in the second half, albeit at less than full strength. On Monday, his ankle was very swollen and his status for the Philadelphia game next Monday night is up in the air.
Three's company
Offensive guard Daryn Colledge played better against the Lions and has moved into a position where the coaches will have to think about whether he's one of the two best guards. Colledge got his chance to play after fellow rookie Jason Spitz injured his thigh. Spitz has missed two straight games and still might not be available this week. However, if he is, the coaches will have to decide whether Colledge goes back to the bench or keeps his job. An option would be to move Spitz to right guard in place of another rookie, Tony Moll, who has had his ups and downs as a starter.
Cutting edge
The goal for the Packers offense each week is to have 45 to 50 knockdown blocks; in other words getting defensive players to the ground. Against the Lions, Jagodzinski said the entire offense improved considerably. "We had 37," he said. That's a considerable amount more than the Packers have been getting in the past, but not quite up to snuff. Jagodzinski said the biggest problem is that when they were able to get good cut blocks on one side, they often didn't get enough push on the other to make the running game go the way they wanted it to.
Fumblitis
Not one to mince words, Jagodzinski made it clear that the team can't afford the critical fumbles running backs Ahman Green and Noah Herron committed Sunday. "We don't want to see the ball on the ground," he said. "Those guys have to secure it. "Jagodzinski said he thought Green was carrying the ball too loosely on his fumble late in the fourth quarter. Though it was in his outside arm and the one he likes to carry it in - his left - it was not tucked into his chest, Jagodzinski said, allowing a defender to knock it out.
Monday, Monday
As a former assistant coach with the New Orleans Saints, coach Mike McCarthy has a fondness for the former city he worked in and intended to take time out to watch the first game at the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina hit. "I'll say this, I don't watch much 'Monday Night Football,' but I will watch tonight," he said. "I think on a personal level for anybody that's been a part of that community down there it speaks volumes of the people of the Gulf region. I think it will be special in a lot of ways because we all remember the dome, the way it was used during Katrina. "I'll be rooting for the Saints tonight." (Edit: The Saints won 23-3... good call Mike!)
Aching knees make life hard on Clifton
Tackle Chad Clifton, one of the most indispensable Green Bay Packers, now admits that for as many years as he will play discomfort will be his constant companion. Clifton, 30, underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees during the off-season and then had to sit out extended periods of training camp because of it. He wouldn't say which knee was giving him more problems and hesitated to discuss his physical problems. "Early in pre-season I wasn't moving as well," he said. "I'm definitely moving around a lot better than I was three or four weeks ago."
On the rebound
Tight end Bubba Franks played possibly the worst game of his career against New Orleans last Sunday and his old position coach, Jeff Jagodzinski, let him know about it. "I think he was embarrassed from last week," Jagodzinski said. "We challenged him. I think he had a really good game today."
Tough time
Defensive tackle Colin Cole was inactive for the first time in his three-year career since a playoff game after the 2004 season. Kenderick Allen took his place on the 45-man roster. "Is it a huge disappointment?" Cole said. "Well, to be the starter the first game and inactive the third game, I don't think I can put into words how I feel about it." Coach Mike McCarthy said it was a "very hard decision to make" but didn't elaborate. Cole keeps going back to missing the tackle on a 23-yard touchdown run by the Saints' Deuce McAllister. "I think that's the Achilles' heel of Colin Cole right now," he said. "One mistake and however long. . . . We live on a model where you play a gap and a half. On that play I should have been front-side and not try to help out on the inside gap. That's how I got in trouble. I just have to come back and fight."
Late study
It didn't become clear to defensive end Aaron Kampman until Saturday that Detroit rookie Jonathan Scott would start at right tackle for injured Rex Tucker. Fortunately, the Packers brought along exhibition tapes of the Lions because Scott hadn't played in the first two games. Thus, Kampman was able to watch Scott on Saturday night on a tape machine set up at the team's hotel. "I was scrambling to find film on him," Kampman said. "He didn't look bad." Kampman didn't have a sack but estimated that he got at least one hand on Jon Kitna five times.
Kick start
It took awhile, but receiver Koren Robinson was able to make a significant contribution on kickoff returns. Robinson fielded three of the five kickoffs from Lions kicker Jason Hanson and averaged 28 yards per return. A week ago, he averaged 18.3 yards per return in a rather pedestrian performance against the New Orleans Saints. The Pro Bowl kick returner said he's starting to feel more comfortable with his kick return unit. "I know we're getting close," Robinson said. "If you give me a little room, I can do something special." By contrast, the Packers were able to harness talented returner Eddie Drummond on all but one of his attempts, a 44-yard kickoff return. Drummond averaged 23.4 yards on five kickoffs and 6.5 on four punt returns. "There was that one little kickoff, but we held him in check, an all-pro return guy," linebacker Ben Taylor said. "We've held them in check the past couple of weeks, with some of those guys. Reggie Bush is one of them. If we can continue to do that we'll have a pretty good year."
Oxygen, please
The long touchdown plays are fine, but if quarterback Brett Favre is going to get through the season he's going to have to tone down his celebrations. Favre ran the entire 75 yards downfield to celebrate with wide receiver Greg Jennings after his long first-quarter touchdown and paid the price for it. "I've got to stop doing it because I get so tired," Favre said. "I've got to be smarter. Mike, as I got off to the sidelines, he said, 'Great job,' he said, 'But you've got to quit running around like that,' because I couldn't even talk to him, I couldn't breathe. "I was able to recover a hell of a lot easier, I say, in the old days. But there's nothing like throwing touchdown passes and playing and making plays and competing. There's really nothing like it, and I wish I could describe it to you."
Swing and a miss
Safety Marquand Manuel had no excuse for the 37-yard touchdown pass that running back Shawn Bryson scored in the first quarter. Bryson caught a short pass over the middle and juked Manuel - the only tackler between him and the end zone - on his way to a touchdown. "He scored," Manuel said. "I missed him and he made a play. I should have made the tackle. Those things do happen." Manuel came back one series later and returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown. The play came on a deflection by cornerback Ahmad Carroll. "Ahmad made a great play, I was just running to the ball," Manuel said. "Instead of knocking it down, he tipped it up, I was in the right place at the right time."
Cameo appearance
Taylor got a chance to play some in the base defense in place of starter Brady Poppinga, who has been struggling in pass coverage. Taylor played one full series and got a chance to get reacquainted with the position. "We're just tag-teaming," Poppinga said.
Reid on Favre
Brett Favre, coming off his best game of the season, will meet up with his former quarterbacks coach and Eagles head coach Andy Reid next Monday in Philadelphia. Reid watched film of Favre Sunday night after the Eagles 38-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers and wasn’t too surprised over the veteran quarterback’s performance.
“When we got back and off the plane I came back here and I had a chance to look at some film and he is playing well right now,” Reid said. “He’s coming off a good game yesterday. He’s had a little pressure on him the games before that, where he was hit quite a little bit. But it looked like they had it figured out this last game. He can still play. He is a dangerous player. They got [WR] Koren [Robinson] into the picture here this past week so he has a couple of guys to shoot it to.”
Reid also said he had a good feeling during the off-season that Favre would return for at least another season.
“I kind of talked to him throughout the situation and I had a pretty good idea that he wanted another go around of it.”
Scores of chores still left to do
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
While Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy and his staff were feeling good about getting the new regime's first win, they returned to work Monday well aware of how much they still had to fix. Oh, McCarthy still was excited about the congratulatory call from his daughter, Alex, in Texas; still got a kick out of the balloon bouquet his neighbors left on his front porch; still enjoyed a very sound night's sleep after the team charter arrived back at Austin Straubel airport Sunday evening. But he couldn't savor the joy for too long.
"When you have time to reflect, it'll be a game that I'll always remember for a lot of different reasons. But frankly, you get right back into work," said McCarthy, one day after Sunday's 31-24 win over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field gave him his first victory as a head coach. "We've been meeting all day and we just want to get this thing cleaned up and move on to Philadelphia." -- More
No Better Building Block Than A Victory
By Mike Spofford
Packers.com
"With winning, you really have something to build on, I think as a football team we were able to grow with this victory over Detroit, where in the last two weeks I think we were just improving in some areas. We keep talking about stacking successes, and this is what I'm talking about." -- Mike McCarthy
During the season's first two weeks, the Packers had shown solid defensive line play, productivity in the passing game, and the development of some young players. But the first true building block for Head Coach Mike McCarthy was laid on Sunday with a victory, his first as a head coach and Green Bay's first in 2006. McCarthy emphasized Monday during his regular news conference that there is nothing more valuable to building toward success by getting an initial taste of it, in part because the players don't spend quite as much time concerned with the past game as looking ahead to the next challenge. -- More
Offense, defense come together for 1st victory
Packers beat Lions in Detroit 31-24
By Pete Dougherty / greenbaypressgazette.com
An old-school, ball-control West Coast offense. A veteran quarterback managing a game about as well as he ever has. A leaky defense that nevertheless scored a touchdown and got two stops when it counted. The Green Bay Packers needed it all to give rookie coach Mike McCarthy his first NFL victory on Sunday, a 31-24 decision over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. That said, the win wasn't sealed until Lions quarterback Jon Kitna's final 50-yard Hail Mary pass fell incomplete. It no doubt was a great joy and a huge relief for McCarthy, 42, to accept the game ball from his players after being blown out by Chicago in the opener and blowing an early lead against New Orleans last week. -- More
Defense must defuse situation
Explosive plays hurt Packers
By Tom Silverstein
journalsentinel.com
Big plays helped the Green Bay Packers win their first game Sunday in Detroit, but they just as easily could have been what lost it for them. Were it not for a near flawless performance from quarterback Brett Favre and his pass catchers, the story of the day at Ford Field would have been the big-play disease that continues to afflict the Packers defense. In the 31-24 victory over the Lions, the Packers gave up nine explosive plays, which by coach Mike McCarthy's definition are runs of more than 12 yards and pass completions of more than 16. Through three games, the Packers have allowed a whopping 23 explosive plays, 19 of which have come through the air. Eleven of the 23 have gone for at least 25 yards and six have gone for touchdowns. -- More
Running backs lose their grip
Fumbles pop up in key situations
By Tom Silverstein
journalsentinel.com
Fumbles could have cost the Green Bay Packers dearly Sunday, but somehow they escaped unscathed. Next week, they might not be so lucky. Running backs Ahman Green and Noah Herron both coughed up the ball in critical situations in the Packers' 31-24 victory over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field, giving them each two lost fumbles this season. Things could have been much worse, that's for sure.
-- More
Favre carves apart Detroit's defense
with barrage of short and safe passes
By Rob Demovsky / greenbaypressgazette.com"He's doing a great job of managing the game. They're asking a lot of Brett, and many people don't know that. But he's doing a great job of putting us in the right place and communicating to everybody. The guy still has it. I wouldn't care if he was out there gunslinging, but right now, he's putting us in the best position on every snap." -- Bubba Franks
This is what the Green Bay Packers' coaching staff meant when they said they wanted their quarterback to be a game manager. Brett Favre — who will go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame some day in part because of the gunslinging, free-wheeling style that led to three NFL MVP awards in the mid-1990s and a Super Bowl title — took almost no risks on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, and his team walked out of Ford Field with its first victory of the season.
Coincidence? Perhaps not. Favre didn't turn over the ball for the first time this season, settled for check-down pass after check-down pass, and nickel-and-dimed the Lions' defense to death. Oh, there was the spectacular play or two — like his improvised, 24-yard completion to Koren Robinson in the third quarter, and his audible that turned into a 75-yard touchdown to Greg Jennings — but in large part, Favre accepted the notion that first-year coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski want him to play smart, conservative football. -- More
All passing lanes are open in Detroit
Favre connects with 10 different players
By Tom Silverstein / journalsentinel.com"Bubba came out and had a great game; the last couple weeks he had not had a good game and he played well. Koren came out and made a big third-down catch. Greg came out and put up his first 100-yard game. It's a big deal. If guys do that, a lot of teams are not going to double me." -- Donald Driver
It probably seemed like a Motor City mirage for those who witnessed the Green Bay Packers defeat the Detroit Lions on Sunday with an offensive attack that featured 10 different players catching passes from quarterback Brett Favre. But it wasn't. Many of the passes weren't run-of-the-mill plays that merely lessened the distance by which the Packers would have to punt, either. They were legitimate big plays that occurred from the first quarter through the fourth in what turned out to be an equal-opportunity occasion. -- More
Favre celebrates milestone
in memorable day in Detroit
Associated Press"I enjoyed the heck out of the game. There's nothing like winning, but there's nothing like playing - period. I hate to think if I was home and didn't come back this year, what would I be thinking?" -- Brett Favre
After throwing six touchdowns in two games, Brett Favre insisted he doesn't feel vindicated by his decision to put retirement on hold. Favre is just glad he has stuck around long enough to experience the rush of playing in the NFL for at least one more season. He joined elite company with the 400th TD pass of his career, then added two more scores to lead Green Bay to a 31-24 win Sunday over Detroit - the Packers' first win of the season. -- More
Lions' Rogers kept in check
Rookie guards hold their own
By BOB McGINN / journalsentinel.com"It was tough, let me tell you. I felt like I established early in the game that I was there to play football and he'd have to play hard the whole time. Fortunately, he got tired and he would take himself out. I felt physically I wasn't getting pushed around and was getting the job done." -- Tony Moll
Shaun Rogers went on one of his patented rampages the last time the Green Bay Packers played at Ford Field and Adrian Klemm and Will Whitticker were the unlucky guards who got trampled.
That was Week 1 of 2005, a 17-3 loss for the Packers in which they could muster only 216 yards and Brett Favre was sacked four times. "If you don't get him blocked you'll have no chance of success," tackle Mark Tauscher said Sunday. "We were smart. We weren't going to let him beat us. I think we did that." The Packers triumphed, 31-24, over the Detroit Lions for many reasons, but certainly the ability of rookie guards Daryn Colledge and Tony Moll to turn aside the raging bull would be among the top five. -- More
Young blockers keep Favre 'off the ground'
Line silences mammoth Lions DT Rogers
By Brett Christopherson
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers
Looks like those rookies are starting to get the hang of this NFL thing. Despite facing a sturdy defensive front, the Green Bay Packers' offensive line — specifically rookie guards Daryn Colledge and Tony Moll — played well enough to keep quarterback Brett Favre upright and, for the most part, pressure free during Sunday's 31-24 victory over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. After yielding five sacks in the first two games, the unit didn't give up any against the Lions. Because of it, Favre enjoyed his best game of the year. Particularly impressive was Green Bay's ability to quiet 6-foot-4, 340-pound defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, a two-time Pro Bowl performer who came in with a pair of sacks and 12 tackles. Rogers posted four tackles against Green Bay but otherwise was quiet.
-- More
Starting guards still not settled
By Jason Wilde / madison.com"We'll really play the best two of the three. And when I mean the best, (I mean) whoever's playing the best at that time. Because really, their level of experience is all very similar. So we're just going to keep looking for that right combination in there." -- Mike McCarthy
To say the Green Bay Packers might have a guard "controversy" would be an overstatement. Nevertheless, they might have a decision to make this week if Jason Spitz, who started the Sept. 10 season-opening loss to Chicago, returns to practice after missing the past two games with a deep thigh bruise. That's because his replacement, Daryn Colledge, showed marked improvement during Sunday's 34-27 victory at Detroit and could hold onto the job for Monday night's game at Philadephia even if Spitz is cleared to play. In fact, coach Mike McCarthy said neither guard spot is set and any of the three rookie guards on the roster - Colledge, Spitz or Tony Moll, who has started the first three games at right guard - could get a starting nod. -- More
Alexander out with cracked bone in foot
Simms out indefinitely after surgery
Shockey contrite, Coughlin disappointed after blowup
Arrest could cost Thurman season
Cards coach noncommittal over QB choice
Trent Green thanks fans for their support
Meet Ginger
(No not one of the Spice Girls)
Washington Redskins Cheerleader
Dance/Cheerleading Experience: I have been involved with dance since I was five years old. I also performed on my high school cheerleading squad for four years.
Acting Experience: None
Pageant/Modeling Experience: None
Why did you become a cheerleader? I love dancing and performing. Cheering for the best team in the NFL is a chance of a lifetime!
What do you like about being a cheerleader? Everything! I love being a part of this amazing team of girls and working for the best team in the NFL. I love all of the hard work that goes into being the best and I know this is going to be an amazing season!
What was your most exciting moment as a Cheerleader? When my number was called at the final auditions and then having the directors introduce us on stage as the 2006 Redskins Cheerleaders!
Countries visited as a Washington Redskins Cheerleader? Dominican Republic
Education: B.A. degree from James Madison University in Early Childhood Education
Hobbies: Working out, dancing, shopping
Future Goals: To go back to school and obtain my Masters degree in Administration, and be successful in my career. I want to live life to the fullest and make my parents, God, and myself proud of all I do.
Favorites!
Food: Grilled chicken salad, chocolate chip cookies, strawberries
Music: Top 40, Country, and 80s music
Band/Singer: Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, Black-Eyed Peas, Phil Vassar
Book: The Left Behind Series, and any mystery by Mary Higgins Clark. As a teacher: "Click Clack Moo" and "The Boys Start The War"
Redskins Player: Clinton Portis
Movie: "Wedding Crashers"
TV Show: "Grey's Anatomy," "Friends"
Cartoon: Family Guy, Gummy Bears
Saying/Quote: "There is a reason for all things. Faith means we don't always have to have the answer."
Published by PackerPundit On Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at 5:44 AM.
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