The Packer Pundit

Favre sits out practice
The Packers’ first bye-week practice Tuesday did not include quarterback Brett Favre and a handful of other veteran and injured players. Backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers took most of the reps in practice in place of Favre. Other players held out of practice were: running back Ahman Green, fullback Brandon Miree, linebacker Abdul Hodge, linebacker Ben Taylor, left tackle Chad Clifton, defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins, receiver Donald Driver and receiver Robert Ferguson. Favre had been bothered by a sore neck and shoulder before last week’s loss to the St. Louis Rams.

Blackmon Returns???
Rookie cornerback Will Blackmon returned to practice but still wasn’t able to fully participate due to the foot injury that has kept him out since May. Blackmon said he’s hopeful he’ll be ready to return in time for the Packers’ next game, at Miami on Oct. 22. The Packers are scheduled to practice through Thursday before taking a three-day weekend.

Bye-week R&R: Rest and rededication
If nothing else, the Green Bay Packers must use their bye week to maintain whatever progress their undermanned team has made in its 1-4 start. That means making the offensive line's sound performance in the new zone-blocking run game against St. Louis on Sunday into a starting point rather than a high point. With rookies Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz and Tony Moll sharing time at two guard spots, and with a new run-blocking scheme, this where the Packers are likely to progress most as the season goes on. Coach Mike McCarthy's return to the basics of the Packers' offense and defense for this bye week includes repetitious drilling of the details, techniques and reads in the zone-blocking system that finally opened holes with consistency against the Rams on Sunday.

Green still Number 1
Mike McCarthy made it clear Monday that Ahman Green remains the No. 1 halfback despite the significant improvement the running game made without him in Sunday's loss to the St. Louis Rams. Green is averaging only 3.7 yards a carry. No. 3 halfback Noah Herron averaged 5.3 yards and gained 106 yards against St. Louis, but also had far superior blocking than anything Green has received this season. However, McCarthy also suggested Green's nagging hamstring problems after major offseason quadriceps surgery might force him to limit Green's work. He's considering reducing Green's touches to about 15 carries or receptions per game from about 25.

"We need to make a play!"
Coach Mike McCarthy continued to preach Monday that the Green Bay Packers aren't that far from winning, pointing to the game-deciding fumble in Sunday's 23-30 loss to St. Louis as an illustration of their shortcomings this season. On that final offensive play, down by three points and with the ball at the Rams' 11-yard line with 44 seconds to play, the Packers seemingly were a cinch to either tie or win the game. The Rams blew coverage on tight end David Martin, one of the primary receivers, and left him uncovered in the end zone. However, rookie guard Tony Moll was slow to trade off with center Scott Wells on a stunt on the inside of the line, putting defensive pressure in quarterback Brett Favre's face. When defensive end Leonard Little slipped past right tackle Mark Tauscher, Favre had nowhere to step up for an extra second to throw, and Little stripped the ball from Favre's hand. The Rams recovered and the Packers fell to 1-4. "You need to stay in touch with why we're 1-4 as opposed to 2-3 and don't overreact but also don't underreact." McCarthy said.


Extra points
Eleven players did not practice Tuesday: Woodson (knee); quarterback Brett Favre (rest); left tackle Chad Clifton (shoulder, knees); wide receivers Donald Driver (ribs, hip) and Robert Ferguson (foot); halfback Ahman Green (hamstrings); fullback Brandon Miree (eye); linebackers Abdul Hodge (knee) and Ben Taylor (hamstring) and defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins (ankle). Punter Jon Ryan was absent from practice for a personal matter. The players posed for the team picture Tuesday.





Jaguars
Agree
to Terms
with Carroll
Associated Press
Cornerback Ahmad Carroll agreed to terms with the Jaguars on Tuesday, a week after he was waived by the Green Bay Packers. Carroll was expected to sign a contract Wednesday, giving the Jaguars depth behind starters Rashean Mathis and Brian Williams and nickel back Terry Cousin. Backup cornerback Scott Starks sprained an ankle against the New York Jets on Sunday, but he wasn't expected to miss any games. The Packers waived Carroll less than 24 hours after his inconsistent performance against Philadelphia on Oct. 2. A 2004 first-round draft pick by Green Bay, Carroll broke up three passes and had a sack. But he also got burned for two touchdowns, was flagged for pass interference and called for holding. Jacksonville is expected to place linebacker Mike Peterson on injured reserve Wednesday to make room for Carroll. Carroll has 104 tackles, three sacks, three interceptions and 26 passes defended in 34 career games. He also has returned 21 kickoffs for 421 yards. -- Story





Robinson asks NFL to delay appeal hearing
He wants Minnesota case resolved before
league rules on suspension
By Rob Demovsky
greenbaypressgazette.com
Green Bay Packers receiver Koren Robinson has asked the NFL to delay the appeal hearing of his suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy until his criminal charges in Minnesota are resolved. Robinson's lawyer, David Cornwell, said Monday he has filed the request with the league office and is waiting to hear its response. Robinson, 26, is facing a one-year ban from the NFL, and Cornwell said the only basis for the suspension is Robinson's arrest in August near Mankato, Minn., on several alcohol- and traffic-related charges. The league notified Robinson of his suspension within the last two weeks, but the appeal allowed him to continue playing. "We've moved to stay the (appeal) hearing until after the Minnesota criminal matter is resolved," Cornwell said Monday. "The sole basis for the league asserting that Koren violated the substance-abuse policy is the charges in Minnesota, and it would be blatantly unfair — in fact, it would be a violation of Koren's constitutional rights — to treat those charges as evidence for the purpose of disciplining him under the NFL's drug policy." -- More







Guarded hope: Position has improved
By BOB McGINN / journalsentinel.com

"I feel good about the future of the position, I really do. We're coming along. I see development. I also see a lot of room for improvement from everybody." -- Offensive Line Coach Joe Philbin

It's still too early to say the Green Bay Packers are safely past the crisis stage when it comes to finding suitable replacements at guard for Mike Wahle and Marco Rivera. But for the first time in the 1½ years since their leave-taking, it appears the Packers might have something more than unsubstantiated optimism to fill the gaping holes in their offensive line.
-- More



Holes Opening Up For Ground Game
By Mike Spofford
Packers.com
Offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski admits he's impatient himself at times, but to anyone who has asked about the progress of the Packers' new zone-blocking scheme, he has insisted it's just a matter of time before the holes, and production of the run game, will come. That time may have begun to arrive last Sunday. Against the St. Louis Rams, the Packers offensive line had perhaps its best day with the zone blocking, consistently opening up holes for Noah Herron to rush 20 times for 106 yards. His 5.3-yard average per carry was the Packers' highest for a featured back over the past four games by a yard-and-a-half. "I've been telling you guys from week to week to week it's getting better and better and better," Jagodzinski told a group of reporters earlier this week. "We're going to continue to get better, and it's going to get faster, and it's going to get more fundamentally sound. "There were some nice holes, the guys did a nice job up front, run-blocking (Sunday). But that's what we do. I told you guys it's going to come along, and it's starting to."
-- More



Backups produce in Green's place
By Jason Wilde / madison.com

"He's got a lot of football left in him. I believe he's a difference maker when he's in there,(But) we need to be real about what's going on here. We're talking about accountability and availability, and right now, his availability hasn't existed the last two weeks." -- Mike McCarthy

As Ahman Green theoretically uses the bye week to get back to full health, the Green Bay Packers find themselves with an interesting conundrum regarding their one-time franchise halfback. How much can they count on Green, who has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury and is coming up on the one-year anniversary of suffering a ruptured quadriceps tendon? And in the spirit of playing young players, might they be better off giving Noah Herron and Vernand Morency more playing time during the second part of the season? Coach Mike McCarthy's two favorite buzzwords are accountability and availability. And when the idea was floated this week of playing Herron and Morency more, McCarthy maintained Green remains his No. 1 back but also admitted Green hasn't lived up to the second half of the equation. -- More






Meet Jordan
San Francisco 49ers Cheerleader

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Current Occupation: Full time student, part time receptionist, and part time jazz and hip-hop dance instructor

Long term career goal: To become a translator

Most prized possession: The values I have learned from my mom and dad (Edit: Ummmm... technically that's not a possession)

Hobbies: Playing my keyboard, listening to records, renting and going to the movies and eating

Favorite Food: Chocolate (Duh?)

Favorite Movie: Kill Bill 1 and 2 (What???)

Favorite Author: Elisabeth Kubler Ross (Who???)

Favorite song to dance to: Brazillian Beats (Huh???)

Years on the Gold Rush: 2

Best Word that describes you: Stubborn

What most people don’t know about you: I love classic rock and my favorite band is the Beatles.

Something I have always wanted to learn: How to sing

Hidden Talents: I can speak Spanish.

Favorite thing about the Bay Area: You can drive to the snow and drive to the beach.

(Edit: One final note... Don't make this hawtie mad or you'll be... 'crossing Jordan'... snicker snicker)