The Packer Pundit: 10/20/2006

« Home | 10/19/2006 »

10/20/2006

Green rested, ready to go
The bye week rest helped Ahman Green recover. "He's running with power in practice; I like the way he's taking it up inside," offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said. "He had some really nice runs in practice this week. As soon as we get him doing it the real way, we'll find out pretty quick. I have a lot of confidence in him right now." Green said he had noticed gradual improvement every day and sounded optimistic that he was back to his old playing form. "I wouldn't be out there if I didn't (feel that way), period."
(See related story belwow)

Tropical dome
sun The Packers had the heat turned up for practice Thursday in the Don Hutson Center and a few players wore knit caps and full heavy sweats to try to prepare for the warmer South Florida climate. "Any time another team goes down south, it'll factor in," Jagodzinski said. "It's like a southern team coming up north later in the season. It needs to be addressed and then we have to just go down there and play." The weather could also affect the running back rotation. It is rare, but running in hot humid air can cause Green to cramp up or aggravate his asthma if he's carrying a big workload. So it is likely that Herron and Morency will also play. "It's going to be hot," Herron said. "We're not used to this. We're going to need all three of us." "Talking about the weather, we're going to have to play some folks in there because it will take a toll," Jagodzinski said. "They'll both be in there. It just depends, how the weather goes and how the guy is running. Our biggest thing has been ball security; that's the main thing we've had our focus on, and guys making plays at the end, be willing to make a play the last play of the game to win it."

Terrorist relief
The terrorist threats to some NFL stadiums, including Miami, turned out to be a hoax, but two Packers didn't seem concerned anyway. "I didn't hear about it, but that's tough; that's the reality we're living in these days," linebacker A.J. Hawk said. "If you think about it, any type of game, college, pro or whatever, would be a target." Said fellow linebacker Brady Poppinga: "It's not in my control, so I am not going to worry about it. But I hope they don't do it. Man, that would suck. I am sure they're going to do everything . . . to make it secure, have dogs sniffing around, have high security. . . . But again, it's out of my control, so I am not going to waste any energy worrying about it.

Ferguson update
McCarthy said through a team spokesman that injured receiver Robert Ferguson went through additional tests on Thursday and no decision was made on Ferguson's future. Doctors believe Ferguson has damage to his Lisfranc joint, a joint that connects several bones in the foot. It could be a season-ending injury that would require surgery, but the Packers have been putting Ferguson through a series of tests all week. Packers defensive tackle Kenderick Allen sustained a similar injury earlier this season and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. Chicago Bears safety Mike Brown sustained a similar injury, and on Thursday he was placed on season-ending injured reserve. Even if Ferguson returns this season, it's not likely to be for at least another month.

Injury Report
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said the team has had to work through the absence of key members of the special teams. Linebackers Abdul Hodge (knee) and Ben Taylor (hamstring) are both doubtful for the game despite the extra week off. "Any time you have core players that you lose off your special teams, you have to adjust. But, I feel good about the direction our special teams are going," he said. McCarthy said he's stocking more bigger players in the tight end and fullback positions to offset loses in the coverage units. "With that in mind, I think we're overcoming their absence right now," he said. Other players that missed practice Wednesday were Robert Ferguson (foot), DT Cullen Jenkins (hamstring) and Charles Woodson (knee). Ferguson is out, Jenkins is doubtful and Woodson is questionable for Sunday's game. McCarthy said Woodson's quadriceps muscle tightened on him after warmups. Also on the injury report were RB Ahman Green (hamstring), FB William Henderson (calf) and CB Will Blackmon (shin). All three practiced, and McCarthy said Blackmon needs more practice before being thrust into coverage situations. "It's really a two-fold in my mind. No. 1 is his health where he feels like he can fire away. And second thing, he needs to get a little more comfortable to compete at that level," McCarthy said. "He hasn't had a lot of time to do that, but he's out there competing."

Oft-injured back gets green light
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
Green432 The offensive line is starting to look like it knows what it's doing, and halfback Ahman Green is rested and apparently healthy. No wonder everyone associated with the Green Bay Packers' running game - coach Mike McCarthy, offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski and Green himself - is looking forward to Sunday in Miami. "(I'm) just as anxious as when the season started because it was my first time to play football in a long time," Green said Thursday after practicing in full pads for the third time this week. "I just can't wait to get back out there, period." It does seem as if Green has spent a lot of time on the sideline. Green is coming up on the one-year anniversary of the season-ending ruptured quadriceps tendon he suffered in his right leg last Oct. 23 in a loss at Minnesota, and he missed the Packers' Oct. 2 loss at Philadelphia and their Oct. 8 loss to St. Louis with a hamstring injury this season. In fact, he had been having problems with both hamstrings before the team's Sept. 24 victory at Detroit. -- More

Robinson's deal also suspended
By Rob Demovsky
greenbaypressgazette.com
The Green Bay Packers could have receiver Koren Robinson through the 2008 season, if they want him. Because Robinson on Tuesday was given a one-year ban by the NFL for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, his contract is suspended along with him. Robinson signed a two-year contract when he joined the Packers last month and his suspension means the remainder of the 2006 contract will begin when — or if — he is reinstated in 2007. He is eligible for reinstatement no sooner than Sept. 18, 2007. The original 2007 contract year is pushed back to 2008. In the NFL's written policy and program for substance, under the section in which it explains the procedures for players suspended for one year, it reads "During the player's period of banishment, his contract with an NFL club shall be tolled," which means put on hold. Robinson was scheduled to be paid a base salary of $585,000 this season and $595,000 next season. The second year of the contract contained performance-based incentives. Robinson will lose out on $378,529.41 this season. -- More

Video: Brett Favre on Koren Robinson's suspension

Packers, Bates settle on buyout
By Rob Demovsky
greenbaypressgazette.com
Bates The Green Bay Packers paid Jim Bates a lump sum of about $1.1 million in July, even though the former defensive coordinator turned down at least one other job in the NFL and is out of coaching. In a telephone interview on Thursday, Bates confirmed he and the Packers reached a settlement this summer but refused to divulge the details. Through interviews with various NFL sources, the Press-Gazette learned how the settlement went down, the terms of it and why the Packers felt compelled to pay him. When the Packers passed over Bates for their head coach job in January, they agreed to fulfill his contract, but did so knowing he would be a hot commodity and almost certainly would get a job as a defensive coordinator with another team, if not a head coach job. That would mean the Packers would be off the hook for most, if not all, of his annual base salary, which was about $900,000. Bates, who was under contract with the Packers through the 2007 season, was offered at least one defensive coordinator position — with the St. Louis Rams. Bates turned that job down, because he thought he was in line for the same position with the Dallas Cowboys, which might have been a better stepping stone to a head coaching job, but the job in Dallas surprisingly fell through. -- More
(See Story on Failing Packers Defense below)

Improving Packers walk the line to success
Green Bay's youngsters show signs of progress
By ROB REISCHEL
Special to Packer Plus
Posted: Oct. 18, 2006
Colledge12 Daryn Colledge remembers sitting in meetings this summer and during the start of the 2006 season. And like the rest of Green Bay's offensive linemen, Colledge's ears were often left burning. "They got on us pretty good," said Colledge, a rookie guard. "And they had every reason too." That's for sure. Green Bay's offensive line - one that was breaking in three new interior starters - lacked cohesion, structure and results. Slowly but surely, though, the group is gaining its footing. And the tone in the meeting room has changed a bit. "We're getting some positive reinforcement from the coaches and they're letting us know we're doing better," Colledge said. "For us, we feel like we're heading in the right direction." Few would argue. In Green Bay's most recent outing, a 23-20 loss to St. Louis in Week 5, the offensive line was outstanding. Noah Herron ran for 106 yards on 20 carries. But there were some immense running lanes, and a back with more explosion and burst would have likely had far more yardage than Herron did. As it was, the Packers finished with a season-high 121 yards rushing. The line allowed two sacks of Favre, including one on the Packers' final offensive play that led to a lost fumble which clinched the game for St. Louis. But those were the first sacks allowed by Green Bay since Week 2. Perhaps more than any other unit on the football team, the Packers' offensive line has grown by leaps and bounds. -- More

Return game in flux
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
Mike Stock was auditioning kickoff and punt returners Thursday as if it was an open casting-call for "American Idol." With primary kickoff returner Koren Robinson having begun his one-year suspension and punt returner Charles Woodson questionable for Sunday's game at Miami with a knee injury, Stock, the Green Bay Packers' special teams coordinator, tried out just about everyone but nimble right tackle Mark Tauscher. While backup halfbacks Vernand Morency and Noah Herron are the leading candidates on kickoffs because starting running back Ahman Green is expected to play, cornerback Will Blackmon and third and fourth wide receivers Ruvell Martin and Chris Francies also returned kicks. On punts, starting wideout Greg Jennings took the bulk of the reps, but Blackmon, Martin and Francies also caught a few, with Blackmon getting the most balls of that threesome. Why all the tryouts? Stock said it's because he's not sure who will be active against the Dolphins. "It depends on who's going to be up and who's going to be down," Stock said. "I don't have any druthers. Whoever dresses, that's who's going to be back there. So I won't really know until we get closer to game time." -- More

First downs,
worst downs for Green Bay
Offense, defense
need to start better
By ROB REISCHEL
Special to Packer Plus
Posted: Oct. 18, 2006
Bubba Franks wasn't aware of the numbers. Neither was Mark Tauscher, Cullen Jenkins or A.J. Hawk. When informed, none of the Green Bay Packers were all too pleased. First down, the play that sets the tone for coordinators everywhere, hasn't been kind to the Packers on either side of the ball. Offensively, Green Bay is averaging just 4.04 yards per play on first down, a figure that ranks 29th in the NFL. Defensively, the Packers are allowing a whopping 6.46 yards per play on first down, which ranks 31st. Those struggles have made it harder for the offense to keep drives alive and tougher for the defense to make stops. "I wasn't aware of that statistic," Jenkins said. "I guess we been messing up pretty bad there. We need to buckle it up on first down and limit that. "We got to work on that first play. That sets up second and short, third and short. We got to get better with that." -- More

Defense has regressed under Sanders
New coordinator under some fire
By ROB REISCHEL
Special to Packer Plus
Posted: Oct. 18, 2006
sanders332 What about Bob? This is one of the first questions being asked these days by Packer Nation. Whether it's Internet chat rooms, talk radio or via a simple conversation with the guy on the next bar stool, Green Bay fans seem to be wondering two things when it comes to beleaguered defensive coordinator Bob Sanders. First, why has Green Bay's defense regressed immensely under the guidance of Sanders? Second, does Sanders have the knowledge and communication skills to spearhead a revival? Of the dozen or so Green Bay players surveyed recently, none had a solution to question No. 1. When it came to the second query, though, they all seemed to have faith in Sanders. "Coach Sanders isn't the problem," Packers defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins said. "I just think he's new. It's his first time doing this and I think he has some adjusting to do.
-- More

Rayner,
Coverage Team Getting Job Done On Kickoffs
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com
posted 10/19/2006
Rayner121 Coming into the season, kicker Dave Rayner's leg strength was no secret, particularly on kickoffs. After all, he spent an entire season as a kickoff specialist for Indianapolis in 2005. But the Packers have combined that leg strength with a solid kickoff coverage unit that more often than not is giving the Packers defense better field position than a year ago. So far in 2006, the opponents' average drive start after a Packers kickoff is the 23.3-yard line, which ranks fourth in the NFC and eighth in the league. That's a vast improvement over last season, when opponents started drives after kickoffs at the 28.9-yard line, which ranked tied for 21st in the league. Special teams coordinator Mike Stock stopped far short of praising the unit just five games into the season, but he feels the potential for the group to climb even closer to the league's best is starting to show. "No soft spots, no creases, no balls out past the 30-yard line, those are the goals we need to shoot for every time we line up to kick it off," Stock said. "If we can knock them down a couple more yards, then that will be worth talking about. Up to this point in time, we still have a ways to go." -- More

Second chance dandy to Dendy
Cornerback might fill in for Woodson
By LORI NICKEL
journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 19, 2006
Dendy77 It could not end like this. Not after beating up his body in a gym as one friend after another headed off to the National Football League. But it almost ended before it began for Green Bay cornerback Patrick Dendy. On the first day of training camp, a sweltering hot and humid Friday evening, Dendy made a stunning interception in practice. Dendy's instincts told him to turn back to make a play for a ball and when he did, he and the receiver climbed on top of each other. Dendy won it. "Oh, man," secondary coach Kurt Schottenheimer thought. The play was a real head-turner. But Dendy's shoe slipped off. Without protection, he crashed to the ground and sprained his right ankle. He missed nearly all of training camp. With Charles Woodson and Al Harris locked up as the big name cornerbacks, Ahmad Carroll the third cornerback and Jason Horton and Mike Hawkins all playing ahead of him, Dendy did not make the final roster cut. -- More