The Packer Pundit

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Packers Add Offensive Linemen
To Practice Squad
The Green Bay Packers Wednesday signed a pair of offensive linemen, guard Adam Stenavich and tackle Calvin Armstrong, to their practice squad. Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations Ted Thompson made the announcement. Stenavich, a rookie who hails from Marshfield, Wis., and signed this past spring as a non-drafted free agent with the Panthers, is a 6-foot-4, 308-pound guard out of Michigan. Armstrong, Philadelphia's sixth-round choice in the 2005 NFL draft out of Washington State, is a 6-foot-7, 318-pound tackle who played in three games for Philadelphia last season.

Waiting for his "club"
Linebacker Nick Barnett, who broke his hand in the fourth quarter last Sunday, sat out Wednesday's practice and is listed as doubtful on this week's injury report. But Barnett has every intention of trying to play on Monday night with a "club" or special cast, which he hopes to test in practice later this week. "Friday I'll put it to the limit and see what happens with it," Barnett said. "It's painful, but I don't think it's painful to the point to not play a football game. "I have to talk to the doctor though. I don't know what the risks are by playing with it, so we'll see what happens." Rookie Abdul Hodge played middle linebacker in Barnett's place in practice on Wednesday and would be the starter if Barnett is unable to play. Barnett recognizes the challenge of playing with a club cast as a linebacker and the second-leading tackler on the team. It may make it more difficult for him to wrap up, and to shed blockers, but he's already picked up some pointers from defensive end and teammate Aaron Kampman, who played with a club cast during his rookie season in 2002. "You have to use that thing as a weapon," Kampman said, only half-jokingly. Barnett said the doctors have told him there's no need for surgery on the hand, though that remains a possibility should his hand become damaged any further. But at this point, Barnett doesn't know just how big a risk he'd be taking. "I don't even count this as an injury, because it's not like an inhibiting injury like I'm going to sit out or anything," he said. "It's not inhibiting me from running. I can tackle still, and I might even get a better pass rush with that club on. "I just hope I'm able to play. I'm up to it, emotionally and everything, I'm willing to do it. I just have to see what the risks are and the pain is and see if they want me to play or not." (see additional story on Barnett's injury below)

Other injuries
Offensive tackle Mark Tauscher, who missed last week's game with a groin injury, is listed as doubtful this week, though McCarthy said Tauscher is optimistic that the healing is coming along. "As far as which week (he's going to return), it's really going to depend on Mark," McCarthy said. "He's better this week than last week, but he just needs to work on getting it stronger." Also listed as doubtful this week are cornerback Will Blackmon (rib) and linebacker Ben Taylor (hamstring). Including Favre, seven players are listed as questionable -- fullback Brandon Miree (elbow), tight end David Martin (ribs), defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins (ankle), running back Vernand Morency (back), linebacker Tracy White (knee, quad) and cornerback Charles Woodson (shoulder, knee). Of those players, all but Miree and White missed the team portion of practice. Miree is recovering from the most significant injury, which has forced him to miss the last three games, but he says he's getting closer to being able to play and is hopeful for this week. Running back Ahman Green (probable, knee) sat out practice on Wednesday, as has become part of his routine this season.

Day off
McCarthy gave the team Thanksgiving Day off, so the team will have two more practices on Friday and Saturday to prepare for Monday night's game at Seattle. The players and coaches already seem anxious to return to the field and erase the memories of the shutout loss to New England last Sunday, but the day off will do the team some good. "I think this extra day is probably more important for us from a physical standpoint, because we do have a number of guys that are nicked and injured," McCarthy said. "But mentally, I wish we had probably two days shorter so we could get out there and go play again. But this extra day will really help us to get the health of our football team in better shape."







Veteran Bouman wins backup QB job
His experience in McCarthy's system was key
By Rob Demovsky / greenbaypressgazette.com
The Green Bay Packers chose Todd Bouman to be their new backup quarterback because of his experience and his previous relationship with coach Mike McCarthy. Bouman, 34, was the oldest of the three quarterbacks the Packers worked out this week, but his two seasons in New Orleans, where McCarthy was the offensive coordinator, were a major factor in the team's decision to sign him on Tuesday. Bouman took the roster spot of Aaron Rodgers, who was placed on injured reserve and is scheduled to undergo surgery later this week on his left foot, which he broke in Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots. Whether Bouman can replace Rodgers as the No. 2 quarterback for Monday night's game at Seattle will depend on how quickly Bouman can reacquaint himself with McCarthy's offense. The Packers' only other option behind Brett Favre, who is expected to play against the Seahawks despite injuring his elbow against the Patriots, is rookie Ingle Martin. The fifth-round draft pick has been the No. 3 quarterback all season and is viewed more as a developmental prospect than a guy who could play this season. "That will be the coaches' call in terms of how they want to prepare Todd," Packers General Manager Ted Thompson said. "My guess is there would be a package for him just like there would be a package for Ingle. That might be different than the package that Brett has." -- More



Bouman Learning On The Fly
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com
Posted 11/22/2006
Quarterback Todd Bouman's crash course in the Packers' offense began Tuesday night. On the highway, riding shotgun. With his wife driving to Green Bay and his kids in the back seat, Bouman was watching film of the Packers on his laptop computer to prepare for Wednesday and his first practice with his new team. The whirlwind week began for Bouman, the Packers new backup quarterback, when he received a call from his agent Sunday night at home in Buffalo, Minn., hours after Brett Favre was knocked out of that day's game with an elbow injury and backup Aaron Rodgers had broken his foot, ending his season. He flew to Green Bay on Monday for a workout, signed on Tuesday morning, and flew back home to pack up some clothes and get his family. Then on the drive back to Green Bay, he began to re-familiarize himself via film footage with Head Coach Mike McCarthy's offense, which is similar in the passing and protection schemes to what he learned in 2003-04 in New Orleans, where McCarthy was his offensive coordinator. "It's been a little hectic, but we got everything together and I'm excited to be here," said Bouman as he talked with reporters at his locker on Wednesday. "I'm pretty familiar with the offense. For the most part when I picked up the playbook and started looking at it, everything looks pretty familiar, so it's just a matter of getting comfortable with it, calling the play, dropping back and just being able to react instead of thinking about what everybody is doing." -- More







Tauscher's injury still lingering
By TOM SILVERSTEIN / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Nov. 22, 2006
The Green Bay Packers expect to go a second straight week without right tackle Mark Tauscher and are preparing for him to be out much longer. Tauscher has reported making progress on his injured groin, but he is listed as doubtful. With this type of injury, a long recovery period is expected if there isn't major improvement within the first 10 days to two weeks. Since injuring his groin against the Minnesota Vikings Nov. 12, Tauscher has not been able to practice, and his place on the offensive line has been taken by rookie Tony Moll. Tauscher has been confident all along that he will be able to get back fairly soon, but the doctors are taking a cautious approach because it is the kind of injury that can linger for a long time. "His view is different than the doctor's, but I think Friday that will be something we'll talk more about," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday. "He feels like it's coming along. I don't recall exactly how they described it, (but) it's a pull that needs to strengthen as he moves forward. "As far as which week, it's really going to depend upon Mark. He's better this week than last week, but he just needs to work on getting it stronger." The Packers have not been able to run the ball the last two weeks, and Tauscher's return would help a lot in that regard. Moll is playing hard, but he doesn't have the strength or the know-how to be consistent, especially in the running game. McCarthy has expressed confidence that Moll will get better now that he's focused on playing just right tackle. Earlier in the year, he was playing just guard, and then guard and tackle. Now he has his assignment and is being schooled in it every day. Against the Patriots last Sunday, Moll didn't fall apart. -- More







Barnett hopes pain goes away
Hodge poised to step in if broken hand
keeps middle linebacker on sideline
By TOM SILVERSTEIN / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Nov. 22, 2006

"I finally heard it go, 'Pop, pop'. It still does that when I move my hand now. That's when I knew it was broke. I've never had anything broken before, so I knew it was broke by then." -- Nick Barnett

The injury report says that Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett is doubtful, but Barnett says he has little doubt about being able to play with a splint and a padded "club" on his broken hand. "If I'm able to go, I'm definitely going," Barnett said. "There's no question about that. We'll find out late in the week. Right now, I can kind of grip with it, but there's pain in there. "If I can put a cast on it and not feel (pain), then I'm going to play. It's going to be painful, I guess. It's just the level and tolerance of pain I can play through." Barnett broke his hand late in the game Sunday against the New England Patriots. He isn't sure exactly when it happened because he felt pain on one play and then was able to return a series later and perform without any problems. -- More







Favre Confident He'll Be Fine
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com
Posted 11/22/2006
Quarterback Brett Favre is still feeling tingling in the last two fingers of his throwing hand, and as of Wednesday afternoon he can't throw the football exactly how he'd like to. But he says there's no pain in his elbow, and he expects to play on Monday night at Seattle and keep his consecutive starts streak in tact. "At this point I'm confident I'll be OK," Favre said at his news conference. Favre took a shot to the ulnar nerve in his right elbow while getting sacked last Sunday against New England late in the second quarter and missed the rest of the game. Favre revealed on Wednesday that his elbow was knocked by the cast on Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi's right hand. With Tully Banta-Cain holding Favre's legs, Bruschi finished the sack with an upper body tackle. Television angles didn't show Bruschi's casted hand hitting Favre's elbow and only showed the elbow hitting the ground as Favre went down. "There was nowhere to go, and I just saw him coming and tried to protect the ball, and when he came in, the cast on his right hand caught me just perfect on the nerve," Favre said. "The cast kind of makes more sense, because otherwise I thought it was like he poked me or a knuckle or something caught me. As bad as it felt I figured he had to break a knuckle or something, but he had a cast on his hand." -- More




Awaiting Favre's response
QB has had success following injuries
By TOM SILVERSTEIN / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Nov. 22, 2006

"I can grip the ball OK, but how it comes out, I have to kind of think about it a little more than I would winging it, so that at this point is a concern." -- Brett Favre

Beyond the question of whether Brett Favre plays Monday night against the Seattle Seahawks - is there anyone who thinks he won't? - is the matter of whether he can be an effective quarterback a week after suffering a blow to the ulnar nerve in his right elbow. If history is the measure, the Green Bay Packers iron man not only will be present and accounted for, he will be on top of his game. Four of the five previous times Favre has not been able to finish a game because of injury, he has come back to win the following week, in some cases playing lights out. Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren was around for the most memorable of them - a five-touchdown performance against the Chicago Bears on Nov. 12, 1995, when Favre had his sprained ankle taped so tightly it looked like he was wearing a cast. Through the years, Favre has consistently answered the bell and then rung it with authority following an injury. In the five "game-afters," he has completed a cumulative 61.4% of his passes for 1,244 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions, good for a passer rating of 97.5. It's a trend the 4-6 Packers need to continue after suffering a humiliating 35-0 loss to the New England Patriots, but it's not a sure thing to continue given Favre is 37 and he is about to face the defending NFC champions. -- More







Don't write off Rodgers
By Tom Oates / madison.com
With Brett Favre still experiencing numbness in his hand, the question of the week in Green Bay is: Who will play quarterback for the Packers Monday night at Seattle? A better question might be: Who will play quarterback when, or if, Favre ever retires? Many fans already have decided that Aaron Rodgers, last year's first-round draft pick, isn't the man to succeed Favre and that the Packers need to draft another quarterback. Rodgers' ineffective relief performance against New England Sunday only fueled the notion that he's not the quarterback of the future. Still, you should know that Packers coach Mike McCarthy, a respected quarterback tutor in NFL circles, doesn't agree with you. Even though Rodgers was shut down for the season after breaking his foot Sunday, the first-year coach has no problem pinning his future on the second-year quarterback. "Physically, I have no questions at all about Aaron's ability," McCarthy said Wednesday. "I think he has plenty of physical ability to be a top quarterback in this league. Mentally, he's very bright. ... The one thing you never know is if they can lead them and if they can handle the everyday grind of it. Durability, that's a hurdle he'll have to overcome." McCarthy, who doesn't think Rodgers is injury-prone, said he won't really know about Rodgers until "he gets in there and does it on an everyday basis. "But I'm glad he's here, I'll say that. I'm glad he's a Green Bay Packer and I look forward to moving forward with him in the future." McCarthy is correct on one count: No one knows at this point if Rodgers can be a top NFL quarterback. It's simply too early to tell based on his scant playing time. -- More








Meet Jennifer
Carolina Panthers
Cheerleader

TopCat Season: 1st
Hometown: Richmond, VA
Education: Radford University and Virginia Commonwealth University
Occupation: Dance Educator
Future Goal: Get married and raise a family, run a marathon and obtain master's degree and doctorate in education
Hobbies: Ballet, shopping, traveling and working out
Favorite Charity: March of Dimes
Favorite TV Show: Desperate Housewives and SportsCenter
Favorite Food: Mom's chicken divan, Dad's goulash, and ice cream
Favorite Music: Anything I can dance to
Favorite Quote: I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there's purpose and worth to each and every life.
Most Important Thing In Life: Faith, family and friends
Achievements: Graduating with bachelor's degree in dance education, dean's list member at Radford University and Virginia Commonwealth University, Radford University Rockers dance team, American College Dance Festival Association participant, and making the TopCats