The Packer Pundit

Pickett hurts ankle, not at practice today
Packers defensive tackle Ryan Pickett didn’t practice today because he sustained a foot injury in practice on Wednesday. The Packers added Pickett to their injury report as probable, meaning it's a virtual certainty that he will be available for normal duty against the Bears. Pickett said he will undergo further examinations on Friday. Receiver Donald Driver (shoulder) took part in only the individual portion of practice, but offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said he expected to Driver to play Sunday against the Bears.

Plenty of incentive for Green
If Green Bay running back Ahman Green can get just 12 rushing yards Sunday night at Chicago, he'll have 1,000 this season. That would be his sixth 1,000-yard rushing season as a Packer, a team record. He would surpass Jim Taylor, who had five 1,000-yard rushing seasons in his Green Bay career. When Green signed a one-year contract before this season, one of the incentives was an additional $500,000 if he could get 950 rushing yards. He's already earned that. But there is another incentive: If he has a big game against the Bears and rushes for at least 162 yards, he'll have 1,150 for the year. And that will net him another $500,000.

Red zone work
Wells said the Packers had devoted extra time this week to work inside the 20-yard line on offense. Whether it was team work or scripting plays, they've been in the red zone a lot in practice. "It's not really the play-calling that's the problem down there, it's the execution," Wells said. "I look at the past two games in particular. We got into the red zone where we had a penalty that made it second and long, third and long, or has eliminated a positive play. We had a screen that got us down inside the 5 and we had a holding call that brought it back. Or you fumble the ball going in. We've hurt ourselves in there. It's not that the plays aren't good. It's just stupid things, mental errors." Both receivers Greg Jennings and Ruvell Martin might have expanded roles as the Packers continue to try to find ways to score. The Bears have kept Favre from throwing a touchdown pass in the last three meetings. "We're not going to give up on the red zone just because it's Week 17," Martin said. "It is something you're going to continuously work on until you find a way to fix it."

Double duty
Offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzonski is looking forward to taking over as head coach at Boston College after the season but he's still engrossed with the Packers. So for the moment, Boston College comes second to Packers vs. Bears. It helps that the recruiting period doesn't start again until mid-January, so Jagodzinski is in no rush to end the NFL season. In fact, it would help him in recruiting if the Packers reached the playoffs because of the additional exposure for his offense. "I'm looking forward to that challenge (at Boston College) but I really want to do the most I can here to help us win and get into the playoffs," Jagodzinski said. "The thing about the NFC, there's a lot of teams right there." Whenever the Packers season ends, Jagodzinski will take a day or two in Green Bay to complete his work and pack up for good. His first objective is to hire a staff. He has people in mind but doesn't want to do any hiring based on phone interviews; he wants face time with candidates.






Packers
Questionable: S Atari Bigby (hamstring); linebacker Abdul Hodge (shoulder), TE David Martin (ribs).
Probable: WR Donald Driver (shoulder), RB Ahman Green (knee), DT Ryan Pickett (foot), CB Charles Woodson (shoulder)
Only Diver and Pickett missed practice

Bears
Questionable: RB Jason McKie (ankle), CB Charles Tillman (back).
Probable: DT Alfonso Boone (toe), LB Leon Joe (hamstring), RB Thomas Jones (ankle), T John Tait (ankle).
McKie, Tillman and Boone missed practice






Packers Must Limit Hester's Running Room
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com
Posted 12/28/2006
Head Coach Mike McCarthy's initial response to the question of slowing down Chicago return specialist Devin Hester was blunt and to-the-point. "Well, don't kick the ball down the middle of the field is probably a good starting point," he said. That's not a cure-all approach, but as McCarthy said it's at least a place to begin, and there's certainly some value in trying it. Hester, the Bears' rookie second-round draft choice out of Miami, has a whopping six return touchdowns this season. He burst onto the scene with an 84-yard punt return for a score at Lambeau Field in the season opener and has only become more dangerous since. He returned a punt 83 yards for the winning touchdown against Arizona and another 45 yards for the go-ahead score against Minnesota. His NFL record 108-yard return of a missed field goal against the New York Giants put that game out of reach, and his 94- and 96-yard kickoff returns to paydirt against St. Louis answered potential rallies by the Rams. As McCarthy surely knows, the common denominator in virtually all of Hester's big returns this season is that he fielded the kicks in the middle of the field. It's becoming special-teams suicide to give a returner with Hester's breakaway speed that much space to work with. "He's a north-south guy, and when you've got speed like that and can get through that first wave ...," said veteran long snapper Rob Davis, who didn't need to finish the thought. "We just have to try to keep him off-balance as to where we're going to put the ball." That puts a lot of pressure on punter Jon Ryan and kicker Dave Rayner to have their directional skills honed. But there's a risk in either instance. -- More



Packers better off in the dark
By Tom Oates / wsj.com
Green Bay cornerback Charles Woodson is like many of his teammates when it comes to the Packers' playoff chances entering the final weekend of the NFL season. He's out of the loop. "I wish we were 15-0 and we knew exactly what was going on," Woodson said Wednesday. Unfortunately, the Packers are 7-8 and have no idea what's going on. No one involved in the five-team scrum that will determine the final NFC playoff spot does. By the time the Packers play the rival Chicago Bears Sunday night at Solider Field, however, they will know exactly where they stand. A playoff berth will be within their reach or they will be eliminated. There was a surge of energy in the locker room after the Packers returned from a long weekend in better playoff shape than when they left. But what will happen if they find out an hour before kickoff they've been eliminated? Will they be deflated upon hearing the news that their first season under coach Mike McCarthy has only 60 minutes to go? "I don't see that happening," cornerback Al Harris said. Others aren't so sure, which is why they're taking precautions to stay in the dark. "I personally don't plan on finding out, unless somebody tells me," center Scott Wells said. "Honestly, I don't want to know. I just want to go out there and play and play to win and not add any more stress to the situation. It's an intense game. It doesn't need any more fuel to the fire." But remaining in the dark will be easier said than done. That's why the Packers are trying to reduce the potential for mass deflation by focusing on other positives that would come with a victory. They would finish 8-8, doubling last year's victory total. They would close with four straight wins and hope the momentum carries over into a strong 2007 season, repeating a pattern from former coach Mike Sherman's first two years. They would regain some of the ground they've lost to the Bears, runaway winners of the North Division and, at 13-2, owners of the NFC's best record. More important, they finally would beat a team with a winning record. -- More






Driver stops in Hawaii
Wide receiver earns place among elite
By ROB REISCHEL / Special to Packer Plus
Posted: Dec. 27, 2006
If anyone ever doubted Donald Driver's legitimacy as a Pro Bowl wide receiver, Green Bay's 9-7 victory against Minnesota last Thursday night should be required viewing. The Packers' ground game could get nothing started against the Vikings' top-ranked run defense and averaged just 1.9 yards per carry. Green Bay tight end Bubba Franks couldn't hold onto the ball. And rookie wide receiver Greg Jennings looked lost. About the only weapon at quarterback Brett Favre's disposal was Driver. But that was all the Packers needed. Despite the fact Minnesota covered Driver with two and three men at times, Favre fired 17 passes in Driver's direction. Driver caught nine of those for 99 yards and simply added to what's been the best season of his career. "I don't know where this offense would be without (Driver)," wide receiver Ruvell Martin said. "He's been fantastic." Martin won't get any arguments. Driver's 89 receptions and 1,272 yards are career-highs. And this marks the third consecutive season he's set personal bests in both of those categories. In a crowded Pro Bowl field, Driver beat out higher profile players such as Dallas' Terrell Owens and Detroit's Roy Williams for a spot. And Driver will join Carolina's Steve Smith, Arizona's Anquan Boldin and St. Louis' Torry Holt in the game. Driver was voted a Pro Bowl alternate in 2002, then played in the game after Randy Moss sat it out with injury. This time, though, Driver was voted into the game for the first time in his eight-year career. -- More



Will Favre be waving bye for good?
By Rob Demovsky
greenbaypressgazette.com
Sunday's telecast of the Green Bay Packers' regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears is likely to be part shrine to quarterback Brett Favre and part rampant speculation that it could be his final regular-season game and — if the Packers don't make the playoffs — his final NFL game. Favre's uncertain future was one of a handful of reasons the game was moved into the prime-time, Sunday night slot on NBC. "It is potentially the final game for Brett Favre, one of the greatest quarterbacks in the NFL's history," NBC Sports spokesman Brian Walker told the Chicago Tribune. Though Favre hasn't said whether he will return next season, at least one prominent person in the Packers' organization doesn't believe he'll be watching Favre's finale on Sunday at Soldier Field. "I don't. I really don't," Packers chairman and CEO Bob Harlan said Thursday. "I felt last year that he was going to come back, and I feel right now that he's going to come back." Coach Mike McCarthy said earlier this week that he hasn't taken part in any conversations with Favre about his future, and General Manager Ted Thompson on Thursday wouldn't say one way or another which way he thinks Favre is leaning. "I couldn't guess, and I'm not going to speak on it," Thompson said. "That's one topic I'm going to stay as far away from as possible." Thompson did agree to assess Favre's play in this, his 15th season with the Packers and his 16th NFL season overall. Favre ranks 25th in the NFL in passer rating at 72.9, which would be the third-lowest mark of his career behind 70.9 last season and 72.2 in 1993. Favre has thrown 17 touchdowns (three fewer than last season) and 17 interceptions (12 fewer than last season). His completion percentage of 56.4 would be the lowest of his career. Nevertheless, Thompson said he "doesn't see any appreciable decline in his physical skills." -- More



Still a player, knock on Wood(son)
By Jason Wilde / wsj.com
There was no missing him, dressed in an all-white Nike Air Jordan tracksuit, wandering the deodorant and shaving cream aisle at the local Target store at 9 o'clock at night, talking on his cell phone. This is what constitutes a "nightlife" for Charles Woodson nowadays. "I was there to get toiletries and (expletive) like that," the Green Bay Packers veteran cornerback explains, leaning back into his locker and smiling at the memory. (Brace yourself: The S-word makes frequent appearances in his vocabulary.) "But I got involved in the phone conversation, so I was just walking around the store. Wasting time, really." Yes, it is quite the lifestyle departure from the one he led in the other Bay area during his eight years with the Oakland Raiders. Essentially, he's gone from playing in one of the NFL's most cosmopolitan areas, where he developed quite the reputation as a ladies' man and late-night carouser, to the most unhip place in the league, where he's basically a homebody. "I don't do much, man," said Woodson, who lives in a condominium not far from Lambeau Field but spends his offseason living in Atlanta, training in Houston and visiting his mother, Georgia, in Orlando, Fla., because "I think I'm a little too old to be living with my mom" at age 30. "You know, one (good) thing about here, it gives me a lot of time to myself to reflect on a lot of things. Relax, read, go to the movies. It's kind of laid back and it's a little refreshing. If I was somewhere that there was a whole lot to do, I would probably be doing it." Instead, he is experiencing a football rebirth after suffering through three straight loss-filled and injury-plagued seasons in Oakland. He enters the Packers' regular-season finale Sunday night at Chicago with a career-best seven interceptions, 60 tackles, 24 pass breakups, one sack, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery despite playing through knee and shoulder injuries much of the season. "You know, people were saying he was washed up, injury prone, whatever," said fellow cornerback Al Harris, who has become one of Woodson's closest friends. "I've seen none of that." -- More



Franks faces the music after a sour note
Tight end endures a difficult game
By RICK KLAUER / Packer Plus writer
Posted: Dec. 27, 2006
Say what you will about Bubba Franks and his below-par season, but give the embattled tight end credit for being a standup professional. Lesser men in the Green Bay Packers' locker room have bowed out of interviews or declined to make themselves available to the media following a disappointing performance on the football field. Granted, talking to the media on a normal day can be a teeth-grinding task considering some of the mind-numbing questions that are commonly posed to athletes. But, Franks stood before reporters and faced the music shortly after his disastrous fumble nearly cost his team a victory against the Vikings. The critical turnover at the Minnesota 1-yard line was actually one of two fumbles Thursday for Franks, who might have endured one of the worst games in his seven-year career. "I was just worried about getting the ball in there (the end zone)," Franks said. "I was about to stretch it out and they stripped the ball. That's what happens when you try to make plays. It was that time of the game. I was fighting and they was fighting. It just seemed to be much more of them than there was of me. But hey, I got saved, so it's not really an issue to me." The save that Franks received came in the form of Dave Rayner's 44-yard field goal - which lifted the Packers to a 9-7 victory. Rayner's game-winning kick might not have materialized, however, without an assist from Green Bay's defense - which forced a Minnesota punt following Franks' fumble - as well as a big catch from wide receiver Ruvell Martin. Martin's 36-yard reception on the next possession put the Packers in business at the Minnesota 27. -- More






Meet Brooke
Denver Broncos
Cheerleader

Best thing about being a Broncos Cheerleader?
Exercising my passion for dance and performance at a professional level.

Most memorable experience as a cheerleader?
The adrenalin rush of competing against 350 women at auditions for a spot on team.

How do you spend your time off the field?
Working, in school, kickboxing, practicing yoga and with family and friend.

Most memorable game?
The Redskins game last year when it poured rain the entire game

Occupation and how does Broncos cheerleading affect your work?
Sales; cheerleading improves my time management as well as my communication skills.

Who do you admire the most in the sports industry?
Anyone who has worked hard enough to become a professional athlete.

Favorite book?
The Harry Potter Series and Outlander Series

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Starting a family of my own, happily married.

What is the best thing about Broncos fans?
Their dedication and passion to the entire Broncos organization.

What do you do in your spare time to relax?
Sleep if I have time to nap or read a book.

Best advice for kids?
No matter what others tell you, you can achieve anything you put your mind to.

Best gift ever received?
My late grandmother’s ring.

Your most important goal in life?
To make the best of every situation and to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

How does cheerleading fit into that goal?
Cheerleading promotes a positive, active lifestyle and inspires me to impact others positively.

Place you would most like to visit?
Greece

Who has been your greatest inspiration?
My husband, Pete.

What is the one thing you value most in life?
My family

Toughest thing about being a cheerleader?
Dodging the media and their equipment as they stampede down the sidelines.

Two people you would like to have dinner with?
Vince Vaughn and Chevy Chase

Favorite thing to do in Denver?
Attend sporting events and shows; shopping.

Three words that best describe me are:
Friendly, Determined, and Outgoing

Most prized possession?
My education and my health.

Greatest accomplishment?
Joining the Denver Broncos Cheerleaders.