The Packer Pundit

Favre puts no timeline on decision
Veteran QB says he'll need ankle surgery after season
By Rob Demovsky
greenbaypressgazette.com
It's December, so that means the issue of Brett Favre's retirement must be a topic of conversation around Green Bay Packers' headquarters. Favre spent a good chunk of his 16-minute, biweekly news conference on Wednesday discussing the issue, although he revealed next to nothing about his plans for next season. The 37-year-old quarterback said he and his wife, Deanna, haven't discussed his plans for next season, and they made a pact this season to live in the present and not look toward the future. The Packers are 4-8 heading into Sunday's game at San Francisco, have lost three straight games and won't have a winning season for the second straight year and only the third time in his 15-year career with the team. "Whether it's over this season, next season, I'm going to try to get the most out of them," Favre said. "If there's more after that, I will do the same. That's just kind of the way I'm handling it up to this point. I would love for us to be in a better situation, but it is what it is." Favre added: "It's a challenging decision, regardless." -- More



Lambeau Field's Playing Surface To Receive Upgrade
The Lambeau Field playing surface, this week receiving new sod in the mid portion of the field, will undergo a makeover in the offseason that will bring the latest technology to the hallowed ground and make future in-season re-sodding unnecessary. In a project that will take several months to complete, DD GrassMaster, a natural grass surface reinforced with man-made fibers developed by Desso DLW Sports Systems, will be installed on top of a completely new drainage and heating system. The new surface and underlying systems represent the latest developments in field management. The new grass surface won't be entirely new for the players, though. It is identical to the surface on the team's Clarke Hinkle Field. That surface, installed prior to 2005 training camp, has garnered rave reviews from the players in its two seasons of use. "We feel we need to have the best natural grass field possible," said Ted Thompson, the Packers' Executive Vice President and General Manager. "We're confident this will serve historic Lambeau Field well. It's grass, so that remains true to the spirit of our stadium; players will get dirty and have grass stains, that kind of thing. It's worked very well the last two seasons on Hinkle Field."

According to the Packers' field manager, Allen Johnson, the Packers have been following the evolution of the relatively new system for several years, going back to its development on European soccer fields. "We've had great success on Hinkle Field with the GrassMaster surface," said Johnson. "So we've been considering it seriously for Lambeau Field for about a year. Ted compared Lambeau Field and Hinkle Field last spring after several days of rain and it was a stark contrast. Lambeau was still soaked and wet and Hinkle was dry and firm. That final bit of first-hand experience set the wheels in motion." DD GrassMaster's advantage mainly is attributed to the sand-based soil, which allows superior drainage and softer, more consistent footing over the current clay-based field. Because a sand-based root zone has less stability, the system employs the use of millions of strands of polyethylene and polypropylene materials eight inches below the surface with one inch exposed on the top. This gives the field firm footing and eliminates clumps of sod tearing from the surface. Furthermore, even after a full season's wear late in the year, the footing remains excellent due to the soil-strengthening strands.

Players insist they won't pack it in
With a 4-8 record and heading toward a second straight season below .500, the Green Bay Packers must guard against the urge to quit. Energy and enthusiasm can drop, even for veterans, with the disappointment that comes with losing. The Packers have to figure out what they're playing for in these last four weeks. "First of all, we're not mathematically out of it," defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins said. "If we win our games, you just hope for some help and you never know what can happen. That's the attitude you've got to have around here. "And if you're not playing for the playoffs, you have the other things to play for, yourself, the team. Pride. You never just give in because of your record." Safety Marquand Manuel said the team was simply playing for pride and had nothing to lose. Defensive coordinator Bob Sanders is relying on the players' competitive nature to drive them. "They want to do everything they can to win," Sanders said. Many players said signs of improvement in this last month of the year could do wonders to buoy them through the off-season and give them confidence and a sense of renewal for 2007. In their plans: Despite having been through just two practices, wide receiver Carlyle Holiday has impressed the coaching staff and has a chance to be active and in the receiver rotation Sunday against San Francisco. The 6-foot-2, 217-pound Holiday has the size the Packers like in their receivers and, as a former college quarterback at Notre Dame, he knows the game well. How much he'll be able to do after less than a week with the team is unknown, but offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski thinks he can do more than what people would think. "He just got here so we'll have to see, but we like what we see," Jagodzinski said. "He's a big-bodied guy. He showed that he has some pretty good hands. He has a vision of what the whole thing looks like having played that position (quarterback). He's picked up things pretty well.

Not afraid
It helps that Packers kicker Dave Rayner stands 6-2 and weighs 210 pounds. Rayner has four special-teams tackles in the last two games, saving potential kick-return touchdowns as the 11th potential defender. "It's usually a split-second decision. I usually decide if I am going to push him out of bounds or hit him," Rayner said. "It's kind of one of those, 'Oh (boy), give it your best shot.' I'm not a small guy, so I'm not afraid to hit. The only problem is that he's running 50 yards usually before he gets to me, and I'm kind of stopped." As for field goals, Rayner has struggled kicking into the south end zone. The wind has been a tough read. "I've started out at the left upright and (the ball was) going all across the field," Rayner said. "It's one of those things where you have to get through your first year."

Montgomery out
Reserve defensive end Michael Montgomery didn't practice Thursday and was seen around the locker room wearing a knee brace. The Packers ruled him out for the San Francisco game on the weekly injury report Thursday, but Sanders declined comment on what happened. Tight end David Martin was able to participate in a full practice after limited work on Wednesday and is listed as questionable with injured ribs. The Packers, meanwhile, re-signed wide receiver Chris Francies to their practice squad after releasing him earlier this week, and cut tackle Calvin Armstrong to make room.