Green Bay Update
by Jeff Ash, jeffash@netnet.net
Friday, October 6, 2000
"Green Bay update, Friday 10/6"
Greetings from Green Bay on a cool, overcast morning spent on hold as I
seek new phone service, wander through voice mail in search of cable
Internet access and endure a sales pitch as I try to get bids on
replacement windows.
-- The Packers (2-3) play the Lions (3-2) at noon Sunday at The Silverdome
in Pontiac, Mich. It'll be televised regionally on Fox, with Kenny Albert
and Tim Green on the call. It'll also be on the Packer Radio Network, with
Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren on the call. Radio coverage is available
for free on the Internet, with the game broadcasts offered via the Packers'
web site (http://www.packers.com) and 3 hours each of pregame and postgame
programming offered via WTMJ radio in Milwaukee (http://www.wtmj.com or
620wtmj.com).
-- No forecast needed from Keith, our longtime Update meteorologist in
Norman, Okla., because the game will be inside. Still, he advises: "Anyone
traveling from Wisconsin through the U.P. or northern Michigan should be
aware of the potential for snow in that area, especially Friday night
through Saturday morning. For updates on tailgating weather in the Detroit
area, check Keith's web site (http://www.galstar.com/~kbrews/packwx).
Here's his take on the game:
On hallowed ground our local men,
Would win a game every now and then,
Now mauled by the Bruins,
They're hopin' for clue-ins,
As they're entering the Lions' den.
-- Last week, the Packers lost to the Bears 27-24 at Lambeau Field.
Dreadful performances all around, especially by TE Bubba Franks, FB William
Henderson and RB Ahman Green, all of whom dropped key passes at inopportune
times; Henderson also had a fumble and didn't block particularly well; by
SS LeRoy Butler, who blew the coverage on the Bears' 1st long TD pass to WR
Marcus Robinson, wandering away from the play as QB Cade McNown scrambled,
then bumping into CB Tyrone Williams when he tried to recover; and by coach
Mike Sherman, whose team didn't seem ready and who made a questionable
decision to have an onside kick with 1:58 left and all 3 timeouts
remaining. Mixed performances for WR Bill Schroeder, who had a key penalty
on a 1st drive that went nowhere but made up for it with a pair of 17-yard
TD catches; and QB Brett Favre, who rallied nicely after throwing an
interception on the Packers' 1st play from scrimmage.
Henderson and Butler clearly were embarrassed by their performance against
the Bears, but didn't make excuses. A quote from Henderson: "I'll take the
blame for everything. I had a turnover. I dropped a pass in the end zone.
We lost by 3 points. That would have been the difference." A quote from
Butler. "It was pretty stupid. That's the only word. Stupid. I expect
people to say that. I don't know what I was playing."
-- The Packers' defense allowed TD passes of 68 and 58 yards to Robinson
and a 52-yard end-around run by WR Eddie Kennison, who even fumbled during
the run. The last time the Packers gave up 3 plays of more than 50 yards in
a game was in a 35-17 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 17, 1954. The
last time the Packers lost to a winless Bears tieam with at least 4 losses
was 1945.
-- Sherman was low-key but firm with the players as the Packers returned to
work on Monday. FS Darren Sharper described it this way: "One thing he told
us is that he's never been part of a losing team and he's not going to be
part of a losing team this year. That's the mentality he has, and I know he
wants to ingrain that into our heads." LB Bernardo Harris described it this
way: "In the past, in situations like this, it would be terrible, a long
week because of the pressure. ... But this staff is really positive about
it coming together. They understand the importance and understand what we
let slip away, but there's no need dwelling on what we did or didn't do to
get it done."
-- Sherman isn't changing his mind about calling for the onside kick. He
wanted the Packers to have 2 shots at the ball -- on the onside kick and
after holding the Bears. He also didn't want to kick it to Bears return man
Glyn Milburn. But the Packers started from their 18 rather than 10 or 15
yards farther upfield after holding the Bears. Sherman didn't address that.
-- Looks like this will be LG Ross Verba's last year with the Packers. They
told his agent they're stopping talks on extending his contract because of
salary cap problems for 2001. Indeed, the Packers are believed to already
be $10 million over next year's salary cap. Signing any free agent is going
to be tough, and it seems as if the Packers are setting their priorities.
FS Darren Sharper, who's having a terrific year, also is up for free agency
and is 1st in line to have his contract extended.
Regardless, Verba is steamed, believing the Packers are reneging on a
gentlemen's agreement to offer an extension in exchange for his move to LG
this season. A quote from him: "I'm pretty disappointed in it, but I know
it's a business. Sometimes they do what they do, and unfortunately I got
the bad end of the stick. Why would I in my right move make a move to a
position I never played when I could have 4 years under my belt at LT? But
by faith I thought they were going to uphold their bargain with a handshake
and basically they didn't. ... It stings, I'll be honest. ... I love this
organization, no question about that. But when a player gets treated like
that, you kind of feel like ... it doesn't feel very good." The Packers
wouldn't comment specifically on Verba, but said all potential free agents
were told the same thing, that they had to deal with the salary cap problem
before moving forward on contracts.
-- The Packers continue to struggle with injuries. They have a season-high
15 players on this week's injury list. At his Monday news conference,
Sherman mentioned 16 injured players, then said: "That's enough."
5 players are out of Sunday's game: S Gary Berry (neck), DE Vonnie Holliday
(hamstring), RT Earl Dotson (back), CB Mike McKenzie (knee) and WR Corey
Bradford (leg). Don't expect McKenzie, Bradford or Holliday back until
after the bye week. Berry's neck and spinal injury looked scary, but he was
out of the hospital by early Sunday night. He may be back by next week's
game against the 49ers Dotson remains on the roster, hoping he can return
late in the season. He's begun a gradual rehab from back surgery, thinking
he came back too soon after his previous back surgery.
Also doesn't look as if CB Antuan Edwards (knee) or DT Chuck Osborne
(groin) will play, either. Edwards practiced Wednesday, but was sore and
sat out Thursday, so he could return for the 49ers game. Osborne's
continued stay is a bit of a mystery. A left groin injury voided a trade
for him just before the season, and he sustained a less severe right groin
injury in his 2nd practice with the Packers after arriving in Green Bay
last month.
The main problem area is at RB. Dorsey Levens really ought to sit out to
rest his sore left ankle, but will play Sunday because Ahman Green is
slowed by a groin pull. Levens hurt the inside of the ankle against the
Eagles, then hurt the outside of the ankle against the Bears. He hasn't
practiced all week. Rookie Herbert Goodman is the only other RB available,
and the coaches don't seem comfortable with him yet.
The rest of the injuries: WR Antonio Freeman (neck) and Donald Driver
(hip), DE John Thierry (sore knee), LB Brian Williams (sore knee), TE
Tyrone Davis (shoulder) and C Frank Winters (ankle and Achilles tendon).
All 6 are likely to play Sunday. Thierry and Williams sat out Wednesday to
rest their knees, but practiced Thursday. LB Nate Wayne sat out Thursday's
practice with a hip pointer, but isn't listed on the injury report and will
play Sunday.
Freeman's injury is a real beauty. He hurt his neck 2 years ago and he's
occasionally aggravated it since by sleeping on it the wrong way and by
weightlifting. This time, the neck started bothering him on Tuesday, so he
sat out Wednesday's practice and worked out gingerly on Thursday. A quote
from Freeman: "I'm sure it's because of the way I slept the night before. I
sleep real wild, pillows everywhere, my body all wild." Well, the night in
question was Monday night, when Freeman posted bond for a buddy who was
picked up for drunken driving while they were out on the town in Waukesha
County, just west of Milwaukee. Freeman's pal was driving. On all counts,
you be the judge.
-- Davis' injury kept him out of the Bears game and forced the Packers to
sign former Bears TE Ryan Wetnight on Saturday. He's, 29, 6-2, 236, an
8th-year player out of Stanford. He got into Sunday's game for 1 play in
relief of rookie starter Bubba Franks and also saw duty on special teams.
He wears No. 83 for the Packers and seems likely to be a keeper for the
rest of the season. Wetnight is a bright guy who needed only 1 day to be
ready to play TE in the Packers' offense had something happened to Franks.
-- Forgive DB Jason Moore if his head is spinning. After 2 weeks on the
practice squad and 2 weeks on the roster, he was cut Saturday to make room
for Wetnight. On Tuesday, Moore was re-signed for the practice squad and TE
Adam Newman was cut. On Thursday, Moore was re-signed to the roster,
filling the spot left when LB Chris Gizzi was cut Wednesday. Then Gizzi
took Moore's place on the practice squad. Moore's merry-go-round may not be
done. RB De'Mond Parker is eligible to come off the physically unable to
perform list on Monday and may be needed, given the lack of depth at RB.
-- QB Brett Favre, who turns 31 on Tuesday, says his right elbow is almost
back to normal. He's been throwing hard, with little pain from the
tendinitis that sidelined him during training camp. A quote from him: "It's
not 100 percent, but it's close. ... There's some days when I wake up and
it's sore, it takes a little longer to get it loose. After 4 or 5 throws in
warmups, it sort of goes away." Favre also says he wants to keep playing as
long as he can. Another quote from him: "I just hope I've got 9 or 10 more
(years) in me."
-- SS LeRoy Butler was excused from practice Wednesday and Thursday to
attend his father's funeral.
-- The Packers rolled out a new alignment for their dime pass defense
against the Bears, mostly because Holliday was out with an injury. The new
dime uses 3 DLs, 2 LBs and the 6 DBs. Brian Williams and K.D. Williams were
the LBs in the new dime. The conventional dime uses 4 DLs and just 1 LB.
Look for them to use both alignments all season, depending on the
situation. In his 1st game back after 11 months out with a knee injury,
Brian Williams played every snap in the new dime. He had 5 tackles and
shared a sack. Williams' knee didn't bother him, but he said he had to get
into better shape. A quote from him: "This game was definitely a test and
let me know where I am cardiovascular-wise. I'm not where I need to be."
-- Nice to see Packers great Paul Hornung in the office earlier this week.
He dropped by, campaigning for Republican presidential candidate George W.
Bush. At 64, Hornung still seems to be living large. Looks more like a
lineman than a running back these days.
-- The deadline is Oct. 31 for nominations for the Packer Fan Hall of Fame.
It's the 3rd year for the contest. To nominate yourself or someone else,
write an essay of 500 words or less saying why, and include a photo. For
more details, check the Packers' web site at
packers.com
And now, the viewer mail:
-- Kirby in Sierra Vista, Ariz., says: "It really frosted me that us fans
had such numerical advantage at the Cardinals game but just couldn't
synchronize the 'Go Pack Go' chant stadium-wide. Individual sections did
well, but it could have been, and should have been, so much better." So,
he suggests the following: Chant "Go Pack Go" when the 45-second play clock
ends in a 3, 6 or 9. Chant only when the defense takes the field, and on
3rd and 4th downs. Kirby adds: "We could have it in place for the Bears at
Soldier Field on Dec. 3. The way the Bears are playing, we should outnumber
them nicely. What a lovely Christmas present."
-- Speaking of the Cardinals game, Jill in Miami finally checked in on the
festivities after I wondered last week whether everyone was too toasted to
do so: "That would be me! I went to the game, and the post party at
Bandersnatch's was a blast! Nothing but green and gold all over the place!
>From a fan standpoint, the Cardinals fans were all in all pretty darn cool.
I didn't see any fights, nor did I hear a foul word towards the Pack (at
least around where we were sitting). Nothing like the creepo Tampa Bay
fans."
-- Likewise, Joe made the trip over from Los Angeles. He enjoyed "a great
big room at the campus Super 8 motel for $50 which was absolutely full of
cheddarheads; a great time at the ASU-Utah State game Saturday night ...
where I basically checked out the co-eds the whole time; an even better
time doing the Mill Street crawl and checking out great bands; a nice
hangover ... on Sunday morning; of course, a great game; and a nice walk
thru the ASU campus after the game back to my hotel with Pack fans
everywhere."
As always, your questions and comments are welcome at jeffash@netnet.net
Adventures with Evan: We are off on our annual trip to Grandma's farm in
east-central Illinois this weekend, and I'm hoping I'll be able to see the
Packers-Lions game somewhere, perhaps in the Champaign-Urbana area a
half-hour away. No need to drop me a line. We'll be on the road by the time
most of you read this. ... Being only 5, Evan would still rather play
around the house when the Packers are on TV. He'll sit with me and watch a
couple of plays, but he's mostly interested in checking out the score and
announcing which team has more points. ... A Green Bay tradition is for
folks to wear Packers gear to work and school on Fridays. Evan's
kindergarten class has been learning about colors. The kids have had to
wear a different color each day for the last 2 weeks. Last Friday was
green, of course. I suspect this Friday will be gold. ... Evan had only a
half-day of school on Wednesday, a gorgeous, sunny, mild fall day. Of
course, I could not convince him to play outside. No, he'd rather go to the
library, play on the computer (the library has different CD-ROMs than we
have at home) and check out a book full of do-it-yourself science projects.
Before we got home, he'd read half the book aloud and was making plans for
us to do most of the projects. But when you're 5, guess who does most of
the work? ... Finally, Evan's weak eye has been corrected to a solid 20/20
with glasses. He no longer has to wear the foil on his glasses that
slightly blurred his good eye to make the weak eye work harder.
This week's sources: Green Bay Press-Gazette (http://www.packersnews.com or
greenbaypressgazette.com), Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
(http://www.jsonline.com/packer/news/) and Packers (http://www.packers.com)
web pages. Check the Packers' current roster at
packers.com
-- If you wish to show your appreciation for these Packers updates,
volunteer or make a donation to the charity of your choice. Thanks as
always to Janet for saving the papers and to Scott for providing the mail
service and the web space on South End Zone.
Thanks, Jeff
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