Rodgers hobbled, expected 
to play Sunday

November 3, 2009

 

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) gets taken down by Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams (93) during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday in Green Bay .


GREEN BAY - 
The hits just keep on coming for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has experienced a season's worth of sacks in seven games. All that punishment is beginning to take its toll.

Rodgers limped away from Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings with a sprained toe on one foot and a nagging sprain on the other. Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Rodgers could miss time in practice this week but is expected to play Sunday at Tampa Bay without losing mobility.

Rodgers has been sacked a league-worst 31 times this season, including six by Minnesota on Sunday.

"Our sack numbers are clearly out of balance," McCarthy said. "That's something we'll continue to work through."

But Rodgers' inability to stay upright is only one of the glaring problems facing the Packers (4-3), who were put in their place — a distant second place in the NFC North — by their former quarterback, Brett Favre.

"Their quarterback has made a big impact," McCarthy said of Favre. "That's something, that quarterback productivity, they haven't had in the last three years that we have played them."

Meanwhile, the Packers keep showing they're not quite ready for prime time.

They're smarting from yet another round of costly, preventable penalties and trying to quell criticism of Dom Capers' new 3-4 defense from yet another veteran player.

Beyond that, McCarthy said linebacker Brandon Chillar has a broken hand and was scheduled to have surgery Monday. He is expected to miss at least two weeks before returning to play with a club cast, and his role will be filled by A.J. Hawk or Desmond Bishop. The so-called "Big Okie" package, where Chillar plays in place of a safety, is on the shelf for now.

McCarthy was typically measured in his assessment of the Packers' play Monday, but had sharp words for defensive lineman Johnny Jolly, whose personal foul head-butting penalty wiped out a third-down stop and set up the Vikings' first touchdown of the game.

Jolly didn't seem particularly repentant Sunday night.

"It is what it is," Jolly said. "That didn't cause (us to lose) the game."

Jolly's comments didn't sit well with McCarthy, who has drawn some criticism for his team's penchant for penalties over the last two-plus seasons.

"There's no reason for it, there's no explanation for it," McCarthy said. "He needs to be more accountable for that."

McCarthy said he planned to have discussions with Jolly and fellow defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins, who said after Sunday's game that the defense — which failed to sack Favre in two games — was "in handcuffs" in Capers' scheme.

"It's tough," Jenkins said. "You come into the season with new stuff and you're told we're going to give you opportunities to do this and do opportunities to do that, and then you're not given them."

McCarthy seemed to suggest that Jenkins' comments sounded selfish.

"I'm not interested in having Pro Bowl players and having a 27th-ranked defense," McCarthy said. "Our interest and our focus is on being a top-three defense in the league. It's utilizing all of our players. Sometimes players are asked to do things, to sacrifice so someone else can benefit from it, and that's part of the deal. That's the way we operate. We have a lot of good players on defense. It's not about one guy getting his."

Cornerback Charles Woodson took issue with Capers' play selection after the Packers' first loss to the Vikings Oct. 5, earning him a talking-to. Woodson didn't speak out after Sunday's game.

Capers said he had spoken with Jenkins, and was confident that everyone was on the "same page."

As for not putting enough pressure on Favre, McCarthy said a team's defensive scheme or game plan doesn't matter if players aren't consistently beating the guy in front of them.

"It's about winning one-on-ones, whether you are run blocking or you're in a pass rush," McCarthy said. "That's football."

Meanwhile, McCarthy did not commit to a starting offensive line, saying he would take the week to examine his options.

McCarthy had veteran tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher active on Sunday, but chose not to replace rookie left tackle T.J. Lang or third-year right tackle Allen Barbre. Vikings defensive ends Jared Allen and Ray Edwards combined for five sacks on Sunday.

In all, McCarthy said the season isn't lost but the Packers must improve.

"We're 4-3 for good reason," he said. "I think we have not handled two prime-time games very well. I'm confident that we'll learn from these experiences. I thought we would have learned more from the first game (in Minnesota) to this one. We had some repeated mistakes. That's frustrating, and something that we take with full accountability as coaches."

GREEN BAY - 
Brett Favre's nerves were diminished playing against his former team this time. His resolve to beat the Packers again wasn't.

"We played about as good as we could have played," said Favre, who threw four TD passes to lead Minnesota to a 38-26 win over the Packers on Sunday.

Favre turned in another memorable performance at Lambeau Field — his first as a visitor — against the franchise he helped resurrect and restore to its Titletown moniker in the 1990s. He's now thrown seven TDs and no interceptions in two wins against them this season.

Favre's consistency has propelled the Vikings to a 7-1 mark, and at the season's halfway point, Minnesota has a 2½-game advantage in the NFC North.

"We have had some tough tests, and we have responded very well," said Favre, who finished 17 of 28 for 244 yards. "We are 7-1, and granted, that is very good, but we haven't done anything yet."

Favre's TD binge tied Dan Marino for one of the few records the former Dolphins quarterback still holds with 21 career games of at least four TD tosses.

Just two years ago, Favre led Green Bay to a 7-1 start, too. But he failed to add to his only Super Bowl title in 1997 and the Packers lost in overtime in the NFC Championship to the New York Giants in what appeared to be his final game at Lambeau in January 2008.

He turned 40 last month but has flourished in his return to an offensive system he thrived in for 16 years with Green Bay.

"There is no such thing as too many good players or too many tools in the tool box," said Vikings coach Brad Childress, who was criticized for his decision to bring Favre in. "I don't know about vindication ... I didn't bring him in to compete. That's what he was going to do at Green Bay. He was going to come in and start, and rightfully so. He's done a great job."

Favre's numbers don't lie.

He now has 16 TD passes against just three interceptions, completing 67.9 percent of his throws. He's on pace to have the fewest interceptions in his career. The all-time leader never threw fewer than 13 in his 16 years with the Packers.

The Vikings' biggest offseason acquisition also got plenty of help from his crew — first-round pick Percy Harvin had 84 yards receiving and a touchdown on five catches and added 175 return yards.

"The big thing is just hitting the hole and not do a whole lot of dancing," said Harvin, who had a 51-yard TD reception and a 77-yard kick return to keep giving Minnesota a short field to work with. "I just tell them — give me a hole and I'm going to hit it 100 miles per hour."

Adrian Peterson added several big hits, too, bowling over Packers defenders and contributing 97 yards rushing and a touchdown. But the focus — and circus — was centered squarely on No. 4.

A camera followed him the entire game that fans could watch on a Webcast. A huge crowd of journalists crowded him on the field just after time expired and fans showed their support, or disgust, with his decision to don Vikings purple.

"Hey Favre Halloween is over! Take off that silly purple costume," read one sign held by a man in an Aaron Rodgers' jersey.

But Rodgers, Favre's replacement, could do little to stop the tide despite rallying the Packers with 17 straight points to close the deficit to 24-20 in the second half and later 31-26. Rodgers threw for 287 yards and three TD passes himself, but Green Bay again failed to protect their new franchise quarterback.

Rodgers was sacked six times in the rematch after taking eight sacks in Minnesota's 30-23 win on Oct. 5. Jared Allen tormented Rodgers again with three more sacks. The defensive end has all but three of his 10½ sacks this season against Green Bay.

"It's tough to take that many shots," Rodgers said.

While Rodgers danced and darted to try to buy time, his counterpart was given plenty of time to look downfield.

Just how good was Favre?

He silenced a record regular-season crowd of 71,213 that primarily booed him throughout, distributed 17 receptions to seven different receivers and was not sacked. Favre even bent over to make sure Greg Jennings wasn't seriously hurt after the Packers wide receiver was slow to get up after a play late in the fourth quarter near the Vikings' sideline.

Favre's presence now has the Vikings on the path to a special season.

"We're exactly where we want to be," Allen said. "This is a team that continues to learn from our victories and from our losses."

Or loss.

"It's been amazing," Peterson said. "Going into the bye, we're in a comfortable position. We get time to relax now with our families, come back for the second half and continue it."

 

Associated Press