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Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 31

Sun, 31 Dec 2006 19:26:02 CST

OK, I'll start with the injuries. Cullen Jenkins was hit in the face. He returned. Nick Collins had a thigh. He also returned. And Zac Alcorn got the wind knocked out of him. He also returned. So we had no significant injuries. And with that I'll take your questions.

(Did Favre say that was it, to you?)
No he didn't. How about the game? It was a hell of a game out there tonight, wasn't it?

(Nice way to finish the season?)
Great way to finish the season. I can't say enough positive things about our football team, especially the defense, six takeaways today. I thought they were outstanding, and it was great to see that group really come together down the stretch. Offensively we did a number of positive things, just had the one takeaway. And I thought our coverage units on special teams were outstanding. So very thrilled with the victory. Finished 5-1 in the division, four in a row, so we feel outstanding about that as we move forw..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 29

Fri, 29 Dec 2006 14:32:20 CST

OK, I'll start with the injury report. Everybody practiced today except for Donald Driver. He's still probable with the shoulder. I anticipate him going. We held Scott Wells (out) today, but he's probable -- he will also go Sunday night -- with a shoulder. With that, I will take your questions.

(When did Scott hurt his shoulder?)
It's something that's just been lingering, and frankly just to get the other young guys work. With the extra day of practice, Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday, I thought it was smart on our part.

(Who's your backup there?)
Center? Jason Spitz.

(You usually want guys to practice on Friday. Is everything OK with Driver?)
It's a combination, just giving Donald extra time to get ready, and to rep the younger guys, because we do have a lot of youth there with Carlyle and Chris Francies and so forth.

(Are you worried about Driver getting knocked out of the game with the sh..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 27

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 15:37:14 CST
OK - injury report: Everybody practiced except for Donald Driver, Charles Woodson and Ahman Green. Their injuries are the same; they're all probable for the game.

(Did Clifton sit out some reps?)
No, he took his share of reps.

(Did you notice any added bonus in practice with the extra rest and practice yesterday?)
I would say yes. We primarily focused on base concepts and fundamentals yesterday, so the transition was smoother. We didn't have as many repeats and things like that. Yes, I think we benefited mentally from an extra day of practice.

(By the time you start Sunday, you'll know whether it's meaningful or meaningless - do you like that?)
It's a meaningful game regardless. It's the Green Bay Packers versus the Bears, and that's the way we're viewing it. I'm not naive to the fact that everybody will be playing close attention and it will be public knowledge. Those are things we can't control. ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 26

Tue, 26 Dec 2006 14:28:31 CST
OK, I do not have an injury report today. I'll give that to you tomorrow. But nothing has really changed since the game. So with that I'll take your questions.

(Starting and finishing the regular season against the Bears, do you look at this game as a measuring stick for how far you have come this year?)
I think if you just view the film and watch the performance of the Packers in the first game and now watched us play of late, because it's always interesting, we went through it to weeks ago with Detroit, you could see the progress particularly individual players have made. But also we had some things we did a lot better at the beginning of the year that we're not doing very well right now. So as far as a measuring stick overall on the year, I think it's important to take all 16 games, but there's a lot of elements of our play through all three phases we have definitely improved on since Week 1.

(What do you think you were doing better earli..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 22

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 13:04:07 CST
OK, injuries, nothing's really changed from last night. Charles Woodson with the shoulder. Donald Driver also has a thigh along with his shoulder injury, and we'll re-evaluate him Tuesday. With that I'll take your questions.

(The guys are entirely off until Tuesday? What do you hope to gain by giving the time off?)
Yes. Well, really to get their bodies back, from a professional standpoint. But personally, I think it's very unique the schedule we've had this year. To have the ability to be off for Thanksgiving and Christmas, that's something that will probably never happen again in our careers. It doesn't hurt our preparation for Chicago. We're still going to have an extra day to get ready for the Bears. I thought it was a good opportunity to let the players get out of here, and especially with the traveling on the holidays, I thought it was important to give them that extra day.

(Will guys do any workouts?)
Our guys will run. We..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 21

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 15:21:30 CST
(How satisfying is this win?)
It's very satisfying. The rivalry speaks for itself. I know it was tied going into the game, so now we're up one. That's a nice feeling. It's a game our players and our fans really look forward to. I don't know how many times it's come down to a field goal, so it's great to come out of there with a victory. The adversity we had to overcome, particularly at the end, I'm just very proud of our football team.

(What do you make of a game where you out-gain them 3-to-1 but look up at the scoreboard and it's still close?)
That's why the most important statistic is the scoreboard. We did a lot of positive things, but when you have as many opportunities as we did in the red zone, and you don't come out with more than three points, it's just a matter of time before that momentum may go against you. Very happy, very pleased, very proud of our defense; they stayed the course. They did not budge for 60 minutes, and I d..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 20

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 13:50:24 CST
As far as the injury report, everybody participated today, so everybody's status will stay the same.

(Tauscher good to go?)
Yeah, he looked good, as far as his recovery from yesterday. That was the key. So I think he'll be fine.

(He'll start?)
Correct, yes.

(Is Jags in the building today?)
Jags is in the building today. We just walked off the practice field. But he will be en route to Boston College and he'll be there this evening and come right back.

(He's not working on some lousy, fake Boston accent, is he?)
No, not that I'm aware of.

(Is this a tough thing to adjust to this week?)
Well, it really hasn't been tough at all for us. He's participated in all his job responsibilities that he's done every week. We've stayed right on schedule.

(Do you anticipate him staying here the rest of the season, including possible playoffs?)

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 18

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:11:56 CST
OK, I'll start with the injury update. Atari Bigby still has a hamstring, and he'll be questionable for this week. Chad Clifton was in today for treatment, shoulder, he'll be probable. Donald Driver continues to be probable with his shoulder. Charles Woodson, same thing, shoulder, probable. Nick Collins also had a shoulder in the game. We're going to list him as probable. David Martin with the ribs, he will be questionable. Ruvell Martin, we're going to practice him tomorrow and see where he is, and he'll be probable. And Mark Tauscher will also practice tomorrow, and we'll list him as probable. With that I'll take your questions.

(Will Tauscher be in the starting lineup or do you work both those guys?)
I really want to see how he's doing. I would anticipate, the way he felt last week in limited reps. But if he shows he's full go and is comfortable, yes, he will be in the starting lineup.

(How happy are you for Jags and at the same time how ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 17

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 16:22:32 CST
OK, I'll start with the injuries from the game. Chad Clifton had a hamstring and a shoulder, but did return. Donald Driver hurt his shoulder again, but did return. Charles Woodson (had the) same thing; he had the shoulder injury again, but did return. Nick Collins also had a shoulder, but did return. David Martin has a rib injury again, did not return. Ahman Green has an ankle and did return.

(Win didn't look pretty, but I'm guessing you'll take it?)
All wins are good wins. We have a number of things we need to clean up, but I thought it was a very impressive performance by our defense. We need to get some things cleaned up on offense. I thought our coverage units and special teams did a very nice job - Drummond is a big-time returner. He was a focus for us this week. (I'm) very pleased with the victory, and our fans definitely deserved it. I thought they were outstanding, especially down the stretch in the fourth quarter.

(Can you talk ab..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 15

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 09:48:59 CST
OK, I'll start with the injuries. We had three players who did not practice today. Atari Bigby, but he'll stay questionable with the hamstring. Ruvell Martin with the chest bruise, and Michael Montgomery. Everybody else practiced, and everybody else's status will stay the same. Scott Wells, we're going to remove him from the injury report. He's fine. He had an illness earlier in the week.

(Will Martin be downgraded?)
We're still going to see if he has a chance. Everybody else's status will stay the same, including Martin's.

(Either way are you considering promoting Francies?)
We're looking to promote one of the receivers if he does not go, yes. Francies probably would be the one.

(Can Ruvell run at all?)
Just because of the area of the bruise, it's a precaution more than anything. He feels fine. He did a lot of work the last two days, Wednesday and Thursday, in the pool. And then today he ran. He want..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 13

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 17:04:34 CST
OK, I'll start with the injury report. Mike Montgomery did not practice today. He's declared out for the game. Mark Tauscher did not practice today. He is doubtful, probably try to do more with Mark at the end of the week. Atari Bigby did not practice. He's questionable with a hamstring. Donald Driver did not practice. He's questionable with a shoulder. David Martin did practice with his ribs condition. Ruvell Martin did not practice because of the chest bruise. He's questionable. Ben Taylor did practice. He still will be questionable. Ahman Green and Charles Woodson are on their normal program, Charles with the shoulder and Ahman with his knees. And Scott Wells was ill today and did not practice. With that I'll take your questions.

(What do you do about struggling at home as a coach? Is there anything you can physically do about it?)
It's been recommended to put them on the bus before the game and drive around the parking lot and pull in, but I don't thin..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 11

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 14:08:08 CST
Okay, I'll start with the injured players. Donald Driver had a shoulder, and we'll look at him and make a decision on his practice participation on Wednesday. Charles Woodson also had a shoulder. We'll probably treat him the same way we've been treating him with the Wednesday-Thursday schedule. Atari Bigby had a hamstring, and we'll re-evaluate him on Wednesday and see the significance of that. Greg Jennings had the ankle; I think we'll be fine there. Ruvell Martin had a chest bruise.

(Does Driver's injury bring his availability into question for this week?)
I don't think so knowing Donald and his history. He really sucked it up yesterday coming back, so we'll see. I anticipate him missing Wednesday, and we'll see how he feels Thursday.

(Is Ruvell Martin back in Green Bay yet?)
No, he's not back yet but it's just precautionary with the chest bruise. I'm just playing it safe, but we'll know more about him when we get back.

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 10

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 14:42:12 CST
I'll start with the injuries. Everyone returned to the game. Cullen Jenkins got hit in the nose; he returned. Greg Jennings had the same ankle; he returned. Charles Woodson had a shoulder - he also returned. Ahman Green got hit in the head, but he's fine. Ruvell Martin had a chest (injury); he's fine. Patrick Dendy had a hand (injury), but like I said they all returned. With that, I'll take your questions.

(After last week's performance to this, how do you feel about your squad right now?)
Well, once again it's been a long month for us as far as the way Sundays have gone. They prepare, they work, and they stick together. I think that exemplifies the character we have on the football team, and I'm just really proud of the way they've stayed the course. It's a great victory for us to come out here. We've kind of got the road thing solved, and now we need to get the home game stuff in order. I'm just very happy with the victory.

(How gratifyin..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 8

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 11:46:49 CST
OK, we had two guys that did not practice today: Michael Montgomery and Mark Tauscher. Their status will stay the same. Everyone else practiced, and everyone else's status will stay the same.

(What is Montgomery's injury?)
Right knee - he got hurt Wednesday in practice.

(Any chance he'll come back before the end of the year?)
I'm hopeful. We'll know more after we get through the weekend here. It was the last play of team run.

(Is it a bad one?)
Well, it's one of those things where a guy gets rolled up on. It's unfortunate; you never want to see it happen. It happens sometimes in your padded drills - very unfortunate.

(How does David Martin look?)
David practiced much better today than he did yesterday. We'll actually make a decision close to game time. I thought Zac (Alcorn) has done a nice job, and so I want to see how David feels Sunday. I feel good about the other gu..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 6

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 12:12:01 CST
OK, I'll start with the injury list. Mark Tauscher did not practice. He is still doubtful with the groin. David Martin, he practiced limited today. He did not take part in team drills. He has the injury with his ribs. P.J. Pope practiced today, Ben Taylor practiced today, Nick Barnett practiced today, Patrick Dendy also practiced today. Ahman Green and Charles Woodson did not, and Noah Herron did participate today. So with that I'll take your questions.

(What did you see with Martin in the workout?)
He just did limited, did the individual drills. He did not participate in the padded work. He's still very sore. He made a nice catch in the seven-on-seven, and he's working his way back. So we'll evaluate him in the morning and see if he can do more.

(How much do you think you've missed him?)
He's a productive player, particularly on the inside routes and the vertical. I think he was off to a good start. He was productive for us whe..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 4

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 16:05:11 CST
First of all, sorry I'm late. I'm going to start with the injury report. We had a couple guys, nothing serious. Patrick Dendy, concussion, we're getting him tested today. Nick (Barnett) actually has a potential injury to his other hand, he's going to be fine. Nick Collins, he came out OK. Noah Herron had an ankle sprain. I think he's going to be fine. And Cullen Jenkins broke his nose. He's going to be fine.

(How are Tauscher and David Martin doing?)
Tauscher, we're doing some more tests today. We're going to have another MRI. I know we were hopeful for San Francisco, but he's still a longshot. David Martin, we're actually going to work him out tomorrow, see how his ribs are, but he's not getting much better.

(After watching the film, what's your assessment of the first half?)
It was as bad as I thought it'd be. That was probably the only thing that was consistent about the first half. You start with the defense. Frankly it look..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 3

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 14:42:27 CST
(How do you explain the first half?)
I was trying to think of the words on my way down here, and I don't have them. I really don't. I'm very disappointed, and I take full responsibility because that's my football team out there. You cannot perform like that, and to play like that at home infuriates everyone involved and is unacceptable.

(Was it more what they were doing offensively or your defense?)
Frankly, I thought we had a very good week of practice. You come off the Monday night football game, and the Wednesday practice was a solid practice even with the health issues that everyone's experiencing right now, though that's no excuse. I thought Thursday's practice was excellent, and Friday was a cleanup. I thought our opponent squad did a great job giving us the shifts and motions. We didn't have alignment issues. Our issues were execution. You talk about our defense - we had no pass rush. We looked like we were playing in mud. Chad P..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Dec. 1

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 15:08:15 CST
Mike McCarthy press conference - Friday, December 1, 2006

OK, I'll start with the injury report. Nick Collins - we're going to upgrade him to questionable. He did practice today. Mark Tauscher will stay the same. He did not practice today, so he's doubtful. Ben Taylor did practice today, so we'll move him up to questionable. Nick Barnett practiced again today. He looks good. David Martin did not practice today, so he stays the same. P.J. Pope did not practice today, so he'll stay the same at questionable. Chad Clifton is still probable; he practiced. Favre is fine; he practiced. Ahman Green practiced, and he practiced also. Cullen Jenkins, frankly, you can take him off because he's over his illness. Charles Woodson practiced today, and he looks like he's ready to go.

(What did you see from Collins? Hopeful he can go?)
I'm more interested to see what they say in the training room now. In talking with Pepper after practice, he felt good from what h..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 29

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 18:44:44 CST
OK, I'll start with the injury report. Nick Collins, hamstring, his status is still doubtful. He did not practice today. Mark Tauscher, groin, his status is still doubtful. He did not practice today. Ben Taylor, hamstring, also doubtful. He did not practice today. Nick Barnett with the hand, he wore the club, he's questionable. He did practice today. David Martin still with his ribs, questionable. He did not practice today. P.J. Pope practiced today. He's questionable with a hamstring. Chad Clifton is probable. He did not practice today with his hamstring. Brett Favre, right elbow, probable. He did practice today. Ahman Green did not practice. He's on his usual Wednesday plan. He is probable for the game. Cullen Jenkins has an illness -- we had a couple guys who were sick today -- but he's probable. He did not practice today. Charles Woodson was also sick and has a shoulder, he's probable, did not practice. And Jon Ryan did not practice today for personal reasons. Questions, please. ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 28

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:52:43 CST
OK, I'll start with the injury report first. Nick Collins had a hamstring, he'll be questionable this week against the Jets. David Martin still has the ribs. We're evaluation him and he'll be questionable. P.J. Pope has a hamstring. He's also questionable. Mark Tauscher, same with the groin, is doubtful. Ben Taylor with his hamstring is doubtful. Nick Barnett with the hand, questionable. Noah Herron, quad, is questionable. Greg Jennings with a knee is probable. Marquand Manuel with his quad is probable, and Scott Wells had an elbow and a hamstring and he is probable. And with that I'll take your questions.

(Are you still unclear what you're going to get out of your team each week? It seems like it's been quite a roller coaster.)
The roller coaster comes in my view in the wins and the losses. There's a number of things in last night's ballgame that we need to do better, fundamentally, technique, recognition, things like that. That's a weekly challenge, part..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 27

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 18:45:03 CST
(Disappointed you only came away with one TD off the turnovers?)
Any time you have the momentum like we did, particularly early in the game when you do have turnovers, you want to score nothing but touchdowns. Those are all factors in the game, particularly early. We had a number of opportunities in the game we didn't take advantage of, and that's the start of it right there.

(Did you make a more conscious effort to be aggressive when the snow stopped in the second half?)
To answer your question, yes, but it was also based off what the defense was giving us. They were clouding towards Driver a lot, and there were some coverage tendencies where we felt like we were able to get the ball deep. That's why we took our shots.

(What did you call on the TD pass to Driver?)
It's a run-pass option. Brett did a great job, and Donald did the rest. It was a good play by those two guys.

(Been pretty good a..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 25

Sat, 25 Nov 2006 13:45:08 CST
(How's Chad Clifton?)
He practiced today. He tweaked the hamstring earlier in the week, and he feels he's going to be ready to go Monday. He practiced a limited number of reps today.

(He hurt it on Wednesday?)
It was our Wednesday practice, just kind of bothered him again on Friday, so we were just smart with him. It's not a serious injury.

(How did Brett do today?)
Looked good. He's starting to throw the ball better, get a little more comfortable. I thought he had a solid day.

(How much did he do?)
He took more reps than normal, just because of not repping a lot of the base stuff in Wednesday's practice, but he'll be ready to go.

(Did he take all the reps with the 1's?)
Pretty much.

(Is the ball coming out of his hand same as always?)
He looks to be throwing the ball ... he's throwing the ball a lot better than earlier in the ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 22

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 15:34:55 CST
(Can you tell us a little about Bouman?)
I've had the opportunity to work with Todd in the past. He has a pretty clear understanding of the offense. Some of the terminology, which is normal as you move from team to team, changes a little bit, so that won't be a huge adjustment for him. He took most of the reps today, him and Ingle, took the reps today in the team period with the first offense. Strong arm, good athlete, he'll be able to do everything we want in the movement phase of it. He's a good football player.

(Is Todd your No. 2 guy going into Monday or is that to be determined?)
To be determined. We will go through the week and create packages for both Ingle and Todd and just make sure we're prepared accordingly.

(How different is your offense now compared to when you were in New Orleans?)
Conceptually the passing game and the protection schemes are very similar. The run game is different, so two of the ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 20

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:46:18 CST
(What is the status of both of your quarterbacks?)
We'll start with Aaron (Rodgers). Aaron has a broken foot which will require surgery. He'll be out for the season. Brett's elbow I think is going to be fine. He's been in for treatment for both the elbow and the groin, and we'll reevaluate him Wednesday. He doesn't seem very concerned about it.

(Does he have the strength back?)
He's got the strength pretty much back, but it's not all the way back. He's got 48 hours. We'll know more Wednesday as far as whether he'll practice or not. I really don't have a classification for him yet.

(Is there pain there or was it just numb?)
What I noticed was weakness. That was the whole discussion from the time of the injury, through halftime and into the third quarter was that the strength wasn't there, the feeling in the hand. As far as the pain, I'm not sure about the pain.

(Did Bruschi's hit cause the inj..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 19

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 18:22:10 CST
(Did you foresee anything like this?)
No, I didn't see anything like this coming into this game. I fully anticipated coming out today and competing. Our performance was poor; to lose by 35 points, frankly, is unacceptable. I'll take full responsibility because it starts with myself and the coaching staff. The way we started the football game is something we'll go back and look closely at. We'll look at our preparation and how we handled this week. We had a distorted week of preparation. I thought we were able to put it together at the end of the week, but we did not perform very well and that starts with me.

(Top to bottom is that the worst game this team has played?)
I think the score would indicate that, yes.

(What is Favre's status?)
He took a shot on the elbow. He was unable to gain strength in his hand as far as holding the football, controlling the football. As far as the future and how bad it is, I wou..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 17

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 15:58:14 CST
(Is Morency good to go?)
Yes. Mo will go.

(What about Miree?)
He struggled a little bit today, so we'll wait and see.

(Is Morency available for the normal amount of carries he had before he got hurt, or will he be limited in any way?)
The pace of the game will declare that more than anything. But Noah has done a good job. It's good to have him back.

(Are you reluctant to use him on kickoff returns?)
Probably not. Probably not reluctant to use him.

(Will you put Herron back there too?)
He's worked back there, yes.

(What does it tell you about a team, their toughness and ability to handle hostile environments, when you see they've won six in a row on the road?)
I think the first thing that jumps out is their maturity. They're able to deal with the noise, being the road, traveling, things like that. They're a good football team, v..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 15

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 18:31:10 CST
(Comment on the long injury report)
Yeah, how about that. We had a physical game on Sunday and had a bunch of guys nicked. We had a number of guys out of practice today, but hopeful to get most of them back tomorrow.

(How did Miree and Morency look?)
Morency is further ahead than Miree. They both practiced, but Mo is further ahead.

(New England always has a lot of talk surrounding their injury report, how much do you look into them?)
I think as far as the injury report, I think there is a competitive advantage, and when I stand up here, frankly I keep in mind what is in the best interest of the football team. As far as playing games with the injury report, I do not. As far as how other people use it, I don't have an opinion or an interest in it. That's the health of our football team, and our practice was adjusted today based on the health of our football team. We practiced in shells only and did extended w..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 13

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 14:56:54 CST
(How's Tauscher doing?)
We just got his MRI back, he'll be doubtful. His groin, it's sore. We're going to give him through Thursday, take a look at him Thursday. He will be doubtful for the game, 25 percent. So he's slim to none to play this week.

(Will you go with the same offensive line that finished the game?)
Probably, with Tony. Yes.

(How's Bodiford?)
Bodiford will be out. Whatever the bone was, but he has a significant injury, so we'll get more information on him from Dr. McKenzie, but he'll be out for the game. It probably is (broken). I don't have all the information. That's something we'll decide (if it's season-ending) in the next couple of days.

(Is the team buying into what you wanted them to?)
I think like any football team you set a course, particularly this last month I think we are a football team that has been playing very well. Particularly going into this game, th..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 12

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 21:27:37 CST
(After playing well at Buffalo and losing, does this win validate your progress as a team?)
We talked about as a football team playing our best football, and I think we did that today as far as all three phases, particularly on special teams. Mike Stock and Shawn Slocum did an excellent job. We had a number of guys go down throughout the course of football game - substitutions and moving people around. I thought they did a great job because it was important for us to win the field position battle, and we did that today. I thought our defense was outstanding in the second half, shutting them down to a field goal. Offensively, we wanted to run the ball a little more, but I think the run game was a direct reflection of our pass protection. Our pass protection was outstanding today - Brett had a ton of time to throw. I'm very happy with the way we played in all three phases, and I thought we put our best foot forward, playing our best football of the season.

..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 10

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 09:58:18 CST
(Have you ever been called a 'coward' before? (reference to Vikings' linemen comments about the use of cut-blocking techniques))
I'm sure I've been called worse than that. I haven't read them, but hey, I gave an honest answer to a question in the press conference the other day. We have a lot of respect for their tackles. We play a certain way on offense, they play a certain way on defense. I really don't want to get into the he-said, she-said type things.

(Do you use that as motivation?)
No, I won't. To me, that stuff is totally irrelevant to the football game. Our focus is on beating that football team on their own turf. They watch the films, we watch their films, and we play a certain way, and they play a certain way. We try to put our players in the best situation to be successful, and that will be our plan Sunday.

(Talk about the versatility and threat of Mewelde Moore)
Anytime you have a running back th..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 8

Wed, 08 Nov 2006 16:52:16 CST
(Jennings and Woodson missed practice - how are they doing?)
We're going to rehab both of those guys. Obviously for sure today, probably again tomorrow, and shoot for Friday.

(Did you rest Ahman?)
Correct, yes.

(What do you have to do to get your special teams going?)
Well, the thing we're failing in is part technique and part finish. I think a lot of that comes with confidence. We do have a number of young players in that area, and actually it was a big emphasis in today's practice. I thought the work was very good. We need to improve both the coverage and return phases.

(Was Nick Barnett at practice?)
Nick was not at practice today. He has a personal matter he's attending to right now. He'll be here tomorrow.

(What did you see in Jagodzinski in 1999 and after that which led you to hire him?
When I hired Jeff, from a professional standpoint I knew I w..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 6

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 14:34:27 CST
(Update on Collins? Were you concerned about kidney damage?)
Collins had the MRI for the back bruise, and everything looks to be fine. I think he'll be ready to go this week. There was some concern at halftime, which is why we had to test him.

(What about Jennings?)
He's sore. He's been in this morning, but he'll probably miss some practice time again. We'll know more by the end of the week, but we're hopeful he'll go. He's questionable.

(Did his ankle get worse as the game wore on?)
He hurt it on the play where he got tackled, I don't know if you saw it. It was clearly aggravated when he came up from that. Frankly, the ankle got torqued exactly the way it did when he was injured. Unfortunate, but that's where he re-injured it. I think he just had to rehab it on the sideline, and then he felt better. He went back in right before halftime. They talked about re-taping it going back in, but he just worked it ou..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 5

Sun, 05 Nov 2006 20:32:41 CST
(On first-and-goal, what was the thinking in passing?)
We were in a personnel change, and the play design was to catch their defense in transition - hurry to the line and snap it quickly and hit the one-step slant. That did not occur. The tempo of our huddle break and so forth enabled them to react and make a big play for the Bills.

(Did you think about a run there?)
I have a run-pass option in every situation. I think it's convenient now to say I should have ran it. Once again, you've seen over and over again throughout the year, we have the ability to catch people in transition through personnel substitution, and that was our play design there.

(How does this loss stack up against some of the others?)
This is a hard one because this was a football game we had the opportunity to win, just like the other ones. It's getting too late in the year to let these types of opportunities slip away. This is definitel..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 3

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 15:26:14 CST
(How did Charles do today and will he be available?)
Charles practiced today. He looked pretty good. He went limited reps, and we're hopeful he'll go Sunday. Post-practice treatment will tell us more, but he looked like he felt fine.

(Was that a surprise?)
That was the plan. The plan was to evaluate him Friday morning - give him two full days to rest and see how he felt today. He practiced in limited fashion and was able to get through practice.

(Will you upgrade him?)
Yes, we will upgrade him to questionable.

(Will you take him off punt return?)
He will not be the punt returner. I'm going to go with Shaun (Bodiford) and Will (Blackmon) in both return, kickoff and punt. Shaun will be first (on punt return) and Blackmon will be second. They'll both be back there on kickoff.

(How comfortable are you with Will and how he has picked things up?)
He's a ve..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 1

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 16:36:43 CST
(Do you have an update on Jennings?)
Greg went through the jog through today, the individual drills and group activities. We then felt it was best to rehab him. We'll see how he feels in the morning and our goal is to try and have him go tomorrow. He's questionable.

(Are you encouraged by what you are seeing?)
I think he's making progress. Like I said, Sunday he was close. He's kind of working his way back. It's a little more significant injury than anticipated because he made such good progress last week. If you watch it on the film, it was uglier than you thought it was. He made a lot of progress last week, and we're just trying to get over the last hurdle.

(What is Woodson's injury?)
He has a knee - a bruise.

(Expect him to go Sunday?)
We're going to rehab him probably all the way through Friday. We're going to look and see how he feels Friday, make a decision on it. We'll see..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 30

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 14:49:53 CST
(How is Miree today?)
Sore - we're still looking at him as far as a couple of his tests. It didn't look very good on film, so he'll be doubtful for this week for his elbow.

(What did he do?)
He hyper-extended it - it's the elbow joint.

(What about Morency?)
He'll be out this week with a lower back. He may be a couple more weeks.

(How frustrating is that after yesterday's performance?)
Frankly, I'm more disappointed for Mo (Morency) because I think you're seeing him getting very comfortable with our run game. He's been excellent on special teams. He's a good football player. He's a tough guy, very explosive. Unfortunately, this is part of the game. It's an opportunity for Noah (Herron) to step in there, but I feel bad more for Mo because he just had his first 100-yard rushing game, and he just really looks comfortable out there. He's a real spark plug on special teams also.
..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 29

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 18:55:13 CST
(Do you feel as though you've got something going now?)
I think we have some momentum starting. Two in a row - we've played well for two weeks. I really thought we played a whole football game. I was very pleased in the way we played in all three phases. The special teams, our emphasis was to have a big play in the game. We had a couple of opportunities in the return game. It didn't quite come out, but we're doing a better job there. The offense - when you don't punt until the fourth quarter, that's a positive day. I thought the defense really held them intact and played with a lot of passion. I'm very pleased with this victory.

(In terms of the team coming together, is that how it's supposed to look?)
Absolutely. There are a couple of negative things that you have week in and week out, and when they don't affect the outcome of the game, that's a positive because you're able to correct them and learn from them. We had some communication..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 27

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:25:44 CST
(What is Jennings' status?)
With Greg, we were hopeful he would go today, but he had a lot of soreness from yesterday. He will be a game time decision. We're going to give him 48 hours to try and get ready.

(What did he do yesterday?)
He ran hard on it.

(Will you list him as doubtful?)
Yes.

(Could he play without practicing on Friday?)
Potentially. It's an option. I think you need to practice on Friday - that's our belief - but he has participated in every snap up until this point. I'm not going to say he's a seasoned veteran. I probably couldn't say that about too many of our people now. It's an option. We're going to run him on Sunday and see what happens. We're just tyring to keep our options open. We feel very comfortable with our other guys, very comfortable with the way the week has gone with practice and preparation. So that's where we are at with Greg.

(Di..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 25

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:17:32 CST
(How's Jennings look?)
Jennings is a lot better today than we anticipated. He's off the crutches and he's going to try to give it a run.

(What's with Ahman's knee?)
We're just being cautious with him.

(When you say Jennings is going to give it a run, do you mean he's going to try to practice Thursday or Friday?)
If you saw the injury on film, it looked to be pretty severe. But he feels good today. He rehabbed today and we're shooting for Friday, so we'll see what happens.

(If you don't have him, how challenging is that with just Driver and the three young guys?)
It's an opportunity for the young guys. That's football, that's what this time of year sometimes puts you in this situation. That's why you have a 53-man roster. We talk about accountability and availability. Now the guys that are available are accountable to make it happen. We'll game plan with the people that we have. Ther..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 23

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 14:30:24 CST
(Injuries, especially Jennings?)
I'll just go through the injuries. Greg Jennings had an ankle, we're having him tested today. Chad Clifton I think is going to be fine. He had the illness and had the IV, also Ahman Green looks to be fine. Daryn Colledge had a calf, and Corey Williams has a knee we're looking at. We've got a bunch of bumps and bruises, heat related things.

(With Chad it was just illness, not his knees acting up?)
Correct. The flu hit him in the middle of the night, and he had a rough evening and rough morning, and he was unable to go.

(What kind of adjustments did you make to give Daryn some help?)
In everything you do from a protection scheme approach, you have adjustments, particularly when you feel the matchup is not in your favor. Daryn, he has reps at left tackle, we rotate all those guys through the practice structure. Adjustment A did not work on the first sack, so we went to some other ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 22

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 23:10:18 CST
(On the Packers win coming off of a bye week)
This is a tremendous team win for us, especially coming off the bye week. We had a chance in the bye week to go through some corrections. It's nice to see when you emphasize key components of successful football come to light. The turnovers by our defense today were huge. I just thought the adversity - the changing of momentum, either maintaining the momentum or getting it back was an emphasis for our football team. I thought that played a big part in our success today - to come down here in the heat and have the defense out there in 85-plus plays. I thought it was an excellent team win. I'm very pleased with the victory.

(On the Packers pass defense making three interceptions)
Turnover ratio has been a problem for us, as a football team, particularly offense, we've had too many giveaways and that was a major emphasis for us coming into the football game. Defense did a great job steppin..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 20

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 15:15:05 CST
(How much did you get out of Woodson today?)
He practiced. He went through the whole practice. He's sore, but we'll see how he does in post-practice treatment. But he did practice today.

(If he does play, would you be more inclined to leave him at corner and not mess with him at punt return?)
That's something we'll talk about Sunday. We'll go through pre-game, see how he feels. But I think anytime you can put the ball in Charles Woodson's hands, it benefits your football team. So we'll talk about that more. That will be a game-day decision.

(After seeing him out there today, do you expect him to go Sunday?)
I'm hopeful, yes.

(How would you say his movement was?)
OK. Just OK. I think he was feeling his way around. He took all the snaps, though.

(What's the final diagnosis with Ferguson's injury?)
We're actually waiting on a second opinion, a doctor out of ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 18

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 16:44:57 CST
(What can you expect out of Chris Francies?)
Well, he's going to play. He'll most likely be up and part of our multiple receiver packages. He took most of the reps throughout practice, so it's a great opportunity for Chris.

(Who will return kickoffs?)
We are working a couple of guys. I'd rather answer that later in the week. Morency, Noah Herron, guys we've been working before.

(Does Koren Robinson have a knee that may need offseason attention? Will you save a roster spot for him a year from now?)
As far as going through this process for the first time and as far as Koren Robinson's future, I can't really even comment on it, and that's where we stand. We wish him well. His knee is bothering him. He may consider doing something with the knee as far as my last conversation with him. What happens in the future with him I can't get into.

(Some think it was a mistake - was it worth the risk?) ..

Robinson Suspended By NFL: Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 17

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 17:25:04 CST
(What did the league tell you about his status now? Is it the rest of this season and the first six weeks next year?)
I got the same information you got as far as the statement. I didn't talk to the league or anything like that. The information is he is suspended, and September 18 is the date.

(It's a one-year suspension. Why is he eligible on the 18th of September, not the 18th of October?)
That's a good question for the NFL. I'm not sure.

(He wasn't cut some kind of deal by the team?)
No.

(Is he still on the 53-man roster?)
He is no longer on the roster, and we'll bring another player up.

(Who are you thinking about?)
We're talking about that right now. We'll make a decision in the next 24 hours.

(Most likely will it be one of the practice squad receivers?)
A good possibility, yes.

(Based on how Koren has handl..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 16

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:33:45 CST
(How was your R&R?)
Good, quick. Quick.

(Looked like Koren and Woodson weren't at practice today. Are they here?)
Yeah, they're here. Charles was down there for the jog-through, and then he went back for rehab in the pool. We're going to know more about him Wednesday and we're hoping for maybe Thursday. Koren was late at practice, he was involved in a legal discussion. He has the situation in Minnesota tomorrow, but Koren did practice, Charles did not.

(You knew Koren was going to be late?)
Correct, yes.

(Did you get a sense from everybody that the time off was well-spent and they're ready to attack the second half of the season?)
I think so. In hindsight, I could have probably given them a little more time off, just because of some of the travel difficulty we had, a number of individuals going out and coming back. But it's always good to get away. Practice reflected it today. It wa..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 12

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 15:38:07 CST
(How has the work gone with fundamentals this week?)
We took the Tuesday meeting and went through St. Louis, did the corrections for St. Louis and then practiced those corrections. Wednesday meetings we went back to Philadelphia, because that was a Monday night game. We watched that game, went through the corrections for Philadelphia, all three phases, and we introduced Miami to them at Wednesday's practice, yesterday at the padded practice. Then today we were exclusively Miami.

(How valuable has this week been for you guys?)
It's been real valuable for a number of reasons. Just from a health standpoint, it gave us an opportunity to get some veterans some extra time in the strength and conditioning and the training room, get those guys healthy, get the guys that have been nicked healthy and it really gave us an opportunity to give our young guys a bunch of work. So I think it's been very productive.

(How's Ferguson?) <..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 9

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 14:41:43 CST
OK, I'll start with the injuries from the game. Chad Clifton had a shoulder, he'll be questionable for Miami. Nick Collins got hit in the head there, he'll also be questionable. Cullen Jenkins had an ankle, he'll also be questionable. Brandon Miree got hit in the eye, he'll be questionable. And Jason Spitz, he had a throat injury, he'll be questionable. And Charles Woodson had knee and ribs. They'll all be questionable for Miami. With that I'll take your questions.

(Is Spitz out of the hospital?)
Oh yeah. Yeah.

(Was he sick before the game?)
He was feeling sick and it was causing some discomfort, so we're just being smart with him. They were worried about him, so we had him tested, had him scoped. Everything is fine.

(Was it the throat causing his sickness?)
Correct. Well no, some guys throw up before games, and I don't want to put his business in the street, but he's one of them. He just had some irr..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 8

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 20:11:38 CST
(What happened on the last play? Did someone miss a block?)
I don't think it was a matter of someone missing a block. I think it looked like Little got the edge on Tauscher or Brett didn't step up in the pocket, one or the other. I haven't seen the replay but he was able to get his hand on the ball.

(Has to be a frustrating end, right?)
It was a very disappointing loss. We were in position to win the football game. We were playing to win at the end, and they made a big play. Turnovers continue to plague us, and we need to get that fixed. I don't know what else to tell you.

(What happened to Spitz?)
Spitz is hurt, he's actually in the hospital right now. He's going through testing. He had something in the stomach area - they're running tests as we speak.

(That's when you went to Moll?)
Correct.

(Kicked in the stomach?)
I don't know the specifics. He was..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 6

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 15:50:10 CST
(What is Ahman's status now?)
He practiced today, so we'll see how he does here in the training room. But like I felt all along, I think we'll be fine there.

(How did he look?)
He looked good. Went through the whole practice. Looked good.

(Where was Driver today?)
He had some further tests done on his side, so we're waiting for the results on that.

(Is there possibly some internal damage or anything?)
That's why we had him tested.

(What will he be listed as?)
Probably questionable.

(Is it the possibility of a cracked rib or something?)
It's just uncomfortable. So we're being proactive and sent him for some further tests. He just got back, so I don't have any more information than that.

(Are you going to call up one of the wide receivers from the practice squad just in case?)
Yeah, that could be an op..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 4

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 18:43:38 CST
(Was Favre able to do anything other than individual stuff?)
No, he just went through the jog through, and we sat him down for the rest of the practice.

(Do you expect him to be able to come back tomorrow?)
I'm hopeful he'll go tomorrow. He's just sore today.

(Is Koren not here today?)
Koren is not here today.

(Is that because of his legal situation?)
Correct.

(With the short week, is he still going to be able to prepare for Sunday?)
Yes, we anticipate so. Yes.

(Will he be back tomorrow?)
Hopeful, yes.

(Do you know when you'll get word on his future?)
I don't have any information as far as the decision being made. We'll know more when he gets back.

(What led to Kenderick Allen going on IR?)
My understanding based on the test is they had to wait a week or two to see the sep..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 3

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 21:05:16 CST
OK, I'll start with the injuries. Donald Driver, he had a rib and hip. He's questionable. Brett, he's probable with the head and the stinger. Robert Ferguson is doubtful with his foot. Abdul Hodge is doubtful with a knee. Donald Lee and Ben Taylor are both questionable as we move on to tomorrow. Lee was a knee. Taylor is a hamstring.

(Do you know what happened to Hodge?)
I don't know the specifics of it because he came in late after the game. So he played through it. I have not seen the special teams or the defensive tape yet, so I don't know exactly what play it happened on yet.

(Where is Favre at, did you see him today?)
I haven't personally seen him, but I think it will be fine.

(That was on that last hit?)
On the third down play, his last play in the game.

(He got a stinger, and maybe a concussion?)
He got hit in the head, and it's a slight stinger. I don't think it's a..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 2

Mon, 02 Oct 2006 04:24:04 CST
(How severe is Favre's head injury? Is it a concussion?)
There hasn't been a diagnosis yet, but it was his head and a stinger. We'll know more, but I think he's going to be fine

(It was a close game, then all of a sudden the tide kind of turned for them. How did it turn that quickly for them in the second half?)
That's part of football. I really felt the second half came down to big plays. We had the turnovers and they scored off the turnovers. They made their big plays on offense, we had chances for big plays and we did not. Big plays equal points and I thought that was a key factor in the way the game got away from us in the second half.

(Does it worry you the big plays aren't fixable as they keep happening again?)
Am I worried about it? We just have to keep working, we've got work to do. I thought our defense played very well in the first half, so there's evidence that we can do it and do it right, and we'l..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 30

Sat, 30 Sep 2006 14:05:42 CST
(Was Ahman Green able to practice today?)
He was not. We're going to downgrade him to questionable and get him as much treatment between now and the game.

(What's causing him the most problems?)
Hamstring.

(Is it the same leg as last week?)
The other leg.

(When did he hurt it?)
Yesterday, in practice.

(Do you still think he has a decent chance to play?)
I'm hopeful he's going to play, just based on the information we have. But it's just part of our game. We have to get Mo and Noah ready to go.

(Where is Morency in this offense, how far along?)
I think he'll play more. He's very comfortable with the terminology now. I thought he's had an excellent week of practice. Obviously he did a very good job on special teams, he was our player of the week on special teams, so I'm glad he's here.

(Do you keep Noah in the thir..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 27

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 17:40:57 CST
(The franchise hasn't won in Philly in 40-plus years. Can you talk about the challenge of playing in a hostile environment like Philadelphia?)
We're looking at this as one game. It's a tough place to play. It's a great game-day environment that will be enhanced by Monday Night Football. That's definitely part of the challenge of going on the road. We're looking forward to the challenge. They're an excellent football team, a veteran football team, and we'll be ready to go.

(What do guys from Pittsburgh think of Philadelphia?)
It's not positive. That's why they're on the other side of the state.

(As an environment, how different is it with how the fans treat the opposing team?)
They're great fans, for Philadelphia. It's a beautiful stadium, a new stadium. I've played up there twice. It's a great challenge, I don't know what else to say. We're looking forward to it. It's one of the wildest places to play.

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 25

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 14:22:46 CST
OK, I'll start off with the injuries. We had Kenderick Allen come out of the game with a foot, and Ryan Pickett with an ankle. And with that I'll take your questions.

(What did you do to celebrate your first victory?)
Got a good night's sleep. It was enjoyable.

(Were you calling more people or were more people calling you, how did that go?)
Got a lot of messages. Called my family, my daughter, and had some balloons sitting at the house from my neighbors when I got home. It was flattering.

(Can you put into words what that feels like?)
It was a little bit of relief. When you go into a Hail Mary situation, you're going to be on one side of it or the other, and I was happy to be on the right side of it. But when you have time to reflect, it will be a game that I'll always remember for a lot of different reasons. But frankly, you get right back into work and get into the evaluation process, we've been mee..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 24

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 21:25:29 CST
(How do you feel after your first win?)
That's the way you're supposed to spend Sunday afternoon. It was an excellent win for us. I'm just really happy the way they scrapped and fought for 60 minutes. I'm very pleased with the effort and the outcome.

(What does it mean to you personally?)
It's great to get the first one and looking forward to getting many more. It's really a tribute to the players and coaches. I thought they had an excellent week of preparation, and to go out there and cash in on that performance, very happy for everyone involved.

(Is that the kind of game you're looking for out of Favre?)
Absolutely. I mean we have a number of things that go on at the line of scrimmage, particularly on the road with the crowd noise, and I thought he did a great job managing that. We didn't have any things from a decision standpoint - he was 100% in that area. His performance in the passing game was excellen..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 22

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 14:14:37 CST
(No Spitz means Colledge will start again Sunday?)
It looks that way, yes.

(Tony Moll starts at right guard?)
Correct.

(When you picked up Rayner, were you leaning that way all along because of his youth?)
First of all, he earned the job. He won the job with everything he did in the spring and in training camp. What we knew about him bringing him in was he was a strong-legged kicker that just needed an opportunity to be the field-goal kicker. He's kicked off in the past. Just a young man who needed an opportunity and he's taken full advantage of it.

(Do you have any sense for his mentality?)
I like the way he goes about his job. He's the same guy every day. He works hard. He and Jon have put a lot of extra time in with Mike Stock and Shawn Slocum. I really like his work ethic, I like his demeanor, and I think once again he's taken full advantage of an opportunity and we're very hap..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 20

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 17:35:50 CST
(Any of your questionable guys practice today?)
Al Harris was the only one of the five that practiced. Everyone else did not.

(How satisfied were you with Colledge's performance?)
Like I said here on Monday, I thought he played okay. I think he's getting better. I think he took advantage of his opportunity and I thought he got better today at practice. As a group, there are some things we need to improve on. They're working hard at it, and I think he's improving.

(Coach was there a new backside cut blocking drill today?)
We've been doing that since day one.

(How much improvement can you except from the cut blocking technique?)
Well, we want to improve until we get to the level that is satisfactory. We're not there right now. We've talked about it over and over again. It's a common technique that we use and that's why we drill it everyday. When we do get very good at it, we'll cont..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 18

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 16:24:55 CST
OK, I'll start with the injuries. The only two new injuries we had coming out of the game were Al Harris, he had a shoulder, and David Martin had a knee. With that I'll take your questions.

(With Harris, was that when he went into the locker room before half?)
No, that was to get an IV.

(Either one of those serious?)
I don't think so. They'll be questionable probably Wednesday.

(Did it surprise you, the number of cramps?)
We had two guys get IVs and Ahmad Carroll had cramps. It was hot. It was an up-tempo game. It happens.

(Is 55 passes too many in your mind?)
I've never approached a game saying I'm going to throw 55 times today. But I've also never approached a game saying I want to run it 55 times either. I don't believe you can win that way, week in and week out. The way the game took shape took us that way. We had four series where we were in a no-huddle, 2-minute situation..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 17

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 20:10:17 CST
(How damaging is this loss to your program?)
We're 0-2. It's a 16-game season. It's not the outcome we were looking for. It's disappointing, and we need to find a way to win those games, find a way to make more plays particularly in critical situations. I don't look at things as 'damaging'.

(Most TDs seemed to be going into the north end zone - wind a factor?)
I don't think the wind factored. Do you mean in the passing game? I didn't think it factored.

(Do you have to get more of the veterans?)
Well, when Ted and I first started talking about the personnel of our football team, clearly the veterans will decide and be the major part of how well we play. That is truly the case. I know there's been a lot said about our youth. Our veterans need to show the younger players the way in a lot of ways - in the locker room, on the practice field and particularly on gameday. We need to get better production.

<..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 15

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 15:11:50 CST
(Did Spitz practice today?)
Jason Spitz did not practice today.

(Does that mean Colledge is starting then?)
He will start the game, yes.

(How do you feel he's played since the demotion?)
I think he's improved. I think the opportunity to move around, step back. It's just like anything else, when someone takes it away from you, you want it back. He's taken full advantage of his week of preparation, and we look for him to play well this weekend.

(What about him playing the position next to the one he's playing as far as understanding?)
The understanding I think is there. We've been doing the same things here since March. I think he has a good grasp of what we're doing. Our problem frankly up front is our continuity, just the technique and execution of what we're trying to do.

(Koren Robinson, Vernand Morency?)
They practiced and we're going to have them read..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 13

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 17:41:39 CST
Okay, so everyone has a copy of the injury report so let's discuss that. William Henderson is the only one that practiced today. Questions?

(Did Blackmon have a setback?)
Yes, he just had a setback - some complications from his foot.

(Any idea when he'll return?)
It's a day-to-day prognosis from Pepper.

(What are Spitz's chances for practicing tomorrow?)
He's hopeful, but we'll see. It's a pretty significant bruise.

(How deep in the week can he not practice and still play?)
He needs to practice Friday if he's going to play.

(Daryn the backup plan there?)
Yes, Daryn took all the reps today at left guard.

(What are your options at fullback?)
William practiced today. We anticipate him going (Sunday).

(There a way for the Saints to isolate Bush on Poppinga?)
It's a match up that, to say it's impos..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 11

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 16:43:09 CST
I'll start with the injury report. We had one player who will be on the injury list, and that will be Jason Spitz with a thigh contusion. That's the only thing we had come out of the game. With that I'll take your questions.

(Worried about team confidence after loss like that?)

I'd say no. My experience with young players, I think they're the ones who are so resilient because they're so eager. I think they're always focused on what's in front of them, the new opportunity, the next challenge, things like that. I think the older players, it's a bit of a wake-up call for them.

(Five passes in first half, was that game plan or not making enough first downs?)

I think it's clearly not making enough first downs. We don't plan to go three-and-out. Our biggest failure in the first half was the short-yardage offense. We had three short-yardage situations in the first three series we did not convert on. That was the downfall of the..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 10

Sun, 10 Sep 2006 19:12:39 CST
(How frustrating is this for you?)
It's disappointing. It's not the way you want to start the season, not the way you want to start your home opener. It's a division opponent. It's disappointing.

(Time of possession in the first half - seems like you guys just couldn't get the ball)
Well, they gave us the ball. I thought really the way the game started for both sides directly played into how the whole game went. They came out, converted their third downs and we didn't. We were in third and short the first three times and we don't convert, even with the fourth and inches. That's a whole extra set of downs. It was our gameplan going in, and one out of nine on third down, you're not going to generate a lot of points that way.

(How close were you to challenge the spot on Ahman's third down carry?)
Did not have enough information to challenge the spot there.

(Any other words to describe the loss?)

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 8

Fri, 08 Sep 2006 15:23:30 CST
(Bears' rookie punt returner, can one play on special teams make big impact?)
I think the play on special teams will have a big impact in the game. The field position battle will be one of the determining factors in how this game is won. He's an exciting young man. 20 plus average going through the preseason, and he's definitely someone we need to stop.

(How did William get through the week?)
OK. He's still questionable. He'll be a game-day decision.

(Did he do much team work during the week?)
A little bit.

(Did Clifton practice today?)
No he didn't. He's sick. He'll be probable. I anticipate him playing.

(What do you think of the state of your return game right now?)
I think we have some very capable returners. Charles Woodson has done it in this league and been a very productive player. Greg Jennings, the opportunity he had he shows he definitely has..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 6

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 16:31:14 CST
(What will Sunday mean to you on a personal level?)
I'm obviously excited on a personal level. From a professional standpoint, it's the job I've always dreamed of, and to have the opportunity to go out there and tee it up for the first time, I'm really looking forward to it.

(Any advantage with your style being unknown, as well as so many new starters?)
Well, the beginning of the season is always unknown, so it could be a slight advantage. I've never looked at it as a disadvantage because you can present different things schematically to your opponent. With our youth, I think we're pretty much going to line up and play the way we need to play. I've done more in the past going into seasons with more of an unknown than I probably have this time through. Once again, it comes down to execution and that's what our focus is on for Sunday.

(What about the Tampa 2 defense makes it so challenging?)
Well the challeng..