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Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 23

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:40:15 CST

I'll start off with the medical report. We have a number of players that are seeing Dr. McKenzie as we speak, so I'm not exactly sure who will or will not practice for tomorrow. We'll release that later today. We just got the confirmation on both Al Harris and Aaron Kampman's results, and both individuals will have season-ending knee surgery. It will be a big challenge for our football team. Both Aaron and Al have meant a lot to us and our football team. Both have over 100-plus starts. Just thinking about it walking down here after visiting with Aaron, not seeing 74 and 31 in the huddle, it's going to be different. But it's a challenge that our younger players, they're going to have to step up and get ready on a short week for Detroit. It's been confirmed, both players will have season-ending surgery. With that I'll take your questions.

(You spoke with Aaron and Al or just Aaron?)
Correct. I just saw Aaron. Spoke with Al last night. Al's results just came ..

Mike McCarthy Post-Game Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 22

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:37:38 CST

OK, I'll start with the two injuries to both Aaron Kampman and Al Harris. We will not have all the information until tomorrow. Both injuries did not look very good. There is some concern, but we'll have all the information tomorrow. With that, I'll take your questions.

(What is Aaron's injury. Is it a knee?)
Both of them were knee injuries. Correct.

(Any time a player is carted off, it can be an ACL or MCL injury. What is your comfort level with the two rookies?)
They definitely had... the two rookies had a chance to play today and it'll give them a chance to learn from being in there. Brad had a chance to play some last week so he'll have two games to work off, and Brandon, it was obviously a big opportunity for him so we'll just keep coaching them. We've kind of been going through the injury phase of it and hopefully these two injuries aren't as serious as we may think.

(Obviously things went to so well in th..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 20

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:36:23 CST
(Is Wells OK to go?)
Yes, I thought Scott practiced well today. Unless something changes when we go back inside, into the training room, I fully anticipate that he'll go and start.

(Did Dietrich-Smith hurt himself yesterday?)
Dietrich, yeah, he had a tough time yesterday. He fought through practice, and I'm hopeful that he'll be ready to go for Sunday. He's pretty banged up.

(You don't have Jason, so who's your fourth-string center if it comes to that?)
Daryn Colledge. Daryn worked some there yesterday and has always worked through our quarterback-center exchange drills. Daryn has been prepared for that for some time.

(You spent the offseason talking about getting five guys together ... is this getting a little ridiculous?)
Well, ridiculous is probably a little different word, but it's a challenge. I have not as a coordinator, and I can't really probably remember as an assistant coa..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 19

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:36:07 CST
(What happened to Wells?)
Scott Wells missed practice today. He had some symptoms in regards to a concussion that was reported to the medical staff yesterday. So we're obviously being smart with him.

(He sustained it yesterday?)
The symptoms were reported to the medical staff yesterday, so that's why we're dealing with it today. He missed practice yesterday, so we held him again today.

(Did you watch any tape of the new quarterback or was today your first look at him?)
I saw some tape on Mike, what was that, in the preseason? Plus also his combine workout and so forth. Very athletic quarterback and did some good things in Pittsburgh during the preseason. So we'll have an opportunity to try to get him acclimated to the way we do things here. I'm glad he's here.

(With Barbre and Jolly, did something happen in practice yesterday?)
Allen had an injury today at practice. It looked like a..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 18

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:35:47 CST
(How did Finley look today?)
I thought Jermichael practiced well. I'll have a better idea once we watch the tape. I felt that he moved around fine, and he took his normal set of reps that he would take in a Wednesday practice.

(Do you notice a change in the players' attitudes or mood in practice after a win versus a loss?)
I think there's an obvious answer to the question. Winning solves a lot of things. Coming in to work this morning in the weight room, there's a sign up there that says "the food tastes good again." That pretty much tells it in a nutshell how important winning is for everybody. We had a beautiful day out there with the weather today. Practice was OK. We've had better practices. But definitely, when you win, I think, I know, when you win the ability to put that win the column is important, but the ability to stack success, and there's so many things that come with that. The confidence level it gives your football team, t..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 16

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:19:45 CST
OK, I'll start with the injuries from the game. Cullen Jenkins had some ankle swelling. He'll probably miss some practice time this week. Desmond Bishop also had an ankle sprain. He'll probably miss some practice time. Greg Jennings had a knee contusion. He'll miss some practice time. And John Kuhn had a broken hand, and we'll see what he'll be able to do this week. With that, I'll take your questions.

(Will Kuhn need surgery like Chillar did?)
No, it's a different break than Brandon's. We're going to see what he can do with the splint that they put on him. We'll see how it works out in practice. But he does not need surgery at this point.

(Where's Aaron Kampman right now in his recovery?)
I think Aaron will be ready to go. Obviously Wednesday's practice will be the final hurdle that he'll get over. I know he's doing a lot better.

(What about Tauscher?)
We're going to work him tomorrow. He's going to ..

Mike McCarthy Post-Game Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 15

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:58:49 CST
I'll start with the one injury in the game. Daryn Colledge had an ankle bruise and he did return. With that, I'll take your questions.

(Mike, in the grand scheme of the season, how much did you need this win today?)
Well, it was important for us to get back on track. You know, especially after the past two weeks. You break your season up in quarters. Getting to 5-4 was important. We have a three-game third quarter in my view the way we've broken up the season. And we've talked about this in here already: three games in 12 days. I can't...Just to go through the game overview, I can't say enough about our defense. That's the vision that we're looking for, especially playing at home. We had some excellent performances across the board, especially against a very good Dallas football team and a hot team and a powerful offense. We had a whole lot of respect for those guys coming in here. But to hold them out of the end zone until 38 seconds, I was very proud of ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 13

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:57:16 CST
(You have Chillar as questionable. Has he shown some improvement?)
Feels good. He had an opportunity to put the hand in a cast. We'll go watch the practice. I spoke to Brandon on the field about what he felt comfortable (with), both special teams and defense. We'll talk to the medical staff. So he definitely has a chance to play. Now, I'm not certain what his role will be. We'll probably take these next 48 hours and visit with him and I'll probably talk to him tonight based on once I get all the information. But he felt good today in practice with the club.

(Is Clifton ready to go?)
Chad's ready to go. This is his normal Friday. I thought he's put together two good days of practice, Wednesday Thursday, and then just with all his postseason surgeries and so forth, this is the plan for him not to work on Fridays.

(Do you have a starter on the right side at tackle?)
Well, we'll probably go with T.J. Lang. Both T...

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 12

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:56:52 CST
(What's the word on Brady's injury?)
Brady Poppinga has some unusual swelling in his leg, but his range of motion and everything is fine, so they're just being safe with him. He will see Dr. McKenzie again in the morning, and his practice participation will be determined then. I really don't know if he's going to be able to go or not. If you talked to Brady, he'd tell you he's ready to go.

(Do you feel more optimistic about having Jordy?)
I feel better. I thought Jordy looked good today. He took some returns. I think he'll definitely have an opportunity to be up this week.

(Will Tauscher work out before the end of the week?)
Mark feels good. Just like anytime a player comes back off an injury, the last hurdle is clearance from the medical staff. He'll see Dr. McKenzie again in the morning. I had a chance to visit with Mark before his workout down on the field in the Hutson Center. He feels really good about it..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 11

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:56:35 CST
(How is Kampman's concussion?)
Aaron Kampman did not practice today. There is a procedure that you go through as far as testing at each day, so we'll probably hold him. I think the earliest he'll get back is Friday is where the doctors feel he is in the process.

(When did Poppinga's quad injury come up?)
It just showed up. Last night was the first that I was aware of it. He's having an MRI done, I think it was at 11:00. We'll have more information today.

(Is it realistic that Brad Jones could start if it comes down to that?)
We're working all of our different combinations, so as far as who is starting, time will answer that. I couldn't tell you if Brady is going to be back this week, I couldn't tell you if Aaron is going to make it. But Brad has done a lot of good things, particularly on special teams. He's been very productive. He missed some time there in training camp and has really, really progressed, and ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 9

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:46:04 CST
OK, I'll start with the injuries. Mark Tauscher had a knee sprain to the same knee that he had surgery on. Pat doesn't think it's a serious, long-term injury. He'll have a slight chance to play this week. At most it would be a couple-week injury. Aaron Kampman suffered a concussion, and as far as his availability for this week's work, it's still up in the air. With that I'll take your questions.

(If Tauscher's not ready, do you go the same way you finished yesterday?)
That's something that after we look at the film today, we'll look at all of our options. I am not committed to a starting five today.
(Is this going to be a week where you have to work it out?)
I would say that's accurate. I would say it's very similar to the last two weeks. It's unfortunate that we strive for continuity of building a starting five with the offensive line, we haven't been able to accomplish that. Injuries are part of the game, once again. So it will tak..

Mike McCarthy Post-Game Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 8

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:42:01 CST
I'll start with the injuries. Mark Tauscher had a knee, did not return, a knee sprain. It is the same knee as last year. Aaron Kampman got hit in the head and did not return. With that, I'll take your questions.

(What is wrong with your team?)
We didn't win today. We're 4-4. We had a lot of ups and downs in today's contest. I think consistency, you have to first look at yourself. The preparation of the football team leading up to this game I thought was very good. We did not take the team lightly at all because of the record. I was very concerned coming into this game. Any time with a team coming off a bye week, if anything we may have overworked them. That's something I have to look at. This is my responsibility. We were not prepared to the level that we should have been. I thought we had opportunities to get the game to a two-score lead time and time again, and we gave the momentum right back to the Buccaneers. You have to give them credit. That was a h..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 6

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:28:09 CST
(What happened with T.J. Lang?)
T.J. Lang, he torqued his rib area. It's listed as an oblique injury. I think he'll be OK to go in the game, but they just felt it was important to rest him today.

(Who do you plan on starting at tackles?)
We'll see how T.J. is, and obviously Chad Clifton I think is ready to go. The plan was to go through Wednesday and Thursday, see how he felt today. He feels good today. So those are options there, and also with Mark Tauscher and Allen Barbre. The combination of all four is something we're looking at.

(Who played left tackle the latter part of practice?)
Allen Barbre took a lot of reps today at left tackle.

(Did you back Clifton down by design?)
Did we back him down? Well, this is his normal work week. Based on coming off of the four surgeries off the season and then also having the ankle sprain, Dr. McKenzie felt that it would be best to get him bac..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 5

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:27:15 CST
(Are you happy with Tauscher and Clifton at this point? Do they look good physically?)
I think Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton have put together two good practices. Once again, we're going to take the whole week's work. But we're definitely further ahead than the past two weeks, as far as their availability and the production. I think they've done a good job.

(What's been your impression of Matt Flynn this week? How important have these last two days been for him?)
The snaps that Matt Flynn has taken the last two days are invaluable for any quarterback. Anybody that's played the position knows how hard it is to get snaps during the season. In-season snaps are very precious for a quarterback. This has been great work for Matt. I actually thought he had a very good day today. He's throwing the ball with more velocity. It's nice to see the improvement that he's made from year one to year two. The ability to throw with more velocity, playing..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 4

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:23:04 CST
(With so many starters out, how was practice?)
I thought practice was good today. It always starts with the tempo. There is some new learning for our football team, no different than every Wednesday when you present the game plan. We only had a couple of repeated plays, but it was great to get outside. I thought it was solid practice. We'll see what the film shows.

(What is the plan with Rodgers this week?)
Well, he did not participate today. He was there. He was involved in the drills, but they just feel with the foot sprain and the toe sprain, as much time as you can to let it settle down. So we'll look at him tomorrow. I would project he'll probably go Friday. Tomorrow maybe limited and have him work Friday, but I fully anticipate him playing in the game.

(Where are you at with the offensive line?)
Offensive line, just going to take the week and work through it. Mark Tauscher had a lot of work today with th..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 2

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:17:46 CST
OK, I'll start with the injuries. We had a number of players banged up from the game, but the one significant injury, Brandon Chillar had a broken hand. He will have surgery today, and with the information that will come out of the surgery, the forecast will probably be a couple of weeks, and I think he'll then be able to play with a club. With that I'll take your questions.

(Anybody else who might be in danger of missing practice time this week?)
Yeah, I'll just go through. Nick Collins, he had the ankle contusion. I think if he does miss it will be minimal. Donald Driver had the stinger. Knowing Donald he'll practice every day. John Kuhn just had a knee bruise. We'll see how he is on Wednesday. Derrick Martin with the concussion. They say he's fine. And Aaron Rodgers has a toe sprain on one foot and has the foot sprain on the other. So Aaron will probably miss some time this week.

(Do you think you'll have Finley this week?)
J..

Mike McCarthy Post-Game Press Conference Transcript - Nov. 1

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:09:28 CST
(Mike, what do you say to your team after a first half like that?)
I'll tell you exactly what I told them. I told them at halftime that this second half was going to be a turning point in our season. It was important for us to go out there and turn this game around and make a run and win this game. I felt that was happening there in the third quarter. We played very poorly in the first half on special teams and offense. I thought the defense played well outside of Johnny Jolly's personal foul down there that extended the drive. I thought there was a lot of positive things...I thought we didn't tackle as well in the first half as we could.

(Having said that, going into the second half, losing the game, what are your feelings now, going forward?)
It stings. You know, losing at home doesn't taste good. I felt terrible for our fans. I thought they were tremendous tonight. I thought the way they were behind this football team... And I'll go ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 30

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:52:46 CST
(How's Finley doing?)
Jermichael Finley is doing a lot better. He's moving around fine. He's in all the meetings and so forth. He's definitely improving.

(What's the plan with him this weekend?)
Work him out Sunday. If he can clear one of the tests tomorrow he'll be a pre-game workout candidate. If he doesn't come out of his rehab tomorrow, the session they put him through, then obviously he'll be down.

(So you haven't closed the door on him?)
Not at all. He's making a lot of progress.

(If you do play him, are you worried about re-injury and possible long-term effects?)
We would never put someone in that position. That's the way we operate. They have to first be cleared by Dr. McKenzie, so he has the final say on that. A player would have to overcome some type of situation like that, but I'm not going to put Jermichael in a situation where we feel he can further hurt himself.
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Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 29

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:51:47 CST
(Did the Sitton thing happen today?)
Carryover from yesterday. It's not an issue. He took every rep in team.

(What did he do exactly?)
He has a bruised hand.

(Would he have to play with anything on it?)
He'll be fine. He'll be fine. We're just filling out the reports properly. We like to hold our money in our pockets.

(Is there any difference in the way Aaron Rodgers is moving in practice?)
Yeah, Aaron's foot, he has a foot sprain. There's certain things that bother it, and we're just being smart through Wednesday and Thursday. Tomorrow's practice is obviously different than the way we practiced these last two days. It's very similar to where he was last week.

(Was this Tauscher's first full practice?)
Correct.

(How did it go?)
It went well. I thought he did OK. I haven't seen the film yet, but it looked like he's moving around..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 28

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:49:20 CST
(Is Aaron's foot injury still sore?)
He's having some tenderness with it. There's just some particular movements where it bothers him, so we'll be smart with him today and tomorrow.

(Is that at all related to his foot injury from two years ago?)
No, totally different. This is a sprain.

(Why didn't Wells go today?)
Scott Wells was absent from work today. He had a personal reason he was attending to, a very positive one, so he'll be back tomorrow.

(How would you like to see the fans react to Favre on Sunday?)
I think once the ball is kicked off the Green Bay Packer fans will be the great fans that they always are. Our fans have a lot of class. I think they'll be appropriate. I was here in '99. I remember when Mike Holmgren came back. I think our fans our first class. I think they'll handle it appropriate.

(Brett said earlier today that maybe things worked out the best f..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 26

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:44:40 CST
Good afternoon. I'd like to start with the injury report. Jermichael Finley had a knee sprain. He'll be a longshot to go this week. We're going to give him the full week to take a shot at it. He'll be in a very limited fashion this week. Derrick Martin had a hamstring strain. He'll probably miss some practice time this week. And then Brett Swain will have season-ending knee surgery. Very unfortunate for Brett and his injury yesterday in Cleveland. With that I'll take your questions.

(So you're down to three healthy wide receivers?)
Correct.

(What are your plans there?)
That's what we're working through right now. The personnel department is looking at their options, and we'll probably make a decision here in the next 24 hours.

(How long before Jordy will be ready?)
He's still ... just to classify him as a couple more weeks. Pat feels he's making good progress, and he's probably a couple weeks away.

Mike McCarthy Post-Game Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 25

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:37:18 CST
(Is this more what you were looking for in an all-around performance?)
Yeah, we felt it was definitely a winning performance in all three phases. We felt coming into Cleveland that the special teams had the biggest challenge, and I was pleased with the outcome of holding Cribbs to his return yardage because he is a dynamic football player, especially every time he touches the ball both in the 'Wildcat' and in the return game. The productivity on defense really starts with the ability to continue to win on first down. I think we're doing an excellent job up front winning the run defense and keeping Dom Capers in favorable down-and-distance defensive calls and it gives us the ability to play an up tempo, a lot of pressure and so forth. I was very pleased with the defensive performance, and I thought we were very productive on offense so we had the ability to go up and down the field. You always want to score more points, but as a day, for all three phases, I was very..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 23

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:02:22 CST
(Any inkling what you're going to do at left tackle?)
Chad Clifton is doubtful, so if he doesn't go, we'll go with T.J.

(How do you feel about Lang's preparation this week?)
I think T.J. has had a good week. I thought Wednesday was his toughest day, which is usually the toughest day for most of the players because you have your game plan, some of the new wrinkles that you're doing. But I thought he definitely had a very good day Thursday, and without seeing the film on today's practice, I thought the line as a whole was pretty sharp.

(Any concerns about Greg Jennings?)
Concerns? I spoke with Greg after the jog-through segment. He just went to the rehab part of practice. I'm not concerned about it, unless he has a setback here in the next 48 hours.

(Concerns about Chillar?)
Chillar, no. They did some tests this morning. They feel with the 48 hours, if it doesn't flare up again on him..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 22

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:02:02 CST
(What happened with Jennings?)
Greg's hip flared up on him, so we're just being smart with him today.

(So you're not that concerned?)
No, I'm not.

(What about Chillar?)
Happened out there in practice today, just had a spasm in his neck, shoulder.

(Did that happen during team?)
During one of the team periods, yeah. It happened when we went outside.

(How's Clifton's progress coming?)
It's getting better. I had a chance to watch him go through the rehab today. He's definitely further ahead than he was last week. So we'll see how he feels in the morning.

(Is there a pretty good chance you'll try to practice him Friday to see if he makes it through?)
I think it's 50-50, if you're looking for a percentage. We'll see how he does in the morning.

(Are you more inclined to play it safe with him after what he went through t..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 21

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:01:44 CST
(What can Ahman Green bring to the team?)
Ahman Green, it's nice to have him back. We really felt that Ahman would upgrade our running back group. We had the unfortunate injury to DeShawn Wynn. We lost him for the season to knee surgery today. He will be placed on I.R. Also, a lot like Mark Tauscher, the ability to keep improving your 53-man roster. Both veterans have a lot of experience here, and we feel comfortable when the time is right and when needed, however it shakes out, that they will be productive players for us.

(How soon can he help you?)
I think time will answer that question. Really I would like to see him tomorrow in pads. I thought he looked good today. I know the personnel staff, Edgar Bennett, everybody involved with his workout on Tuesday felt that he looked good, but there is always the question of football shape. That's something you have to take the time to see where the players is. We'll have a full padded practice..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 19

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:59:07 CST
OK, I'll start with the injuries from the game. Jordy Nelson had a knee sprain. It may be a couple weeks for Jordy. Chad Clifton, the ankle sprain. They feel it's not as bad as the original injury. And B.J. Raji also had an ankle sprain. He'll probably be limited a little bit this week in practice. With that I'll take your questions.

(Is it the same ankle with Raji, just an aggravation?)
Correct. Same injury.

(Any hope for Clifton this week?)
They don't know. They're not sure. I don't think he'll practice Wednesday, but if he can go at the end of the week, we'll give him a chance.

(Would you go with Lang most likely?)
I think that's probably the way we'll go, yes.

(What do you like about T.J. in that spot as opposed to Daryn sliding over?)
I think it helps us on a number of fronts. Number one, just from an individual standpoint, T.J. has gone in there and played well. When ..

Mike McCarthy Post-Game Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 18

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:41:46 CST
OK, I'll start with the injuries. Jordy Nelson had a knee bruise. He did not return. X-rays were negative. He did not return, coach's decision. Chad Clifton reinjured the same ankle and we'll probably know more about him in the morning. With that, I'll take your questions.

(Is a win a win, or is the sloppiness take away from that?)
Very important win today, number one, playing at home. I mean, these are things we address as a football team, staying focused the target and winning at home and winning division games. I felt the game today started with defense. I thought they played at a very high level holding the Detroit Lions to zero points. The ability to play at home like that with great defense has always been the focus. I was very pleased with that. I thought the special teams played very well in their segments. I thought the fake punt was a big play in the game for us. We had a couple penalties on those units, we'll look at that. Offensively, we had a ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 16

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:24:14 CST
(What's the outlook at center with both of the guys questionable?)
I think they both just need the next 48 hours to get ready, frankly. I would be surprised if they do not go.

(Who would get the nod if both can go?)
Jason Spitz would get the nod.

(Was Quinn Johnson out there today?)
No. Quinn has a personal situation. He had to travel to Louisiana. He'll be back tomorrow.

(Are you confident Jackson can give you what you need as the second running back with Wynn out?)
Yeah, I think so. No reason to think not. Brandon has been here a long time. He knows our offense. The only thing you want for Brandon is to get back into the live action, and that will be the case Sunday. But I think he's done everything we've asked leading up to this, from a preparation standpoint, so he's ready to go.

(With his receiving skills, how big an asset is that to have back?)
Bran..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 15

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:24:00 CST
(What happened to Spitz and Wells?)
Spitz's back flared up on him. I have not seen him yet. He's up in the training room. And Scott Wells has a hamstring. I don't think they're serious but we felt that we needed to send them up top, let the trainers work on them.

(When did it happen?)
Individual ... it happened after the jog-through, I think the first group period.

(Who's your third center?)
Dietrich-Smith. He took all the reps today.

(How did Clifton and Bigby respond?)
They both have had two positive days. Had the opportunity to talk to them both. Like I talked about yesterday, we have a body of work we want to see them go through. Really today was an important day for both of them, just the way their bodies responded from yesterday's practice. With the padded work today, hopefully they feel the same way tomorrow. But everything has been positive to this point.

(Whe..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 14

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:23:29 CST
(Bigby was a full participant today. How likely is it that he will play?)
Atari Bigby's body of work this week will be a big part of that decision. So far he has had two very good days as far as his rehab Monday and Tuesday and today. We'll see how he feels tomorrow, but if he can go through the full body of work he'll definitely have the opportunity to play on Sunday.

(How much would it mean to get him back?)
Atari Bigby is a starter. I think anytime you lose a starter for a number of games and then the starter comes back, it definitely adds to your offense or defense. So having Atari back would definitely be a boost for us. More importantly, we've just got to make sure he's healthy and ready to go.

(How is Clifton progressing?)
Very similar to Atari. I think it's important for Chad to work today and tomorrow and see where we are. That will be pretty much the plan for him. How much he will do on Friday is lef..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 12

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:18:37 CST
(How did Tauscher look and how soon do you think he will be ready?)
Mark Tauscher, his plan today was to take him through the jog-through and the individual work and keep him out of the team periods. It's a decision clearly driven by the medical staff. It's going to probably take him some time to get ready. We're just getting started today based on signing the contract and so forth, so it will probably be a week on this plan here. I watched him go through the individual. I thought he is off to a good start. He's in good shape, but it's like anything. There is a difference in being in rehab shape and getting in football shape, so that's what we're working on with Mark.

(Is it an open competition at right tackle?)
Allen Barbre is the starting right tackle and it's his responsibility to keep that job. That's where we're at today. Mark Tauscher is someone that we're going to bring along as fast as we can, but right now I am just looking at M..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 6

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:14:27 CST
OK, I'll start with the injuries. Will Blackmon suffered an ACL injury. He will be lost for the season. Atari Bigby, Chad Clifton, Brandon Jackson and Jeremy Thompson, hopefully over the bye, we're optimistic they'll be ready for Detroit. Desmond Bishop had a rib bruise. I think he'll be fine coming off the bye. Daryn Colledge had a knee sprain. They're anticipating he'll be OK for Detroit. Derrick Martin had a throat contusion. He's checked out of the hospital, he's back in Green Bay, and I think he'll be fine for Detroit. And DeShawn Wynn had a wrist sprain, and I think he'll be OK for Detroit.

(Did Derrick end up having to stay over?)
Was it overnight? Yes. I know they took him to the hospital as we went to the airport. He did spend the evening.

(Was the injury the reason you replaced him or was it a performance issue?)
It was a performance issue.

(Moving forward, will getting Bigby back help at that safety spo..

Mike McCarthy Post-Game Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 5

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:08:10 CST
(The two turnovers in the first half, how much did that rattle the team?)
It didn't rattle us. You can't have it. The two turnovers we had particularly with the sack-fumble took points off the board and the second, the interception, should never have happened. Just the timing and the fit between the quarterback and the receiver is something we cannot let happen there. They took points off the board.

(How about the job you did on Peterson?)
I thought the rush defense played very well to hold Adrian to those numbers. It was definitely a focal point. I thought that was definitely the strength of the evening.

(You gave up eight sacks. How are you going to shore that up?)
Well, it's a combination of things. We need to look at the specifics of it. It's obviously an issue. It's gone on for four weeks. You can't play this way. We're playing way too up and down and it's hurting us because of the big plays we're able ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 3

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 09:48:31 CST
(Any update on Chad?)
Chad Clifton, I just had an opportunity to watch Chad go through a workout. He's making progress. He will go through a workout Monday over there in the dome. Whatever status that puts him in, that's what we're looking at.

(Are you still considering him as a starter?)
That's something that I'd like to determine Monday.

(Is it more complicated than just saying 90 percent of Chad is better than the alternative?)
I think that's convenient conversation. Personally, I don't know how you judge that, when individuals say they're 60 percent, 80 percent, 90 percent. There were some things that he did in his workout today that were very encouraging compared to the workout he was put through two days ago, and there's a couple things that we need to see him do Monday. And if I see what I like, and Dr. Pat McKenzie is OK with it from a medical standpoint, he'll have an opportunity to play in the game. ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 2

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:48:11 CST
(Did B.J. have a setback with his ankle?)
B.J. Raji had a setback with his ankle. I'm hopeful he'll practice tomorrow. We'll see how he feels tomorrow.

(Was the setback yesterday?)
Yes.

(When did Jolly get hurt?)
Same thing. It just kind of flared up on him yesterday. But I'm confident that Johnny will probably practice tomorrow. We're just being smart with both of those guys.

(What's the outlook on Chad Clifton?)
Chad tested yesterday, it went fairly well. But the rehab this morning and the visit with the doctor was a little bit of a setback. We'll see how he feels tomorrow. He was down at the jog-through but didn't participate. So we'll see if he can go in the jog-through tomorrow and potentially at best be a gameday decision.

(This rivalry is intense between the players. How intense is it between the coaches and coaching staffs?)
I couldn't tell you. W..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Oct. 1

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:47:49 CST
(Are you still holding out hope that Clifton will be able to play?)
There is a chance, and really the plan for Chad Clifton is just to see how he goes through the rehab today. There needs to be some type of testing before he practices. He has improved every day, but just like I said the other day, if Chad doesn't practice, he won't play.

(So will you test tomorrow and then maybe he could practice Saturday?)
Yeah, really I need to get the information back today on how his workout went today. It's clearly a medical decision by Pat McKenzie and Pepper Burruss.

(How about Jenkins and Woodson?)
Cullen Jenkins has a groin. I anticipate he'll practice tomorrow. Charles had a foot coming out of the St. Louis game, and I anticipate he'll practice tomorrow too.

(How is Rodgers a different quarterback compared to his first start here last year on Monday Night Football?)
I think Aaron Rodgers c..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 28

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:50:02 CST
(Any health issues you weren't aware of yesterday?)
Our injury report, I'll just go from the top here. Atari Bigby, don't anticipate he'll make it back this week, with his knee. Chad Clifton, we're going to give him the opportunity to try to get back. We'll see how he is. Our Thursday practice will be a Wednesday schedule for us. Brandon Jackson had a setback with his ankle sprain, so I don't know if he'll practice this week. We'll see how he feels Thursday. Jeremy Thompson has some knee inflammation, so he's doubtful for practice this week. We'll see how he is. And I've got a bunch of guys just kind of banged up.

(So you think Clifton might have a chance this week?)
We're going to give him a shot. He's feeling a lot better, made a lot of progress in the rehab last week. We'll see how he is at the end of the week. He's going to have to practice if he's going to play.

(If he's able to be something of the Chad Clifton you kn..

Mike McCarthy Post-Game Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 27

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 09:55:11 CST
(Is the fourth quarter what you want to see from your team?)
Oh, definitely. It starts with the turnover on defense and the ability to get the two first downs in the four-minute offense. I'd just like to say it's difficult to win on the road, come down here to St. Louis. I was very impressed with our fan support here today. We got off to a great start defensively with the turnovers, but didn't get the point production you'd probably like. There were some up and down parts of the game and I really like the way the team responded, kept fighting. I thought it was a good victory for us to complete a good week of work.

(on the big plays)
Big plays equal points in this league. You see it every week and it was very evident today. I would say most of our scoring drives definitely benefited from the big play. We feel we have the ability to play that way, but more importantly this is the first time all year that we were able to stay balanced off..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 25

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:38:09 CST
(Are you encouraged how Collins made it through this week?)
Yes. I think Nick's done a good job. It's a painful injury, and I look for him to go on Sunday. He's done a nice job.

(Have you decided what you're going to do with the other safety spot?)
Derrick Martin will have the starting nod at safety.

(How has he progressed, especially this week?)
He's done a good job. You could see that right away, back in Week 1, his instincts and particularly his range in the back end. I'm impressed with him physically, what he's done on special teams. Very bright, a lot of carry-over from our language to his experience in Baltimore. So he is ready to go.

(I'm confused by the injury to Collins. You said it was a clavicle, but that's a bone and you can't sprain a bone, so is it the A/C joint?)
It's where it's connected on the bottom right here.

(Is B.J. closer to being activated?)

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 24

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:37:52 CST
(What happened to Brandon?)
Brandon Jackson was unable to go today. He tried to go in the jog-through period, and he had a setback.

(Did Bush hurt his ankle during practice?)
Yeah, I think it just flared up on him. We'll see how he is.

(You just can't catch a break at the safety spot, can you?)
It kind of goes that way sometimes. I'm confident, Jarrett played through the ankle injuries last year. My gut is it's not real serious, but I'll have more information probably tomorrow.

(Any better or worse feelings about Collins?)
Well, he's practiced two days in a row, so I anticipate Nick will go. He's always been a real pro when it comes to playing through injuries. So I anticipate that he'll go.

(He's gone through all the contact stuff in team drills?)
Yes. That's correct. He's taken all his reps.

(You said on Monday that maybe you've been guil..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 23

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:37:30 CST
(Can you talk about the roster moves?)
Aaron Rouse, we released Aaron. I had an opportunity to speak with Aaron yesterday. Just really a number of different factors always go into these types of decisions. I thought Aaron, on the positive side, was a very good representative of the Packers. He worked hard. He was a young man we developed and drafted. In our conversation with him I just felt that his ability to be consistent and the growth part of it is one of the reasons that we made the change. But there are other factors involved based on availability, without getting into all of that. That's really the landscape of personnel in the National Football League, timing and things like that, special teams. That was all part of our decision.

(You kept Rouse over Smith in the final cut, and now you are releasing Rouse, who just started on Sunday. What does that say about your personnel decisions?)
I don't really think it's as clean as you jus..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 21

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:33:28 CST
OK, I'll start off with the three injuries to report on. Chad Clifton had an ankle sprain. It's really too early to tell how long he'll be out. Nick Collins has a clavicle sprain, so we'll see how he is Wednesday, on whether he'll practice or not. Aaron Rouse had a neck stinger. We'll see how he is Wednesday as far as his practice status. Questions.

(Anything on Donald Lee?)
Donald Lee is going to be fine. All his tests were negative.

(Any chance Clifton can play on Sunday?)
Pat just thinks it's too early to tell. I talked to him right before I came in here, Dr. McKenzie. He said we'll see how he is Wednesday, but he just felt it was too early to give me a diagnosis on one week, two weeks or so forth. So he wants to look at him Wednesday before he gives me a better estimate.

(Is he in a boot or anything?)
Have not seen him. Didn't ask about if he was wearing a boot.

(The ankle sprains f..

Mike McCarthy Post-Game Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 20

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 09:40:10 CST
(Mike, what's the status of Chad Clifton?)
Chad Clifton had an ankle sprain. He did not return. The X-rays were negative. Donald Lee had the wind knocked out of him at the end of the game. He obviously did not return. And Nick Collins has a chest injury and did not return.

(How do you explain the huge disappointment like this?)
We didn't play very well today and my disappointment is to not play your best football at home. It was a major emphasis for our football team in the offseason. We have not played to the standard that we need to play at home, especially with this great home-field advantage that we have with our fans, our stadium and so forth. That's the most disappointing part for me. When you emphasize something for your football team and it doesn't get done, that falls solely on the responsibility of the head coach. We didn't play very well offensively, we didn't play very well defensively, and we didn't play very well on speci..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 18

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:48:36 CST
(How is Daryn doing?)
Daryn Colledge, I think he's going to be OK for Sunday. We're going to test him tomorrow, so he's making progress.

(How much did he do?)
He just did rehab today.

(Is it a sprained foot?)
Sprained foot.

(Typically if a guy doesn't practice on Friday, he doesn't play, but is this just a different circumstance?)
I'd say the circumstances are based on when he was injured, being injured halfway through a Thursday practice, giving him an opportunity for the doctors to test him and go through that process. He rehabbed today, and we're going to test him tomorrow just to see where he is. I think he has a good chance of playing.

(Did you figure out how it happened?)
The specifics of it, no.

(What's the story with Clifton?)
Chad is limited today on Friday and that's clearly my choice based off what he's gone through ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 17

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:47:42 CST
(So you added Daryn Colledge to the injury report?)
Daryn Colledge, he left practice today with a foot sprain. I haven't been to the training room yet. I don't think it's serious. It's not the Lisfranc sprain. I'm sure that's going to be asked. So we'll see what happens.

(Did you see it happen?)
No I did not.

(Would you just move Lang in there?)
Well, I don't really want to talk about that unless I have to. So we'll see how tomorrow goes.

(On Monday you said you had to find a way to get Bishop more involved. Is that possible with all the guys you have at linebacker?)
I think it's important just to keep everybody involved, period. Especially when they perform. Desmond has done a very good job throughout the special teams in Week 1, did a very good job in preseason in everything. But it is a challenge. These are good problems that we have with our linebackers. They all want to play ev..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 16

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:47:00 CST
(When did Crosby get hurt and will that limit him this week?)
It started bothering Mason yesterday during the weight training, so we're just going to back off of him this week. Based on the communication from the medical staff and the coaching staff, I anticipate that he will go on Sunday. It's just something that needs some rest.

(What do you remember about Marvin Lewis from your time together at Pittsburgh?)
I think Marvin is an excellent football coach, a dynamic personality. It seems like only yesterday Marvin and Peggy, their family back there at Pitt, that he moved on right across the street to the Steelers. Very fond of Marvin. I think he does a great job and has been very successful in his years in the National Football League with the ring there in Baltimore. I have a lot of respect for Marvin.

(Back then did you ever think you two would both be head coaches in the NFL going against each other?)
No, I..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 14

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:43:54 CST
(What's the prognosis on Bigby and his knee?)
Atari is going through some testing as we speak. We don't have the results. But the early diagnosis is it's a knee sprain, and Pat McKenzie will have more information as we move forward.

(A minimum couple of weeks?)
Don't have enough information. Obviously he's here today going through treatment. Pat feels good about it, but he hasn't given me one week or day-to-day or anything yet.

(If he couldn't go, would Rouse be the starter?)
I would say so. Yeah, I thought Aaron did a nice job when he was in there. Aaron has had an excellent spring, and he's clearly one of our better communicators on the defensive side of the ball. He's done a good job. I know Dom Capers and Darren Perry feel good about Aaron, so he'll be ready to go.

(How quickly could Martin be up to speed on defense if you needed him?)
Pretty quickly. A lot of carry-over for Der..

Mike McCarthy Post-Game Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 13

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:27:06 CST
(Can you describe what happened on that winning touchdown pass?)
Well, we were in a short-yardage situation that they actually played cover-two coverage. But we felt it was an opportunity to get some protection off the full fake. It was an excellent route by Greg and Aaron did a great job with the throw. So, it was a big play opportunity that we felt was the time to take the shot and they did a great job executing it.

(This was the kind of win last year you just couldn't get. What was the difference between this year and last year?)
Well, frankly, we've talked about it time and time again. I think it starts with the identity of our football team. And our identity starts with our defense. To be plus-four in the turnover ratio versus the Chicago Bears, that speaks volumes. That was our number one emphasis coming into the game and number two was special teams. And I thought our special teams played big tonight. I definitely felt that we won..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 11

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:06:14 CST
(How did B.J. respond from yesterday?)
B.J. was limited today. He feels better today than he did yesterday. It's going to be close. We're going to give him the next 55 hours to be ready. I think we have him as questionable, and he'll be a game-day decision. And I would put Will Blackmon in the same boat.

(Will did some cutting and running yesterday. Considering he did some things in practice today, did he feel pretty good after that workout?)
Definitely. He had a chance to take a couple of returns today, get taped back up and get back out there. Really, how they respond tomorrow will probably be the first step, and with it being a night game, we'll give them the extra day and a half to get ready.

(What's your comfort level with the right side of the offensive line, with Sitton and Barbre not having a lot of experience?)
I'm comfortable with the right side of our line. Our whole offensive line, it's a group now..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 10

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:05:12 CST
(What was B.J. able to do in practice and what's his outlook?)
He's limited. I have not made it to the training room yet, so we'll see how he's responded, and tomorrow's appointment on Friday is always a key part of our diagnosis with any of our players that are injured. Pat McKenzie will see all of the players in the morning.

(Did you let him do any team?)
They just brought him along at the pace ... just being smart with him, trying to push the envelope a little bit.

(How much do you weigh that it's the first week of a long season with him?)
Well, if he's injured he won't play. We're not going to sacrifice one game for any of our players, especially in Week 1. So we'll see what happens.

(Did you test Blackmon?)
I don't have the information for you. I haven't made it over to the training room yet. I will visit with Pepper and the medical staff on Will Blackmon and once again, he'll ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 9

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:04:14 CST
(With the success the defense has had so far, should the players go into the first couple of games feeling like they have an advantage with the new 3-4 system?)
Well, you're not going to trick anybody in this league. It's very common. Every season, when it starts, when you play in your home opener or opener on the road, that you're probably going to see 20 to 30 percent of what we refer to as un-scouted looks. So we're in the same boat that Chicago is in. They're going to run plays that we haven't seen them run before and we may run plays that they haven't seen us run before. Conceptually they'll have something to draw from, no different than we will. The principles of their offense, defense and special teams are intact, no different than ours, and that's why you play the game. I don't see us going down and tricking people in the first couple of the weeks of the season based on us having a new scheme.

(When you project Cutler in the Bears' offense, d..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 7

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:02:57 CST
(What is the plan for Matt Flynn this week?)
Matt Flynn, I plan on him practicing all week.

(So you think he'll be ready to go for Sunday?)
I think he'll be ready to go. I'll just say this about the medical; I don't want it to seem like I am hiding anything. I think Matt will be fine, and we'll give you the medical report on Wednesday. The three players that didn't practice today, they're making progress and we'll give you an update on Wednesday.

(Has Nick Barnett shown you enough where you could start him?)
I think Nick will definitely play in the game. What packages and so forth that he'll play in, we'll find out Sunday night. But I thought he looked good in the Tennessee game. I thought he flew around, he was active like he always is, but we have to be smart with Nick and you've got to put Clay in the same category. They played 25 plays this past week and it's a long year. We factored that into our decision..

Ted Thompson Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 6

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 09:00:33 CST
(Was the decision on Anthony Smith a performance-based one?)
It was just a thing, we had an opportunity to get a player from Baltimore that kind of fit what we were looking for. A little bit of a corner, a little bit of a safety, special teams. It just came down to that.

(How do you feel about Martin on the field and with his off-the-field situation?)
Right. I feel pretty good. We were aware of the things that have happened. We checked with Ozzie in Baltimore, and all the reports there seemed good, so we were reasonably comfortable with that.

(What do you like about him as a player?)
He's a very active guy. He's got good feet. We studied him quite a bit out of Wyoming a couple of years, actually three or four years ago. We liked him then, and as we talk about a lot, a lot of our moves that we make on the pro side are based first and foremost of what we thought of him in college, and we thought he was a good pl..

Mike McCarthy Post-Game Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 3

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 02:10:08 CST
(What is the extent of Raji's injury?)
He has a sprained ankle.

(Was it severe? A high ankle sprain?)
We'll know more in the morning. It's kind of normal at this stage right after the game. I'm hopeful that it's not serious. I don't have anything to believe that it is serious.

(What did you want to get out of tonight?)
Well, we wanted to play a lot of these younger guys and get a lot of quality work. Unfortunately we had some injuries that put some of our guys in a tough spot. I thought the second quarter was not the type of football that we're looking for. I thought the team was able to bounce back in the second half. We were able to flip the field position on special teams. I thought Brian Brohm was in a good rhythm with the offense, thought we ran the ball effectively, but at times there were some negative plays, particularly in pass protection, that probably could have helped us. Defensively I thought ou..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Sept. 1

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:21:09 CST
(How would you categorize what the camp atmosphere was like out here with the new facility?)
From an environment standpoint, it's clearly our best training camp, with the new facility, the fan interaction, just creating a stadium-like atmosphere with the lights and so forth. That's a credit to the organization. I hope the fans enjoyed it. I just want to thank them for coming out, even this week. You wouldn't think you'd have the numbers that you've had in the earlier weeks, and they were great again this week. It's been a great environment to practice in.

(Have you ruled anybody out for Thursday?)
Yeah, who do you want to know about?

(Matt Flynn?)
Matt will go. He'll primarily do the holding. We'll see where he is in pre-game, but I don't anticipate him playing. He will do the holding.

(T.J. Lang?)
T.J. is going to go. His scan was negative, so he's going to go. He practiced today. ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 31

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:13:48 CST
(The defense has had a lot of success to this point, but what areas would you like to see improvement in?)
Just really continuing to play fast with the new scheme. There are things that you don't show in the preseason and you try to practice them accordingly outside of getting everybody ready to play the upcoming game. I just would like to see the defense continue to progress through the menu of defenses that we have in store for the season.

(What are your plans for the quarterback rotation on Thursday, specifically Rodgers?)
We haven't had our meeting yet, but I'm sure Aaron will probably play the first series or so and then we'll to Brian after that. I'm not sure about Matt yet.

(How did Brian Brohm look today?)
I thought Brian had a good day today. I thought he played well in the game. I think he is starting to make some progress.

(Is Anthony Smith making a push for more playing time?)

Ted Thompson Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 31

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:11:52 CST
(You don't show much emotion, but when you see Greg Jennings go down in the game the other night, does any part of you get a little emotional?)
Well yeah, I think, especially when you're down on the sideline and you can see the collisions. I think having played kind of helps you do that, but I think you do that with everybody, not just Greg. They had a couple guys who got hit pretty good up high, and you just don't like to see that. There's always a little bit of scare factor going on there. Plus they got close to me a couple of times and I was having to backpedal to get away.

(How's your backpedal these days?)
Not very good. I think I almost pulled a hamstring.

(You like to go on the field once every preseason, right?) I do. Yeah. I'm more comfortable down there. I think the game flows more naturally. I can see things. There's less questions in my mind. I know everything is OK and all is right with the world. When..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 30

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:12:34 CST
(Did you make any roster moves today?)
We'll make official roster announcements tomorrow. Ted will do that tomorrow.

(How is Greg Jennings doing?)
He's feeling better. I had a chance to visit with Greg during practice. We'll probably limit him this week and he will not go Thursday night at Tennessee. I think he'll be fine for Chicago.

(Is Matt Flynn getting closer?)
I think so. He'll have a chance to play this week.

(Does your heart race a little when you see Jennings go down like that?)
It's scary anytime you have one of your players laying out there, no doubt, especially Greg is a special player. I kind of knew right away what the situation was, just from the communication from the field. He tested out OK on the sideline so I wasn't as concerned about it.

(Did the first half from Friday look as good on film?)
I would say so. There is a lot of positive t..

Mike McCarthy Post-Game Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 28

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:30:02 CST
(Inaudible question)
You want to win. That's what we are - we're competitors. Obviously it's the goal anytime you take the field. But I'll say this, we can definitely learn from some of the things that went on here at the end of the game. We had a chance to end the game twice and we did not. I can promise you one thing, we'll learn from that as a football team. I thought we were impressive in the first half as a football team. I thought the special teams did a very good job with the field position. I thought the offense was sharp (with) the point production that they were able to generate, defense with the takeaways once again. We had a challenge there early in the first half where both the headsets on the offense and the defense went down, and we probably could've handled that a little better. There's always things you can learn from in this game. I think overall three weeks in a row we've been very positive in a lot of our production, but it's important to win. Y..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 26

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:11:47 CST
(Was it good to have Clay Matthews back?)
It was nice to have Clay out there today. We wanted to give him approximately 50-60 percent of the reps just to see how he responds, so we'll see how he feels in the morning.

(Do you see him getting any time on Friday?)
I would say he is still doubtful for Friday.

(How about Matt Flynn?)
Matt Flynn is doubtful for Friday also.

(Who is your emergency quarterback then?)
We have two quarterbacks, so...

(So you would put Rodgers back in if something happened to Brohm?)
If we have to.

(Was Flynn pushing to practice today?)
I'm sure he wants to practice and I'm sure he'd like to play. It's a bruise and if this was a regular season game, I think he would be able to play. Dr. McKenzie feels it is best that we give him another week, so that's what we're going to do.

(Were you sati..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 25

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:10:52 CST
(What is Desmond Bishop's injury?)
Desmond has a bruised toe, so he was limited today in practice.

(Day to day?)
He was limited today, so we'll see how he feels tomorrow.

(Is there anything that changes with practice when you switch from outside to inside?)
No, it really doesn't change anything for us. The footwear for the players stays the same. That's the beauty of the surface on Nitschke and Hinkle and Lambeau Field. We were able to make the change seamless. It was a very high-tempo practice. We actually finished today 14 minutes early ahead of schedule. I'll have to look at the quality of work on film, because there were some spots on offense that didn't look like they went very well. But I thought the overall tempo and the mechanics of practice were pretty good.

(Is Ruvell likely to be the holder with Matt injured?)
We'll see. We'll see where Matt's at. He's the third holder ob..

Ted Thompson Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 25

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:09:34 CST
(With teams getting better at salary cap management, is it easier to make trades now?)
I don't know. I think there's always some trades this time of year. I know we do a lot of scouting other teams. I'm sure a lot of people scout us as well. You try to find happy marriages where you might have some strengths as opposed to your weaknesses and the other teams vice-versa. But I do think probably from a macro point of view, the question you asked, is people have done a little bit better job. It's not necessarily doing a better job it's understanding the whole salary cap implications and what happens.

(So you can take a player for a pick a lot easier now, and vice-versa?)
I don't know. I guess. It just depends, kind of where you are and what your plans are, going forward.

(Everyone knows about Brady Poppinga's work ethic, but is he more talented than some people think?)
I think Brady has been a really good solid pl..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 24

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:09:15 CST
(Have you made a commitment on the offensive line with the five you went with tonight?)
Yes, we're going to work the starting five tonight is the starting five that we'll take into the Arizona game and we'll see what happens. But that's the five we decided on with Jason Spitz at center and Allen Barbre at the right tackle position.

(Where was Will Blackmon?)
Will Blackmon suffered a quad contusion, a bruised quad in the game. He'll be questionable for this week.

(How about Devin Frischknecht?)
He had season-ending surgery. He had a broken tibia and fibula. He was operated on shortly after the game, and he's doing very well.

(Why are you going with those five on the offensive line?)
It was a competition and that's the direction we're going. I don't understand...you keep track of everything every player does, and Jason Spitz is the starting center and Allen Barbre is the starting righ..

Mike McCarthy Post-Game Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 22

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 11:27:48 CST
(What's the situation with Matt (Flynn)?)
I don't have a medical evaluation for you. But he had a shoulder sprain. The early opinion is that it's more muscular. I am sure we'll find out as we move on.

(What was the thinking playing Brohm ahead of Flynn tonight?)
Well, they're competing for a position. We've been splitting the reps all training camp. We wanted to get a good look at Brian. I thought he had some opportunities tonight that really didn't present itself last week. Now we feel that we have quality film on both of those guys and we'll keep evaluating.

(What did the x-ray show on Nick Collins?)
Nothing. Negative.

(I know it's only preseason, but it seems like night and day for the defense from last year. What's been the biggest reason for the success?)
Well, I think we're off to a good start defensively. The takeaways, I think we have something special. As far as the produ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 20

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:08:59 CST
(What is Johnny Jolly's status for Saturday?)
I definitely think Johnny has a chance to go. We're going to see if we can get him on the practice field tonight. Johnny is in a very similar spot this week as he was last week. Hopefully we'll see what happens tonight, but if everything works out tonight or tomorrow, I anticipate he'll be able to go.

(Is it not looking good for Matthews and Thompson for Saturday?)
Clay Matthews and Thompson will not go this week.

(How about B.J. Raji?)
We'll work him tonight and tomorrow. My goal is to see how he comes out of these next few practices. I fully anticipate him ready to go if everything goes good tonight and tomorrow.

(How has he done this first week?)
He's done OK. He looks like a young man that hasn't been to camp. He's rusty. He's in pretty good shape. That's why you have training camp. He needs the work of the interior play of a defensi..

Ted Thompson Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 18

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:10:25 CST
(It looks like Favre will play for the Vikings after all. How does that strike you?)
It's fine. I don't know how much to speculate. Quite frankly, I haven't received any inside information, any more than what you guys have. But we're still focused on getting our team ready for this weekend, and certainly getting them ready for the first game against Chicago. If in fact that is the case, there'll be plenty of time to focus in on that.

(Does he make them a better team?)
I'm going to defer all those questions.

(With Justin Harrell's latest setback, do you fear his career could be in jeopardy?)
No, I don't think anybody's talking in those terms. That's not what our guys say on the medical end. I'm sure it's very frustrating for him. That's the kind of thing, I've never really had a bad back, but people tell me when you have one it's kind of debilitating, everything hurts, that sort of thing. But no, our medical p..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 18

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:07:58 CST
(Is Matthews' hamstring injury more serious than initially thought?)
Clay Matthews' hamstring injury, it's a re-occurring injury. That's part of the plan, to give him more time than he probably initially thought that he needed. I think if you talked to Clay, he would prefer to be practicing, but Dr. McKenzie feels this is the third time this specific injury has shown up, so they want to give him extra time to make sure it's healed.

(With the time he missed in OTAs too, is he significantly behind at this point?)
He's not ahead. He's missed a lot of practice. Obviously when he was practicing, at one point he was a starter. So he's done a lot of positive things. We'll see how he comes back when he comes back from this injury.

(Is depth there a concern because of the injuries?)
We want all of our players back, especially the way we're structured on defense. I think Dom has done an excellent job utilizing our playe..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 17

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:06:39 CST
(Good to have B.J. back out there?)
Nice to have B.J. out here. I thought he got off to a good start out today. I'm curious to see what it looks like on film. The big test will be how he feels in the morning. The information leading up to today's practice, they meaning the strength and conditioning staff feel he is in good shape. But we've just got to be smart with his reps in this first week.

(How will you limit his reps?)
The plan for B.J. this week, he would be in a one-a-day mindset, so tomorrow he will practice in the evening. He will not practice in the morning. Just with his reps in the team period, if it is a 10-play period, he'll probably have three to four reps. Once again, just want to build up his reps as we go through the week. Hopefully if everything goes as planned, we'll maybe see him against Buffalo.

(Do you think Barnett is still a week away from getting ready for a game?)
Nick's plan is to g..

Mike McCarthy Post-Game Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 15

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 10:59:26 CST
(Mike you couldn't have asked for a better start from the starting offense could you?)
Well the point production with the number one offense, two drives, two touchdowns, that's what you're looking for, but I'm sure when we view the film tomorrow, there will be some things we need to correct and build off of. I thought as a whole for our football team, it was a good solid starting point. There were a lot of positives that come out of this game. And there are some negatives and we have to make sure we learn from that. The thing that I was most impressed with was the tempo that our team played with on both sides of the ball. I thought they did a really good job of pressing the line of scrimmage, getting the calls in from the boundary. I thought it was really a clean operation from that standpoint. Those are the things that you need to make sure their clean during the preseason. I thought we were off to a good start there.

(How do you evaluate your defe..

B.J. Raji Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 14

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:07:14 CST
I want to start off and say first of all I am happy to be back in Green Bay, and give special thanks to Russ Ball and Ted Thompson for getting my deal done and being very generous and working with my agency. I really appreciate that.

(Did you kind of feel like a hostage between Eugene Monroe and Michael Crabtree?)
You know I got a lot of different views on that, but what I was told by people close to me was that obviously it put me in a tough situation where unfortunately the draft has to do with slotting, especially when you talk about the top 10. So it was just tough. I'm kind of glad that's over with and I'm glad to be back in Green Bay.

(What kind of a role did you play in the talks?)
It's not like I was talking to Russ or Ted or anything like that. I kind of just got the feedback of what was going on on a day-to-day basis. That's pretty much it. That's pretty much what my role was.

(When you left town a few d..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 13

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:38:06 CST
(How did Ruvell Martin go from no pads to catching passes?)
He's part of the rehab program and he was in there working out. Once they feel they are able to get back on the field that is a normal process for us.

(How much will the defense show on Saturday and are you reluctant to show very much?)
That's really a question that will be answered after we play the game. As far as percentages, I'd be BS'ing you if I told you 30 percent. We don't sit around and talk about how much we want to show. What we're trying to get done and the things that we are doing as far as when we installed some things, they were cleaner than others, so going back and reviewing them. Cleveland is kind of a hard team to anticipate because they have a new coaching staff, so there is definitely some projection on what would you really like to do against them. We also play them during the regular season. I'm not really concerned with the volume. On my schedule to the c..

Ted Thompson Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 11

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:49:55 CST
(Where does the B.J. Raji situation stand?)
Ongoing. Frustrating for everybody I'm sure. Certainly for us and I'm sure for B.J. and his representatives. It's continual dialogue, and it's ongoing.

(Where do you stand on doing something about a rookie pay scale and changing the system?)
Well, I think it's OK for a person in my position to have an opinion, and when it comes to it, if Mark wants to know my opinion, ... but to try to bring B.J. into this whole thing, it's probably not a fair thing. So I don't want to get somebody mad at me. But there are obviously concerns from a lot of people, current players and the NFL people about the current system. The problem is it gets so complicated because you just interpret numbers, as opposed to what a market is, and then you project and you do all this, and everybody's projections and everybody's computations there can be different even though people can be well-meaning and trying to do the right..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 11

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:07:22 CST
(What's wrong with Justin Harrell?)
Justin Harrell missed practice today. He's having back spasms. He's just fighting through it, we're treating him, and it's a little bit of a setback for him.

(Is this related to his previous back injury?)
Correct.

(How concerned are you that this might linger on?)
On a personal note, it's unfortunate. Justin, he's had a tough road dealing with his injuries, but he's doing everything and more that we're asking of him, and it's part of the game. It's something that as a coach you can't control, and it's really, on an individual basis, you get these guys the best care that you can, but you also, you have to be on top of the rest of your football team and how it affects that. That's part of training camp that every coach goes through.

(Physically in the offseason did he do everything you asked as far as being in shape?)
His offseason was one of actual..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 10

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:49:49 CST
(Did you see the effects of two days off, one way or the other?)
We're definitely healthy. We definitely benefited from the two days off. Just as far as the conversation with the medical staff and the double treatments yesterday. That's a positive. I don't care where you are in your training; when you come back to work after a day off there are some guys that feel real good and there are some guys that are still fighting through injuries. This particular practice was a challenge. Install eight and nine are always extraordinary in the sense of just a lot of moving parts, just a lot of situations. The last eight plays of the game, the third-down install that also went in today. We had the move-the-ball drill that was pretty taxing on those guys, and that's all part of the design of training camp and we're in the final stages of our installation. That's what you expect, but I like the way they fought through it. That was a tough practice.

(How is DeShaw..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 8

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:00:23 CST
Tough night. It's disappointing. I know everybody involved is disappointed. The players were jacked up for tonight. The crowd was great. It's just unfortunate that we were unable to move forward with the scrimmage, and clearly the determining factor was the safety of everybody involved. But it will give us an opportunity to get healthy, so that's the approach we've taken.

(Do you have to schedule an extra workout now that you didn't get to work tonight?)
I don't think you can. We're going to do some extra treatment tomorrow. We're going to take this opportunity to get the players back and we'll hit it Monday morning just to keep our install schedule going. I'm very pleased with the number of reps that we were able to attain last week in practice. We feel as a coaching staff, just during the delay having an opportunity to meet with the coordinators and some of the coaches, we feel that we are ahead of schedule in some areas. Really the health of our footbal..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 7

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:52:26 CST
(Any word on Tory Humphrey?)
I was told the operation went fine. Pat (McKenzie) feels that he'll heal just fine.

(Have you made a decision on him yet?)
No, we haven't made a decision on Tory Humphrey. That would be a personnel decision. He'll definitely be back at some point during the season.

(Where was Jimmy Robinson today?)
Actually Jimmy Robinson and Al Harris attended the funeral of Jim Johnson in Philadelphia.

(Do you know which of the injured guys you are holding out tomorrow night?)
That's something we'll do tomorrow at 8. Tonight's treatments will determine a lot of those decisions, but it was good to get a couple of guys back today. Really after Pepper does the medical report tonight, we'll meet as a staff tomorrow at 8:00.

(What is the prognosis on Pat Lee?)
Day by day. It's a lower back injury, so it's something we need to watch.

<..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 6

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:21:28 CST
(What were your impressions of the two-minute and no-huddle periods?)
I thought the two-minute drill was good work. You just cannot get enough work as far as the different types of situations, the mechanics and the substitutions and so forth. I was very pleased with the two-minute work, very pleased with the no-huddle, the two segments of no-huddle there at the end. Just playing up tempo and you've just got to keep changing it up as much as you can because that's really what gets our players ready to play in trying to cover all of the different situations that occur. Today was a review day for us. We've had an opportunity to go back and review the first five installations and I thought today was a good, solid day. The younger players got a lot more reps today because we had a veteran select group that we held out probably eight or nine of our veterans, like we traditionally have on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I thought it was a good, solid day.

(D..

Ted Thompson Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 4

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:07:13 CST
(Why isn't B.J. Raji signed yet?)
If I had the answer to that, he'd probably be signed. I don't know. I think the higher you get in the rounds, certainly the first-round guys, there's a little more complications and a little bit more wondering what the other fellas are going to do. But we're working at it. Russ and Dave talk all the time. Everybody's trying to do the right thing, and we'll get it worked out.

(Are your hands tied because you have to wait until the other guys around him sign?)
Not necessarily. It's just a matter of timing and negotiation.

(When he does get in, do you have to treat him differently and not throw him out there right away and risk injury?)
Well, just like we do with all the players that come in for the start of training camp, we'll do the same testing with B.J. to make sure that he's in shape. But last time we saw him he was in pretty good shape.

(That was a while ago..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 4

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:31:06 CST
(What's the difference with DeShawn Wynn this season compared to the previous two seasons?)
I think DeShawn is just growing up as a football player. He's accustomed to what he's asked to do. He's done a great job in the offseason program. He's a very powerful man in the weight room, and I think you're seeing the gains from that. Very comfortable in our scheme, very instinctive. He had the play in practice No. 3 where he pulls the reverse down and makes the long run, so he's a very instinctive football player. He's a tough guy to bring down. He has an excellent center of gravity, playing with leverage and so forth. I think he's had a heck of a camp.

(What are Jackson's and Underwood's injuries?)
Brandon Jackson has a bruised shoulder, and Underwood had back spasms.

(Preston?)
He returned. He jammed his back.

(The shorter practice this morning, was that by design or were you forced to?) <..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 3

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:58:45 CST
(Clay Matthews was working with the first group today. What have you seen from him?)
We've been very pleased with the progress Clay has made so far, so we've split the reps. We primarily worked Clay with the ones today, and that will be a good competition throughout camp we anticipate with him and Jeremy.

(Kevin Greene is really on top of every play. Is that just being a rookie coach or is he that intense?)
I just think that is Kevin Greene's coaching style. Everybody has a style that fits their personality, but their job description is to teach and demand, and that is the way Kevin goes about it.

(How important is it to have a set group on the offensive line and how close are you to that?)
We're not close to it, number one, to setting the offensive line but you would like to make that decision obviously sooner rather than later. We'll work that at least for the next week and a half, two weeks until we start t..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 2

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 19:23:56 CST
(Will Wells, Jenkins, Clifton and Bigby practice tonight?)
Yes. The medical crew wants to start those guys one-a-days. That's what we discussed yesterday, so they will all practice tonight.

(Pretty spirited run drill today?)
It was a good run drill. I thought the practice as a whole, I thought the tempo was OK. I thought the start from the offense was very poor with the mental errors and the repeat of plays in the screens and deceptive period. Outside of that, the blitz period, I thought the defense had the advantage there. But a lot of good things to teach off of.

(How are Al Harris and Charles Woodson adjusting to the new scheme?)
I think they have handled it very well. The opportunity for our corners and really our whole secondary as a whole to play with a lot more vision, particularly on first and second down. I think the adjustment is good but it's also taken advantage of all of those guys back there. We'..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Aug. 1

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 16:51:20 CST
(How did you like practicing on the new field?)
Nitschke Field, it's obviously a great facility. I can't say enough about the Packer organization, so fan friendly. It's a little safer off of Oneida Street for everybody, but the players love it. The coaches, we were down here last week getting ready for it, so we're just excited to get out here on this new surface and get going. It's a great facility.

(You were doing some mixing and matching with Wells, Spitz, and Sitton. Is that pretty much wide open at center and right guard?)
There is definitely competition going on in the interior of our line, and really all the way through. We're trying to find the best five and work all the different combinations that are needed. We'd like to make a decision earlier in training camp than past years, but time will answer those questions.

(Practice was about two and a half hours; did you plan to go that long?)
Well, we were..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - July 31

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:38:08 CST
(Do you have a sense of any guys who have not been cleared to practice?)
We've had our medical meeting with the doctors, Ted and I, but frankly I have not had a staff meeting, which will conclude from here. I feel very good, but why don't you just ask me specifics and I'll tell you whoever you're interested in.

(Jenkins?)
Jenkins, he went through, passed his physical, and we'll be smart with him as far as how much he practices.

(Giacomini?)
I anticipate him to go full, but we'll just keep an eye on him in individual work, because obviously he hasn't been in that live action there in quite some time.

(Barnett?)
Barnett, we're going to put him on PUP. He did not pass his physical.

(Anybody else not pass?)
No. Nick's the only one.

(With Barnett, do you expect him sometime in training camp, or is that questionable?)
Definitely. Nic..

Mark Murphy Press Conference Transcript - July 30

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:28:08 CST
I thought the meeting went well. Obviously I thought the weather kept some people away, but we thank the people that came. I think we had about just under 7,500. Given the weather conditions, I thought that was a really good turnout. I thought the meeting went well. We covered a lot of different topics, so I was pleased. It's still only my second one, but nothing in the NFL quite like it. It's so unique and it really kind of hits home how special and unique this organization is when you stand up there and see that many of your shareholders coming out for a meeting like that.

(When you brought up Brett Favre and the organization's response to that situation, you received a warm applause. What did you think about that?)
Yeah, I viewed that the same way. Obviously I think people realize it was a difficult situation. What I mentioned, on the one hand we are balancing a legendary player that had meant so much to the organization and being fair to him, but tryin..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - June 24

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:50:47 CST
(If the reports are true, it sounds like Greg Jennings has agreed to a contract extension. What are your thoughts?)
We're excited for Greg Jennings' future here; there is no doubt. I think Greg is a young man that has developed here in Green Bay and I can't say enough about him personally. I like the way he goes about his business, and he is definitely well deserving of this contract. I'm excited for Greg.

(Did you shorten things today because of the heat?)
No, that was the plan all along. We really got a lot of work done in the OTAs. Our participation was outstanding, so really our mini-camp the last three days was about corrections. Every team period that we had, whether it was blitz, third down, red zone, it was clearly just the corrections and the things that we felt like we needed to go back over from the OTAs. I was very happy with the amount of quality work that we were able to accomplish during OTAs, but that was really the plan ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - June 22

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:47:30 CST
(Did something happen with Justin Harrell since it looked like he dropped out at the end?)
I have not been to the training room yet and I did not get a post-practice report from Pepper, so I do not have that information for you.

(How about Anthony Smith?)
Anthony Smith did not practice because of a groin, medical situation.

(Charles Woodson?)
Excused for a personal (reason). He had something personal he was dealing with today, a charitable event. Will Blackmon was married this past weekend, so he'll be arriving back here tonight.

(Is Breno Giacomini still dealing with an injury?)
Correct.

(How much catching up does Nick Collins have to do and how did he look?)
I did not watch a whole lot of Nick today. I spent most of my time with the offense. But I know, visiting with Nick over the weekend and visiting with our training staff, we put him through the reha..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - June 17

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:11:28 CST
(Nick Collins was back today but worked with the rehab group. Is there an injury there or is he kind of on Ryan Grant's program from last year?)
I wouldn't say he is on Ryan Grant's program from last year. He went through the jog-through, and then went with the rehab (group). He obviously hasn't been here, so we'll see how the rehab workout went. I have not had a chance to visit with the trainers and see where Nick is. Once again, these segments are voluntary.

(Has he taken his physical?)
I don't have all of that information for you right now.

(Would it be beneficial for him to be out there watching practice?)
Well, the jog-through is really the most important reps for what we are trying to accomplish on a daily basis. Our jog-through directly reflects the install of the day. This was an install day. Really we have always put medical in front, just from a priority standpoint. All of the other periods are on fi..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - June 10

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:55:32 CST
(Two weeks in, what have you seen during OTAs?)
I'm very happy, pleased with what we have seen so far in our OTAs. I'll just say that the practices we have had, particularly this week so far, being able to hit all of the different situations, two-minute and all of the way down, short yardage, short yardage went into today, goal line, it's just great to get to the situations, the concepts, this early in OTAs. I think it just kind of shows where we are as a football team in Year 4 of our program, even though we do have a new defensive scheme and we're doing some new things on special teams.

(How has Jordy Nelson looked this offseason?)
Jordy is doing a good job. Jordy is a lot like a number of our players; you see the advancement from Year 1 to Year 2, the opportunity to go through an offseason program. I'm sure he feels a lot better about where he is physically and what he has been able to do with his body throughout these workouts the pa..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - June 3

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:21:03 CST
(Now that you have been through five practices, can you see a difference in the way the defense is operating?)
We've had five practices, and then both offensively and defensively you are installing every day. You really don't get a true gauge of where you are when you are involved in installation practices, just to be honest with you. There are going to be days where the offense's installation probably gives them a little advantage and there are days where the defense's may give them a little advantage. But I like what I see on both sides of the ball. I really like the way our players have picked up the system defensively. I like the coaching that is going on. I had an opportunity to spend more time observing the drill work because we have some new coaches on defense, we have new coaches on special teams. The offseason program and OTAs is as much about scheme development, but it's also about making sure your practice environment is in tune. I think the defense is o..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - May 28

Thu, 28 May 2009 09:25:56 CST
(Can you update us on the attendance and the guys that weren't here?)
Attendance, huh? We'll do this one time for you because we're so accommodating to the media. Attendance, we had 10 players that did not participate because of medical reasons. Frankly the seven veterans that did not participate, it's just really the result of not being 100 percent from their post-season surgeries or their post-season ailments. The three younger players, Lorne Sam had an abdominal strain, Clay Matthews had a hamstring strain, and Brad Jones, he has a slight groin. Those three new players missed practice. They did practice yesterday. Brad did not practice yesterday either. As far as the guys that are not here, Donald Driver, Charles Woodson, Nick Collins, no different than what we have done in the past. I know everybody here understands that, whether it's personal reasons, business reasons, whatever they are, I'm not going to discuss those. I know the fans respect that we don't do ..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - May 3

Sun, 03 May 2009 11:35:59 CST
(How much thought do you give to signing another quarterback? You have three already, so do you run the risk of taking reps away from someone down the line?)
It's something we'll definitely talk about. We went with three quarterbacks in last year's training camp really because with Brian Brohm and Matt both being rookies, we wanted to make sure to maximized their opportunities, plus with Aaron being a first-year starter. We've talked about possibly going again with three this year because of the youth of those three guys, but I'll say this about Brian and David Johnson. I think they've done a very good job with their two opportunities here. You always look for the quarterback to be able to walk out of that classroom and go down there and conduct practice, and they've done a very good job of that, I will say. You can see why they were both very productive players in college. They're both very instinctive with the football, they see the field very well. But those are..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - May 1

Fri, 01 May 2009 11:35:47 CST
(How much do you get out of this weekend football-wise? Do you film and evaluate these practices like you normally would?)
Well, the rookie orientation is really cut into two parts. That's why we went with this format and moved our mini-camp that was normally this time of year back to June. It was to give the rookies a legitimate chance to come in here and compete once you're able to bring your whole football team in after May 16, is when it usually falls. With that in mind, we really take the time commitment on Friday and Saturday, and cut it in half and go through all the different administrative aspects of someone coming here to the Green Bay Packers. Today we went through, the security director had an opportunity to speak, we talked about the rules and the operation of the locker room, the training, every aspect of the organization, and that will continue on tomorrow with community relations, PR and all the way through. When the rookie players come back in May,..

Press Conference Transcript - B.J. Raji & Clay Matthews - April 30

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:59:50 CST
(What's your initial impression of Green Bay? How much of Lambeau Field have you seen so far?)
Matthews: It's definitely a change from Southern California, I can say that. But it will be a definite change of pace that I'm looking forward to. I got to see Lambeau Field a little bit, not the field quite yet, but it looks like quite a prestigious place to play. Speaking on behalf of both of us, we're both happy to be here and start contributing to this historic program.

Raji: As for me, I'm a city guy. Born and raised in New York City, I lived in New Jersey. It's a little slower lifestyle, which I'm sure I'll get accustomed to.

(When did you get here? What has your day consisted of so far? Anything exciting?)
Matthews: I got in about two hours ago, maybe around 1 to 2, and we've just been doing administrative stuff. Just getting our medical history taken care of, helmets sized up, gloves, shoes, just getting ready for this minicamp..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - April 26

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:05:15 CST
(How much do you think your defense improved over the weekend?)
I think our defense is improved from last year to this point for a number of different reasons. I think we are adding a scheme that is going to give us some more versatility. Our current players that have been here for the offseason program have taken advantage of the time with the coaches. March and April we have always targeted as a time for individual improvement, and then the ability to add a full draft class with a number of defensive players I think definitely helps us. One thing about our business, you are either improving or you are going the other way. I feel very good about the improvement that we have been able to make as a football team without obviously practicing or playing games. I'm very excited about the additions.

(Do you think either of the two linemen you drafted have any chance of starting at right tackle?)
I was just up there meeting with Joe Philbin an..

Ted Thompson Press Conference Transcript - April 26

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 15:39:41 CST
(What is your overview on how you have restocked and what do you feel best about?)
I think we had some guys targeted in spots where it worked out for us. There were some specific players that we sort of eyed, and those guys kind of fell down where we thought they would go, and we were able to get them. We think all things considered it was a pretty successful weekend.

(We know you will say you like every pick, but was there a specific guy you were excited to see available when your pick came up?)
It is sort of like children. You love them all and you love them all the same. I don't know, I guess since we were picking in the fourth round, we always talked about maybe trying to get T.J. Lang. We had to watch for such a long time; I guess I probably watched that name a little bit more than others. It doesn't mean I love them any more or any less.

(What did you like about him?)
I think he is a very versatile playe..

Ted Thompson Press Conference Transcript No. 2 - April 25

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:16:21 CST
(This is tremendously out of character for you to move up like this. What went into the decision?)
Well, we thought a lot of him. We moved up last year too in a trade. I think it is a point, and we have talked about this before, the way you look at your board, so you have to kind of evaluate who you think you might get at your later picks against the player that you are talking about taking. We were really zeroed in on Clay. We think he's a really, really nice fit for our defense. He's a guy that has worked his way up. He was a former walk-on, 205 pounds, that wound up starting and playing for one of the better teams in America. He plays the game very well. He has obvious great genetics going for him, and I think he is going to have a really nice career.

(Was there a void in the second and third rounds that made it worth going up to get him?)
Yeah, I don't think it was so much that really as how much we thought of Clay. We really wanted ..

Ted Thompson Press Conference Transcript - April 25

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:37:07 CST
(Was it a difficult call between Raji and Crabtree?)
There are a lot of difficult calls during the course of the draft, and we think a lot of Michael Crabtree and a couple of other guys. But yeah, it was a difficult call. But we feel confident that we did the right thing.

(Were you surprised Raji fell this far?)
A little bit. Most of the pundits out there had him going a little bit earlier. He's a very powerful, explosive interior defensive lineman that has the ability to definitely play the run. He also shows the ability and the power to be a pass rusher from the inside. We think his addition gives us a little flexibility with Ryan (Pickett). Obviously Ryan is our nose tackle and he does a great job at it, but he is also athletic enough that if we wanted to move him around a little bit, that gives us some flexibility.

(You have said in the past you don't draft on need. Did you make this pick based on need?)
N..

Ted Thompson Press Conference Transcript - April 20

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:02:08 CST
Hello. Thanks for coming. This is about the draft, I suppose, so I'll give you a little background on just the process during the course of the year. In the middle of May, like the week before (Memorial) Day, we always meet with the National Football Scouting group, which gives us the initial list of potential prospects for the coming draft. Sometime in June, all of our area scouts come back into Green Bay, do reports for about a week or 10 days, set schedules, and then based on the grades that those guys give out, kind of dictates where I wind up going in the fall, or John Dorsey or John Schneider or Reggie or whoever. Then we get into the fall, they'll go to two-a-day practices, go to visit schools all during the fall. Once the fall's over with, they'll get the final reports in, then the all-star game season begins, which lasts about four weeks. Then we bring our scouts in and we meet for about three weeks prior to the Combine, fly directly from here to the Combine, do that for a w..

Mark Murphy Press Conference Transcript - April 14

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:42:49 CST
2009 Schedule Printable Schedule Download 2009 Schedule Dope Sheet (PDF)

Thank you all for coming out this evening. The schedule just came out, and I'd say we're very pleased and excited. I think to have five national TV games, obviously we knew about the opening game on NBC and the Thanksgiving game, but to have two Monday night games is exciting. And then the matchup with Dallas at home will be a nationally televised game at home. I think having five nationally televised games speaks well about the organization and what the league and the networks think about the national draw of the Packers. With that, I'll open it up for questions.

(They didn't do you any favors with three of the last four on the road and the bye after the fourth game, did they?)
Well, wh..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Feb. 20

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:33:54 CST
(Does the defensive change alter the way you go about evaluating players for the draft and free agency?)
I think the challenges will still be the same as far as finding players for your football team regardless if you're in a 3-4 or a 4-3. Now, we'll probably play more attention to certain body types more than we have in the past. But once again, like I've stated throughout, the 3-4 defense is a starting point for us, and for our defense from a terminology and language standpoint, and we will definitely still have the ability to get into 4-3 schemes and even moreso into our sub personnel groups. But I'm very pleased with the transition part of it. Dom Capers and his staff have been meeting extensively on a daily basis, putting together the playbook, and that's been impressive to watch Dom and his staff go through that process.

(What's that process like?)
Dom and his staff meet every morning and every afternoon. They break for lunch. But ..

Ted Thompson Press Conference Transcript - Feb. 20

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:32:43 CST
(Last year there weren't any receivers taken in the first round but then several in the second. Do you see that trend changing?)
I think that has to do with the number of receivers available in the draft, and comparisons between the top ones and the ones that are maybe in the second tier or whatever term you want to use there. It also is probably is an indication that in last year's draft it was much stronger at some other positions and people felt like they would be able to get a good player a little bit later on. We traded back out of the first round and we were able to draft Jordy Nelson, and that's kind of where we wanted to pick, that's where we thought we could get him, and we thought he was a good player.

(It seems like cornerbacks and defensive ends have received the bigger contracts. Do you see a guy like Albert Haynesworth vaulting up to that level or is that too big of a reversal of a trend?)
I wouldn't speak to another playe..

Dom Capers Press Conference Transcript - Jan. 20

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 10:31:07 CST
Let me begin by saying that I'm excited to be here and be a Packer. I feel much better about being here this time than the last time I was here. I've always believed when you go into a stadium you carry with you the feeling you had the last time you were there, and it wasn't a very good feeling when I left here back in '96 and we lost the championship game and Green Bay went on and won the Super Bowl. Hopefully we can get back there and have that same kind of feeling again. I'm excited about being a part of this organization. I've always had a tremendous amount of respect for the tradition, the fan support, and what Green Bay stands for. That was one of the things that influenced my decision to come here.

(What do you see about the personnel that fits well with your scheme, and what does this team need to run what you want to run?)
It's very early for me to really give you a legitimate comment on that. I'll say this, that I've made the transition many time..

Mike McCarthy Press Conference Transcript - Jan. 19

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:17:52 CST
I'm here today just to talk about Dom Capers. We've agreed in principle with Dom and he will be our new defensive coordinator. I know a lot has happened since the last time we've spoken, so with that I'll take your questions.

(Can you take us through the process from Jan. 5, when you made the decision to relieve the defensive staff of its duties, through today?)
Number one, on a personal note, it was a very difficult decision. I have great respect for the coaching profession, the sacrifice the individuals make with their families, so it's something I put a lot of time and thought and gathered as much information as I could in making that decision. Really, what it came down to was I just didn't feel we were headed in the right direction on the defensive side of the ball. It was really an evaluation of our last three years. It was a three-year process and I felt that a number of things that occurred in Year 1 showed up again in Year 3. So those were some of ..