GREEN BAY – The Packers' coordinators met with the media Thursday. Here's a sampling of their key comments.
Special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia
On Carolina's kickoffs:
The kicker's done a tremendous job with what everybody's calling those dirty kicks and the ability to put it on the ground, the ability to put it in the corners, so that's been the challenge for everyone that's played against them and it'll certainly be a challenge for us. You can only do so many different things to work on those catches, but as we've all understood here, when that ball hits the ground as a football, it can go anywhere and that's what it's doing if you look at the film. If you muff it at all or can't get a clean catch on it, it certainly gives them the advantage. So that's really what we've been working on the most.
On how K Brandon McManus is doing:
He had a good week. We really thought he had a good Thursday last week and he had a good warmup, but we extended the line a little bit on the big one there, and he hit it good just came up a little bit short. I think we underestimated that open end of the stadium to some degree. The one certainly he would want back is before the half. I know he thinks for sure that should have been a gimme for him. But I feel like he's back to some degree, better than he's been. I thought he had a real good day yesterday and anticipating having a good day tomorrow.
On WR Romeo Doubs on punt returns and how he pauses after the catch:
Sometimes his pause is a little long but I thought he probably had his best game. He had the one 11-yard return and then we got the penalty on the other; we had a drive start on the 40 and it ended up going to the plus-45, so those were two big drive starts that we got points off of. I also think he's a work in progress. After every practice rep and after every game rep, he's getting a little bit better, he sees it a little bit differently, and I thought that was his best look coming in. He's done a really good job in the red zone and continually getting better, and I know he's enjoying doing it.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley
On DL Colby Wooden getting the nickname "The General":
I think it's bigger than that. If you guys have been around him, he's got this energizing presence and personality and it's upbeat and how hard he plays and the role that he all of a sudden finds himself in. He's just this relentless guy who always has a smile on his face and you want to follow him. It's good to have guys like that, and it's cool to hear a Micah Parsons compliment his teammates like he often has been doing and giving a guy like that a nickname. But he's earned it. I'm proud of the way he's played and I love being around him. He's been great.
On DL Devonte Wyatt's return:
It means a lot from a lot of ways. If you watched early in the game and you just watched him run to the ball and how physical he was, even down the field – I'm not just talking about the point of attack, he's taking on double teams, he's making negative plays, his pass rush, he's pushing the pocket – watch him run to the ball and watch him hit people down the field. Whether it's chasing down a screen or chasing down a ball carrier, a receiver standing around the pile and he just knocks a big guy over, he's just got a ton of energy and he's strong and he's a dawg. That's what he brings, he brings that attitude to the interior of the D-line.
On DL Micah Parsons getting big sacks in the fourth quarter:
I attribute it to this: If you watch Major League Baseball and the closer comes in at the end of the game and he's gotta get three outs, that's his job. When it's the fourth quarter and we need a stop, a two-minute stop or we need a sack, Micah Parsons is our closer, and he's going to get the three outs and I think he takes a lot of pride in that. That's how he's built, and I think at the end of the game and people start to get tired and he's putting his hand in the ground or he's coming up the middle, wherever we put him, he's just got a relentless motor and he knows it's his job to close out the game.
On DL Rashan Gary:
The thing I've said to him, I'm just so impressed with how he's playing the run game. I mean, he's setting edges, he's getting off blocks, he's not just rushing up the field, he's physical, he's tackling. I think he's becoming a complete player and what he's doing is he's taking advantage of his opportunities and he's winning his 1-on-1s. He got the sack-fumble last week and he's finishing and I'm proud of him, and I think it all stems back from the hard work that he's put in from OTAs to training camp to now and how hard he's working on the practice field and I still think his best football's ahead of him. So another guy, just appreciate how hard he's working and how hard he's playing right now.
On CB Carrington Valentine in Pittsburgh:
I thought he played one of his best games since he's been here, and I think that says a lot about him as a person and him as a player, and it's important for all players to see that. Again, this league's hard. Every game's hard and that's one of the hardest positions to play, and you're gonna have adversity and he had adversity and he wasn't playing a lot. But he didn't sit there and sulk and he didn't complain. All he did was work and he practiced harder and he got better and he earned the opportunity to go back on the field and then what did he do? He took advantage of the opportunity and he played really good against a really good wideout and Hall of Fame quarterback.
Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich
On WR Christian Watson's return:
It definitely couldn't have gone much better. I was excited just to be able to get him the ball early, just to get him going, and then for him to make those explosive catches down the field, he just looked like, you know, the old Christian, which is great. And I think over these next few games, we'll just keep ramping him up more and more and he'll just be that same player that he's been, which is awesome.
On QB Jordan Love in Pittsburgh:
He was on fire. He was playing with a lot of confidence, he was finding the open receivers, making really good decisions, and just doing a great job executing and then just making some great plays on his own, which is awesome. So, yeah, I think that was probably one of the best games he's played.
On Carolina's defense:
They're missing a lot of guys up front and linebacker-wise and I think that's hurting them. They're kind of a bend-but-don't-break defense, they're going to play an umbrella shell and they've got their five-across fronts and just try to stuff the ball inside. I think Derrick Brown's playing really well, their interior player. He's doing a really nice job.
On LG Aaron Banks:
Obviously the beginning of the year, banged up, all the groins, backs, things that he had, and I think every game he's played he's looked better and better and better, and I think this game was no different. He had his best game here and I thought he did a really nice job. He's doing a good job kind of being 'The Enforcer' out there, plays with physicality, so it's been good.
