As far as the injury report, everybody participated today, so everybody's status will stay the same.
(Tauscher good to go?)
Yeah, he looked good, as far as his recovery from yesterday. That was the key. So I think he'll be fine.
(He'll start?)
Correct, yes.
(Is Jags in the building today?)
Jags is in the building today. We just walked off the practice field. But he will be en route to Boston College and he'll be there this evening and come right back.
(He's not working on some lousy, fake Boston accent, is he?)
No, not that I'm aware of.
(Is this a tough thing to adjust to this week?)
Well, it really hasn't been tough at all for us. He's participated in all his job responsibilities that he's done every week. We've stayed right on schedule.
(Do you anticipate him staying here the rest of the season, including possible playoffs?)
Yes. He'll fulfill his contract here.
(How do you think the team handled the short week?)
I think they've handled it well. They came in Monday and got the workout in, just the extra time in the training room and so forth, the guys that are nicked. Practice yesterday was outstanding. I was very impressed with the pace, particularly coming off of Sunday and practicing on Tuesday. I felt good walking off the field, and the video confirmed that. Today we had the jog-through and went through a lot of reps and detailed everything up. So I think it's about as good a preparation as we could have in a short week.
(Did Jagodzinski miss anything during the preparation?)
No. He was here for the game Sunday, flew to Boston Sunday evening, he and I met very early Monday morning, like we normally do, and he's been here all along. We do give him a couple hours off during the day to sleep and maybe call home and things like that.
(If he's here, no adjustments are needed as far as responsibilities?)
No, we're in a Saturday morning mode right now, as far as where we are with the schedule. We'll go to the hotel tonight, spend the night in the hotel. Then we'll meet tomorrow morning with the players. We'll be done about noon, and pre-game meal and everything will happen in the afternoon over here at the stadium, and then we'll play the game tomorrow night.
(What do you think of these Thursday games, what it does to your schedule and the players?)
It's a challenge, but it's like anything else, as long as the playing field is level. You prefer to be at home, and we have that advantage this week. They're tougher later in the season, I think that's obvious, based on where the players' bodies are, as opposed to earlier in the season. But anytime you have a chance to perform on a national stage, I think everybody enjoys that, and that's the benefit of it. Anytime you have a long week or short week, there's always a tough part on the front end and an easier part on the back end. So we're looking at this game as an opportunity to play under the lights at Lambeau Field, in front of our fans, on a national stage, against a division rival, get our division record to 4-1, and we'll have some time off for Christmas. So I think the benefit is definitely worth our while.
(The game over there, why did you have so much trouble running the ball?)
That guy, 94, played real well in that game. I think he's an outstanding player. Pat Williams has done it all year. You could see it in the first breakdown going into the first game and watching him since then. We need to do a much better job of blocking him in both the run blocking and the pass protection.
(You can scheme for one guy, can't you?)
Yeah, I think we did that day, too. We didn't go in blindfolded, that's for sure.
(What does Tyson Walter bring to the team?)
He brings flexibility to our offensive line. He's able to play every position. He's been here a short time as we well know. He's done a really nice job picking up our scheme. As you go through the practice structure, he rolls in and out of there. He's been a good addition to our football team.
(Does it help that he has some experience?)
Absolutely. I think it affords him the ability to do what he does. To be able to pay three positions on the offensive line, that's a very valuable commodity, and he gives us that.
(What did you think of the Pro Bowl selections, a couple guys made it and some others who could have didn't?)
I think a lot of that, the latter part of your question, has probably a little bit to do with our record, too. You always like to see your players receive individual honors. I'm very happy for Aaron and Donald. I'm proud of both of those guys and the seasons they've had so far for us. You always like to have other guys, we've had other individuals who have had good years, but we don't control that, and that's all we can worry about are the things we can control.
(Surprised Pat Williams didn't make the Pro Bowl?)
We voted for him, that's all I know. I think he's having an outstanding year.
(When Brett talks to the media about the retirement question, do you pay attention to it and try to gauge him at all?)
I haven't seen his press conference yesterday. That's Jeff's job, and he does a great job with that, informing me of the things that are in the paper and so forth. So I really don't read into it, to be honest with you, because I do spend a lot of time with Brett directly, as far as coaching the offense and so forth. So I don't feel like I have a distant relationship where I have to rely on other sources of information.
(Do you have a timetable for him to decide?)
Ted and I have talked about it, and it's something we're going to visit after the season. Our thought has always been, and I know I talked about it a few weeks ago, Brett Favre is under contract. That's the way we view it until we're told otherwise.
(Do you want a decision earlier this time?)
We can talk about that, but we've got a lot to talk about this week, the Vikings, so why don't we save that for after the season.
