Top of NFL draft order set
While the Packers' draft position won't be determined until their postseason run ends, the other NFC North teams know where they'll be -- clustered in a four-slot span in the middle of the round. The Bears will draft 14th, the Lions 15th and the Vikings 17th. The Packers are listed 29th, because they had the weakest strength of schedule among the three teams that finished 13-3 (.469, to Dallas' .496 and Indianapolis' .516). But the bottom of the round will be altered based on playoff advancement. Check out the full order here. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Injury update: Coston likely to miss first playoff game
Guard Junius Coston "may be (out) a couple weeks" because of the calf strain he suffered in Sunday's win over Detroit, coach Mike McCarthy said this afternoon. The Packers also will be cautious with guard Jason Spitz, who suffered a quadriceps strain, but McCarthy is hopeful Spitz will be ready for the divisional playoff game Jan. 12. Assuming Coston can't play, Daryn Colledge likely would start in his place at left guard. Tony Moll probably would start at right guard if Spitz is out, though Allen Barbre could play left guard and Colledge could play right. The other two injuries from Sunday's game don't seem as significant. Cornerback Will Blackmon had "irritation" to his old foot injury but could practice Friday, McCarthy said. Running back Ryan Grant (stinger) is "fine" and was in to lift weights today. More from McCarthy ...* Coaches already have finished initial preparations for Seattle. They'll finish Tampa Bay by the end of the week, then move on to the New York Giants and, probably to a lesser extent, Washington. The Redskins are the only of the four teams the Packers can't face in the divisional round. Coaches will have Tuesday off. * Players are due to return to town for strength and conditioning Thursday, then will practice in pads Friday and Saturday, focusing on fundamentals and doing some opponent work during the 30-minute jog-through. Roughly 40 percent of practice will be competitive drills. They'll be off Sunday, go through strength and conditioning Monday and then begin a normal work week Tuesday. * Backup QB Aaron Rodgers (hamstring) will be tested on the field Wednesday. How he feels Thursday will determine whether he practices in full on Friday. * Rookie Brandon Jackson was one of two players who had a shot to recover an onside kick that failed in Sunday's game. The group "was not coordinated as well" as it could have been. Mason Crosby's kick was "excellent." * WR Greg Jennings (ankle) is "fine" and could have played Sunday. * The Saturday playoff game is advantageous because it would give the Packers an extra day off to prepare for the NFC championship game. * LB Desmond Bishop and CB Tramon Williams performed well in reserve duty Sunday. Williams, who had an interception, will receive a game ball. * Rookie DT Justin Harrell had his best game Sunday. * CB Charles Woodson's toe injury probably will require frequent treatment and extra rest the remainder of the season. He won't practice Friday or Saturday. * Because he broke a long run early in Sunday's game, Grant would have gotten the chance to reach the 1,000-yard mark had he not gotten injured. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
On to the playoffs
With the exception of some potentially significant injuries, the Packers accomplished what they wanted today -- resting starters and getting back whatever mojo they forgot to bring to Chicago. So, after the final minutes tick away, they'll finish 13-3 and await Seattle, Tampa Bay or the New York Giants in the divisional playoffs, one win away from a likely rematch with Dallas in the NFC championship game. Let's put all this in context: Nobody had this team winning 13 games this season. Some had the guts to say 10 or 11; most people were like me, predicting .500 or a little worse. But the Packers have gotten this far, they're relatively healthy, and it's going to be an interesting January here in northeast Wisconsin. I can't imagine we'll have nearly as many questions (read: rants) as a week ago, but bring your queries for the postgame live chat now. I'll be back with answers a little after 5 p.m. The blog returns after coach Mike McCarthy's press conference on Monday afternoon. UPDATE: One injury note before I head to the locker room. Junius Coston barely can walk as he leaves the field. It doesn't appear he can bend his right leg. His calf injury might be cause for concern as coaches enter the playoff bye. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Crosby, Packers extend lead to 34-13
Mason Crosby is your NFL points leader. His 36-yard field goal extended the Packers' lead to 34-13 in the fourth quarter and moved him past Randy Moss into the NFL lead for points, with 141. Moss finished his season last night with 138. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Ryan bounces back
Jon Ryan's confidence seems just fine. The second-year punter has averaged 49 yards on three punts today, hasn't allowed a return and has pinned the Lions inside their own 20 twice -- and at their own 1 with his latest, a 72-yard boot that was the longest since Sean Landeta's 72-yarder in 1998. It's not windy here today, and that was a major factor in the punt team's horrendous performance last week in Chicago, but there's no denying Ryan and the unit as a whole have bounced back nicely. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazete.com
Nall, Packers make it 31-10
... And there's the flow Craig Nall needed. The Packers' backup quarterback kept their latest drive alive with a third-down scramble, then bought time and hit Ruvell Martin for a 32-yard touchdown that extended the lead to 31-13 with 2:48 to go in the third quater. Granted, this is against a dispirited Lions defense, and the touchdown was thanks to a blown coverage and another missed tackle opportunity. But Nall's numbers -- 6-for-11 for 75 yards and a touchdown -- don't look so bad now. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Lions pull within 24-13
Craig Nall isn't doing himself any favors. Give the guy a break for not having played in a regular-season game in three years, but he's missed badly on some easy throws, and failed exchange with center Scott Wells led to a 38-yard Jason Hanson field goal, cutting the Packers' lead to 24-13 with 7 minutes to play in the third quarter. If this is an audition, Nall isn't getting a callback right now. But we'll see if he gets some sort of flow going the next quarter-and-a-half. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Jackson, Packers lead 24-10
It's probably safe to say the Lions defense has packed it in. How else to explain rookie Brandon Jackson, who has shown little playmaking ability this season, breaking three tackles on a 46-yard run that set up a Packers field goal? Boss Bailey missed an arm tackle on Jackson at the line of scrimmage, Jared DeVries made a terrible effort to stop him at the sideline and Kenoy Kennedy couldn't make a diving tackle downfield. Travis Fisher finally brought him down at the Detroit 19, which was plenty close enough to set up Mason Crosby's 33-yard field goal. That extended the Packers' lead to 24-10 early in the third quarter. Jackson has a good chance to get his first 100-yard game. He has 78 yards on 11 carries with more than 27 minutes to play, and the Packers should be running a lot from here on out. INJURY UPDATE: Junius Coston has left the game because of a calf injury. With Jason Spitz also out, the Packers may be forced to put Mark Tauscher back in -- not an ideal situation, especially considering Tauscher is playing through an ankle injury. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Detroit scores; Blackmon hurt
Anything that happens from here on -- like Jon Kitna's 30-yard touchdown strike to Shaun McDonald, which pulled Detroit within 21-10 late in the second quarter -- doesn't matter too much, because a lot of starters are out. But injuries do matter, and the Packers may have suffered a notable one when Will Blackmon left with an injured foot. The location of the injury is especially notable because Blackmon, who started at cornerback today and is the primary punt returner, has had foot injuries each of the past two seasons. His return was listed as doubtful. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
It's Nall time
Another Jon Kitna interception -- this one batted by Cullen Jenkins and into the hands of Tramon Williams -- gave the Packers the ball again and brings on some offensive reserves. In are: Craig Nall at QB, Tony Moll at RT and Daryn Colledge at LT. See you in two weeks, Brett Favre, Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton. UPDATE: After punts by both teams, Allen Barbre is in at LG, Junius Coston has moved to RG and Jason Spitz, who gave up pressure on first down of the last drive, is out. UPDATING THE UPDATE: Spitz has a quadriceps injury and his return is questionable. He's walking around on the sideline without trainers around, so it doesn't seem it's a significant injury. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Wow, the Lions suck
Even without their top two receivers and starting running back, the Packers had no problem driving 41 yards in six plays and making it 21-3 with 14:12 to go in the first half. Brett Favre hit a wide-open Bubba Franks at the goal line for a 4-yard touchdown pass to cap the drive. Obviously, the Lions have just as little to play for today as the Packers, and they're without their top running back (Kevin Jones) and receiver (Roy Williams). But with this awful defense, which has been carved up for 195 yards already today, how in the world did this team start 6-2? R&R update: Atari Bigby, Al Harris and Nick Barnett probably are done for the day. Aaron Rouse and Desmond Bishop are among the guys who are in. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
That should be it for the big guys
Seeing Ryan Grant leave the field slowly on the Packers' last drive should be all coach Mike McCarthy needs to convince him to start pulling key players from this game. Brett Favre's 5-yard touchdown pass to Koren Robinson extended the Packers' lead to 14-3 late in the first quarter and capped an 11-play, 97-yard drive -- surely a welcome sight for McCarthy after last week's woeful performance at Chicago. Atari Bigby's interception on Detroit's ensuing drive bought Favre and company at least one more drive, but they shouldn't last too long into the second quarter. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Grant injured
Ryan Grant has left the game with an apparent left arm injury, but it doesn't appear too serious. He's sitting on the bench and is shaking his left hand as though he just took a hit on it. It still is doubtful he'll return to the game -- avoiding injury is the primary goal today. UPDATE: Grant's injury has been categorized a stinger -- hence, the hand shaking as he tries to get feeling back in the arm. His return will be a coach's decision, meaning there's almost no chance he comes back. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Packers lead 7-3
In case you somehow have missed it, Ryan Grant is good. Grant got good blocking up front and juked safety Gerald Alexander out of his shoes on the way to a 27-yard touchdown run that put the Packers in front 7-3 early. He's now scored a touchdown in six consecutive games, the third-longest streak in team history. Grant has 33 yards on two carries today. He needs 78 more to reach the 1,000-yard plateau. As watered down as that stat has become since the move to a 16-game regular season, Grant's feat -- if he gets enough touches today to achieve it -- would be remarkable because he only had six carries entering the last week of October. UPDATE: Junius Coston has replaced Daryn Colledge at left guard. Those two likely will rotate the whole game as they jockey for the postseason starting nod. They'll play together once Chad Clifton leaves the game, with Colledge replacing the veteran at left tackle. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Lions take 3-0 lead
The Packers' special teams, so good two weeks ago in a win at St. Louis, is off to another ignominious start. Aveion Cason's 54-yard kickoff return -- and a 10-yard tripping call on kicker Mason Crosby, who brought down Cason with his legs -- put Detroit in position for Jason Hanson's 35-yard field goal, which made it 3-0 Lions less than three minutes into regulation. Somewhere on the sideline, Mike Stock is saying words that can't be posted here. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Kampman, Driver among inactives
If there was any question about the Packers' goals for today's game, the inactive list answered them. Seven of the eight inactives are starters: cornerback Charles Woodson, fullback Korey Hall, left end Aaron Kampman, defensive tackle Ryan Pickett, receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings and tight end Donald Lee. Woodson (toe), Hall (hip), Pickett (groin) and Jennings (ankle) have injuries, but Kampman, Driver and Jennings are more or less healthy as far as we know. Coach Mike McCarthy is playing it conservatively, to say the least. James Jones, Ruvell Martin, Bubba Franks, Cullen Jenkins, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, Justin Harrell and Will Blackmon are the fill-in starters. Another lineup change of note is Daryn Colledge's return to the starting lineup at left guard, in place of Junius Coston. Aaron Rodgers is the third quarterback. Out for Detroit are: No. 3 QB Dan Orlovsky, WR Troy Walter, RB Tatum Bell, RB Kevin Jones, S Patrick Body, T Barry Stokes, G Manny Ramirez and DE Kalimba Edwards. UPDATE: The deactivations will end several players' consecutive-games streaks. Driver (77 games) hadn't missed a game since Sept. 14, 2003, when he sat out with a neck injury; Kampman (73 games) hadn't sat out since Oct. 12, 2003, the last of four straight games he missed with an ankle injury; and Woodson had played 30 of 31 games since he signed with the Packers before last season. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Woodson doubtful
Cornerback Charles Woodson probably won't play Sunday against Detroit so his chronically sore toe will have extra time to heal for the playoffs. Woodson has had the sore toe for about five weeks and only missed one game. He did not practice Friday and is listed as "doubtful" (25 percent chance of playing) on the Packers' injury report. Coach Mike McCarthy wouldn't say who will start in Woodson's place. Will Blackmon played nickel back last week, so he's the best candidate to move up to the starting spot, though Jarrett Bush is returning from a calf injury after missing two games and could get the call also. Tramon Williams and Frank Walker are expected to get regular playing time at cornerback also. Aaron Rodgers will be the No. 3 quarterback for a fourth straight game also because of a pulled hamstring that prevents him from being the No. 2. Craig Nall will be the No. 2 and replace Brett Favre whenever McCarthy pulls his starting quarterback. Receiver Greg Jennings (ankle) had limited participation in practice Friday and is "questionable" (50 percent chance of playing). -- Pete Dougherty, pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
Injury update: Pickett's status uncertain
Defensive tackle Ryan Pickett might miss a second consecutive game because of his strained groin. Coach Mike McCarthy said Monday he would be "surprised" if Pickett didn't practice all week and play in Sunday's regular-season finale against Detroit. However, given the insignificant nature of this game, McCarthy probably would hold out Pickett if the veteran isn't close to fully healthy. "Going into (Wednesday), I felt a lot stronger about playing him," McCarthy said. "Practice was just OK for him, and really, I'm curious to see how he ... feels today, and really, (Friday morning) will be the biggest indication on the progress that he's making with his injury. So, we'll be smart with Ryan. "I would like to see him play. I think he would like to play, just because he didn't play last week. But once again, health will make those decisions." The only changes on today's injury report will be upgrading four players -- offensive linemen Chad Clifton, Mark Tauscher and Junius Coston and cornerback Al Harris -- from limited to full participation. Receiver Greg Jennings (ankle) once again was the only player who hasn't been ruled out but didn't practice. It seems unlikely he'll play Sunday, but McCarthy indicated he hasn't been ruled out. "He's getting better. He's confident he can play," McCarthy said. "But we'll see how he feels (Friday)." Also from McCarthy ...* Ryan Grant's chance to top 1,000 rushing yards won't affect how much the running back plays in Sunday's regular-season finale. * FB Korey Hall (hip) would like to practice this week, though he's been ruled out already. He ran well during rehabilitation today. * No concerns about the condition of Lambeau Field, which was being cleared this afternoon. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Practice notes: O-line back together
The offensive line is back to full strength today, a day after Chad Clifton (shoulder), Mark Tauscher (ankle) and Junius Coston (ankle) left early to rest injuries. All three, as well as tight end Bubba Franks (knee), are in pads for today's practice inside The Don Hutson Center. Cornerback Charles Woodson (toe) and receiver Greg Jennings (ankle) were the only players who didn't appear to be participating at all during the little more than an hour of practice open to reporters. Cornerback Al Harris (heel) was not in pads but got some work in the jog-through. Receiver Koren Robinson (knee) also was doing more than he did Wednesday. Fullback Korey Hall (hip), who has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Detroit, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (hamstring) moved around a little with the defensive scout team during the jog-through. Unlike last Thursday, the doors of the Hutson Center were closed during the media's time at practice. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Practice notes: Lot of players get time off
Roughly one-fifth of the Packers' roster was heavily limited during the portion of practice that was open to reporters late this afternoon inside The Don Hutson Center. Cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson and receiver Greg Jennings didn't appear to be doing anything before leaving after the jog-through, presumably to get treatment. At least five others -- tight end Bubba Franks, tackles Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton, guard Junius Coston, receiver Koren Robinson -- went through the jog-through before leaving. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and fullback Korey Hall went through some running drills on the side after the jog-through. The only member of that group with a new injury is Jennings, who suffered what coach Mike McCarthy termed a "mild" ankle sprain in Sunday's loss at Chicago. Everyone else had previous injuries and, besides Hall and perhaps Rodgers, probably were held out strictly as a precaution. Defensive tackle Ryan Pickett, who sat out Sunday with a strained groin, appeared to be a full participant. Those who remained went through a couple of spirited periods before reporters got the boot after a little more than an hour. The doors of the Hutson Center were closed throughout. UPDATE: The only player on the injury report who I didn't list above is CB Jarrett Bush (calf), who was a full participant in practice. Jennings (ankle) was listed as not participating, and Hall (hip) is out. The rest, including Pickett, were listed as limited. UPDATE 2: For Detroit, RB Kevin Jones (knee) is out and T Damien Woody (shoulder) limited. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
No discipline coming in Barnett/referee incident
League spokesman Greg Aiello said in an email to the Press-Gazette that there will be no disciplinary action taken against umpire Jim Quirk, who grabbed Packers linebacker Nick Barnett around the neck and pulled him down after Barnett got tangled up with Bears offensive lineman John St. Clair. "No discipline is being considered for this incident," Aiello wrote in an email. "The official was just trying to remove the player from a skirmish to keep it from escalating." Aiello also said McCarthy will not be disciplined for his comments about the official. McCarthy described the incident as "totally unprofessional" and "totally out of hand." No time change for Packers/Lions: One other note from the NFL office today. The league did not change the starting time for this week's Packers/Lions game. It will remain at noon. The Week 17 night game is now Tennessee at Indianapolis on NBC. Pittsburgh at Baltimore and Kansas City at the New York Jets will move to 3:15 p.m., on CBS, while Dallas at Washington will move to 3:15 p.m., on FOX. -- Rob Demovsky, rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com
McCarthy: No decisions yet on starters' playing time
The Packers will play to win the regular-season finale against Detroit -- at least early on. "We will start the football game just like we have every single week up until now," coach Mike McCarthy said today. "Now, how it will unfold during the course of the game, that has not been decided yet." The outcome of the game won't affect the Packers' playoff seeding; Sunday's blowout loss at Chicago locked them into the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Asked how related his plan for playing time is to his team's poor performance in that game, McCarthy said, "That's part of it. "I'm clearly not happy with the way we performed (Sunday), so it's important to get back on the field and get going as far as playing to the level that we need to play," McCarthy said. "And also with the fact that we won't play for another week (because of the first-round playoff bye) I want to make sure we stay sharp. We need to clean up a lot of things fundamentally just off of our last contest, and that will be the focus as we go through the week and have the opportunity to go out and compete and win the game against Detroit." More from McCarthy* On the actions of the official who pulled MLB Nick Barnett away from a pile late in Sunday's loss: "I'll tell you what -- I've never seen anything like that in all my years. I didn't see the whole thing, but I thought the official was totally out of line, the way he grabbed Nick around his neck and pulled him out of there. So, there's a lot going on throughout the game on both sides of the ball after the play was over. Their offensive line was getting after Nick a bunch there down the stretch, and that goes on in these type of games. ... I didn't see the whole thing, but I saw the end of it, and I thought it was totally unprofessional. I thought it was totally out of hand." He said he hadn't yet talked to Mike Pereira, the NFL's vice president of officiating, about the incident. * Jason Spitz will remain at right guard, and coaches hope Daryn Colledge or Junius Coston seizes the left guard spot. * Sunday's performance won't make him rethink his plan to keep practice indoors. * Coaches bypassed the usual corrections period today, instead moving on to game planning for Detroit so they can be off on Christmas. * Technique of handling the rush was the biggest factor in the Packers' punting problems Sunday. * Problems stopping the run Sunday were fundamental -- fits not clean enough, pad level too high, etc. DT Ryan Pickett is the team's best run stopper "but that did not factor" in the outcome. * QB Brett Favre was left to finish the game in part because backup Craig Nall had been on the sideline in the cold so long. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Injury update: Jennings' injury 'mild'
Greg Jennings suffered a mild ankle sprain in Sunday's loss at Chicago, coach Mike McCarthy said, adding that he's hopeful the second-year receiver will play this week against Detroit. "It was more of a bruise than a sprain," said McCarthy, who wasn't sure on what play the injury occured. Team physician Dr. Pat McKenzie "thinks he might have just got kicked on the bone, so he wasn't very concerned about it. I know Greg wasn't either." McCarthy said no other injuries of concern came out of the game. He also said he would be surprised if defensive tackle Ryan Pickett doesn't practice all week and play Sunday against Detroit. Pickett sat out Sunday's game because of a groin strain. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Injury update
One silver lining to a blowout loss: The Packers stayed pretty healthy. Receiver Greg Jennings left with an ankle injury, the only one coach Mike McCarthy mentioned in his postgame press conference. McCarthy had no further information. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Packers fall to 12-3
The fans who aren't chanting "Green Bay sucks" are heading for the exits as we get inside 3 minutes, and I'm going to do the same. (Head out, that is.) I have complete confidence in this being our liveliest postgame chat all season. Post your questions now. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Favre's day gets worse
There was no way to predict anything like this. Brian Urlacher added to Brett Favre's rough day at the office by intercepting a pass and running 85 yards for a touchdown, extending the Bears' lead to 35-7 with 11:20 to go in regulation. Favre now is 12-for-25 passing for 117 yards, with two interceptions. This is a rout by any measure, and it's the struggling Bears putting it to the 12-2 Packers. Goodbye, chance for No. 1 seed. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Another blocked punt, another Bears TD
As good as the Packers' special teams had been the past two weeks, they're just as bad today. Another wayward snap from veteran Rob Davis, who is battling gusting winds, led to the Bears' second blocked punt of the day, by Charles Tillman. Corey Graham recovered and ran 7 yards for a touchdown, and the extra point extended Chicago's lead to 28-7 with 7:23 to go in the third quarter. UPDATE: History lesson from the press box. The Packers had gone 929 punts without having one blocked, a span of about 12 years, before the two today. The Packers need to find some magic soon -- otherwise, it might become time to avoid injury risks and sit down some starters. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Orton impressive
Kyle Orton has put on a commendable performance today, and not just because he was the Bears' third-string quarterback much of the season. Though he's only thrown for 101 yards on 8-of-14 passing -- including a 3-yard strike Desmond Clark and ensuing two-point conversion to Greg Olsen -- Orton has given life to an offense that's been one of the NFL's worst all season. After a third-down strike to Olsen that kept the touchdown drive alive, veteran center Olin Kreutz ran back and gave Orton a fierce low-five. This team needed something to fire it up, and the potential for a sweep of the Packers, with a 21-7 lead midway through the third quarter, seems to have done the trick. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Peterson puts Bears back on top
In hindsight, it seems Mike McCarthy erred by calling timeout after the Packers stopped a Bears drive with 2:46 to play in the first half. But the bigger mistake was calling three consecutive passing plays on the Packers' ensuing possession. One was nearly intercepted and another batted. All three fell incomplete, stopping the clock each time, and the Bears ended up getting the ball back at their 45 after a Jon Ryan shank with 2:19 on the clock. They went all 55 yards in 1:31, ending with Adrian Peterson's 8-yard touchdown run that made it 13-7 Chicago entering halftime. In these conditions, with a lead on the road, more bad than good was going to come from playing aggressively in that situation. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Grant puts Packers ahead
Ryan Grant continues to amaze. His 66-yard cutback touchdown run put the Packers on the board, and Mason Crosby sneaked the extra point through the wind to make it 7-6 Packers with 3:08 to play in the first half. Grant now has 96 yards on seven carries, and thanks to some key stands by the Packers defense and miscues by Chicago, his team's in front. The Bears don't have a comparable home-run threat, and the increasing snowfall will make it tough for either team to go to the air anytime soon. It's blowing everywhere right now. UPDATE: Junius Coston is back in at left guard. Not many teams rotate offensive linemen this regularly. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Running it down their throats
Chicago is sticking with its power running game and continues to have success. Kyle Orton only has thrown seven passes, including just one -- a screen -- on the Bears' latest drive. It ended in a 35-yard Robbie Gould field goal that made it 6-0 Bears with 4 minutes to go in the first half. The Bears have run 26 times for 86 yards (3.3-yard average). Meanwhile, the Packers only have run 11 plays from scrimmage in three drives. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Living on the edge
The Packers couldn't be much more fortunate to be down only 3-0, considering the mistakes they've made in the first 1 1/2 quarters today. With Muhsin Muhammad's drop on fourth-and-goal, Chicago sealed its second consecutive nonscoring drive after taking over in Packers territory. This time, it was even closer -- at the 7-yard line, thanks to a blocked punt. This is the type of stuff that makes you 5-9. Personnel alert: Daryn Colledge has replaced Junius Coston, who started at left guard. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Wind strikes
The wind gets part of the blame for the Packers' back-to-back mishandled snaps, which gave Chicago possession at the Packers' 34 late in the first quarter. Neither snap -- from Scott Wells to Brett Favre on third down in the shotgun, and from Rob Davis to punter Jon Ryan on fourth down -- was so far off target it couldn't be reached. But the wind was gusting hard from the Packers' left to right and appeared to move the ball enough to throw off their timing. Chicago isn't going to be a big-play offensive team, especially today, so giving the Bears a short field repeatedly would be a good way to give away the game. UPDATE: A good way for the Bears to give it right back? False starts. They've got three already -- on their home field, mind you -- including two on the latest drive, forcing a punt. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Bears take early lead
When was the last time you saw an 18-play drive in the NFL? It's rare, and the Bears' to open today's game was impressive. But it wasn't enough to get them in the end zone, as Kyle Orton airmailed tight end Desmond Clark on third down and Chicago settled for a 31-yard Robbie Gould field goal. Gould actually missed wide left on an attempt from 26 yards first, but the play was blown dead because of a false start on long snapper Patrick Mannelly. The drive covered 67 yards and ate 10 minutes, 45 seconds off the clock. Only four of the plays were passes. Two Packers personnel notes: Will Blackmon opened the game as the No. 3 cornerback, and the absence of Ryan Pickett left the Packers with some interesting lineups on the defensive line. At one point, it was Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, Daniel Muir, Justin Harrell and Michael Montgomery. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Extreme weather blows into Soldier Field
Remember the Packers-Bears monsoon game at Soldier Field on Halloween night in 1994? Those were some of the worst weather conditions for a Packers game in team history. Strong winds and a torrential downpour made it nearly impossible to function. Brett Favre completed only six passes in those brutal conditions, as the Packers focused on their ground game in dominating the Bears 33-6. Like that game in Chicago more than 13 years ago, the weather conditions at Soldier Field today are once again extreme. Instead of rain there is blowing snow, with the latest report saying winds are 22 MPH with the temperature at 16 degrees and the wind chill at minus 18. In other words, the conditions are brutal. The Packers' passing attack could definitely get scaled back. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Packers run the ball liberally today. Special teams -- particularly punting the ball -- will be an adventure. Jon Ryan struggled mightily punting into the wind during pre-game warmups. -- Mike Vandermause, mvandermause@greenbaypressgazette.com
Pickett out, Franks in for Packers
Defensive tackle Ryan Pickett tops the Packers' inactives for today's game at Chicago, while tight end Bubba Franks is in uniform for the first time in more than two months. Franks hasn't played since Oct. 14, when he suffered a knee injury against Washington. Pickett, who suffered a groin injury last week at St. Louis, will be replaced in the starting lineup by rookie first-round draft pick Justin Harrell. Also inactive for the Packers are: receiver Shaun Bodiford, cornerback Jarrett Bush, fullback Korey Hall, guard Allen Barbre, tight end Ryan Krause and defensive tackle Conrad Bolston. Aaron Rodgers is the No. 3 quarterback. Four defensive starters are inactive for Chicago: cornerback Nate Vasher (replaced by Trumaine McBride), linebacker Lance Briggs (Jamar Williams), defensive end Mark Anderson (Alex Brown) and defensive tackle Darwin Walker (Israel Idonije). Also inactive are safety Josh Gattis, guard/center Josh Beekman and receiver Mike Hass. Rex Grossman is the No. 3 quarterback. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Winds a-blowin'
The wind is shaking the goal posts here at Soldier Field, a little more than an hour before kickoff. You can feel it, too, with a zero-degree wind chill and snow flurries. This definitely is not a day for a lot of vertical passing. It also will be interesting to see how it affects the kicking game, especially with Devin Hester on the field for Chicago. UPDATE: Kicking with the wind in warm-ups, Mason Crosby hit two consecutive 48-yard field goals but then missed three in a row from 53. The wind was gusting hard from right to left. If it keeps blowing, just snapping for kicks and punts will be an adventure today. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Is McCarthy coach of the year?
Does Bill Belichick deserve coach of the year consideration based on the New England Patriots' perfect record? The answer is no, for two reasons. First, Belichick was caught in the Spygate cheating scandal earlier this season and should automatically be eliminated from the discussion. If he claims the award, it would send the message that winning at all costs, including cheating, is OK. Beyond the cheating issue, can you argue that Belichick did the best coaching job? After all, he has the most talent to work with. How hard can it be to coach a roster loaded with stars? Shouldn't the coach of the year be someone who makes the most out of the least? That's why Packers Coach Mike McCarthy deserves strong consideration for the award. He took the youngest team in the NFL, based on average age, and had guided it to the second-best record in the league. Here's an interesting footnote in the coach of the year discussion. The Patriots under Belichick are looking to become the first team to post a perfect record since the Miami Dolphins under Don Shula did it in 1972. Shula did not win coach of the year honors that season. The award went to none other than Packers coach Dan Devine, who took a 4-8-2 team from the previous year to a 10-4 record and playoff berth. If McCarthy should follow that example and win the award this season, Packers fans can only hope it's not an omen of things to come. After winning the award, Devine never had another winning season and jumped ship before he could be fired following the 1974 season. He left the Packers in shambles and will go down as one of the worst influences in team history. The biggest difference between Devine and McCarthy, however, is that Devine controlled all personnel decisions and ran the Packers into the ground because of it. McCarthy can focus solely on coaching and leave personnel decisions in the capable hands of Packers General Manager Ted Thompson. -- Mike Vandermause, mvandermause@greenbaypressgazette.com
Practice notes: Pickett tested; Poppinga absent
Defensive tackle Ryan Pickett tested his strained groin on the side and participated in individual drills this morning inside The Don Hutson Center. Pickett, who hasn't missed a game since his rookie season in 2001, ran some short sprints under the watch of assistant strength and conditioning coach Mark Lovat, then chatted with teammate Corey Williams and watched the defense. It was unclear whether Pickett participated in any later team portions of practice, because reporters were kicked out unusually early for a Thursday, after only two periods and about 40 minutes. Linebacker Brady Poppinga wasn't at the portion of practice open to the media. The reason for Poppinga's absence wasn't immediately clear; he was not on Wednesday's injury report but did have a shoulder injury awhile back. Quick hits* FB Korey Hall (hip) was the only other player who wasn't doing anything. * Guard Jason Spitz (ankle) practiced but split reps with Daryn Colledge. * The doors of the Hutson Center were left open as the Packers prepare for cold weather Sunday at Chicago. UPDATE: Poppinga missed practice because of illness. McCarthy said he had no update on Pickett, whose status could be up in the air until game time. Five players were upgraded to full participation: CB Jarrett Bush, Coston, CB Al Harris, RT Mark Tauscher and LB Tracy White. UPDATE 2: Three players returned to practice for Chicago after sitting out Wednesday. RS Devin Hester (shin) and LB Rod Wilson were full participants, while DT Darwin Walker (elbow) was limited. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Wednesday injury report
Here's the Packers' injury report. We'll update when the Bears send their report. Packers Out FB Korey Hall (hip) Limited participation CB Jarrett Bush (calf) LT Chad Clifton (shoulder) RG Junius Coston (ankle) TE Bubba Franks (knee) CB Al Harris (heel) DT Ryan Pickett (groin) WR Koren Robinson (knee) QB Aaron Rodgers (hamstring) S Aaron Rouse (knee) RT Mark Tauscher (ankle) LB Tracy White (ankle) CB Charles Woodson (toe) Odds and ends: Bush said his strained calf feels much better this week after sitting out Sunday against the Rams. Rodgers said he was able to do more in practice this week but probably will remain the No. 3 QB. UPDATE: Here's the Bears' report: Did not participate DE Mark Anderson (knee) LB Lance Briggs (hip) QB Rex Grossman (knee) DT Tommie Harris (knee) KR Devin Hester (shin) CB Nathan Vasher (groin) DT Darwin Walker (elbow) LB Rod Wilson (quadricep) One other note: The Week 17 game between Kansas City and the New York Jets has been moved out of the 7:15 p.m., prime time slot and into a 3:15 p.m., kickoff. However, the NFL has not yet announced a replacement for that game. The Packers play the Detroit Lions at home on Dec. 30. Kickoff is currently scheduled for noon. -- Rob Demovsky, rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com
Four Packers make Pro Bowl, not Barnett
Four Green Bay Packers players were named to the NFC Pro Bowl team. They were: quarterback Brett Favre, receiver Donald Driver, defensive end Aaron Kampman and cornerback Al Harris. Three Packers were named first alternates: linebacker Nick Barnett, left tackle Chad Clifton and cornerback Charles Woodson. Other alternates include safety Nick Collins, tight end Bubba Franks, running back Ryan Grant, linebacker A.J. Hawk, receiver Greg Jennings, tight end Donald Lee and center Scott Wells. It’s unknown where they were listed on the alternate list. UPDATE: Favre, Kampman and Harris were named as NFC starters. Driver is a backup. Check out the COMPLETE LIST of Pro Bowl players. -- Rob Demovsky, rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com
Pro Bowl players announced today
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