Morning Buzz: Focus on Aaron Rodgers' rehab
Welcome to your Morning Buzz, rounding up news and views regarding the Green Bay Packers from around the web and here at PackersNews.com. Grab a cup of coffee (or brew some tea, if that’s your thing) and get caught up on everything you need to know about the Packers.
As it often is with the Packers these days, it’s all about Aaron Rodgers. In this case, it’s all about his health and availability for Sunday.
Even though Rodgers appears certain he’ll be ready to run any plays McCarthy calls, the coach gave him Wednesday off. And he’ll probably make him sit Thursday, too. With no practice Friday, Rodgers will have had five days of rest and rehab before the final workout of the week.
“I’m feeling better,” Rodgers said Wednesday. "I appreciate the time to rehab. With an injury like this, it’s really about maximizing rehab time. So I got to get a couple extra hours there with the training staff. It was good.”
You can hear from Rodgers himself in the video below:
Rodgers: Will be about pain management
Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has been one of the most consistent performers on the Packers' defense. Indeed, the veteran has missed only one (yes, one) defensive snap all year.
Clinton-Dix’s running mate in the defensive backfield, Morgan Burnett, has been playing more and more inside linebacker. Pete Dougherty writes that move is going a long way toward fixing the Packers’ long-standing ailment inside.
Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers had dabbled with using Burnett at linebacker back in training camp only to shelve it early in the season because of a banged-up secondary.
More recently, though, at the start of the stretch run of a long and trying season, circumstances have forced — or maybe allowed — Capers to go back to it, and this time to go all in. This hasn’t been just a wrinkle in the Packers’ defense. For the past two weeks, Burnett has been an inside linebacker.
And voila! It’s worked.
Here’s the latest on the injury front for both teams:
I spoke with ESPN’s Matt Bowen about the Packers’ showdown with the Bears this Sunday.
The Packers finally can pull even with the Bears in the all-time series:
Don’t miss Michael Cohen and Bob McGinn and their podcast goodness this week:
Elsewhere, Rob Demovsky writes about a play back in 2008 that illustrates Rodgers’ toughness and resilience.
Over at SBNation, they write that Rodgers will play because the Packers can’t afford for him not to:
Jordy Nelson is dominating in the red zone:
Brett Favre thinks the Packers look Super:
The Bears are getting Alshon Jeffery back this week, but it may be the last time he faces the Packers in a Bears uniform:
Mark Murphy recently spoke with Jason Wilde and Mark Tauscher on the radio: