McCarthy on underdog role: 'It's no concern of ours'

Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy spoke with reporters for the final time before his team departed for Seattle on Friday afternoon. Just two days before the NFC championship game against the Seahawks, here are the highlights of what McCarthy had to say.

Packers injury report:

Aaron Rodgers (calf) probable

Eddie Lacy (knee) probable

Josh Sitton (toe) probable

DT Josh Boyd (ankle) probable

On Aaron Rodgers' status:

Aaron is getting ready to play. He looks good. Meetings are still going on, but everything is on schedule.

On Rodgers' experience on calf injury:

I would think so. The specifics of that are more determined by the surface and things like that too. It will be important to get out there on the field and get comfortable.

On Friday schedule:

We'll be working here probably until about 2. We'll be leaving for Seattle at 4 p.m.

On Eddie Lacy:

He looks good to me walking to and out of meetings. He'll be good to play.

On underdog role:

Well, we're not allowed to participate in gambling. There's a big sign in the locker room. I'm sure you've all read. Trust me, I grew up in the bar business, I know how this stuff works. It's no concern of ours.

On mood of team:

A lot of energy. I think your confident builds as a football team. Lot of energy, lot of confidence, but it's important to keep your process the same. You try to keep it on a same type of flow from each and every week because we're trying to win a football game.

On T.J. Lang's importance to the team:

T.J. Lang is big for us. Not only on the field, but on the locker room. He's one of our top leaders. He's a man's man. He plays a big role for us.

On lack of turnovers:

Every football team I've been a part of, ball security is at the forefront. It's a fundamental of the game of football. We have one period every day that focuses on ball security. It's always been an emphasis, and this football team does a very good job of it.

On freedom to have flexible schedule:

Definitely. Any time you train a football team, regularity is very important. Just the adjustment of leaving on Friday as opposed to leaving on Saturday, there's some moving components. You want to make it as normal as possible. Any time you're playing the biggest game of the season, and then your schedule changes, I don't think that's the best thing for your football team.

On addressing to team how rare title game opportunity is:

I think everybody identifies how rare and important this opportunity is. We've been talking about it since April. I'm a fan of real drama. I really like the real drama football gives you. The made up stuff, I'm not a fan of. That would be made-up drama.

On importance of being loose before big game:

I'm big into behavior. I think it's important to be the way you always are. All the sudden, you get to the big game, and you change the way you talk, change the way you dress, change the way you want to behave, and the flow isn't correct.

-rwood@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @ByRyanWood