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McCarthy wants to see all three quarterbacks play on Sunday.

Despite giving a few signs earlier in the week that his team might go full throttle after 15-1, Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy confirmed Friday that the Packers will play it safe with a good chunk of his starters, including quarterback Aaron Rodgers, against the Detroit Lions.

Several key players dealing with lingering dings will be held out on Sunday.

Receiver/returner Randall Cobb (groin), running back James Starks (ankle) and receiver Greg Jennings (knee) were all ruled out for Sunday, and tackle Bryan Bulaga (knee) is doubtful.

Both Charles Woodson and Clay Matthews are questionable. The duo are both healthy, but each could be a scratch on Sunday to save them from any additional wear-and-tear. McCarthy said that both will be evaluated tomorrow morning regarding their playing status for Sunday.

On the issue of how much quarterback Aaron Rodgers will play, however, McCarthy was mostly mute. He said the decision to start Rodgers was still under review as of today. However, McCarthy did proclaim a want to play all three quarterbacks on Sunday, which gives credence to the idea that Rodgers won’t see much of the field. Matt Flynn should see extensive action, and Graham Harrell could get some late snaps.  Read more... (461 words + 1 image, estimated 1:51 mins reading time)

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The rookies on the Green Bay Packers roster have yet to complete a half-season in 2011, but the bye week in Week 8 gave us an opportunity to gauge how the Packers’ first-year players look through seven games.

Snap-counts and statistics are courtesy of Pro Football Focus. 

T Derek Sherrod (R1)

The Packers wanted him to take hold of the left guard position coming into training camp, but that experiment died in a hurry when Sherrod couldn’t handle the switch. He’s a right or left tackle from this point on. The only major action Sherrod has seen this season came against the Falcons in Week 5. After Chad Clifton went down with a hamstring injury, Sherrod filled in at right tackle as Marshall Newhouse slid over to the left side. Of the 51 snaps he played, 36 came on passing plays, and Sherrod allowed just two quarterback pressures and no sacks or hits. That kind of snap distribution shows the confidence that the Packers have in their rookie at right tackle in pass protection. Sherrod also came in on seven snaps (five run, two pass) against the Broncos in Week 4.

WR/KR Randall Cobb (R2)  Read more... (1468 words + 1 image, estimated 5:52 mins reading time)

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Packers GM Ted Thompson did not add any players off the waiver wire.

According to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Green Bay Packers did not claim anybody off waivers after Saturday’s roster cuts.

This means the Packers will enter their final days of preparation before facing the New Orleans Saints with an abnormally high number of TEs (5) and LBs (10), and record lows on the OL (8) and RB (4).

I thought the Packers might put in a claim for an OL or a DL and part ways with TE D.J. Williams or LB Jamari Lattimore, but it didn’t happen. I’m guessing Williams and Lattimore will be inactive for the early-season games, but as with everything else on a team built by Ted Thompson, we shall see.

Adam Czech is a freelance reporter and a Packers fan living in the Twin Cities. Follow Adam on Twitter. Read more of Adam's writing on the Packers here.

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The Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs will close out their preseason schedules Thursday, with the Chiefs traveling to Lambeau Field in a rematch of each team’s 2010 preseason finale. The Chiefs won that game at Arrowhead Stadium, 17-14.

As was the case when these two met last August, the Chiefs come in to the game 0-3 in preseason play. The Packers were also 2-1 heading into their finale in 2010.

These two teams play in Week 15 of the regular season in Kansas City.

Here are some things to watch between the Packers and Chiefs Thursday:

Secondary Blues

Backups in the Packers secondary haven’t played well in three preseason games. Pat Lee and Jarrett Bush have been picked on at times, culminating with the touchdown pass Bush gave up against Curtis Painter in Indianapolis. Both Bush and Lee have struggled finding the football in man coverage, and Lee gets lost sometimes in zone.

The two got a chance to face a starting NFL quarterback in Colt McCoy in Week 1 of the preseason, and he roasted the pair to the tune of 135 yards, one touchdown and just one incompletion in 10 attempts. In the finale, they should get another chance with Matt Cassel. It’s important these two, and especially Lee, start making strides. Another tough outing could spell the end to Lee’s career with the Packers.

Ones vs. Twos  Read more... (1081 words + 1 image, estimated 4:19 mins reading time)

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Packers GM Ted Thompson has some tough roster decisions to make after Thursday's preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, Graham Harrell (3)

Running Backs: Ryan Grant, James Starks, Alex Green, John Kuhn (4)

Wide Receivers: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Randall Cobb, Tori Gurley (6)

Tight Ends: Jermichael Finley, Andrew Quarless, Tom Crabtree, Ryan Taylor (4)

Offensive Line: Chad Clifton, Derek Sherrod, T.J. Lang, Marshall Newhouse, Scott Wells, Evan Dietrich-Smith, Josh Sitton, Caleb Schlauderaff, Bryan Bulaga (9)

Defensive Line: B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, C.J. Wilson, Mike Neal, Howard Green, Jarius Wynn (6)

Linebacker: Clay Matthews, Desmond Bishop, AJ Hawk, Frank Zombo, Erik Walden, Robert Francious, Vic So’oto, D.J. Smith (8)

Defensive Backs: Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Jarrett Bush, Davon House, Pat Lee, Nick Collins, Morgan Burnett, Charlie Peprah, Brandon Underwood (10)

Specialists: Mason Crosby, Tim Masthay, Brett Goode (3)

Random Thoughts  Read more... (293 words + 1 image, estimated 1:10 mins reading time)

• TE D.J. Williams looked intriguing after the Packers drafted him, but does Green Bay really need another pass-catching TE behind Jermichael Finley and Andrew Quarless?
• The reserve OL spots are tough to predict unless you’re watching these guys every day in practice. I also think the Packers value linemen that understand the pass-blocking schemes and won’t miss an assignment that could get Rodgers killed. If any of the reserves blow an assignment on Thursday, they might be out the door.
• Capers likes to keep 10 DBs. That’s why Lee stays.

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Some people like hypotheticals, some people hate them, but we all do it. Who seriously doesn’t think on occasion, “what if…?”

That’s what I’m about to do here. Even if you’re a part of the group who doesn’t prefer hypotheticals, I urge you to stick with me.

But before we get to the “what if?” part of the equation, let’s run down some of prefacing to it.

On Monday, Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports wrote a great piece about Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and how a week off after his second concussion of the season helped propel him to his incredible six-game stretch to end the season.

The story has been well-told, but here’s the semi-quick version:

In early December of last year, Rodgers scrambles out of the pocket in Detroit and gets his head slammed to the Ford Field turf, causing his second concussion of the 2010 season. He was clearly fighting the cobwebs and didn’t play the second half. As head coach Mike McCarthy told Cole, “I knew he wasn’t going to play” the next week while on the plane ride home from Detroit.

But while Rodgers did his best to play that following week, he was still suffering symptoms and was sent home both Wednesday and Thursday of that week—unofficially ruling him out for the Packers upcoming game against the New England Patriots.  Read more... (1617 words + 2 images, estimated 6:28 mins reading time)

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Before a way-less than capacity crown in Cleveland, the Green BayPackers saw their first real action of the 2011 season against Mike Holmgren’s Cleveland Browns:

Rodgers calls tails and wins the toss. Randall Cobb is back to return the kick and does a nice job extending the return for another 5-8 yds when it looked like nothing was there.

On the Brown’s first drive, Cleveland showed they knew exactly who to attack, going after Jarret Bush and Pat Lee. Lee with his man all the way but never turns to see the ball. It was Ahmad Carroll-like.

Packers kickoff team lines up in a three point stance to start. Intended to give them more explosion (quicker start with only a 5 yd run-up) and less chance of anyone cheating and going offsides.

Marshall Newhouse gets totally abused at right tackle. But what is he doing there? I don’t remember one report of his lining up there in practice, and he was a 3 year starter at LT in college. I guess they’re throwing him in there like they did with Bulaga?

Seems like when Matt Flynn is in trouble, he either doesn’t see or is afraid to throw downfield. Always goes to the closest guy.

Spencer Havner is a touchdown magnet. Footballs in the end zone are just drawn to him.

The Packers are doing a lot of juggling on the O-line in the first half. Lang and Sherrod aleternate at LG, then Lang goes to LT with Sherrod at LG. Then they swap.  All the while Newhouse is over at RT.  Read more... (496 words + 3 images, estimated 1:59 mins reading time)

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