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Chad Clifton will be the Packers starting left tackle in the 2012 playoffs.

Any lingering question about who would start at left tackle for the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional round of the 2012 NFL playoffs was answered Monday morning.

Without hesitation, coach Mike McCarthy proclaimed Chad Clifton as the starter at that position over second-year tackle Marshall Newhouse.

“Chad Clifton will be our starter,” McCarthy said. “There is no gray area for that.”

Clifton started on Sunday against the Detroit Lions and played the first three series for the Packers. McCarthy said on Monday that the goal was to play him for 25 or so snaps.

There was plenty of rust visible in those 25 snaps, which is understandable for a 35-year-old tackle coming off a torn hamstring. Clifton hadn’t played in a game since Week 5 when he suffered the injury in Atlanta and just returned to practice full-time this week.

Clifton was beat a handful of times in pass protection against the Lions, including one allowed sack. McCarthy acknowledged that Clifton still has work to do over the next two weeks to be ready for the Packers’ Divisional round playoff game.

Asked why he was choosing Clifton over Newhouse, who started 10 games at left tackle this season, McCarthy said, “Experience, and Clifton is a damn good player.”

Zach Kruse is a 23-year-old sports journalist with a passion for the Green Bay Packers. He currently lives in Wisconsin and is working on his journalism degree, while also covering prep sports for The Dunn Co. News.  Read more... (276 words + 1 image, estimated 1:06 mins reading time)

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Packers WR/KR Randall Cobb (groin) was held out of Wednesday practice.

Receiver/returner Randall Cobb and tight end Jermichael Finley missed Wednesday’s practice with various ailments, Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy said this afternoon.

Cobb, who ranks in the top 10 in the NFL in kick and punt return average, picked up a groin injury and isn’t expected to practice until Friday at the earliest. McCarthy described him as “sore” today, but no other specifics were given.

McCarthy was even more in the dark about Finley, who apparently injured his knee in what McCarthy called a “last minute” deal. McCarthy said he doesn’t have any feel about where Finley is at right now, so it’s certainly a situation to monitor over the next couple of days. Finley injured his meniscus in Week 5 last season and didn’t see the field again.

UPDATE: Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported after the press conference that Finley woke up with a sore knee on Monday, and it “didn’t feel right” when he came in today. It’s also not the same knee he injured last season. 

McCarthy’s news wasn’t all bad on the injury front, however.

Ryan Pickett (concussion) returned to practice after being cleared either late Monday night or early Tuesday. He has missed the last three weeks after suffering his second concussion of the season against the Oakland Raiders. Pickett was limited Wednesday, as the Packers plan on giving him the full week to prepare to play Sunday.  Read more... (585 words + 1 image, estimated 2:20 mins reading time)

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According to a source, Gurley will be promoted to the Packers' active roster soon.

According to a source close to the situation, the Green Bay Packers are working on promoting rookie receiver Tori Gurley from the practice squad to the active roster in the coming days.

The source, speaking on terms of anonymity, said that the Packers are working on a deal to pay him money in the range of an active player. Combined with Greg Jennings’ injury that will keep him out 2-3 weeks, there’s a good chance that the Packers could activate Gurley sometime before Green Bay takes on the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday.

Gurley had an extended talk with both quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers coaching staff on Monday and came away from the meetings encouraged about the upcoming situation, the source said. That would help explain Gurley’s tweet about an hour before McCarthy’s press conference on Monday that said “God works in mysterious ways ;- ) Go Pack Go.”

The source also said that another team was in talks to claim Gurley off the Packers practice squad. The team wasn’t named, but that likely helped give Gurley even more leverage to get onto the active roster.

To make room for Gurley, it is possible that the Packers will put Vic So’oto, a rookie linebacker who has dealt with a recurring back issue throughout the season, on season-ending injured reserve. Chad Clifton is another option for IR, but McCarthy said on Monday that they still have hope for his return this season. Either way, the Packers will have to trim their current roster by one if they plan to make room for Gurley.  Read more... (387 words + 1 image, estimated 1:33 mins reading time)

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Packers coach Mike McCarthy announced that Greg Jennings would be out 2-3 weeks.

Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy announced Monday that injured receiver Greg Jennings has a knee sprain and will be out “a couple of weeks,” but that the team is confident they’ll have their No. 1 receiver in time for the postseason.

When pressed further on the length of “a couple weeks,” McCarthy said that it should be 2-3 weeks. While that will likely mean the rest of the regular season, Jennings should almost certainly be back in time for the Packers’ first playoff game, which will take place in Green Bay during the divisional round on either  Jan. 11 or 12.

The Packers clinched a first-round bye with their 46-16 win over the Raiders on Sunday.

McCarthy said “it’s safe to say” that Jennings will be back for the playoffs.

Jennings was hurt on a short reception in the second half of Sunday’s game and limped off in obvious pain. After being examined on the sidelines, Jennings was carted off to the Packers’ locker room. Replays showed very little in terms of when the injury occurred, but it’s assumed that either a slight hitch during Jennings’ initial cut or the impact of his left knee with the ground created the sprain.  Read more... (445 words + 1 image, estimated 1:47 mins reading time)

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Green Bay Packers tackle Bryan Bulaga (ankle, knee) was a no-show at Friday practice, which would seem to indicate that second-year player Marshall Newhouse will get his second career NFL start at right tackle on Sunday night against the Atlanta Falcons.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said on Thursday that Bulaga’s playing status for Sunday was riding on whether or not he go during today’s practice.

This came from McCarthy’s post-practice press conference yesterday:

“If (Bulaga) doesn’t practice tomorrow he’s not going to play. That’s where we are with Bryan. He’ll see the doctor tomorrow morning, just like we always do.”

If we are to believe McCarthy at his word, and there’s no reason not to, then Bulaga will be inactive on Sunday night and Newhouse will start.

You would have considered an injury to one of the tackles as a catastrophic break heading into the season, but Newhouse has been better than expected in the two games he’s appeared. The Packers weren’t forced to deviate their offensive gameplan in Chicago after Bulaga left with ankle and knee injuries, and the two sacks that Von Miller created last week didn’t fall directly on Newhouse’s shoulders. Newhouse was beat on one, but Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers did him no favors by running into the sack. On the other, a blown screen play resulted in an easy take down of Rodgers after the Broncos diagnosed the screen.  Read more... (400 words + 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

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