Packers mystified by run of hamstring injuries
Jones and Dalton hooked up later in the drive, this time for an 11-yard TD to cut the lead to 30-27 after a blocked extra point. The Packers marched back down the field when the Bengals defense stepped up in the final minutes. On a second and six from the Cincinnati 35-yard line, Domata Peko and Carlos Dunlap sent the Packers back six yards with a sack. Green Bay initially looked to pick up the 12 yards it needed on third down, but the Bengals challenged and Randall Cobb was ruled down for a gain of 11 yards to force fourth down. Trying to put the game away, Green Bay elected to go for it and that’s when things went wrong. Franklin was stripped by Michael Johnson and then Reggie Nelson scooped up the loose ball. Nelson only made it six yards before he fumbled as well, but Newman was in the right place and picked up the ball and took it to the house for a 58-yard defensive score and a 34-30 lead. The Packers slowly moved their way into Cincinnati territory, but Rodgers’ final throw fell incomplete on fourth down from the Cincinnati 20-yard line. Dalton took a knee to keep the Bengals perfect at home this season. Cincinnati will now hit the road next week for a division showdown on Sunday in Cleveland (1-2).
For the sake of their running game, its probably a good thing the Packers dont play again until Oct. 6 against the Detroit Lions . Even rookie Johnathan Franklin , who rushed for 103 yards in Sundays loss at Cincinnati and finished the game as the only available running back, has an injury. He hurt his foot on the final drive, although he returned after missing only three snaps. Franklin came on in relief of James Starks , who left in the second quarter because of a knee injury. Starks started in place of Eddie Lacy , who missed the game because of the concussion he sustained the previous week against Washington. Fullback John Kuhn (hamstring) also was inactive. The Packers offered no details about their injuries on Monday, but Lacy expressed optimism he would be back for the Lions game even though he has to get medical clearance. Lacy went through a pregame workout at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday that he said was just to see if I ran and got my heart rate up, what I would have. Since I wasnt cleared, I had no intention of playing, Lacy said Monday, but I have a bye week to still get right. Starks said he was waiting for test results but believes he avoided a serious injury.
Packers still like Marshall Newhouse
Roughly 100 percent of football coaches will say that, just as exactly 100 percent of football coaches are going to be second-guessed on any call as pivotal as the one that factored into the Packers being 1-2. It’s something all coaches have to live with. They need rhinoceros-ply skin and goldfish memory to deal with that part of the job, from the general public, the internet-spawned masses of professional and semi-professional reporters and even from in-house. Although the Packers would not say it, it certainly looked like McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers got into it Sunday on the sideline regarding play selection. It is a high-wire, adrenaline-junkie skill that comes through years of trial-and-error experience. It’s easy to retroactively say that McCarthy should have let Rodgers get those 6 inches of southern Ohio real estate — and yeah, he should have — by instructing him to follow Evan Dietrich-Smith’s lead. So where did McCarthy gain a such a confident resoluteness to make a decision and stick with it, no matter what? Twenty years ago, McCarthy got his first NFL job with the Kansas City Chiefs. His boss was Marty Schottenheimer, a Hall of Fame-level coach whose sketchy playoff record subjected him to more second-guessing than a Wisconsin meteorologist.
Green Bay Packers: Let the second-guessing begin
At this pace, Cobb will catch 112 passes for 1,547 yards and 11 touchdowns this season if he can stay healthy. Besides Cobb, legitimate candidates to replace Ross includes a trio of rookies:running back Johnathan Franklin, cornerback Micah Hyde and even safety Chris Banjo. Because of the massive pile-up of injuries though, Cobb should be the Packers kick returner until the team gets healthy. In the offensive backfield, running backs Eddie Lacy (concussion) and John Kuhn (hamstring) arent quite 100 percent. The defensive secondary is in even worse shape, as they have been hampered by injuries to cornerbacks Casey Hayward (hamstring) and Jarrett Bush (hamstring), along with safety Morgan Burnett (hamstring). The injuries in these position groups is one of two reasons why Cobb should be returning kicks for the Packers instead of Hyde, Franklin or Banjoonce the team returns to action in less than a couple of weeks. Once the offensive backfield heals up and at least two-thirds of the injured defensive backs return to the field in October, then it would be a good time to think about takingCobb out of kick-returning duties. Cobb is simply the most talented and dangerous weapon the Packers possess. Fans better hope and pray the Packers get healthy with the week off.
Packers could have running back options
The Bowie, Md., native went to a rookie minicamp with the Washington Redskins in 2009, but knew his chances of getting a call back were slim. But he doesnt have the same feeling now with the Packers. The workout went well, said Hill, who also is the Blizzards all-time leader in interceptions (20) and tackles (253). I thought they were pleasantly surprised at what I was able to do. We did some basic combine testing and drills, and I just left it all out there. They really didnt give me a time frame because theyre on the bye week. They just told me to be ready because you never know what will happen. The good thing is Im already in town. Hill has made Green Bay his year-round home since 2011. In addition to making electrifying plays with the Blizzard at the Resch Center, Hill works as a personal trainer at Xperience Fitness and is in his first season as an assistant coach for the Green Bay Southwest football team. (Page 2 of 2) They were excited about it, Hill said about telling the Southwest players at practice Tuesday.
Packers work out Green Bay Blizzard returner Hill
“I think luck is really the No.1 factor in this. Between youth, position, body type, time of running, you’re still going to see hamstring injuries. I don’t think you can pinpoint any particular thing.” To Kuhn, that includes fatigue, a factor considered by some to be the top indicator for injury. “I pulled my hamstring after I played 19 plays,” said Kuhn. “So I definitely don’t think it was fatigue.” Running back James Starks has hurt his hamstring before. On Monday, he had just had his learn more injured knee examined and was waiting for results. Hamstrings are such a pain for NFL players that when he was asked what is worse, a hamstring or knee injury, Starks said: “It depends on how severe it is, I think. “All the guys work pretty hard to stay healthy. Injuries happen all the time in the NFL. It’s a tough league, strenuous on your body and we do all we can.
Randall Cobb Should Returns Kicks for Green Bay Packers — For Now
Last week, McCarthy was asked if he would still consider inserting Newhouse. “Yeah, and they know it, too,” he replied. “You got Marshall Newhouse standing Authentic Aaron Rodgers Jersey right there.” Although Newhouse was beat out in training camp after opening as the No. 1 right tackle, McCarthy holds him in high regard. “It’s amazing how this works,” said McCarthy. “I don’t know if Marshall’s ever looked this good as far as practice. He’s been outstanding. Best I’ve seen him.” Newhouse, who turns 25 Sunday, has made 28 starts at left tackle and three at right tackle. His level of performance wasn’t always pretty in the past but it never reached the point where the offense couldn’t function.
Tammy Bruce 