Packers’ young line faces test from Falcons

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Packers’ young line faces test from Falcons

Green Bay hopes rookie guards can protect Favre in preseason game

Updated: 3:50 p.m. ET Aug 18, 2006

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Brett Favre is back.

Now the Green Bay Packers have to find a way to keep him off his back.

The Packers’ revamped offensive line sputtered in its preseason debut, and now faces another serious test in Saturday night’s preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field.

Favre was sacked on back-to-back plays and knocked down several times in San Diego last Saturday, causing the Packers to shuffle their offensive line in practice this week.

“We stunk,” veteran tackle Mark Tauscher said.

“And it wasn’t just the young guys. We passed the ball 12 times, and he got hit on at least half of them. There’s no question we have to pick it up. We obviously have to do better than we have done, or the consequences won’t be very good.”

The Packers will send out a pair of rookie starting guards, Jason Spitz and Tony Moll, to face a mean pass rush from defensive ends Patrick Kerney and John Abraham and three-technique tackle Rod Coleman.

Moll, who played tight end before converting to tackle his senior year at Nevada, hasn’t played guard since Pop Warner youth football.

“I think Rod Coleman at ’three’ will be a little different than Pop Warner,” Packers offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said.

Jagodzinski was the Falcons’ offensive line coach last year and is attempting to bring Atlanta’s zone-blocking scheme to Green Bay this year — with mixed results so far.

The Falcons averaged a league-best 159.1 yards per game last season and should have a strong running game to back up quarterback Michael Vick again this season.

PACKERS IN LAMBEAU - THE ADVANTAGE WILL BE BACK !!

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ALSO ON THIS STORY - FALCONS AT PACKERS.

Falcons coach Jim Mora is resting running back Warrick Dunn on Saturday and will play T.J. Duckett, who has been the subject of recent trade rumors, in the first half.

Rookie Jerious Norwood will get extensive playing time behind Duckett.

“We’re going to give T.J. the first quarter and into the second quarter and Jerious the rest of the game, basically,” Mora said. “We’ll spell him with Marvin Jackson.”

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Mora said Vick will play the first quarter.

“I’m confident,” Vick said. “I feel like I’m ahead of where I was last year.”

And that’s coming from a guy who had a pretty high opinion of himself last season.

“I made the Pro Bowl, and with a hurt knee,” Vick said. “But it’s not all about me. It takes 11 guys (on offense) and 11 guys on defense to make a team. ... I feel like I did my part. Some things I could have did better, but I did enough. But that doesn’t win it for you.”

Mora said backup Matt Schaub also would work with the No. 1 offense in the second quarter.

NOTE !

.Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Favre and the other starters would likely play the first half on Saturday

Favre gave his rookie guard Tony Moll a pep talk this week.

“He said, ’Don’t play like a rookie does. Just go out there and just kick butt like you know you’re capable of doing,”’ Moll said.

“That’s what I’m going to be trying to do. I tried to do that in San Diego — just go out and start a hell storm.”

Favre said he isn’t discouraged about the young line’s play.

“You expect, especially as young as we are, that there will be mistakes,” Favre said. “You just don’t want to see them over and over again. So we’ll see.”

The Packers will be without running back Ahman Green, who practiced in pads on Tuesday night for the first time since rupturing his quadriceps last year. Najeh Davenport, who is returning from a season-ending broken ankle, is likely to see significant time at running back.

Packers back Samkon Gado, who had three touchdowns in a Week 10 Green Bay victory over Atlanta last year, is not likely to play because of a pulled groin.

Linebacker Keith Brooking (ankle) will not play for Atlanta on Saturday.

Michael Konen, who punted and kicked off for the Falcons last year, could end up adding placekicking duties this year after hitting a 40-yard field goal to win the Falcons’ preseason opener against New England.

“I wouldn’t rule anything out,” Mora said. “I think if you have a guy that can kick off and punt and have Koenen put it through the uprights from 58 yards consistently, you would be foolish not to think about it. That was not a thought two weeks ago, but now it’s a thought.”

© 2006 The Associated Press.

[gbgary]

everyone's d-line is going to test the Pack's o-line. get used to third-and-long and 3-and-out.

[Partial]

Good, I hope they test our Dline and get burned on the run. I expect 40 carries a game split between two backs. Regardless, they're going to be near the top of the league in rushing just from the sheer volume of carries.

[Kiwon]

Another interesting angle will be to see how well the Pack's D-line does against Atlanta's zone-blocking scheme after facing it in practice for 3 weeks plus.