Bretsky
08-20-2006, 11:48 PM
Rookie guard has found his rightful spot on roster
By BOB McGINN
bmcginn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Aug. 20, 2006
Green Bay - Tony Moll has joined fellow rookie Jason Spitz as the heavy favorites to start at guard on opening day for the Green Bay Packers.
Tony Moll (75) is the front-runner to start at right guard, but second-round draft pick Daryn Colledge(left) looks to be a second-stringer at left guard.
Looking remarkably comfortable in his first game on the inside, Moll became the front-runner at right guard with a solid showing Saturday night in the Packers' 38-10 romp over the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field.
Meanwhile, Spitz continued to outperform second-round draft choice Daryn Colledge, who backed up Spitz at left guard after being demoted as the starter a week earlier.
On Sunday, general manager Ted Thompson was asked if there was any reason to change the pecking order at guard with the Chicago Bears game three weeks away.
"I don't know that," Thompson said. "I sat with the coaches and we didn't talk about that specifically. I would think we'll just see how practice goes."
As for Spitz and Moll, Thompson said both played energetically.
"They don't seem to be cowed by this," he said. "They like the atmosphere, and they're eager to get out there. I think that's a positive thing. I think we have a chance to have some really good players in the future."
An announcement of opening-day starters by coach Mike McCarthy might come as early as this afternoon.
"I think he'll make that decision fairly quick and let those guys work together," offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said Saturday night. "That's the whole thing. You've got to have five guys working together. You can't have one guy not knowing."
Without the advantage of watching tape, Jagodzinski liked what he saw of both Moll and Spitz.
"My gut feeling is (Moll) did pretty darn well," Jagodzinski said. "He had a big grin on his face on the sidelines. He wasn't fazed at all by the game or playing. The game wasn't too big for him. He wasn't intimidated."
The Falcons, according to Moll, didn't do any trash-talking but hinted that there might have been some chatter coming from him.
"I tried not to," he said. "But when you make a great play you've got to make sure they know that."
Moll was at least partially responsible for knockdowns of Brett Favre by defensive tackle Michael Bozeman and defensive end Josh Mallard. He also missed defensive end Chauncey Davis on a carry for no gain by Noah Herron and linebacker Demorrio Williams on a 2-yard gain by Najeh Davenport.
"Overall, Moll played pretty well," said one personnel man who had the chance to see the Packers in their first two games. "He was smooth getting to the linebacker area. There wasn't a lot of panic in his play. He appeared confident. At times, he didn't anchor very well in pass protection but other times he kept his tail down and did anchor."
Moll, a fifth-round draft choice, said he might have had one or two missed assignments among his 38 snaps but didn't think he was destroyed on any running play. Defensive tackle Rod Coleman, who was on the field for only 11 plays, was opposite Moll for six and Spitz for five and didn't have a tackle or pressure.
Asked if he felt deserving of starting the opener, Moll replied, "Yeah, definitely. But you're never in the meeting rooms with the coaches so it's hard to say what they're talking about."
Spitz, a third-round selection, was unable to block Williams on a pair of 2-yard runs by Davenport but didn't allow a pressure.
The No. 2 offense took over midway through the third quarter and Colledge played the final 23 snaps. He allowed three hurries, including two on bull rushes.
"If he wasn't a second-round pick and had all that money in him, I'd really question if he'd be ready to play this year," the scout said. "He doesn't have any anchor in pass 'pro' and gets pushed back. He's not strong enough. It might be all a little too big for him right now. I don't know what his strength is."
The other second-string guard, veteran Michael "Mookie" Moore, was removed in the middle of a series after giving up his second sack in a 15-play stint. Veteran Tupe Peko finished the game at right guard.
Moore, who was signed Aug. 10, gave up a sack to nose tackle Chad Lavalais on an inside move after he didn't react to an audible. A few plays later, defensive end Antwan Lake sacked Aaron Rodgers when Moore missed another audible and blocked as if it were a running play.
"There's some things that he hadn't even repped yet in practice because he's been working with the second unit," Jagodzinski said. "He just needs to be around it a little bit more."
By BOB McGINN
bmcginn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Aug. 20, 2006
Green Bay - Tony Moll has joined fellow rookie Jason Spitz as the heavy favorites to start at guard on opening day for the Green Bay Packers.
Tony Moll (75) is the front-runner to start at right guard, but second-round draft pick Daryn Colledge(left) looks to be a second-stringer at left guard.
Looking remarkably comfortable in his first game on the inside, Moll became the front-runner at right guard with a solid showing Saturday night in the Packers' 38-10 romp over the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field.
Meanwhile, Spitz continued to outperform second-round draft choice Daryn Colledge, who backed up Spitz at left guard after being demoted as the starter a week earlier.
On Sunday, general manager Ted Thompson was asked if there was any reason to change the pecking order at guard with the Chicago Bears game three weeks away.
"I don't know that," Thompson said. "I sat with the coaches and we didn't talk about that specifically. I would think we'll just see how practice goes."
As for Spitz and Moll, Thompson said both played energetically.
"They don't seem to be cowed by this," he said. "They like the atmosphere, and they're eager to get out there. I think that's a positive thing. I think we have a chance to have some really good players in the future."
An announcement of opening-day starters by coach Mike McCarthy might come as early as this afternoon.
"I think he'll make that decision fairly quick and let those guys work together," offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said Saturday night. "That's the whole thing. You've got to have five guys working together. You can't have one guy not knowing."
Without the advantage of watching tape, Jagodzinski liked what he saw of both Moll and Spitz.
"My gut feeling is (Moll) did pretty darn well," Jagodzinski said. "He had a big grin on his face on the sidelines. He wasn't fazed at all by the game or playing. The game wasn't too big for him. He wasn't intimidated."
The Falcons, according to Moll, didn't do any trash-talking but hinted that there might have been some chatter coming from him.
"I tried not to," he said. "But when you make a great play you've got to make sure they know that."
Moll was at least partially responsible for knockdowns of Brett Favre by defensive tackle Michael Bozeman and defensive end Josh Mallard. He also missed defensive end Chauncey Davis on a carry for no gain by Noah Herron and linebacker Demorrio Williams on a 2-yard gain by Najeh Davenport.
"Overall, Moll played pretty well," said one personnel man who had the chance to see the Packers in their first two games. "He was smooth getting to the linebacker area. There wasn't a lot of panic in his play. He appeared confident. At times, he didn't anchor very well in pass protection but other times he kept his tail down and did anchor."
Moll, a fifth-round draft choice, said he might have had one or two missed assignments among his 38 snaps but didn't think he was destroyed on any running play. Defensive tackle Rod Coleman, who was on the field for only 11 plays, was opposite Moll for six and Spitz for five and didn't have a tackle or pressure.
Asked if he felt deserving of starting the opener, Moll replied, "Yeah, definitely. But you're never in the meeting rooms with the coaches so it's hard to say what they're talking about."
Spitz, a third-round selection, was unable to block Williams on a pair of 2-yard runs by Davenport but didn't allow a pressure.
The No. 2 offense took over midway through the third quarter and Colledge played the final 23 snaps. He allowed three hurries, including two on bull rushes.
"If he wasn't a second-round pick and had all that money in him, I'd really question if he'd be ready to play this year," the scout said. "He doesn't have any anchor in pass 'pro' and gets pushed back. He's not strong enough. It might be all a little too big for him right now. I don't know what his strength is."
The other second-string guard, veteran Michael "Mookie" Moore, was removed in the middle of a series after giving up his second sack in a 15-play stint. Veteran Tupe Peko finished the game at right guard.
Moore, who was signed Aug. 10, gave up a sack to nose tackle Chad Lavalais on an inside move after he didn't react to an audible. A few plays later, defensive end Antwan Lake sacked Aaron Rodgers when Moore missed another audible and blocked as if it were a running play.
"There's some things that he hadn't even repped yet in practice because he's been working with the second unit," Jagodzinski said. "He just needs to be around it a little bit more."