PaCkFan_n_MD
08-30-2006, 09:40 AM
After being burned by Bengals, Woodson on hot seat
By Dylan B. Tomlinson
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers
For the Green Bay Packers to have much success on defense this season, they're going to have to start seeing some return on the seven-year, $39 million investment they made in cornerback Charles Woodson.
Woodson's signing was considered a huge coup for the Packers this offseason, but if Woodson has a few more performances like he did during Monday night's embarrassing 48-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, it's going to look like they got ripped off.
Woodson was burned by Bengals receivers T.J. Housh-mandzadeh and Tab Perry for touchdowns on Monday night.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Packers General Manager Ted Thompson did his best to dodge questions about Woodson's play.
"I don't think it's appropriate for me to comment on individual players," Thompson said. "I haven't met with the coaches yet, and I don't know all of the different peculiarities of the calls, so I'll just leave that to the coaches to critique."
Packers coach Mike McCarthy was unavailable for comment on Tuesday, but after the game, McCarthy seemed displeased with how the defense played as a whole.
"I'm not going to single out any player right now  it wouldn't be accurate  until I see the video," McCarthy said.
Woodson has shown flashes during camp that would indicate he's still capable of playing at the high level of early in his career when he was selected to four Pro Bowls. But Monday night's performance was enough to give almost anybody cause for concern.
Woodson wasn't the only defensive player to turn in a sub-par performance.
The defense gave up 146 rushing yards, something Thompson was not thrilled with.
"As a group, we didn't tackle well," Thompson said. "I thought we were especially poor tackling in third-down situations. We fought off some tacklers later in the game and it kind of got out of control, especially after the suspension of play. I thought we were still playing hard, but we were bouncing off of ball carriers. Give those guys credit, they were running the ball well, but we have to tackle better than that."
McCarthy said he also was frustrated with what he saw from the defense.
"We need to get that fixed. Third downs from a defensive standpoint, we need to improve that. Once again, I'll have to see the film," McCarthy said. "From my experience, it's never as bad as it seems or as good as it seems, so any type of remark that I make right now would be purely on emotion."
McCarthy said last week he hoped to rest several Packers starters, including quarterback Brett Favre, in the preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans on Friday at Lambeau Field. After Monday night's performance, McCarthy wouldn't commit to what his plan would be for Friday's game.
"It's Tuesday morning already, and we've got to play a game Friday at 3 o'clock. We need to do what's best for our football team and we have to give our young players who still have a chance to make our team an opportunity to make it on Friday. At the same time we have to be smart with certain players and get them ready for Chicago. So we'll revisit that tomorrow, but I don't think I'll change my plan."
By Dylan B. Tomlinson
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers
For the Green Bay Packers to have much success on defense this season, they're going to have to start seeing some return on the seven-year, $39 million investment they made in cornerback Charles Woodson.
Woodson's signing was considered a huge coup for the Packers this offseason, but if Woodson has a few more performances like he did during Monday night's embarrassing 48-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, it's going to look like they got ripped off.
Woodson was burned by Bengals receivers T.J. Housh-mandzadeh and Tab Perry for touchdowns on Monday night.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Packers General Manager Ted Thompson did his best to dodge questions about Woodson's play.
"I don't think it's appropriate for me to comment on individual players," Thompson said. "I haven't met with the coaches yet, and I don't know all of the different peculiarities of the calls, so I'll just leave that to the coaches to critique."
Packers coach Mike McCarthy was unavailable for comment on Tuesday, but after the game, McCarthy seemed displeased with how the defense played as a whole.
"I'm not going to single out any player right now  it wouldn't be accurate  until I see the video," McCarthy said.
Woodson has shown flashes during camp that would indicate he's still capable of playing at the high level of early in his career when he was selected to four Pro Bowls. But Monday night's performance was enough to give almost anybody cause for concern.
Woodson wasn't the only defensive player to turn in a sub-par performance.
The defense gave up 146 rushing yards, something Thompson was not thrilled with.
"As a group, we didn't tackle well," Thompson said. "I thought we were especially poor tackling in third-down situations. We fought off some tacklers later in the game and it kind of got out of control, especially after the suspension of play. I thought we were still playing hard, but we were bouncing off of ball carriers. Give those guys credit, they were running the ball well, but we have to tackle better than that."
McCarthy said he also was frustrated with what he saw from the defense.
"We need to get that fixed. Third downs from a defensive standpoint, we need to improve that. Once again, I'll have to see the film," McCarthy said. "From my experience, it's never as bad as it seems or as good as it seems, so any type of remark that I make right now would be purely on emotion."
McCarthy said last week he hoped to rest several Packers starters, including quarterback Brett Favre, in the preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans on Friday at Lambeau Field. After Monday night's performance, McCarthy wouldn't commit to what his plan would be for Friday's game.
"It's Tuesday morning already, and we've got to play a game Friday at 3 o'clock. We need to do what's best for our football team and we have to give our young players who still have a chance to make our team an opportunity to make it on Friday. At the same time we have to be smart with certain players and get them ready for Chicago. So we'll revisit that tomorrow, but I don't think I'll change my plan."