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Here's a shout out to "magic" Matt Flynn! He won the BCS national championship in '08, so big games are nothing new to him, he's had a full week of practice with the starters, he has great wide receivers, and he's ready to go! As long as he doesn't turn the ball over he has a chance. This game is the Packers Super Bowl! Go Matt!
'The Matt Flynn show': Green Bay Packers backup quarterback likely to start Sunday against powerhouse Patriots
BY PETE DOUGHERTY • PDOUGHER@GREENBAYPRESSGAZETTE.COM • DECEMBER 15, 2010
For the first time since 1992, the Green Bay Packers this week probably will have to start their backup quarterback.
Aaron Rodgers is coming off his second concussion of the season last Sunday and likely won’t be cleared to practice at all this week, so his chances of playing Sunday at New England appear remote.
That means third-year pro Matt Flynn probably will be the first Packers backup quarterback to start a game since Brett Favre took over the job from injured Don Majkowski against Pittsburgh on Sept. 27, 1992.
“I don’t think anything changes for us,” receiver Donald Driver said. “You have to have that opportunity where you step in and play. Unfortunately we lose Aaron for this game. It’s the Matt Flynn show now. One thing about Matt, he’s confident in himself that he can play. That was proven when he came in against Detroit (last week), the way he played the game. If he doesn’t throw that interception (in the third quarter) he has a remarkable game.”
Rodgers is well behind in his recovery compared to his previous concussion, sustained on the Packers’ last offensive play at Washington on Oct. 10. The week following that injury, he went through the NFL’s concussion protocol and was cleared for a cardiovascular workout Wednesday, then cleared to practice Thursday, and when he exhibited no symptoms Friday was cleared for the game against Miami.
This week, though, coach Mike McCarthy said Rodgers’ chances for practicing by Friday are “slim to none,” which means Friday is the earliest he’s likely to be cleared for the cardio workout.
McCarthy left open the possibility of Rodgers being cleared to play Saturday, and if the injury wasn’t a concussion, it wouldn’t be extraordinary for Rodgers to miss the full week of practice and still play in the game. However, the precarious nature of head injuries – especially of multiple head injuries in a season – and the heightened awareness of concussion recovery mandated by the NFL this year, make it appear unlikely he would play if he couldn’t practice all week.
Rodgers was not even cleared to attend meetings Wednesday. McCarthy said he will decide his playing status Saturday.
“This is clearly a medical decision in Aaron’s best interest,” McCarthy said. “Once we pass that hurdle and that decision is made that he is healthy, then we’ll talk about Aaron Rodgers as part of what is the best football decision.”
That leaves the Packers with the daunting task of facing the hottest and possibly best team in the NFL, the 11-2 New England Patriots, with their backup quarterback.
Flynn will be much better prepared to play than he was last week, when as a mid-game replacement he took the Packers to three points in six possessions and put up a passer rating of 62.5 points (no touchdowns, one interception). This week he’ll take virtually all the snaps with the No. 1 offense in practice,
“(The practice snaps) are extremely valuable,” Flynn said. “I go from getting just a handful of plays during the week to just about all of them. So it’s been good getting the timing with the receivers, small things, like working snap count with the offensive line, everyone’s snap count is a little bit different. So just small things like that. If I get my chance and get in there, I think the timing will be a lot better than it was last week.”
Flynn doesn’t have Rodgers’ arm strength and experience reading defenses, so McCarthy will tailor the Packers’ game plan to what Flynn does best and can assimilate in a week.
“Nobody knows Matt better than (quarterbacks coach) Tom Clements, (offensive coordinator) Joe Philbin and I, and it’s important to make him successful,” McCarthy said. “We’re a quarterback-driven system offensively. We have been since Day 1, and it will be no different when we play Sunday.”
Though the Patriots are hardly the NFL’s best defense – they rank No. 17 in the league in fewest points allowed and No. 27 in fewest yards – they run one of the most diverse defensive schemes in the NFL under coach Bill Belichick. That makes it difficult to predict what Belichick might throw at a young quarterback making his first NFL start, though the assumption is he’ll do everything he can to confuse the neophyte Flynn. The Patriots rank No. 2 in the NFL in interceptions with 20.
“They show a lot of looks on defense, run a lot of coverages, a lot of fronts,” Flynn said. “That’s something I’m going to really have to study, do a lot of film work. We got a good start at it (Tuesday) and (Wednesday). So I’m going to keep looking for it and know there might be something up his sleeve.”
Though Flynn doesn’t have Rodgers’ arm talent, he’s mobile and has shown poise from his first day of training camp in 2008 that helped him win the backup job as a rookie even though he was a seventh-round draft pick and his competition was a second-rounder, Brian Brohm. He also has played under the bright lights, when he was named offensive MVP for leading LSU to a win over Ohio State in the BCS National Championship game as a senior in January ’08.
Flynn has played meaningful snaps only twice in his NFL career – two series at Tampa Bay in ’08 and then a little more than a half last week at Detroit. But the Packers think his national-championship experience and his naturally calm temperament will help cope playing Sunday night in a nationally televised game against possibly the best team in the NFL and the league’s probable MVP this season, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
“He’s played on a big stage before, the national championship, that’s a big stage, millions of people (watching),” Driver said. “The NFL is a totally different level, but you have to have that confidence you can play, and I think he knows he can play. He can play at a high level, I know that.”
Said Flynn: “It’ll be fun, I’m excited about it. I guess I’ve never been one to get real knotted up or nervous, but if the opportunity presents itself I’ll definitely be anxious and excited to go. It’s just one of the things that’s always been my characteristic I guess, just kind of calm no matter what’s going on.”
If Rodgers isn’t cleared this week, the Packers will have to sign Graham Harrell off their practice squad to be their backup quarterback.
If Rodgers doesn’t play this week it’s not a given he’ll be back next week, either.
Last year, Philadelphia Eagles halfback Brian Westbrook missed two games because of a concussion, then suffered another concussion in his first game back that sidelined him the next six games.
More recently, Pittsburgh tight end Heath Miller sustained a concussion Dec. 5 against Baltimore, sat out last week’s game, and is expected to play this week.
“You know (Rodgers) is not playing this week, I think, and you hope he can play next week,” Driver said. “It’s all how you bounce back from it.”
'The Matt Flynn show': Green Bay Packers backup quarterback likely to start Sunday against powerhouse Patriots
BY PETE DOUGHERTY • PDOUGHER@GREENBAYPRESSGAZETTE.COM • DECEMBER 15, 2010
For the first time since 1992, the Green Bay Packers this week probably will have to start their backup quarterback.
Aaron Rodgers is coming off his second concussion of the season last Sunday and likely won’t be cleared to practice at all this week, so his chances of playing Sunday at New England appear remote.
That means third-year pro Matt Flynn probably will be the first Packers backup quarterback to start a game since Brett Favre took over the job from injured Don Majkowski against Pittsburgh on Sept. 27, 1992.
“I don’t think anything changes for us,” receiver Donald Driver said. “You have to have that opportunity where you step in and play. Unfortunately we lose Aaron for this game. It’s the Matt Flynn show now. One thing about Matt, he’s confident in himself that he can play. That was proven when he came in against Detroit (last week), the way he played the game. If he doesn’t throw that interception (in the third quarter) he has a remarkable game.”
Rodgers is well behind in his recovery compared to his previous concussion, sustained on the Packers’ last offensive play at Washington on Oct. 10. The week following that injury, he went through the NFL’s concussion protocol and was cleared for a cardiovascular workout Wednesday, then cleared to practice Thursday, and when he exhibited no symptoms Friday was cleared for the game against Miami.
This week, though, coach Mike McCarthy said Rodgers’ chances for practicing by Friday are “slim to none,” which means Friday is the earliest he’s likely to be cleared for the cardio workout.
McCarthy left open the possibility of Rodgers being cleared to play Saturday, and if the injury wasn’t a concussion, it wouldn’t be extraordinary for Rodgers to miss the full week of practice and still play in the game. However, the precarious nature of head injuries – especially of multiple head injuries in a season – and the heightened awareness of concussion recovery mandated by the NFL this year, make it appear unlikely he would play if he couldn’t practice all week.
Rodgers was not even cleared to attend meetings Wednesday. McCarthy said he will decide his playing status Saturday.
“This is clearly a medical decision in Aaron’s best interest,” McCarthy said. “Once we pass that hurdle and that decision is made that he is healthy, then we’ll talk about Aaron Rodgers as part of what is the best football decision.”
That leaves the Packers with the daunting task of facing the hottest and possibly best team in the NFL, the 11-2 New England Patriots, with their backup quarterback.
Flynn will be much better prepared to play than he was last week, when as a mid-game replacement he took the Packers to three points in six possessions and put up a passer rating of 62.5 points (no touchdowns, one interception). This week he’ll take virtually all the snaps with the No. 1 offense in practice,
“(The practice snaps) are extremely valuable,” Flynn said. “I go from getting just a handful of plays during the week to just about all of them. So it’s been good getting the timing with the receivers, small things, like working snap count with the offensive line, everyone’s snap count is a little bit different. So just small things like that. If I get my chance and get in there, I think the timing will be a lot better than it was last week.”
Flynn doesn’t have Rodgers’ arm strength and experience reading defenses, so McCarthy will tailor the Packers’ game plan to what Flynn does best and can assimilate in a week.
“Nobody knows Matt better than (quarterbacks coach) Tom Clements, (offensive coordinator) Joe Philbin and I, and it’s important to make him successful,” McCarthy said. “We’re a quarterback-driven system offensively. We have been since Day 1, and it will be no different when we play Sunday.”
Though the Patriots are hardly the NFL’s best defense – they rank No. 17 in the league in fewest points allowed and No. 27 in fewest yards – they run one of the most diverse defensive schemes in the NFL under coach Bill Belichick. That makes it difficult to predict what Belichick might throw at a young quarterback making his first NFL start, though the assumption is he’ll do everything he can to confuse the neophyte Flynn. The Patriots rank No. 2 in the NFL in interceptions with 20.
“They show a lot of looks on defense, run a lot of coverages, a lot of fronts,” Flynn said. “That’s something I’m going to really have to study, do a lot of film work. We got a good start at it (Tuesday) and (Wednesday). So I’m going to keep looking for it and know there might be something up his sleeve.”
Though Flynn doesn’t have Rodgers’ arm talent, he’s mobile and has shown poise from his first day of training camp in 2008 that helped him win the backup job as a rookie even though he was a seventh-round draft pick and his competition was a second-rounder, Brian Brohm. He also has played under the bright lights, when he was named offensive MVP for leading LSU to a win over Ohio State in the BCS National Championship game as a senior in January ’08.
Flynn has played meaningful snaps only twice in his NFL career – two series at Tampa Bay in ’08 and then a little more than a half last week at Detroit. But the Packers think his national-championship experience and his naturally calm temperament will help cope playing Sunday night in a nationally televised game against possibly the best team in the NFL and the league’s probable MVP this season, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
“He’s played on a big stage before, the national championship, that’s a big stage, millions of people (watching),” Driver said. “The NFL is a totally different level, but you have to have that confidence you can play, and I think he knows he can play. He can play at a high level, I know that.”
Said Flynn: “It’ll be fun, I’m excited about it. I guess I’ve never been one to get real knotted up or nervous, but if the opportunity presents itself I’ll definitely be anxious and excited to go. It’s just one of the things that’s always been my characteristic I guess, just kind of calm no matter what’s going on.”
If Rodgers isn’t cleared this week, the Packers will have to sign Graham Harrell off their practice squad to be their backup quarterback.
If Rodgers doesn’t play this week it’s not a given he’ll be back next week, either.
Last year, Philadelphia Eagles halfback Brian Westbrook missed two games because of a concussion, then suffered another concussion in his first game back that sidelined him the next six games.
More recently, Pittsburgh tight end Heath Miller sustained a concussion Dec. 5 against Baltimore, sat out last week’s game, and is expected to play this week.
“You know (Rodgers) is not playing this week, I think, and you hope he can play next week,” Driver said. “It’s all how you bounce back from it.”
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