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I thought something was amiss. I wasn't aware that the center apparently plays such a crucial role in those situations. Maybe he was slow in getting the line calls made.
Notebook: Spitz To Step In For Injured Wells
by Mike Spofford, Packers.com
The versatility of the Green Bay Packers' young offensive linemen is proving to be valuable.
On Sunday night against Chicago, Jason Spitz took over for Scott Wells at center late in the third quarter after Wells was poked in the eye on a third-down running play. On Monday, Head Coach Mike McCarthy announced that Wells has a fractured orbital bone and will in all likelihood miss Sunday's game against Washington, forcing Spitz into his first start at center.
But the second-year pro, whose 14 NFL starts to this point have all come at guard, is up to the task. The four offensive series he played at center on Sunday constitute by far his most extensive experience at the position, but with Wells nursing a mild hamstring strain the past couple of weeks, Spitz has taken a significant share of the practice snaps at center and feels ready.
"I've got enough reps during the preseason and during the regular week to work on my snaps, so that's not an issue," said Spitz, a third-round draft choice in 2006 out of Louisville.
While the offense sputtered in the second half against the Bears, McCarthy said it was by no means because of the change at center. One area where the change may have affected the offense was in the 2-minute drill down the stretch, when it seemed to take longer than normal to snap the ball in the shotgun as precious seconds ticked away with the Packers needing a touchdown to tie the game.
"Our mechanics as far as the time for the snaps was not where it needed to be," McCarthy said. "The communication as far as the set-up, we actually did take a lot more time than you would have liked. I'd like to think we could have had another opportunity or two. We were not as crisp as we've been there."
Spitz said he feels the timing will get better with more practice in the hurry-up mode.
"I guess you can put that on me, maybe not having the rhythm down in the 2-minute drill," he said. "We'll need to speed that up a little bit."
Wells' injury is not considered too serious. McCarthy said he would probably be able to play after the bye week, so he may miss just the one game.
McCarthy has said often that Wells has been the most consistent of the team's offensive linemen to this point, and it will be paramount to avoid any significant dropoff in his absence.
"Jason Spitz I thought did a good job with the declaration and the calls," McCarthy said of his play Sunday night. "But I'm not naïve to the fact that the timing is probably not exactly the same and so forth."
by Mike Spofford, Packers.com
The versatility of the Green Bay Packers' young offensive linemen is proving to be valuable.
On Sunday night against Chicago, Jason Spitz took over for Scott Wells at center late in the third quarter after Wells was poked in the eye on a third-down running play. On Monday, Head Coach Mike McCarthy announced that Wells has a fractured orbital bone and will in all likelihood miss Sunday's game against Washington, forcing Spitz into his first start at center.
But the second-year pro, whose 14 NFL starts to this point have all come at guard, is up to the task. The four offensive series he played at center on Sunday constitute by far his most extensive experience at the position, but with Wells nursing a mild hamstring strain the past couple of weeks, Spitz has taken a significant share of the practice snaps at center and feels ready.
"I've got enough reps during the preseason and during the regular week to work on my snaps, so that's not an issue," said Spitz, a third-round draft choice in 2006 out of Louisville.
While the offense sputtered in the second half against the Bears, McCarthy said it was by no means because of the change at center. One area where the change may have affected the offense was in the 2-minute drill down the stretch, when it seemed to take longer than normal to snap the ball in the shotgun as precious seconds ticked away with the Packers needing a touchdown to tie the game.
"Our mechanics as far as the time for the snaps was not where it needed to be," McCarthy said. "The communication as far as the set-up, we actually did take a lot more time than you would have liked. I'd like to think we could have had another opportunity or two. We were not as crisp as we've been there."
Spitz said he feels the timing will get better with more practice in the hurry-up mode.
"I guess you can put that on me, maybe not having the rhythm down in the 2-minute drill," he said. "We'll need to speed that up a little bit."
Wells' injury is not considered too serious. McCarthy said he would probably be able to play after the bye week, so he may miss just the one game.
McCarthy has said often that Wells has been the most consistent of the team's offensive linemen to this point, and it will be paramount to avoid any significant dropoff in his absence.
"Jason Spitz I thought did a good job with the declaration and the calls," McCarthy said of his play Sunday night. "But I'm not naïve to the fact that the timing is probably not exactly the same and so forth."
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