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Super Bowl XLV: Packers practice report
e-mail print By Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel
Feb. 4, 2011 4:34 p.m. |(2) Comments
(Here's the Green Bay Packers' practice report filed by pool reporter Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated)
DALLAS - Coach Mike McCarthy called his Packers “loose but confident” Friday afternoon following their last on-field practice before Super Bowl XLV against the Steelers.
“We’ve had an opportunity to go over every situation twice for our game plan, so we’re ready to go,” he said before departing Highland Park High School’s indoor practice facility. “The one thing you want to see in your football team is that the players have maintained confidence throughout the process. Our guys have done that. They totally believe what’s in front of them. They believe in what they’ve seen on film. We respect Pittsburgh, but we feel that this is our time and Sunday will be our night.”
The Packers listed everyone but linebacker Erik Walden as probable for the game. Walden, who is recovering from an ankle sprain sustained two weeks ago in the NFC Championship Game at Chicago, will be listed as questionable.
“We’ll take Erik up the game and see what happens,” McCarthy said. “I have a good feel for what he can and cannot do. Sunday I’m going to trust him and the medical staff to make that call.”
Frank Zombo would start if Walden is unable to play or limited.
Wideout Donald Driver was held out of team drills for the second consecutive day because of a quadriceps strain, but he’s expected to play. Driver participated in the team’s jog-through early Friday morning and was part of the kickoff return's “hands” team during practice.
Green Bay took its team photo at Highland Park High shortly before starting the 47-minute workout. Everyone was in attendance, including the players who are on injured reserve.
Before starting practice, McCarthy followed Friday tradition by having an assistant coach address the team. This time it was linebackers coach (and former Steeler) Kevin Greene, who spoke for 5 minutes as the players encircled him in the middle of the synthetic turf field.
When he finished, each player raised a hand to form a human umbrella. They broke the huddle by yelling: “Pack”.
The practice, which focused on special teams and 11-on-11 team competition with noise pumped in through speakers, was roughly half the length of a normal Friday workout. McCarthy said it was by design because the team went longer than usual in their previous “Friday” workout in Green Bay (last Sunday).
“I feel good about preparation,” he said. “I thought today was sharp.”
The Packers will conduct a final jog-through Saturday morning at their team hotel in Las Colinas.
THE INJURY REPORT
Packers
LB Erik Walden (ankle) - questionable
LT Chad Clifton (knee) - probable
WR Donald Driver (thigh) - probable
OL Jason Spitz (calf) - probable
LB Frank Zombo (knee) - probable
Steelers
C Maurkice Pouncey (ankle) - out
DE Aaron Smith (triceps) - out
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Steelers rule out Aaron Smith for Super Bowl
Posted by Michael David Smith on February 4, 2011, 4:25 PM EST
For four months the Steelers kept defensive end Aaron Smith on the active roster, rather than putting him on injured reserve, because they hoped his triceps injury would be healed in time for him to play in the Super Bowl.
But it’s not going to happen: Smith has been ruled out for Super Bowl Sunday.
So the Steelers will be without both Smith and center Maurkice Pouncey, but coach Mike Tomlin said after Friday’s practice that he’s not concerned, and he’s confident in Doug Legursky’s ability to fill in for Pouncey without missing a beat.
“The NFL is made up of lots of players like him—guys who somehow got an opportunity and seized it,” Tomlin told pool reporter Peter King. “We’re completely confident that he will seize this opportunity and play well. That’s why we’re not changing what we do.”
