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1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
| Packers |
0 |
3 |
10 |
0 |
13 |
| Steelers |
6 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
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PACKERS-STEELERS POST GAME QUOTES
Head Coach Mike McCarthy
Assess the first team offense.
"We came out and threw the ball six times to start. On the third-down conversions, we had some opportunities. I thought the protection was good throughout the evening, starting with the first group. It's a start. There are a lot of things we'll look at tomorrow on the film. We have work to do."
Are you pleased with the win, and the way the team performed - especially in the second and third quarters?
"It's important to win. Obviously that's a goal. The focus for our team was to come out and play a physical game against a physical football team. I think we accomplished that. We talked about ball command, and ball extraction with the defense. We won on turnover ratio, and the offense did not give up the ball. I thought that was the key to the game. I saw a lot of positive things out there by our football team, but we still have a lot of work to do."
What did you think about Brandon Jackson's performance?
"We got him going in the third quarter. I don't know that he had a whole lot of running room in the first two quarters, but I think he showed what he's capable of doing. He has excellent burst and quickness, and he's definitely a threat when he gets on the second level. I thought he had some nice runs, I thought he played physical, and I thought he did a pretty good job on pass protection. He's a young man who needs to play."
Do you think Aaron Rodgers is making strides?
"I thought Aaron Rodgers had a nice evening. He did a lot of good things with his feet. I thought he was composed in the pocket. His ball accuracy and his decision making for the most part were good. I was impressed with him in the two-minute drill. The biggest things - the tempo getting in and out of the huddle, handling different situations - I think you're seeing a young man who's getting and opportunity to play, and I thought he had a nice night."
Were there any injuries?
"Marviel Underwood had a hamstring, and Ingle Martin took a blow to the head. We don't have a final diagnosis on that."
Was that when he lowered his shoulder? Should he have tried to get out of bounds?
"Yes. I think he was trying to get out of bounds."
Can you make any assessments of your starting offense based on their limited series?
"I think we got a lot of positive things to build on, and I think we have plenty of things to work on. I think everything negative that happened out there is definitely fixable."
RB Brandon Jackson
Well you knew you were going to get plenty of chances tonight. What do you think you did with them?
"I think I took my opportunity and ran with it."
Did you expect to get the ball as much as you did in the first half?
"No. But as time went on in the quarter I felt that I got more and more comfortable with the running, passing and blocking."
How did you do in the blocking areas?
"I felt like I picked up the blitzes that came at me pretty good. We practiced a lot of schemes during practice but they never really showed a lot of them."
How did it feel to play in your first preseason game and win it?
"It feels great. It puts a smile on my face coming out with the win most of all. It feels great."
WR James Jones
How many catches tonight?
"You know I couldn't even tell you. I was just glad that I was able to catch the ball and be able to run with it, and show what I can do with it."
What things are there for you to work on?
"I mean there are always things to work on. People can see me catch the ball but there are always little things I have to work on to make my game better to help this team win."
Did it feel good to get the nerves out in your first NFL game?
"It felt real good. I'm nervous before every game. I'm going to be nervous next week. If we had a flag football game I'd be nervous. I'm nervous before every game, but the jitters get out after the first play but I'm always nervous before the game starts."
What do you think that you gave the coaches to look at tonight?
"I don't know. I think they knew I could do that, that's why they drafted me. You never know what coaches are thinking, and that's why you just go out there and play, and hopefully it's good things. Hopefully I played a pretty good game."
What was Aaron Rodgers doing tonight with his extended playing time?
"I think Aaron played a real good game, throwing the ball well, making things happen with his legs. He played a real good game. I'm excited about playing with him."
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin
Opening:
"Quick game review. Of course you don't like to come out on the short side of those, but on a positive note, it will give us an edge as we go into next week and hopefully we can put an exclamation point on our training camp. Quickly, some things that I thought we did well, we continued to offensively, to get big plays in chunks and you have to be able to do that if you are going to be a dynamic offense. Splash plays were there for us. I didn't like what I saw on third-down and short. I think the sign of a good offense unit is one that can move the chains on third-down and short. We missed two third-down and short in the first half and that is unacceptable. We can not operate like that and and be a good offense. Defensively, the first guys that went in continued to do well. They got off the field on third downs. We love the way they responded to adversity. We had a fumble early on. They went on and got off the field. They did that repeatedly liked that from them. Defensively I thought once they got their mobile quarterback in there, with (Aaron) Rodgers, we had to do a better job of staying after him, from a containment standpoint and being sound in our coverage. That is something we can identify and get better at this week. From a special teams standpoint, I think it was the second week in a row where we exposed a blaring weakness in PAT field goal protection. In this league, if you are not sure in any aspect of your game, people are going to attack you. It was obvious based on the two tapes we have put out there that we need to address that this week and we will. You have to make problems like that disappear and we will do that. I would like to compliment them. I thought they did a nice job, particularly on establishing a rhythm while running the football there in the second half and cutting the ball back in the zone. They did a nice job and we came up short. We are not going to judge it with emotion. We are going to take a look at the tape. We are going to make corrections and move forward, with developing this football team, just like we did last week when we came out on the positive side of it."
On the offensive line:
"They did a nice job. They had some pretty good, heavy rushes. They have a good 4-3 defense and they pride themselves on creating pressure with four. They have some guys that are built for the battle. KGB (Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila) and some of the other guys down the line are capable of prime pressure. That is probably something our offensive line hasn't seen during training camp, based on our personnel. By no means are we making excuses for that. We have to do a better job of protecting the quarterback, especially on the edges. We will do that and we have to get to the lab on it and move forward. Aside from the pressure, we didn't play technically sound in that aspect of the game. We got a few holding penalties and things of that nature. That must stop, because of course, those things are drive killers."
On the first-team offense:
"It wasn't successful tonight, but that is what this process is about for us. We want to see what we are capable of doing and challenge this group. They went out and started fast last week. We brought them something new and different tonight, to see how they would handle it. We could have handled it better. Hopefully that will put an edge on that first unit, as we go into work this week and I am sure it will. I am already starting to get that hint from number seven (Ben Roethlisberger), that he has a little edge going into this week. He wanted another shot at it; to go out there on the field again, but we didn't give it to him. We are hoping that will light a fire and get that group going, going into next week. We want to take a look at it. Risk taking, yes, but that is what this process it about. But no we didn't like what we saw from them."
On Chris Hoke:
"We are going to have to run some test there. Basically, he got leg-whipped and we will see what the test reveals. We will know more in the morning. The leg-whip was a missed tackle. I thought we missed a couple tackles in the second half of that football game, which is kind of uncharacteristic of this football team, up thought last week and the first half of this game. They did a nice job of running, but we missed a few."
On the defenses pass rush:
"No, I am not impressed with the containment of that mobile quarterback. The difference between rushing the passer, when he has a pocket is different than containing a guy when he is on the move. This guy was on the move and we lost containment and that makes it difficult. We have to do a better job of containing and we have to do a better job of covering down the field."
How do you feel about Gary Russell?
"He's a downhill guy, we like his running style. He's working hard. This is only a process for him, hopefully we'll continue to bring him along, and he'll show that he can develop a complete game, pass protection, ect.., etc... He is showing us that he is a capable runner, but in order to be a running back he's got more work to do. By no means are we disappointed of what he's shown us thus far."
How was Carey Davis at Fullback?
"My initial response I thought he did some nice things. He got a few parameter runs, where he showed his athleticism, got a few blocks that sprung us some significant gains. Again I like to judge them by the tape, but that was my initial response."
Did you have a plan for FB before the game started?
"We had a plan. He and John (Kuhn) are swing guys. John was primary fullback last week. Carey was primary fullback this week. That is how we are going about dealing with this thing. We don't want to put too much on them in one football game. You tell them at the top of the week, this is your job and they can focus on it, and hopefully they give a high quality performance, and they know what their assignment is going to be. We got some position flexible guys that was the focus of Carey this week. Initial response I thought he did a solid job."
Tell us about the cornerback depth, like Ricardo Colcough.
"I think he's been active. All of our guys have been active. They have been challenging throws. A missed tackle or two in the second half, but that has been a characteristic of our football team, not only Ricardo, but I'll reserve judgment on that until I get a chance to watch it."
Can you elaborate on the point after attempt, the holding call?
"Let me address the PAT field goal thing first. We showed a glaring weakness from that standpoint last week. We got a holding penalty on the wing, on a field goal attempt. We had to re-kick the ball, thankfully Jeff nailed it. We talked about it last week that when you show a weakness in the kicking game people are going to come after you. We knew that Green Bay knew that and they were going to come after us, and they did. The problem has been compounded. Were going to have to go back to work this week, we are going to put our pads on, we're going to practice field goals, we're going to practice blocking field goals next week, and that's what I told the football team tonight."
RE: Using a lot of players on special teams hurting the team's performance.
"I'm not going to make any excuse for who we got in there. The eleven on the field represent us. We have to do a better job in that area."
When you were in preparing for other teams did the no-huddle bother you at all?
"We're not necessarily looking at it because we're concerned on what other defenses are going to respond it. It's just part of what we do, and we're more concerned on the execution of it. Our ability to communicate, our ability to line up and execute calls in great detail without huddling. Because it's obvious if you get in game situations you are going to have to have the ability to do that."
On why the no-huddle was used:
"I think you have to be able to change the pace of a football game, for a variety of reasons. You want to be able to keep people off balance and that is what we intend to do. We will continue to work in that area."
On if Ben Roethlisberger wants more responsibility:
"Ben (Roethlisberger) is pushing for a lot of things. The more you can put on his plate, that is what he wants, but that is what you want from a guy in his situation."
On what he told the team after the game:
"I just told the men we need to put an exclamation point on this training camp. We talked about finishing and having a finishers attitude, in everything we do. I like the way we finished mini-camp and I like the way finished Organized Team Activity days. Everything that we have done, we have had a great attention to detail and we don't want to ooze to a finish in training camp. How you finish things represents how you finish football games and how you finish football seasons, so each time we are coming to the end of something, we want to have all eyes on deck and be wired and are into it. I think they will be ready to respond to that."
On if the leg-whip on Chris Hoke was legal:
"A would-be tackler who missed was the guy who leg-whipped him."
On if Chris Hoke will get a MRI:
"I am sure he will."
On if there were any other injuries:
"No, I think that was the only one to my knowledge. I am sure we will clock in tomorrow and there will be bumps and bruises, that are associated with the night after a football game, but I think that was the only in-game injury."
On if anyone stood out tonight:
"Not positively, but we will take a look and see what it looks like from a tape standpoint."
Steelers WR Hines Ward
General comment
"Today, the disappointing thing was [that] we really couldn't get things going. We tried to work on our no-huddle offense. It was hard to convert third downs. You have to be able to do that. I think we converted a couple of them, but we really never got into a rhythm. And then, we turned the ball over. Anytime you turn the ball over, you decrease your chances of winning the ball game."
Obviously, you went with a different offensive line. That's probably tough for them to get into a rhythm...
"It is. Rotating all those guys around - as training camp goes on, we're going to solidify our five guys that we're going to have there the whole time. There's no question it makes a huge difference. Once we get set on whatever five guys we're going to have - that's what training camp is all about. You can only take too much from this game. But just learn from it, take some constructive criticism, and move on and try to get better."
RE: Charlie Batch
"Charlie's been like that ever since he came here. He's a guy whenever you want him, he comes off the bench. He's got an advantage because he sees things a little bit on the sideline. And when he gets his opportunity, he's making the most of it. He's really playing well."
Is this offense close to where it needs to be?
"I think so. We worked on no-huddle. That was our whole game plan coming in here, [to] start the game [with] no-huddle. And it didn't go like we wanted it to. But it's a learning process. It's not like we're going to run it regularly, but it's still going to be a vital part of our offense. We just didn't execute the way that we wanted to with the no-huddle. We tried to get into a rhythm and feel each other out, but, at the same time, we're not game planning anything. We're just trying to go out there and work plays. On certain plays, they just got us. There's nothing you can really do about it. The second group went in there [and] drove it. Some guys made some huge plays. Santonio [Holmes] came up with a huge catch. Walter [Young] got in for a huge catch. Those are plays that we can learn and grow on and critique and move one. That's what preseason is all about."
Steelers RB Najeh Davenport
Was the no-huddle the game plan tonight, to really work on that?
"Yeah. It's part of practice. So it's not really something that you'd say we're going out there to work on. It's part of practice."
You guys expect to use that a little bit more than you did last year. Is that true?
"I don't know. That's up to [Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians], how he feels in the moment. But it's part of our practice. It's something we learn, and we can do it anytime."
**
GAME SUMMARY:
Aaron Rodgers stats: 18-of-27, 168 yards, 1 TD
**
GB 13, PIT 9
GB: Mason Crosby, 52 field goal, 3:25
8 plays, 57 yards, TOP 3:18
Key plays: The drive started with a 19-yard pass interference penalty on the Steelers, and Brandon Jackson ripped off runs of 16 and 14 yards to get the Packers within scoring range.
**
GB 10, PIT 9
GB: Carlyle Holiday, 3 pass from Aaron Rodgers, 9:11
8 plays, 71 yards, TOP 4:10
Key plays: A 19-yard pass to Martin became a big play when a 15-yard facemask penalty on Arnold Harrison was tacked on. An 18-yard completion to Shaun Bodiford gave the Packers first-and-goal on the 7.
**
PACKERS HALFTIME QUOTES
Head Coach Mike McCarthy
About the first-team offense and lack of production:
"Well, third down production wasn’t very good, we had the false start on second down, transition play and things like that. It’s all fundamentals. I thought the pad level was poor with the offense. I thought the defense played very well. We had the one communication breakdown resulting in the touchdown, and our special teams need to do a better job of containing."
About Aaron Rodgers:
"Aaron is a good athlete. He’s using his feet, being smart with the football. He’s had a nice quarter and a half."
About poor tackling in the secondary
"Well we’ll look at the film, I can’t tell you exactly the specifics of that. It’s something we can practice, something we can correct. We just have to play better fundamental football."
QB Aaron Rodgers
On the offense
"It was good to get some points on the board. Four three-and-outs to start the half wasn’t how we wanted to do it. We have the whole second half now. We just have to put some plays together and get some first downs. I think we’re doing some good things. We just have to keep it going."
On James Jones
"James is doing a good job. He just needs to get used to the speed of the game. Once he does, he’ll be fine. He’s doing a good job of getting open when the play breaks down."
DT Cullen Jenkins
On his performance
"On one I beat him around the edge and other I just bull rushed him. We had some good pressure from the d-line."
On the sack which forced a fumble
"I was trying to turn the corner and it wasn’t working too well. I saw him getting ready to throw so I just tried to time it up and hit the ball when he pulled it back.
"Our goal this year is to be the best defensive line and the best defense in the league. We want to try to carry this team with our play, so we’re just trying to get off to a good start."
**
2nd quarter
PIT 9, GB 3
GB: Dave Rayner, 32 field goal, :00
12 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:52
Key plays: Passes of 21 yards to James Jones and 17 yards to Ruvell Martin both converted third downs. Another third down throw to Martin appeared to go for a touchdown, but Martin was called for illegal touching, having stepped out of the back of the end zone before coming back in to catch the pass. A replay review upheld the call.
**
PIT 9, GB 0
PIT: Jeff Reed, 27 field goal, 12:22
5 plays, 52 yards, TOP 2:21
Key plays: Batch began the drive with a 49-yard pass to Santonio Holmes. Brady Poppinga tackled Kevan Barlow for a 2-yard loss on second down from the 7-yard line to help force the field goal.
**
Brett Favre completed 2 of 7 passes for 7 yards before being replaced by Aaron Rodgers late in the first quarter.
**
1st quarter
PIT 6, GB 0
PIT: Walter Young, 41 pass from Charlie Batch, :48 (PAT blocked by Mike Montgomery)
4 plays, 55 yards, TOP 2:09
Key plays: Najeh Davenport started the drive with a 21-yard run. A Cullen Jenkins sack put the Steelers in third-and-17, but Batch found Young wide open over the middle, and Young bounced off a tackle attempt by Atari Bigby and cruised in for the score.
**
Weather at kickoff:
79 degrees, partly cloudy
**
Packers-Steelers Press Box Notes
**
The following Packers players will not play in tonight's game:
21 - CB Charles Woodson
28 - RB P.J. Pope
31 - CB Al Harris
34 - RB Vernand Morency
40 - FB Brandon Miree
42 - RB DeShawn Wynn
67 - DE DeVon Hicks
75 - T Tony Moll
On offense, (32) Brandon Jackson will start at RB in place of Morency, and (35) Korey Hall will start at FB in place of Miree.
On defense, (43) Patrick Dendy and (24) Jarrett Bush will start at CB in place of Woodson and Harris.
**
The following Steelers players will not play in tonight's game:
39 - RB Willie Parker
56 - C Chukky Okobi
66 - G Alan Faneca
92 - LB James Harrison
94 - LB Lawrence Timmons
On offense, (68) Chris Kemoeatu starts at LG in place of Faneca, (61) Sean Mahan starts at C in place of Chukky Okobi, and (44) Najeh Davenport starts at RB in place of Parker.
On defense, (55) LaMarr Woodley starts at LB in place of Harrison. |
 | Badger Mutual Family of the Game
Seventh-graders in the state of Wisconsin are eligible to enter an essay contest to see their family named the Badger Mutual Insurance Family of the Game. Winners will receive four game tickets, pre-game VIP on-field passes, recognition on the video board during the game and much more. To enter, Wisconsin seventh-graders should write an essay of 500 words or less that tells "Why Education Is Important to Me." Print out a registration form on packers.com. |
|
 | Coldwell Banker "Take it to the House"
Two lucky couples will have a chance to win a house courtesy of Coldwell Banker during halftime at every home game. Visit one of Coldwell Banker's Open Houses to sign up!
"Take it to the House" TV Commercial - Real | Windows |
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 | Crunch Time Catch
The Crunch Time Catch presented by Copps and Pick 'n Save gives two contestants the chance to show their skills catching punts. Both contestants will attempt to catch a thirty yard punt. If they succeed they move on to a sixty yard punt for the chance to win an Ariens® snow thrower or lawnmower. |
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 | Kohl's Fan of the Game
Four randomly selected fans will be selected at every Packer home game to win Kohl's Gift Cards. |
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 | Kraft Best Seats in the House Sweepstakes
Watch the game from the "Best Seats in the House". Winners and a guest will watch the game from recliners in the stands. The area will also include a color TV and a fully catered picnic lunch. Entry forms available at participating retailers. |
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 | MasterCard Fan Photographer
All Associated Bank customers who make a signature-based transaction will automatically be entered into the sweepstakes. You and a guest will receive passes to be on the field for the Packers warm-up to take pictures that will be posted on Packers.com. |
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 | Miller Lite End Zone
Watch for Miller promotions throughout the season for a chance to be part of this exciting section. |
|
 | Nicolet Water Boy/Girl Sweepstakes
Win a chance to be the Official Water Boy/Girl of the Green Bay Packers. Children between the ages of 8 and 14 may enter by sending in an official entry form available at participating retailers. |
|
 | Operation Fan Mail
The Green Bay Packers and Festival Foods this season are recognizing military families separated by active duty with a new program, 'Operation Fan Mail.' The families will be recognized on the field during home pregame activities.
To choose families, the Packers and Festival Foods are asking interested families, or friends of eligible families, to submit an essay, 500 words or less, on why a particular family should be saluted. Essays can be sent to: Operation Fan Mail, P.O. Box 10628, Green Bay, WI, 54307-0628, or by clicking here. |
|
 | Shopko Kickoff Kid promotion
Packer fans 12 and under can win the opportunity of a lifetime: Packers Honorary Kickoff Kid! One lucky fan will be selected for each 2006 home game to run onto the field after the Packers first kickoff to retrieve the tee. Each winner will receive the opportunity to be on the field during pre-game warm-ups, four (4) game tickets for the winner and his/her family, and a Packers Goodie Bag. Visit participating Shopko stores for your chance to win! |
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 | Verizon Jr. Captain
For every home game one lucky Packers fan between the ages of 7 and 14 is selected to be the Verizon Jr. Captain of the game and join the team captains on the field during the coin toss. Sign up at participating Verizon Wireless locations. verizonwireless.com |
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