Playing his first game in six weeks, defensive end Vonnie Holliday said the only thing holding him back in the Packers' 24-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins was his protective brace.
Designed to limit the movement in his right arm and thus protect the pectoral muscle that he tore while making a tackle against the Detroit Lions, Sept. 22, Holliday said the harness was so restrictive he felt as if he was playing with only one arm.
"I'm used to being able to bench-press a guy off of me and throw him around a little bit, but I was unable to do that" Holliday said after the game Monday night. "I'm going to have to come up with new, creative ways to play the game. In one aspect, it's kind of fun doing that. But at the same time, my rugged style of play that I'm used to, I can't get away with that right now."
In limited action, Holliday came up with a pair of tackles and one pass defensed against Miami. He also delivered the hit that temporarily sidelined Dolphins quarterback Ray Lucas in the second quarter.
Holliday may have to wear some sort of brace for the entire season, but he's hoping that when the Packers meet the Lions for the second time this weekend he'll have a little more freedom.
"I'm praying that this is the last week I have to wear this particular harness and I can graduate into something a little less restrictive," Holliday said. "I'm about to go in right now and talk to (Dr. Patrick McKenzie) and see if I can talk him into letting me get out of this thing.
"Let me practice in it all week, but on game day let me graduate into some other type of brace. If there's some other type of harness out there, please find it, because I really don't like this one I'm in right now."
Holliday has appeared in at least 12 games in each of his previous four seasons with the Packers. Last year he started all 16 regular season games, making 81 tackles, including seven sacks.
