GREEN BAY – As defensive players continued to drop out of Sunday's game against the Dolphins due to injuries, the Packers were in a constant adjustment mode personnel-wise.
The way the team handled it may have been the untold story of one of the season's better defensive efforts, keeping Miami out of the end zone and holding the Dolphins to just four field goals.
Safety Kentrell Brice bowed out with an ankle injury, then linebacker Nick Perry with a knee. After his critical interception, cornerback Bashaud Breeland exited with a groin injury, and fellow corner Jaire Alexander was later being evaluated with a concussion.
When it was all said and done, undrafted rookies Raven Greene at safety and Tony Brown at corner were playing significant snaps, while players like Josh Jackson, Josh Jones and Tramon Williams were moving all around the secondary and lining up in various spots.
"I thought the defensive staff and our players did a heck of a job," Head Coach Mike McCarthy said on Monday as the Packers began their short week of preparation for Thursday night's game in Seattle. "Just the communication and guys going in and out of the game, certain personnel groups were up and then they were down.
"I think Mike (Pettine) got to a point where his call sheet was very limited, but I think the players and coaches did a great job fighting through that. We'll see how this week goes."
McCarthy didn't have any definitive injury updates on Monday. Brice is undergoing testing. Alexander did speak with reporters after the game, which hopefully is a sign he's not in the concussion protocol.
The Packers are going through meetings and walk-through installation of the game plan on Monday before a non-padded practice on Tuesday in the Hutson Center with a lot of planned crowd noise to simulate CenturyLink Field. The team will fly to Seattle on Tuesday evening and have its final workout and meetings of the week out west on Wednesday.
Position coaches began working on the game plan for Seattle late last week and into the weekend before the Miami game. McCarthy said him and Pettine, as play-callers, stay out of much of that preliminary work to stay focused on the game at hand, and then they dove into the game plan on Monday morning.
There's little if any time to review the game film from the Miami game, but that's the nature of the short week. McCarthy said some coaches will go through the film, but it won't even be shown to the players because all the focus has to turn to the Seahawks.
"Full speed ahead," McCarthy said. "We have to get ready for Seattle.
"The biggest challenge is not only what they present as a football team but the environment you're playing in."
