After a short morning practice that focused on special teams, the Packers made their way to Clarke Hinkle Field at 2:15 p.m., for another day of practice Monday. With Saturday's first preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles looming on the horizon, there was a new sense of urgency among players and coaches.
"I always look at the preseason as an opportunity for the coaches to practice game week in getting ready for a football game," said GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman. "Even though we'll spend the bulk of our time looking at ourselves and making ourselves better, we will spend some time formulating a game plan based on our studies this offseason . . . We do want to go out there and have our guys be well-represented and put forth our best effort."
The afternoon began with the team divided up by position, warming up for the intense running plays that were soon to follow. Linemen battled in the trenches as running backs Ahman Green, Jason Brookins, Tony Fisher and Herbert "Whisper" Goodman attempted running it up the gut. Assistant Offensive Line Coach Pat Ruel was fired up about the way his line created gaps for ball carriers.
During the same drill, rookie linebacker Algie Atkinson managed to sneak around the right side of the offensive line and got to Green before he was able to cross the line of scrimmage.
Meanwhile, on the north end of the field, quarterbacks Brett Favre, Craig Nall and Marcus Brady threw to wide receivers who were being covered one-on-one by Packers defensive backs. Receiver Donald Driver continued his impressive training camp as he juked rookie cornerback Edwin Swiney and then stretched out to haul in a 20-yard toss from Favre.
Practice concluded with an 11-on-11 drill, which featured the Packers' offensive line springing Green into the defensive backfield untouched, prompting seventh-year guard Marco Rivera to celebrate the would-be touchdown. Favre showed some of his trademark zip, hitting Charles Lee down the middle on a post pattern that received a jovial round of applause from the Railbirds in attendance.
The Packers' next practice will be Tuesday, August 6, from 8:45-11:25 a.m., and 2:45-4:10 p.m., at Clarke Hinkle Field, weather and field conditions permitting.
-- by Leslie Ricker
