POSTGAME PACKERS/CHIEFS

[MickeyDavis]

Comments from coach Mike McCarthy:

Injuries: Brett Goode had a blow to the head, did not return. Brett Swain had a bruised knee, he did return.

Hard to evaluate the punters with Goode out?
I really didn't watch the actual punt team during that particular play. I was watching the protection because of having a new snapper in there. But that's definitely something we'll evaluate tonight and tomorrow and make sure we do our due diligence.

Like what Matt Flynn did tonight?
I like Matt Flynn. I thought Matt has put together a fine preseason and I thought he did a really good job of keeping us in good plays tonight at the line of scrimmage. I thought he missed some throws earlier in the game, he didn't quite have his feet set. But I thought overall for his three quarters, he did a very good job.

Did Joe Philbin call the plays?
Joe Philbin called the offensive plays tonight and I thought he was a juggernaut and I'm not going to let him do it again because he's too good.

Jason Chery?
Well, I need to watch the tape. You always start, No. 1, anytime you're in a perimeter position you're handling the football, the ball security was not a positive. But I thought he did a good job of making the first guy miss and the view that I had, I don't know how many opportunities we gave him as far as the blocking unit in front of him. But we'll take a close look at that.

Have enough to make a decision there?
We have a lot of information and from that we have to make a decision. So would you like to have more in some instances? I don't really view it that way. We came into Kansas City to win the football game. We came here to make sure we gave a lot of people as many opportunities as we possibly can. I think we accomplished that. The offense played 70-plus plays, the defense had an opportunity to play against a no-huddle. Offense had an opportunity to play against the Wildcat. Our special teams unit, we got more reps in the punt contest so I felt like we've maxed our opportunities out with the four preseason games and with that we'll make the right decisions.

I meant on Chery...
I'm not picking any roster tonight and I'm not going to get into the roundabout questions so we'll evaluate it and make the decisions. But I felt like we gave him opportunities that he did not have prior to this game. And with that we'll evaluate it and see where we are.

How hard are the next couple days?
Tough. I think it's the worst time of year for me personally and for our whole personnel staff and coaching staff. We've spent a lot of time with thes players, we're fond of theses players, I felt it was our most competitive camp from a personnel standpoint and just the whole environment that's created down on Nitschke Field. I'm very pleased with the process. I think training camp is the final step of a process that starts in March. I like the amount of work that was done, the way it was done and the information we were able to gain out of that and with that we'll form our 2010 team and I'm excited to get to Monday. But between now and then there are tough days for everybody.

How did you make the decision on Goode?
Well, it's a doctor's evaluation. I know they got to him right away and then he was able to go, I think it was two more plays after that. And the doctors felt he was no longer...it was time for him to go. It's a cut and dry system. If it's a medical decision, they don't play. There's never any buts or whats.

Decision with Rodgers and Clifton?
It was clearly a coach's decision and it's something I think about all the time and I feel we came out of the game relatively healthy. Tomorrow morning always gives you the true picture where you are as the health of your football team. Frankly with the locker room being kind of small and having a 75-man roster and the ability to have better treatment at home, all those types of factors factor in the decision of leaving the number of players home that we did.

Feel ready?
Oh, we're ready. We have no choice. So we're ready.

Where's Will Blackmon with the knee?
He's....he's having a lot of...he's had a setback and so we'll have more information when we get back so hopefully he's had productive rehab the last couple days.

Could be serious?
He's coming off a major surgery and if you sat in the doctor's meetings, this all falls in the normal protocol of particularly a perimeter player that had a significant injury to his knee. So he's going through a tough spot right now.

How do you do the cuts?
I talk to every single player that's been released in my time here.

[wichmae]

Nicely done MD. Thanks for the MM recap.

[Newz]

Chery = Done

[PkrsBcksGphsMqt]

Sounds like no major injuries, I didn't get a chance to watch because I had my ACL surgery yesterday. So Rodgers and Clifton didn't even make the trip to Arrowhead? Did Cherry fumble the ball or something? Sounds like he didn't have a great showing. I saw Flynn threw for 300 yards and no picks, pretty solid. Swain with 130 yards was pretty impressive as well. It will be interesting to see what we do at WR, whether we keep 4 or 5.

BRING ON THE EAGLES!

[Newz]

Rodgers was at the game, he was pretty much the head coach.

McCarthy came over to try to talk to the QBs and Rodgers was like "Shut your mouth old man." then told Flynn what to do... Which is why Flynn was dominate.

Swain looked good. Chery fumbled and thus he will not be on the team.

Another thing I noticed is Shields looks totally lost on some plays. I like the guy, he should make the team and he is a very good talent. But if he is our no. 3 corner this year, we are in trouble.

[PkrsBcksGphsMqt]

That's hilarious about Rodgers, wish I could have seen that. Do you think Swain makes the team? I'm also going to be curious to see how many and which TEs we keep.

[MickeyDavis]

Agree about Shields, longterm I think he'll be good. Short term I don't like relying on a guy like that if we have Super Bowl ambitions.

Chery gone for sure, probably go with sure handed but benign Jordy on returns unless someone is cut that TT/MM like from another team. Whoever that might be would have to beat out Swain for #5.

Masthay cemented the punting job.

I just don't get why our special teams coverage always sucks. We can blame Slocum but there is only so much a coach can do. Are they really being coached horribly and our schemes are awful? I doubt it, it's just personnel/execution.

We need linebacker help. Hate that Jones missed so much time. Poppinga sucks, Chillar has never excited me, Hawk is so freakin' slow, Zombo has looked good against other teams scrubs so who knows what he'll really bring.

I think we beat the hell out of the Eagles next week.

[Newz]

Agree about Shields, longterm I think he'll be good. Short term I don't like relying on a guy like that if we have Super Bowl ambitions.

Yeah. It's not really his fault either as he only really has one year of experience playing defense. If he is our 3rd corner though, he is going to get torn apart by just about any team we go against. I think he has the potential to be a starter at some point, but that is 3-4 years away.

Chery gone for sure, probably go with sure handed but benign Jordy on returns unless someone is cut that TT/MM like from another team. Whoever that might be would have to beat out Swain for #5.

Sadly this is what I see happening.

I just don't get why our special teams coverage always sucks. We can blame Slocum but there is only so much a coach can do. Are they really being coached horribly and our schemes are awful? I doubt it, it's just personnel/execution.

Not sure if it's fair or true, but what I have always heard is that special teams and penalties are the biggest indicator of good/bad coaching.

We need linebacker help. Hate that Jones missed so much time. Poppinga sucks, Chillar has never excited me, Hawk is so freakin' slow, Zombo has looked good against other teams scrubs so who knows what he'll really bring.

Poppinga is pretty bad. Chillar is a solid backup. Zombo I think has potential but would not rely on him as a starter, same with Oziobor. Jones is really going to need to bring it this year and Clay is going to have to stay healthy.

I think we beat the hell out of the Eagles next week.

I'm actually predicting a loss next week (have us going 11-5 this year), hope I am wrong though.

[BigSmooth_31]

I'm actually predicting a loss next week (have us going 11-5 next year), hope I am wrong though.

What about this year?

[MickeyDavis]

If Jones can't perform we are in trouble. Clay will be doubled. We need to be able to bring in from both sides.

[Newz]

I'm actually predicting a loss next week (have us going 11-5 next year), hope I am wrong though.

What about this year?

Woops.

[ReasonablySober]

I didn't pay a ton of attention to the game and I turned it off before the start of the 2nd half.

Things I noticed:

• Newhouse makes up for cutting Meredith last season. He had a couple bad plays where he was beat inside, but he was a wall when people tried to go outside. He also had a couple nice combo blocks where he took on the tackle and bounced it outside to take on the end. He and Bulaga could be our Tauscher/Clifton for the next ten years. How can you not be excited about that?

• I didn't see Shields look bad in one on one coverage, though I worry about him in space.

• Zombo was too aggressive in getting into the backfield and missed contain a couple times. That said, his motor is always running and he did well to chase down ball-carriers up the field.

• Tackling in the 2nd unit sucked.

• Bush looked, gulp, solid.

• One Mike Neal learns what the hell he's doing out there he'll be a Pro Bowler. His bull-rush is incredible and he's going to collapse a lot of pockets with it. But he's gonna have to learn to finish and shed blockers once he's back there. But for right now he should be out there in any four down lineman situation at the very least.

• I'm confident that Matt Flynn wouldn't lose us games if Rodgers went down (knock on wood). McCarthy's QB school must be something awesome because he's taken guys like Flynn and Harrell, two QBs who couldn't throw the ball across the street coming out of college, and made them look like capable NFL QBs.

• After four pre-season games I don't know what to make of the defense. We haven't seen a healthy unit out there, so it's tough to say where they stand. That said, I don't see many teams being able to keep up with the offense so maybe all the defense has to be is opportunistic. I think that's going to be the theme all season: teams will come into games knowing they'll have to put up 30 to have a chance and look to fling it around early and often. We'll probably give up a lot of passing yards and maybe a good number of big plays, but I also see us being at or near the top in turnovers again this season. Woodson and Collins should have big years. I could see Burnett finish the season with six or seven picks and in the discussion for DROY. Both Matthews and whomever lines up opposite him should have double-digit sacks.

[Newz]

DB, I definitely agree on Newhouse. I am very excited about him. If he could turn out to be a good RT while Bulaga is a good LT, that would be HUGE for us as a team.

I also agree on Bush. He played his way onto the team with good special teams play and making some big plays during the game on the defensive side as well. He was definitely better than Shields, Lee and Underwood last night.

Neal is indeed a beast.

Matt Flynn looked surprisingly good. Like I have always said, I'm not a huge fan of McCarthy as a head coach, but the guy can really coach some QBs.

[MickeyDavis]

What pisses me off about Bush is he'll look decent in one game and follow it up with 4 horrible games.

[crkone]

What pisses me off about Bush is he'll look decent in one game and follow it up with 15 horrible games.

Fixed for accuracy.

[LarryHarris]

Loved the story about the receivers going to Jordy's farm...

[Ayt]

What pisses me off about Bush is he'll look decent in one game and follow it up with 4 horrible games.

How funny/awesome would it be if Bush actually got the nod at nickel if Shields struggles too much and then he plays solid football?

[eagle13]

What pisses me off about Bush is he'll look decent in one game and follow it up with 4 horrible games.

How funny/awesome would it be if Bush actually got the nod at nickel if Shields struggles too much and then he plays solid football?

[eagle13]

I didn't pay a ton of attention to the game and I turned it off before the start of the 2nd half.

Things I noticed:

• Newhouse makes up for cutting Meredith last season. He had a couple bad plays where he was beat inside, but he was a wall when people tried to go outside. He also had a couple nice combo blocks where he took on the tackle and bounced it outside to take on the end. He and Bulaga could be our Tauscher/Clifton for the next ten years. How can you not be excited about that?

• I didn't see Shields look bad in one on one coverage, though I worry about him in space.

• Zombo was too aggressive in getting into the backfield and missed contain a couple times. That said, his motor is always running and he did well to chase down ball-carriers up the field.

• Tackling in the 2nd unit sucked.

• Bush looked, gulp, solid.

• One Mike Neal learns what the hell he's doing out there he'll be a Pro Bowler. His bull-rush is incredible and he's going to collapse a lot of pockets with it. But he's gonna have to learn to finish and shed blockers once he's back there. But for right now he should be out there in any four down lineman situation at the very least.

• I'm confident that Matt Flynn wouldn't lose us games if Rodgers went down (knock on wood). McCarthy's QB school must be something awesome because he's taken guys like Flynn and Harrell, two QBs who couldn't throw the ball across the street coming out of college, and made them look like capable NFL QBs.

• After four pre-season games I don't know what to make of the defense. We haven't seen a healthy unit out there, so it's tough to say where they stand. That said, I don't see many teams being able to keep up with the offense so maybe all the defense has to be is opportunistic. I think that's going to be the theme all season: teams will come into games knowing they'll have to put up 30 to have a chance and look to fling it around early and often. We'll probably give up a lot of passing yards and maybe a good number of big plays, but I also see us being at or near the top in turnovers again this season. Woodson and Collins should have big years. I could see Burnett finish the season with six or seven picks and in the discussion for DROY. Both Matthews and whomever lines up opposite him should have double-digit sacks.

Spot on! I've said since OTAs that Newhouse should be at RT. (Lang at LG next year).
BTW - Newhouse had a high wonderlic. Makes some difference on OL.

TT made many great picks this year. Neal & Burnett, Newhouse & of course Bulaga. At least 4 starters.

Totally agree about plus turnovers - that will be very significant.

[LUKE23]

I'm more concerned about the pass rush than the nickel back. If we don't get pass rush, who our nickel corner is is irrelevant, we will get shredded by good passing teams. If we get pass rush, Shields will be fine at the nickel.