Green Bay Packers Notes, Quotes
by Sports Xchange
Rodgers acknowledged before the game that this preseason encounter carried more significance from a personal standpoint than what typically is the case with exhibition games.
Besides returning to his roots and playing against the team for which he rooted as a child, Rodgers thought once upon a time that he would be suiting up for the 49ers. San Francisco, though, went with fellow quarterback Alex Smith over Rodgers in making the first pick of the 2005 NFL Draft. Rodgers tumbled to the bottom half of the first round, where the Packers chose him 24th.
While Smith had an opportunity to start as a rookie, Rodgers was resigned to backing up Brett Favre the last three years. Rodgers finally was promoted to the starter's role with Green Bay this year after the March retirement of Favre, who changed his mind this summer and prompted the Packers to trade him to the New York Jets for a 2009 conditional draft pick Aug. 6.
Rodgers waxed philosophical on how the snub by the 49ers three years ago seemingly has worked to his advantage.
"You'd like to say that yesterday's history, tomorrow's a mystery and today's a gift. That's why they call it the present," Rodgers said. "So, I'm trying to enjoy each day and realize that things that have happened in the past have happened for a reason. We've moved forward; they've moved forward. There's really not a lot of ill will between myself and the 49ers. The guy (Mike McCarthy) who left as their offensive coordinator (following the 2005 season) is my head coach, so we've definitely moved forward."
--Punter Jon Ryan ended a busy week of preseason games that started inauspiciously with a flourish. Five nights after shanking two punts for 14 and 15 yards in the Packers' preseason-opening loss to Cincinnati, Ryan averaged 50.3 yards in seven punts at San Francisco.
"I felt I bounced back well. I felt like I hit the ball well," said Ryan, who had two kicks of 56 yards.
When Ryan struggled against the Bengals in the nationally televised Monday night game at Lambeau Field -- his gross average for seven punts was 37 yards -- speculation was raised about the third-year player suffering from complacency because he's the only punter in training camp. Special teams coordinator Mike Stock had expressed early in camp that having competition for Ryan would be the preference, but that didn't transpire because of limitations brought by the new 80-man roster this year.
"You always have to find a second punter," Stock said. "You'd like to be able to find a second kicker if your punter can't do it. You never know when things are going to happen.
"The NFL means 'Not For Long,' not National Football League. My comment is, 'Don't get comfortable.'"
--By falling 20-17 to Cincinnati and 34-6 to San Francisco, the Packers have started the preseason slate 0-2 for the first time since 1993, Favre's first year as their season-long starter. The Packers have won only three of 10 preseason games under McCarthy since 2006 and have lost four straight, dating to last year.
--Upon their early-morning return Sunday from San Francisco, the Packers broke camp in a sense by moving out of their lodging quarters at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis. The team will continue to hold its camp practices the next two weeks at its training facility across the street from Lambeau Field.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We just stunk. You can't color it and put it in any other light. We flat-out stunk, and from an offensive standpoint, there's nothing you can say. We flat-out were no good." -- Right tackle Mark Tauscher, on the Packers' woeful performance in a 34-6 loss at San Francisco on Aug. 16.
advertisement
