Through a week of training camp, Pettine’s defense is passing those early quizzes.
By Pettine’s count, his defense has seven interceptions of Rodgers. Three came at Monday’s practice.
”It certainly gives our guys some confidence,” Pettine said Wednesday, an off day for the team. ”What a gift we have on defense to be able to go against one of the most elite quarterbacks to ever play the game. You talk about wearing ankle weights. That’s a tremendous thing for us, and for us to have that success, it’s a challenge for him. He’s not going against the same defense that he had gone against and maybe he got used to over years and years and years that he figured out. He’s still trying to figure us out, and there’s that element.
” I just love the competition part of it. It’s great when our guys can make a play. I think that from the beginning of camp, that’s the bottom line: We’ve had some great competition.”
Continuing that momentum will be the challenge as the Packers return to the field Thursday and look forward to Saturday’s Family Night practice at sold-out Lambeau Field. On Monday, two defensive starters, third-year safety Kentrell Brice and fourth-year inside linebacker Jake Ryan, suffered significant injuries. Ryan tore his right ACL and is out for the season. Brice appeared to have reinjured the right ankle that required season-ending surgery last year.
At linebacker, the Packers will turn to Oren Burks LaAdrian Waddle Jersey , a third-round pick out of Vanderbilt who had taken some of the first-team reps from Ryan. Burks is one of five players on the depth chart participating in their first NFL training camp. The only remaining veteran is third-year starter Blake Martinez.
”(Burks) has flashed some things,” Pettine said. ”The transition from the college game to the NFL, it takes some time. He’s very intelligent, he processes very quickly, but there’s still just that learning curve. . We’ll see how it plays out. It’s a big loss with Jake. I know there’s certainly open lines of communication with the personnel department.”
At safety, Brice on Tuesday said he was thankful the injury ”wasn’t as serious as it could have been.” Until he returns, the Packers figure to move forward with Josh Jones, a second-round pick last year.
Brice is a pure defensive back and Jones, a combination defensive back and linebacker, so they bring different skill sets. That could force Pettine to make some adjustments if Brice’s injury lingers into the regular season.
”At this point, we’re asking them to do all of the menu,” Pettine said. ”Whether it’s a job during the season we might not have them do, we’re asking them to do it all (now). But I think we certainly have thoughts on Kentrell is best at this Dustin Colquitt Jersey , Josh is best at this, and kind of marry that together with a package; I think that’s kind of on us as coaches to begin to shape a game plan and have the right personnel doing the right jobs when we’re out there. But it’s just too early.”
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Tony Sparano Jr. directed drill after drill Tuesday, clapping his hands and offering positive feedback to players.
He smiled. He laughed. He joked with Jacksonville’s offensive linemen during breaks.
His emotions might be totally different the rest of the week.
The son of longtime NFL coach Tony Sparano will return to Minnesota a little more than three weeks after his father’s death and step onto the same practice fields his dad roamed the last three years. It won’t be easy for the younger Sparano, an assistant offensive line coach with Jacksonville.
“He’s going through a tough time,” said Jaguars coach Doug Marrone, whose team will hold two joint practices with the Vikings before a preseason game Saturday. “It is a tough, tough time. It is not just him, individually. It’s his family, his mom, and there is a lot going on. … We will do whatever we have to do to make sure we are doing the right thing for his family.”
Marrone offered to let Sparano stay behind in Jacksonville, realizing how difficult the trip might be for him. But Sparano declined and opted to head north with his football family.
“You don’t want to look back after things occur and have any type of regrets,” Marrone said. “I think living life like that in anything that you do is very difficult. I just want to make sure everything is covered Nick Nelson Jersey , and whatever support he needs from me, I am there for him.”
The elder Sparano was set to begin another season as Vikings offensive line coach when he died unexpectedly July 22, just a few days before the start of training camp. He died of natural causes from arteriosclerotic heart disease, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office said the following day.
Sparano, 56, collapsed in the kitchen of his home in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, while he was getting ready to leave for church with his wife, Jeanette.
A former head coach with Miami and Oakland, Sparano is survived by his wife; his two sons, Tony and Andrew; his daughter, Ryan Leigh; and four grandchildren.
Sparano Jr., 31 Chase Allen Jersey , missed the first week of Jaguars camp to be with his family. Sparano has declined interview requests since his return and wasn’t expected to talk publicly in Minnesota.
The joint practices surely would have been special for the Sparano family. Father and son coached together in 2011 at Miami (Senior was the head coach; Junior was an offensive quality control coach) and in 2012 with the New York Jets (Senior was the offensive coordinator; Junior was an intern).
“It’s just a very, very difficult situation,” Marrone said. “I have been talking to him about everything. I am just trying to be the best person that I can be for him like the rest of the guys on the staff. I think it will be a very emotional time.
“I think his words, if you talk to him, would probably be better than me trying to say what he feels. But for me, myself, the staff, everybody, the organization, the players, we are obviously all there to support him.”
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