Matthews angry, says block caused injury
Rodgers’ hamstring trouble adds to concerns
Green Bay — Clay Matthews filtered his true feelings as much as he could, but the Green Bay Packers linebacker still was upset two days after receiving perhaps the most vicious block in his career.
The team’s medical staff evaluated Matthews’ left shoulder twice on the sideline after Philadelphia Eagles left guard Allen Barbre laid him out with a blindside block Monday. Matthews also briefly visited the locker room, where he said he received a painkilling shot before returning to the game.
“I wasn’t a fan of it,” Matthews said of Barbre’s block. “I’ve a lot more to say about it, but I’m going to say it behind closed doors.
“I mean, it was a cheap shot, but it is what it is. I ate it. Unfortunately, I landed on my shoulder, and that’s kind of what I’ve been dealing with since.”
It wasn’t the first time a questionable block has injured Matthews. In 2014, he blamed Detroit Lions receiver Golden Tate’s cut block for an injured groin. Matthews didn’t miss any games with the injury.
Barbre was not penalized, and it’s too early to know whether he might be fined. Matthews was asked whether he believed the hit was legal.
“I don’t know,” Matthews said. “They didn’t throw a flag, probably because I wasn’t a quarterback. I know all about that.”
Barbre told Philadelphia reporters Wednesday he was glad Matthews wasn’t seriously injured. He said a “cheap shot” wasn’t the intent behind his block and he wasn’t even assigned to block Matthews on the play.
“Everybody’s got their own opinion, but if I didn’t block him then maybe he would have made the tackle,” Barbre said. ‘’I’m here to help us win. I don’t really value his opinion on that.
“I just took an opportunity to make the play better.”
The injection helped Matthews grit through the rest of Monday’s game, but his shoulder remained bothersome Wednesday.
“I’m in some pain, no doubt about it,” Matthews said. “Some swelling, bruising.
“But we got an X-ray and nothing is broken, that’s good. So we’ll see moving forward as far as progress I’m make going into this game. It’s ultimately the goal, but we have some work to do.”
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he expects his Pro Bowl linebacker to play Sunday against the Houston Texans, but that might not mean much. Matthews has looked likely to play on more than one occasion in midweek this season, only to be inactive come game day.
On the run: A hamstring injury that threatens to steal Aaron Rodgers’ mobility could remove a significant piece of the Packers’ offense. The nimble quarterback is the only semblance of a consistent rushing attack the Packers have had through three quarters of their season.
And that doesn’t even factor in Rodgers’ ability to extend plays with his legs, buying time for receivers to get open.
“There’s no question it will definitely help out if he can sit in the pocket and doesn’t really feel like running,” Texans linebacker Brian Cushing said.
“Because there’s nothing more defeating than on third down covering everybody, having everyone doing your job and everything’s set, and then the quarterback runs right by everyone for the first down because he’s the guy you don’t account for as numbers and matchups.
“If it limits him, obviously that’ll be a big plus for us.”
Rodgers merely said “it’s improving” when asked how his hamstring felt Wednesday. He injured it early in the third quarter Monday and felt well enough to finish the game.
The Packers returned from Philadelphia at 3 a.m. Tuesday, abbreviating their week. McCarthy canceled Wednesday’s practice to give all his players extra rest, but Rodgers stands to benefit most.
Rodgers might have been limited as the Packers started installing their game plan against the Texans had the team held regular practice.
Instead, the Packers were exclusively inside their conditioning, rehab and instruction center, going through the same installation phase Wednesday, but only at walkthrough speed.
“This clearly is our biggest challenge from a mental standpoint of our 16-week season,” McCarthy said. “We’re playing on a short week.
“Obviously, the stress of the Sunday night (Nov. 20 at Washington) and Monday night game, we’re playing an uncommon opponent, we’re playing an uncommon opponent that does a lot schematically. The classroom time and commitment and focus needs to be increased anyway, just because of that.”
McCarthy said he expects his quarterback to play against the Texans, but that doesn’t mean the two-time MVP will have his full arsenal.
Rodgers has some experience with limited mobility. Near the end of the 2014 season, a badly strained calf confined him inside the pocket.
“We’ll see how he is movement wise,” McCarthy said, “but with that you’ve got to make sure he’s got more answers for later in the time clock of the play than he did when he can’t move out of the pocket. I don’t think we’re back at 2014.”
Big man in town: There are very few times when Packers outside linebacker Julius Peppers chases a quarterback who can look him in the eye.
Peppers, 36, is a mountain of a man whose sheer size catches your attention in a locker room where almost everyone is well above the mean. He stands 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 287 pounds.
On Sunday, Peppers will be tasked with chasing Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler. If and when he gets to the quarterback, Peppers might be looking up.
Osweiler, who arrived in Houston as a big-money free agent over the summer, is a sequoia tree in the pocket. At the combine in 2012 he measured 6foot-7 and 240 pounds.
Outside linebacker Datone Jones noticed the similarities.
“Osweiler is like Julius Peppers playing quarterback,” said Jones, who played against Osweiler in college. “He’s a big guy, great arm. You just need to get in his face, get a few guys on him and just stay consistent in the rush.”