No-huddle offense finally loses its no-show status at practice
GREEN BAY - News and views from the Green Bay Packers' training camp practice Sunday at Lambeau Field:
Sunday's top takeaways
» The no-huddle that had become a big part of Mike McCarthy's offense the last several years doesn't appear figure as big in Matt LaFleur's, at least not in his first year as coach. LaFleur only installed the no-huddle in meetings Sunday morning and practiced it for the first time Sunday afternoon. It didn't help that Aaron Rodgers couldn't practice because he was held out with back spasms, so he didn't get a chance to operate it. DeShone Kizer ran it with the starters and Tim Boyle and Manny Wilkins with the backups. “We use it just in case,” LaFleur said. “If we think it'll give us an advantage then we'll use it. It's a game-by-game basis.” Said Boyle: “The first day obviously you have to think a little bit about it, but once we understand the terms, what we're doing and what we're trying to accomplish, it's going to be a well-oiled machine that Aaron is going to like very much and the whole offense is going to like.”
» For the first time all camp the Packers ran a scout-team period in 11-on-11 drills, and in a big change LaFleur was the coach who showed the play card to the scout-team side of the ball. Going back at least to Mike Holmgren, an assistant coach had always shown the card and explained the call in the scout-team huddle. But LaFleur did it himself, even while still wearing the walking boot that protects his repaired Achilles tendon. LaFleur is showing the cards himself to promote higher intensity in a period when the intensity can wane because one side of the ball is running another team's scheme. “It emphasizes the importance of it,” LaFleur said of having the head coach show the cards. “I learned that from Dan Quinn in Atlanta. He did the same thing. That's something I think you get a little bit better play out of it instead of it just truly being a scout-team period. We want our guys – whether it's an offensive emphasis or defensive emphasis – to still work their fundamentals. They can still gain valuable reps in that carded period.”
QB watch
Manny Wilkins, the No. 4 quarterback, made one of the plays of the day in an end-of-game drill early in practice. On fourth-and-goal from the 9 on the final play of a game, Wilkins scrambled to his right to buy time, and threw a high pass back across his body that 6-foot-5 Allen Lazard snared above three defensive backs for the score.
With Rodgers out, Kizer took most of the snaps with the No. 1 offense.
Injury report
Four players returned to practice: WR Trevor Davis (stinger), RB Jamaal Williams (hamstring), FB Malcolm Johnson (groin) and DL Fadol Brown (calf). TE Jimmy Graham dropped out because of a finger injury and didn't return. He was injured while trying to make a contested catch over the middle.
LT David Bakhtiari was excused from practice for personal reasons. The new additions to the injury list were CB Ka'dar Hollman (stinger) and OLB Reggie Gilbert (knee).
Still out were: CB Kevin King (hamstring), S Josh Jones (illness), LB Oren Burks (pec), FB Danny Vitale (calf), CB Kabion Ento (hamstring), TE Jace Sternberger (concussion).
S Ibraheim Campbell (knee) and LB Greg Roberts (core injury) remain on PUP.
Bits and pieces
» Rookie running back Dexter Williams got a big chewing out by LaFleur on the first team snap in practice. LaFleur ramps up the competition in practice every day with one short situational, win-or-lose period. In this case, the offense started with third and goal from just inside the 10 and had two plays to get into the end zone at the end of the game. On the first play of the drill Williams ran the wrong route, and Boyle ended up throwing the ball away. “First play of practice,” LaFleur said. “We've got a competition period. Wanted to switch it up today and put the competition period at the at beginning of practice. It wasn't like a play call coming out of left field. It was something we had scripted. And when we get out there and we don't know what we're doing and we have a busted assignment, that's pretty irritating to me. It doesn't make sense to me.”
» Receiver J'Mon Moore took part in practice after being in a car accident Friday. He has had a rough camp catching the ball and had two more drops Sunday.
» LaFleur has had music blaring all practice, every practice in camp. On Sunday he still had music playing, but at a much lower volume. “I wanted to see if we could generate some energy without having some music,” LaFleur said, “and see how our guys would respond and also a little bit with the no-huddle period, just (to help) the communication.” » Graham caught a red-zone touchdown on a fourth-and-goal from the 9 when cornerback Tony Brown tipped a ball that caromed high into the air to Graham in the end zone.
» In a field-goal period, Mason Crosby and Sam Ficken each went 4 for 4 on short kicks that ranged from 22 yards to 40 yards.
Quote of the day
“I thought it was just OK. It was average. I think some of that is due with, there was a little bit more thinking going on today with some of the stuff we were doing, implementing supplemental (nohuddle) stuff and also the (card period). That just tends to lower the intensity.” – LaFleur on the practice intensity after two days off for the players.
Practice schedule
The Packers' final practice that's open to the public will begin at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Ray Nitschke Field.