Green Bay article on the opener

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Packers must hold line against Panthers

Green Bay needs all hands healthy

By ROB REISCHEL
Special to Packer Plus

Posted: Aug. 26, 2004

Green Bay - In just 21/2 weeks, the Green Bay Packers will face today's version of the Fearsome Foursome.
/NFL
The Carolina Panthers defensive line of Mike Rucker, Kris Jenkins, Brenston Buckner and Julius Peppers are without peer in the NFL. And that quartet is arguably the biggest reason why the Panthers represented the NFC in last year's Super Bowl.

In theory, Carolina should meet its match Sept. 13 when Green Bay expects to roll out what was arguably the top offensive line in football in 2003. But there are no guarantees the Packers' front will be near the level it was 12 months ago.

That's because guard Mike Wahle and center Mike Flanagan have been on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list throughout training camp. Wahle returned to practice Tuesday, but Flanagan isn't expected back until shortly before the season-opener.

The Packers' offensive line has been together since 2001 and might not need as much time as other units to get fully into sync. But there are no guarantees the quintet will be near peak performance when the Monday Night lights are shining.

"I'd rather walk out and play a high school team," Flanagan said. "But that's not the case. So we're going to find out where we're at real quick."

The Packers faced a similar situation a year ago, when tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher were being incorporated back into the lineup after suffering major injuries in 2002. Both tackles, though, practiced from Day One of camp and played in the final three pre-season games.

Because they were sharp by the season-opener, the Packers' line operated at a high level all season.

This year, Wahle is returning from a bone bruise on his left femur that he suffered while lifting stones for Strongman competitions he takes part in. He missed the first three weeks of practice and the first two pre-season games, but figures to see some action Friday at Jacksonville. Flanagan has been fighting patellar tendinitis in his left knee and has yet to practice or play in a pre-season game.

"Honestly, if you ask anybody, especially linemen in this league, how many games they want to play in the pre-season, not one of them is going to say four," Wahle said. "We've played together so long that I really don't think it's going to take a long period of time.

"Flanagan would give you the same answer. If they give us two weeks, then I'd say it will take us two weeks. If they give us two days, then we'll say two days. Whatever they give us is what we're going to take. And the sooner we get back and get our timing down, the opportunity to start the season fast is going to be that more prevalent."

The Packers will need to start fast, because they're unlikely to see a defensive front this good the rest of the season.

Jenkins, a fourth-year player from Maryland, is seen in most circles as the best defensive tackle in football. At 6-feet-4, 335 pounds, Jenkins is plenty massive to collapse the pocket with sheer strength, but he also possesses cat-like quickness. He's gone to back-to-back Pro Bowls and has become exceptional at blocking extra points.

Defensive end Mike Rucker, in his sixth year from Nebraska, has blossomed into a star. He's had back-to-back double-digit sack seasons, including 12 a year ago when he made his first trip to the Pro Bowl.

Rucker undoubtedly benefits from having Julius Peppers on the other side. Peppers, the second overall pick in the 2002 draft, has blinding speed and typically sees more double-teams than Rucker. He had a bit of a sophomore slump last year and netted just seven sacks, but after a phenomenal off-season, could be ready for a monster year.

Brenston Buckner, an 11-year veteran who spent much of his career in San Francisco, is the other tackle. He's on the downside of a solid career, but still excels at gobbling up blockers to free his teammates.

Reserve defensive end Kavika Pittman (knee) is out for the rest of the year. But backups Al Wallace, Kindal Moorehead and Shane Burton are steady, giving the Panthers without question the best defensive front in the league.

"Actually, I'm pretty excited to start with them," said Packers Pro Bowl right guard Marco Rivera. "Let's go. Let's go. Why not start off with them? Why mess around? Let's just get at it. Let's set the tone for the year right away. Let's hit it and hit it hard and see what happens."

What happened when the teams last met in Week 4 of 2002 is Green Bay's front five struggled through a long afternoon. Although the Packers prevailed, 17-14, when Panthers kicker Shayne Graham botched a 24-yard field goal with 16 seconds remaining, Carolina's defensive line left quite the impression.

The Panthers ran countless tackle-end stunts throughout that game, sacked Brett Favre four times and held the Packers to a then-season low 298 yards. In the 31 regular season and playoff games Green Bay has played since that day, there have been only two in which Favre was sacked four times and there have been just seven contests where the Packers had fewer yards.

"They've got an awesome defensive front," Wahle said. "Their front four in phenomenal. Three of those guys are just unbelievable.

"They have a good line rotation. Everything about them is real aggressive, attacking. It's a good opponent to play. It's going to be a lot of fun. I think it's a fun challenge and I've had it circled on my calendar for a while. We'll be ready."

The Packers' offensive line hasn't appeared ready through the first two pre-season games. Green Bay's first string offense has yet to score a touchdown and the running lanes for Ahman Green (12 carries, 50 yards) haven't been as gaping as last year.

The Packers are hoping that all changes when Grey Ruegamer and Steve Morley, who are filling in for Flanagan and Wahle, return to the bench. But they realize there are no guarantees.

"I would say it's going to take us two or three weeks to get to where we have to be," said Rivera, knowing full well his unit likely won't get that amount of time. "The thing with our offensive line is once we get those guys back, it's not just going to happen.

"You've got to work on it, get in sync and get all the rust off. If you look at our line last year, we started and gradually we became a great line at the end. Hopefully we can pick up where we left off, but there's no guarantees."

Especially opening against a team like Carolina.

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http://www.jsonline.com/packer/news/aug04/253789.asp

 

They have not seemed that daunting to me in preseason
The Patriots made them look less than superior in run stopping and pass rush.