Lance Allan: Sports Glance with Lance
Packers-Cardinals Mid-Week Notes
Things You Need To Know Before Sunday
1. Charles Woodson will be limited in practice, get treatment on his shoulder, and play like the Defensive Player of the Year again against Larry Fitzgerald.
2. Ryan Pickett practiced. It appears the hamstring that kept him out of 3 of the last 4 games, should be good enough to let him play.
3. Anquan Boldin's injuries are serious (MCL Knee sprain, high ankle sprain), yet I think he'll suit up.
4. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie says if he doesn't practice Thursday, he won't play. He'll practice and play.
5. Aaron Rodgers was sacked 37 times in the first 8 games, 13 in the last 8. Only twice in the last 3 games. Expect that to change...I think the Cards saved their pressure packages for this game. Rodgers in his first playoff start...will get hit...will get sacked...and Arizona will likely even force a turnover. But Rodgers will settle down, get in a groove...and the Packers win 34-31.
6. On the other side, Kurt Warner shut down all retirement talk by saying he's not even thinking of that (unlike a certain other Packer QB from a few years ago), and also fired back at a reporter who wondered why he only played 9 snaps in the last game by saying "didn't you see me get hit 9 times?" With an 8-3 playoff record, and three Super Bowl appearances...he's earned the benefit of the doubt.
7. The Packers haven't won a road playoff game since after the 1997 season...the NFC Championship in San Fran, to go to Super Bowl XXXII.
8. After Ken Whisenhunt questioned the tactics of the Packers in the preseason and regular season meetings, Mike McCarthy reacted this way about the postseason contest: "I am worried about my own football team. His feelings toward my team or my feelings toward his team, it's a non-topic with me. I told you, I stood in here Monday and Wednesday last week and told you what our goal was. We went out there to keep our momentum going. He took a different approach." Game on!
Emails at lallan@todaystmj4.com
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