McCarthy: Packers face Wilson, Lynch, schedule crunch, loud crowd with Seahawks game
GREEN BAY - The Green Bay Packers get a daunting set of outside challenges in their path in preparation for the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night.
The long list includes a former Badger who has stepped up as a top-flight-QB-to-be in the NFL, a powerful running back, a crazy schedule mixture and the high volume that the "12th man" will bring in Seattle.
Yet Packers Coach Mike McCarthy told Newsradio 620 WTMJ's "Wisconsin's Morning News," that "Monday Night Football, it's a lot of fun."
"The leadup is a little bit of a drag because Monday is such a long day, but the game is very exciting. Then after the game, it's 'Oh my God, I've only got six days to get ready for the next one.' But the actual game, it's a lot of fun. You're on national TV. You're the only game on."
Schedule craziness is nothing new for McCarthy's Packers.
They played four Thursday night preseason games, transferred their schedule to a plan for a regular Sunday game against San Francisco, then had a transition to 96 hours of preparation before beating the Chicago Bears.
McCarthy gave his players an extended break after the gauntlet.
"You need the time off," explained McCarthy on Friday.
"It's really stressful for the players to go through two competitive football games like that in four days. It's good for us. We'll hopefully get back on a routine today."
The good news: McCarthy won't have to worry about any more non-Sunday games for the rest of the regular season.
"After New Orleans, it's a straight seven days all the way in (the rest of the schedule). We're looking forward to it."
One thing McCarthy is not looking forward to is the pain to the eardrums that Seahawks fans cause in what is believed to be the NFL's loudest outdoor stadium.
"Absolutely. It's clearly a home field advantage for the Seahawks, particularly in their end zones," said McCarthy.
"It's something noticeable. That's why we're doing more crowd noise this week than a regular game."
When asked where the Packers get such manufactured sound, he explained, "I don't know where the DVD (came from), but it's a recording of a game when the crowd is at its highest peak, and it's played over, and over, and over. It gives you a headache."
Then there are the on-field headaches that the Packers could get, from two blue-and-flourescent-green-clad football players in quarterback Russell Wilson, a former Badger, and running back Marshawn Lynch.
"(Wilson is) a talented young man. This is his third start. He definitely improved from week 1 to week 2," said McCarthy.
"(Lynch is) clearly the most, with Adrian Peterson off the top of my head, the most physical runner that we'll play this year."

















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