Missing playoffs unacceptable for Packers
GREEN BAY – Whether they watched Monday’s game between the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers live or awoke Tuesday morning to see the final score, everyone at Lambeau Field arrived for work wearing the dejection of a failed season.
For the first time since 2008, the Green Bay Packers will bow out before January even begins.
“This is unacceptable,” wide receiver Randall Cobb said. “We have too good of a team with too many good players in this locker room to be on the outside looking in, and not have a way in. We definitely have to figure it out this offseason and come back ready to play next year.”
Such was the prevailing sentiment inside a downtrodden locker room as the Packers began preparing for the Minnesota Vikings on a short week. For some, this is the first time in their professional careers the season will end without a playoff berth. For certain veterans — especially ones who joined the Packers this year — it was just another dose of sadness they have experienced before.
“It sucks,” cornerback Davon House said. “Every year, regardless of what team you’re on, you’re hoping to (win) the Super Bowl. I mean, it sucks that we didn’t get to make it to the dance. But the team is going to continue to grow from this, continue to get better from this.”
House’s story in particular is unfortunate. A year ago House was finishing his second season with the Jacksonville Jaguars on the bench. He hardly played after the first handful of games, and during that time his mind drifted back to the Packers, the team that drafted him.
When the Jaguars released him, which was inevitable, House’s goal was to return to Green Bay for a chance to win the Super Bowl. Now he’s on the wrong side of the playoff bubble as the Jaguars hold the No. 3 seed in the AFC.
“This time last year I was dreaming to be back here,” House said.
With games remaining against the Vikings on Saturday night and at Detroit on New Year’s Eve, players said the final two weeks will be about pride as much as anything else.
“(We will play) for each other,” left guard Lane Taylor said. “Play for ourselves. You still have teammates that depend on you to do your job. You want to go out there and play for your teammates.
“I’ll continue to come back here to work every day, practice as hard as I can, and prepare myself for a game.”
Pushing through: House missed Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers with a transverse process fracture in his back, an injury he sustained in the overtime victory over the Cleveland Browns.
With two games left, House said he plans to return to the field and would like to play against the Vikings, pending medical clearance.
“I don’t think about my health,” House said. “I want to play. I want to play. This time last year I was dreaming to be back here. And now that I’m back here, I can’t shut it down. I’m going to fight through it, though.
“I think I could have played last week. Every week I go into the week like I’m going to play. It’s up to my body if I am or not.”
Davis suspension reduced: Twirling a football in his hands, receiver Davante Adams walked through the locker room with Aaron Rodgers by his side.
Adams, working through his second concussion this season and third in 14 months, was unavailable to speak with reporters. He remains in the league’s return protocol, but teammates have frequently checked on his well-being.
“He’s very frustrated,” Cobb said. “It sucks. It sucks to be in that position, but that’s where he is, and his health is most important right now.”
Adams was knocked out of Sunday’s game after taking an illegal, blindside block from Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis. It was the second illegal hit that’s given Adams a concussion this season. The fourth-year receiver, who becomes a free agent in March, also received a concussion from an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit from Chicago Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan in September.
Davis, a repeat offender, had his initial two-game suspension reduced by appeals officer James Thrash, the league announced Tuesday. Thrash was jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA. It’s the identical suspension Trevathan received; his suspension also was reduced to one game upon appeal.
Adams isn’t the only one inside the locker room frustrated with how frequently illegal hits continue to occur.
“It’s (expletive),” Cobb said. “Excuse my language, but there’s no place in this game for that. It’s already a violent enough game, and we put our lives on the line every single time we take that field. Unnecessary hits like that in a situation like Davante was in this past week, it’s uncalled for.”
Injury update: The Packers are out of playoff contention, but their injury woes continue.
Outside linebackers Clay Matthews (hamstring) and Vince Biegel (groin), along with right guard Jahri Evans (knee), were among players added to the injury report Tuesday. The Packers did not practice, but Matthews and Evans were projected to be not fit if they had. Biegel was projected to be limited in practice.
Outside linebacker Nick Perry (ankle/shoulder) was projected to not practice, as was Adams. Also projected to be limited were outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks (back), defensive tackle Quinton Dial (chest/knee), House (shoulder/back) and cornerback Demetri Goodson (hamstring).
Kerridge released: Putting Rodgers on injured reserve was not the Packers’ only transaction. The team also released fullback Joe Kerridge from the active roster and quarterback Jerod Evans from the practice squad.
Kerridge has spent time on the active roster each of the past three seasons. Evans was added to the practice squad in the middle of the season.
Pro Bowl shutout: The Packers were among only five teams that had no players selected to the Pro Bowl on Tuesday. The others were the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears.