Latest updated news about Green Bay Packers & Mason Crosby Resumes Kicking Duties from Green BayPress Gazette
CLEVELAND — Kicker Mason Crosby’s injured ankle on his plant foot wasn’t at full strength but was good enough for him to kick for the Packers in their 27-17 loss in a preseason game Saturday night against the Cleveland Browns.
Crosby had rolled his left ankle while planting his foot on a kickoff in practice a little over a week ago and sat out the Family Night scrimmage the next night. He didn’t return to practice until he worked on a limited basis Thursday night, then two days later handled all the Packers’ kicks against the Browns.
Crosby made his lone field goal attempt, from 31 yards; hit both extra-point attempts; and four kickoffs.
“We’ll see how it is tomorrow when I get up,” Crosby said after the game. “But I feel like I hit the ball well, was able to plant pretty good.”
Crosby averaged 71.7 yards on his second kickoffs, which with the new kickoff point from the 35 meant he averaged hitting the kickoffs almost seven yards deep in the end zone. The Browns returned all of the kicks, but their best starting point was only their 21.
“It was nice to hit the kickoffs the way I did without feeling like I was really trying to go after it,” Crosby said. “So get this thing fully recovered in the next week or so, and then hopefully I’ll be able to get them out of the end zone so they’re not trying to bring them out at all.”
It’s unclear whether Crosby will take off any practice time this week to let his ankle heal more fully. The Packers’ next exhibition game is Friday night at home against Arizona.
“We’ll have to see how it feels in the morning and form a plan for this week,” Crosby said. “But definitely want to get over this so for the rest of the season we don’t have any issues. I’m taking it as it comes and how it responds planting it and getting after it. Was able to get through a game and kick the ball with a minimal amount of feeling it. so that was a good thing.”
Coach Mike McCarthy said the Packers had three injuries of unknown severity in Saturday night’s exhibition opener against Cleveland.
CLEVELAND — Kicker Mason Crosby’s injured ankle on his plant foot wasn’t at full strength but was good enough for him to kick for the Packers in their 27-17 loss in a preseason game Saturday night against the Cleveland Browns.
Crosby had rolled his left ankle while planting his foot on a kickoff in practice a little over a week ago and sat out the Family Night scrimmage the next night. He didn’t return to practice until he worked on a limited basis Thursday night, then two days later handled all the Packers’ kicks against the Browns.
Crosby made his lone field goal attempt, from 31 yards; hit both extra-point attempts; and four kickoffs.
“We’ll see how it is tomorrow when I get up,” Crosby said after the game. “But I feel like I hit the ball well, was able to plant pretty good.”
Crosby averaged 71.7 yards on his second kickoffs, which with the new kickoff point from the 35 meant he averaged hitting the kickoffs almost seven yards deep in the end zone. The Browns returned all of the kicks, but their best starting point was only their 21.
“It was nice to hit the kickoffs the way I did without feeling like I was really trying to go after it,” Crosby said. “So get this thing fully recovered in the next week or so, and then hopefully I’ll be able to get them out of the end zone so they’re not trying to bring them out at all.”
It’s unclear whether Crosby will take off any practice time this week to let his ankle heal more fully. The Packers’ next exhibition game is Friday night at home against Arizona.
“We’ll have to see how it feels in the morning and form a plan for this week,” Crosby said. “But definitely want to get over this so for the rest of the season we don’t have any issues. I’m taking it as it comes and how it responds planting it and getting after it. Was able to get through a game and kick the ball with a minimal amount of feeling it. so that was a good thing.”
Other injuries
Coach Mike McCarthy said the Packers had three injuries of unknown severity in Saturday night’s exhibition opener against Cleveland.
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Tight end Andrew Quarless injured his groin, running back James Starks his ankle and tight end Tom Crabtree his ribs.
McCarthy said he didn’t know if Quarless’ injury is serious.
“Tomorrow’s evaluation will always tell the story,” McCarthy said, “particularly on those fatigue injuries.”
Starks rolled his ankle but said after the game he had no swelling and wasn’t walking with any kind of limp.
Meeting the president
The Packers’ brief time inside the halls of power on Friday included a glimpse of just how busy a man President Barack Obama is.
Before and during the ceremony on the White House’s South Lawn to celebrate the Packers’ Super Bowl win last February, the team’s traveling party spent 15 minutes, at most, with the president. Team president Mark Murphy, General Manager Ted Thompson and McCarthy met privately with the president for about three minutes before Obama’s speech, and then walked to the podium on the South Lawn with him. After the speech the president shook hands with every member of the team’s approximately 150-person traveling party.
“Intimidating in a way,” said Thompson in describing being inside the White House and on the South Lawn. “You know there’s serious business being taken up, and the president’s an unbelievably busy guy, every minute of his day is accounted for. I certainly think the team, the organization and the players got a kick out of it and knew they were able to do something really special.”
Thompson said Obama’s brief conversation with him, Murphy and McCarthy essentially consisted of the president congratulating them on winning the Super Bowl, and them saying thank you.
“I was very impressed with him as a person,” Thompson said. “He looks you right in the eye, he listens. I know he has to be a politician, but I can see why people like him when they meet him. I was impressed with him.”
The Packers weren’t able to visit the White House in May or June, when most Super Bowl winners do, because the NFL owners lockout prohibited contact between teams and players. If the Packers had visited in the spring, they also probably would have visited the Supreme Court. Apparently the court’s chief justice, John Roberts, is a big Packers fan even though he was born in Buffalo, N.Y., and grew up in Indiana.
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“I know he called to offer to bring us to the Supreme Court and let us sit on the (bench) and all that,” Thompson said. “And there are other things you’d like to do, so you schedule a couple-day trip, and take everybody, including guys (who signed) with other teams. But it wasn’t to be.”
When the lockout ended, the Packers offered the White House several dates to visit, but Friday was the only one that fit with the president’s schedule. The Packers had to cancel a practice McCarthy had scheduled for Friday.
When asked if he’s concerned about the missed practice and the detour in the team’s traveling schedule, Thompson said: “I don’t think so. But we’ve about put (the Super Bowl) to bed, quite frankly. This was important enough for us to make the effort. We appreciate the White House making the effort, because it’s not easy for them to schedule something like this.”
Saturday night scratches
Cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Sam Shields, and tight end Jermichael Finley were among the 11 Packers players scratched from Saturday night’s game. Woodson by all appearances was healthy and getting the night off to avoid injury and allow other players more time on the field. Shields injured his hip Thursday night in practice, and Finley has been out with a glute injury.
The other scratches were because of injuries: receiver Brett Swain (hamstring), halfback Alex Green (hamstring), safety Brandon Underwood (knee), cornerback Davon House (hamstring), linebacker Diyral Briggs, defensive end Chris Donaldson (shoulder), guard Adrian Battles (Achilles), tackle Chris Campbell (shoulder).
Cleveland’s scratches included two possible starters, safety Usama Young and weak-side linebacker Chris Gocong.
Lineup notes
Frank Zombo started at right outside linebacker ahead of Erik Walden and played both series with the No. 1 defense.
With Woodson not playing and Shields unavailable, the Packers’ starting cornerbacks were Tramon Williams and Jarrett Bush. Pat Lee was the third cornerback in the nickel. With the No. 2 defense, Bush and Lee played in the base personnel, and Josh Gordy was the No. 3 cornerback in the nickel.
The No. 2 offensive line consisted of Derek Sherrod at left tackle, T.J. Lang at left guard, Nick McDonald at center, Caleb Schlauderaff at right guard and Marshall Newhouse at right tackle.
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