Lee Gets Playing Time - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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Browns wide receiver Josh Cribbs is congratulated by fans after catching a touchdown pass.

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Cleveland - His position decimated by injury, Green Bay Packers cornerback Pat Lee had a golden opportunity to prove his worth Saturday in Cleveland.

In his fourth season, he's finally healthy. That's what held him back, cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt Jr. said.

The verdict is still out. On Cleveland's first drive, Colt McCoy hit Joshua Cribbs for a 27-yard touchdown over Lee's head, but he recovered well. The Packers' secondary was up and down against a Browns passing game that ranked 29th in the NFL last year.

Before the Packers had even played a game, the cornerback position was running on fumes. Sam Shields, who injured his hip at Thursday's practice, walked off the field before the game with a pronounced limp. Rookies Davon House and Brandian Ross remained out with hamstring injuries.

The 34-year-old Charles Woodson got the night off, and Tramon Williams made a cameo.

It all added up to plenty of work for everybody else. The former second-round pick Lee, in the midst of a critical training camp, was in a tough position on Cribbs' score. On an island up the right sideline, he faced a jumpball situation against one of the game's finest athletes.

From there, he saw extensive action throughout the first half and seemed to rebound well.

At times, Lee stepped into run support well to stop Peyton Hillis and Brandon Jackson. He wasn't afraid to close in. Also, on one third and 9 in the second quarter, Lee closed in to wrap up tight end Evan Moore for just 4 yards and force a punt.

Once the walking wounded return, the competition should stiffen.

Strong start:Randall Cobb wasted no time flashing his ability in Green Bay's offense. The second-rounder from Kentucky operated over the middle of the field with Matt Flynn to jumpstart the offense. In the first half, Cobb caught three passes for 60 yards.

On the Packers' nine-play, 89-yard scoring drive at the end of the first half, Cobb caught a 19-yard pass on third and 10 when the Packers were backed up at their own 10. Then, moments later, he had a 28-yard reception.

Rhodes is back: Former Packers head coach Ray Rhodes was on the opposite sideline Saturday. After serving three seasons as the senior defensive assistant for the Houston Texans, Rhodes retired from coaching. But apparently the 60-year-old isn't finished.

Rhodes returned with the Browns as a defensive assistant. He also was Green Bay's defensive coordinator in 1992 and 1993.

Injury update: Several Packers didn't dress in the opener. In addition to Woodson and Shields, tight end JermichaelFinley (glute) remained sidelined. Also out for the Packers were Alex Green (thigh), Brett Swain (hamstring), Brandon Underwood (knee), House (hamstring), Ross (hamstring), Diyral Briggs (hamstring), Chris Donaldson (shoulder), Adrian Battles (Achilles) and Chris Campbell (unspecified).

It's the key: Running backs can't play for coach Mike McCarthy if they can't pass protect.

"Obviously, that's a big part of our offense," said Jerry Fontenot, the first-year coach of the running backs. "You've got to be able to pass protect and know where your checkdowns are. We demand a lot of our guys. That's the way it is."

Green, the third-round draft choice from Hawaii, is receiving a crash course in pass protection.

"The protections that they did in Hawaii were a little bit different," Fontenot said. "He's learning it. It's all about communicating and being on the same page with the line and the quarterback."

Fontenot already has seen enough from Green to say he is physical enough to pick up linebackers.

Last year, Jackson performed as the third-down back, but John Kuhn also was used in that role down the stretch. With Jackson in Cleveland and Kuhn not the ideal athlete for the position, the Packers are hunting for a third-down back.

"To rule anybody out at this point wouldn't be fair," Fontenot said. "You can ask me in two or three weeks and I'll certainly have a better idea. I know we have the guys that can do it."

Missing in action: No one was more disappointed than safeties coach Darren Perry when Underwood suffered a sprained knee a week ago. A cornerback for most of his first two seasons, Underwood is now playing safety.

Underwood did look good in the first week. "He's going to," Perry said. "He's got cornerback skills."

What Perry really wanted to see was how physical Underwood would be.

"Tackling is so important at safety," Perry said. "If you're not careful, you can get fooled watching them run around in shorts and helmets. We don't have a lot of sessions where we've got to get backs on the ground. Is he going to be able to hold up to the physicality playing that position?"

In reality, the Packers haven't done any tackling in camp and won't. The only live contact will be found in the four exhibition games.

"I really was looking forward to seeing him do it in a game," Perry said. "I was happy with his development."

Underwood is expected to miss at least another week.

The elite:Tim Masthay has studied quite a few punters and puts two at the top of his list: Oakland's Shane Lechler and Dallas' Mat McBriar.

"Lechler is the marker for punters," Masthay said. "Just look at the production the guy has had. It doesn't matter what the ball flight looks like."