GREEN BAY The Green Bay Packers never seriously considered inserting veteran offensive tackles Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton into Sundays 38-26 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but coach Mike McCarthy didnt deny that starting them this week at Tampa Bay is a distinct possibility.
Clifton, who has been limited to three starts because of a sprained ankle, and Tauscher, who has yet to play since signing with the team Oct. 12, were both active for Sundays game against the Vikings, but neither played the only two players on the 45-man game-day roster not to see action.
I'm going to take the week (to decide), very similar to last week, said McCarthy, who opted for incumbent right tackle Allen Barbre and rookie fourth-round pick T.J. Lang at left tackle. I'm going to see how Chad Clifton progresses through the week. I also want to see how Mark Tauscher progresses through the week. We'll look at our options as we build the game plan and work the plan through the week.
Neither Barbre nor Lang were disasters in Sundays loss to the Vikings, who registered six sacks to go with their eight from their Oct. 5 victory at the Metrodome. Lang gave up one sack and was partially at fault on another, while Barbre did not allow a sack but saw his man sack Aaron Rodgers on a pair of occasions when Rodgers held onto the ball too long. He also allowed several pressures, including one on which Jimmy Kennedy blasted Rodgers in the chest as he threw.
Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said the coaches discussed putting Clifton and/or Tauscher into the game Sunday at halftime but decided against it.
No one is suggesting we did a great job in the first half, by any stretch, but we didnt have a ton of evidence that, Hey, were getting killed every play. Lets get somebody in there, Philbin said. Then we got the ball moving a little bit. Again, that doesnt mean the tackles played great. We were rolling a little bit, so we kept riding that horse.
"I don't know if we had any blatant, crystal clear evidence that. Hey, these guys are getting whipped out there. Let's make a substitution. I don't think we ruled out the possibility that we might do something in the second half, but then we got into a rhythm, the ball got moving a little bit so we said. Let it ride out a little bit."
But the ride could end this week. After the game Clifton said he was active as just an emergency backup. I told them, I can play. But its one of those things with not knowing how long I could go, and rather than risk injuring it further, we just went (with Lang). You always want to be out there. Definitely.
Tauscher was not in the locker room after the game, and he seems to have avoided the locker room during all media availability sessions since his signing. While he does have daily rehab sessions with the training staff, he may also be biting his tongue about wanting to play.
I don't know where his knee is at, whether he's ready to play, Philbin said. I'm not saying it's not, but I don't know that it's safe to assume. That would be the realistic question to pose to him or the training staff. Is 70 plays realistic for the guy? I don't know that. Maybe it is, or it may not be."
McCarthy admitted that the 31 sacks the Packers have allowed are a negative but he disputed the suggestion that they mightve been better off playing Clifton and Tauscher Sunday.
I would think that would fall under the category of convenient criticism, McCarthy said. Really, I think Chad's situation and Mark's are totally different about where they are as far as their readiness to play. But coming out in the third quarter, we clearly established ourselves. Frankly, the third quarter and halfway through the fourth quarter, our passing game, you can't play much better. We made some errors there going down on that last drive before the field goal attempt that frankly cost us an opportunity to score in that area. But the way the offense was playing in the third and beginning of the fourth quarter, we didn't feel there was a reason to change.
The error was a sack allowed to an unblocked Jared Allen on second-and-3 from the Vikings 28-yard line. With linebacker E.J. Henderson threatening to blitz up the middle and then pulling back before the snap, Rodgers didnt change the protection and, working out of an empty backfield, didnt get rid of the ball immediately as Allen rushed past Lang, who blocked down along with left guard Daryn Colledge.
Ideally, Rodgers would have changed the protection, Lang would have blocked Allen one-on-one, and Rodgers would have had enough time to get rid of the ball and keep the drive going. Instead, after a third-and-8 incompletion, the Packers settled for a 51-yard field-goal attempt, which Mason Crosby missed.
(Lang) would have blocked Jared Allen, were sitting there first-and-10, we score a touchdown and were all smart coaches and weve got great players and we made a terrific comeback and what great character our guys have Im reading the story you guys were going to write, Philbin said.
Then the other part of the equation is its not the end of the world that Jared Allen came unblocked. That happens in scat protection, in five-man protection. Even if we call it the wrong way, and weve got to respect E.J. Hendersons blitz because hes standing in the A gap right there. That guys probably rushing, so get (the ball) out. We werent coordinated. Bad football. We shouldve executed better. Bad. Thats on me.