Finley's gripes find no traction
By Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Nov. 3, 2008
Green Bay - Rookie tight end Jermichael Finley wants a bigger role in the Green Bay Packers' offense, but after Sunday he might be lucky to be active for the next game against Minnesota.
Not only did Finley play poorly against the Tennessee Titans, he mouthed off afterward, complaining that quarterback Aaron Rodgers' throws didn't play to his strength and that the coaches have to better understand his talents and what he can add to the offense.
Suffice it to say, he wasn't hearing an amen from the choir.
"I don't agree with the tight end's quote," coach Mike McCarthy said Monday.
Finley was involved in a fourth-and-1 play on the Packers' second possession in which Rodgers threw a "back-shoulder" pass, for which the tight end had to turn around. The ball bounced off his chest, incomplete.
"We were expecting man in that particular situation," McCarthy said of the coverage. "It's a hot situation for that particular play. Jermichael had a poor release. He was too high, and Aaron was trying to 'back-shoulder' him. It's a play that we practice all of the time. It's a common throw in our offense."
Finley was also involved in a second-quarter play from the Tennessee 5-yard line in which he ran a fade route to the left corner of the end zone. There was a man underneath him and a man over the top, but there was enough room for him and Rodgers to connect for a touchdown.
Finley was backing up to the end line when he made an awkward leap for the pass, deflecting it out of bounds with one hand. The Packers wound up settling for a field goal.
"There's nothing I could have done; it was out of bounds," Finley said after the game. "When I was running, the ball was, like, fading more and more. I just made an effort toward the ball so there's really nothing I could have done with that one."
That wasn't exactly the interpretation of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin.
"You've got to get two feet on the ground and go up and jump up and go get the ball," Philbin said. "It isn't that hard of a game. Yeah, I thought he was open. I mean, they had the safety over the top and they walked out a linebacker. It's a pretty good matchup."
As for the throw, Philbin said it was just fine.
"I think so," he said. "I think you have to go make the play. I try to act smart and say there's some special super technique that we had for that but, geez, go get the ball. If you're in the backyard, that's what you would do."