The talk all week has been about the Bill Belichick scheme to steal a win on the road against a heavily favored Green Bay Packers team on Sunday afternoon.
Citing his best Forrest Gump box of chocolates, Head Coach Matt LaFleur said flatly, “you never know what you’re going to get.” Offensive Coordinator Adam Stenavich said today you have to prepare to adjust to everything. What and how Belichick takes away from what he views as Green Bay’s offensive strengths has been the biggest question around the stadium. Scouting past Belichick tendencies going back 23 years in New England, a record 48 years of coaching in the NFL is futile says LaFleur because there will be something unique to deal with.
The team put on shoulder pads for the 90 minute practice today. There was good news and bad news on the medical front. Bad news first. David Bakhtiari, Jaire Alexander and Marcedes Lewis all went from limited participants in Wednesday’s jog through to not participating today. Friday will be most telling for all three. Elgton Jenkins, after taking yesterday off, returned as planned today on a limited basis. Stenavich said the staff is still discussing another rotational day at left tackle with Bakhtiari and Nijman, perhaps increasing Bakhtiari’s share of the load if possible, Allen Lazard remained limited with his still sore ankle. The good news is Christian Watson, A.J. Dillon and Jonathan Garvin went from limited to full participants.
Only backup tackle Caleb Jones was away from the group because of illness.
The coming out party for Romeo Doubs in Tampa Bay has earned him the NFL’s Rookie of the Week Award. Doubs caught 8 balls for 73 yards and scored his first pro touchdown against the Bucs. It was the most receptions by a rookie since running back Gerry Ellis pulled in 8 passes back in 1980, also against Tampa Bay. That’s one off the team rookie record of 9 receptions, held by Max McGee set back in 1954. Doubs is the first Rookie of the Week winner since Jamaal Williams in 2017 against Detroit.
The Packers vs Cancer initiative will bring a couple of players to Denmark High School on Friday night. Jordan Love and Krys Barnes will attend the Denmark Vikings-Luxemburg Casco Spartans football game and pass out souvenir footballs and t-shirts to fans and oversee a raffle to raise money for cancer care programs with Packer gear and other items going to the winners.
