As we get ready for the 2011 NFL Draft, the Finsiders have you totally covered. This week, the Senior Bowl is taking place in Mobile, Alabama, and our own John Congemi is on site to bring back the very latest on the stars of tomorrow. All week, John will file written and video reports from Mobile and will also call into our show.
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Dolphins linebacker Cameron Wake has been called many things. Growing up and in college at Penn State, he was Derek Wake. In rookie camp with the New York Giants in 2005, Wake was sometimes called “Baby Strahan,” because of his dental similarities to the Giants star defensive end. When he reentered the world of professional football with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League, he began using his middle name, Cameron, as his first.
On this day after the Dolphins overtime win over the Packers, coach Tony Sparano met with the media to continue to break things down. Among other things, Sparano said that he was “happy” with the pass protection and said that while he knows that NFL sack leader Clay Matthews was out of the game, that the Packers still had over a dozen non-Matthews sacks on defense.
Dolphins offensive tackle Jake Long has started every game since joining the Dolphins as the NFL’s top pick back in 2008. It’s a streak of 36 straight games that apparently will continue this Sunday at Green Bay.
Jake has been hampered with a nagging knee injury he originally sustained in the final preseason game at Dallas back on September 2nd.
With the Dolphins and Packers getting ready to face off in Green Bay, here is the official injury report for the game, as released by the teams on Friday afternoon:
MIAMI:
DE Jared Odrick/QUESTIONABLE/Ankle (limited practice today)
LB Channing Crowder/PROBABLE/Groin (full practice today)
LT Jake Long/PROBABLE/Knee (full practice today)
GREEN BAY:
LB Nick Barnett/OUT/Wrist
TE Jermichael Finley/OUT/Knee
LB Brandon Chillar/OUT/Shoulder
LB Clay Matthews/DOUBTFUL/Hamstring (did not practice today)
T Mark Tauscher/DOUBTFUL/Shoulder (did not practice today)
DE Mike Neal/QUESTIONABLE/Shoulder (did not practice today)
DE Ryan Pickett/QUESTIONABLE/Ankle (did not practice today)
T Chad Clifton/PROBABLE/Knee (limited practice today)
S Nick Collins/PROBABLE/Knee (full practice today)
WR Donald Driver/PROBABLE/Quadricep (did not practice today)
DE Cullen Jenkins/PROBABLE/Hamstring & Hand (full practice today)
FB Quinn Johnson/PROBABLE/Glute (full practice today)
TE Donald Lee/PROBABLE/Chest (full practice today)
QB Aaron Rodgers/PROBABLE/Concussion (full practice today)
CB Sam Shields/PROBABLE/Calf (full practice today)
CB Charles Woodson/PROBABLE/Toe (full practice today)
The Packers Play-by-Play announcer joined Jesse, Sam, and Jeff to give us the Green Bay perspective on Sunday’s game. Wayne discussed the numerous Packers injuries which included Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews. Finally, Larrivee told the guys how Packers fans’ view Brett Favre currently.
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The 2-2 Dolphins travel to Green Bay for a Sunday 1pm matchup against the 3-2 Packers hoping to regain the winning form they were able to capture in the first two weeks of the season.
The Dolphins will be facing a Packers defense whose 21 sacks are one fewer than the 22 owned by the league-leading Tennessee Titans. Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews leads the way with 8.5 of the sacks, but he is battling a hamstring injury that may keep him out of the game.
The Dolphins offense will face a Packers defense that has had its fair share of injuries early this season, but it hasn’t stopped them from piling up 21 sacks, 2nd-best to Tennessee’s 22.
Green Bay’s Clay Matthews has the most sacks of any linebacker in the league with 8.5. He injured his hamstring in Sunday’s loss to the Redskins but early signs indicate he’ll be ready to go next Sunday against the Dolphins.
The Packers have been besieged with injuries after 5 weeks of the season. On defense, linebackers Nick Barnett, Brandon Chillar, and Clay Matthews are joined by safety Morgan Burnett, and defensive end Ryan Pickett, all with varying degrees of injuries.
Some will be back on Sunday against the Dolphins, others won’t, but whoever lines up for Green Bay on defense will be inspired in front of the Packer faithful knowing they have lost two of their last three games.
With the bye week now in the rearview mirror, the Dolphins were back to work today and head coach Tony Sparano told the media after practice today that it’s full steam ahead for Green Bay. While normal Mondays are about film study and rest, today’s practice provided the team a bit of a head start in getting ready for this coming Sunday’s game at the Packers.
