Blogs

Statement from Packers GM Ted Thompson on John Dorsey

“I would like to thank John Dorsey for his 27 years of service to the Green Bay Packers. First as a player, and later as a member of the personnel department, John has been a loyal member of the Packers family and the Green Bay community for more than half of his life. The Chiefs have hired a good man and John has earned this opportunity. We wish John and his family all the best.”

Packers-Chiefs post-game quotes

GREEN BAY PACKERS HEAD COACH MIKE McCARTHY:
(on breathing easier after QB Graham Harrell’s performance tonight) “Well, I’ve said it all along, I was really cheering for that second- (team) offense. I thought it was a group that had some tough sledding the first two preseason games. Part of it was they were affected the most by injuries in training camp. I thought they got better in Cincinnati. And I thought they performed very well tonight. Graham specifically, I don’t know if we’ve had a backup quarterback, a nonstarter play that well. So, it’s a credit to him. I think he’s handled this path through the preseason. And I’ve been more impressed with what he’s done off the field than on the field. So, yes, I was very pleased with Graham Harrell tonight.”

(on if it’s difficult to make cuts after tonight) “Well, it really is. Look at the body of work, we talked about it yesterday or the last time I was up here, two days ago. There are a number of positions, and when you look at our roster horizontally, you’re going to have a tough time picking a player based on another player at another position. So, I thought a lot of guys made a strong case. You talk about, what did you want to see out of your players? I wanted to see those statements. There were statements throughout that game tonight. And that’s impressive. That says a lot about the men in that locker room. It says a lot about the whole process. You’re talking about a talented group of people that came together, worked their butts off, had a tough training camp, an adverse training camp because of injuries, and started to grow at the right time. It’s a great lesson that we can point back to. Hopefully when the playoffs do come around, if we’re blessed to be in it, we can look back at the preseason and we played the best football when it counted. That was one of our offseason objectives and I was very pleased with the process. Once again, I cannot say it enough, it’s going to be a long 24 to 48 hours.”

(on if he’s OK with the way the No. 1 groups did tonight) “I think the ones we’re ready to play. Obviously, I wasn’t very pleased with the way the game started. I thought they (the Chiefs) were moving a little quicker than we were. With that, handling the ball, we had the five penalties in the first half. I really thought we cleaned it up as the game went on and it’s about scoring points and holding them out of the end zone. I thought our team did a very good job of that.”

(on his level of concern with DT B.J. Raji’s ankle) “I don’t have a high level of concern about B.J. Raji’s ankle right now based off the information I was given and also talking with B.J. First play of the game, that’s not a good feeling. Obviously, we did not put him back in.”

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Packers-Chiefs game blog replay

For a replay of packers.com’s live in-game chat during Thursday’s Packers-Chiefs game, click here.

Harrell stars in win over Chiefs

The Packers concluded their preseason with a 24-3 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs that left the Packers at 2-2 and their fans feeling a whole lot better about backup quarterback Graham Harrell.

Harrell rebounded from a slow start to the preseason by completing 13 of 15 passes for 223 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He relieved Aaron Rodgers with the Chiefs leading, 3-0.

Rodgers and the Packers No. 1 offense played briefly, as Rodgers threw only two passes, completing one for five yards. Cedric Benson was the Packers starting running back and he rushed four times for 11 yards.

It was the Packers No. 2 offense that turned the game into the home team’s favor. Harrell teamed with second-year wide receiver Tori Gurley on a deep pass to the one-yard line, and Alex Green scored on a two-yard run.

Later in the second quarter, Green scored on a perfectly executed screen play that covered 17 yards and gave the Packers a 14-3 lead at halftime.

A 12-yard Harrell to Jarrett Boykin touchdown pass in the third quarter gave the Packers a comfortable 21-3 lead and capped Harrell’s night. He celebrated his performance with a fist pump following the touchdown pass to Boykin. It was a gesture that released a lot of frustration that had built up through the first three preseason games.

Several players considered to be on the roster bubble played well for the Packers, which will further complicate General Manager Ted Thompson’s decisions on Friday, when Thompson must reduce the roster from 75 to 53.

The rookie Boykin led the Packers with five receptions, but Gurley and Diondre Borel, holdovers from last year’s practice squad, each caught two passes and made moves on earning a roster spot.

Defensively, the Packers allowed more than 200 yards rushing, but they made two goal-line stands, one resulting in a Sam Shields interception, and pressured Chiefs quarterbacks. Erik Walden capped a great preseason with a sack.

Packers-Chiefs halftime quotes from McCarthy

HEAD COACH MIKE McCARTHY:
(on Graham Harrell) “I think it’s nice for the second- (team) offense to have some success. They need to continue in the second half like we talked about … He knows what he’s doing. He’s had some opportunities. I thought he played well in the first half.”

(on whether players stepping up today make roster decisions easier or harder) “It’s going to be hard either way. Just the fact of where we are as a football team, it’s extremely competitive. I just want to make sure that everybody gets an opportunity here in the second half.”

Packers-Chiefs gameday scratches

From tonight’s live blog, Mike Spofford wrote:

Not suiting up for the Packers: CB Charles Woodson, CB Davon House, RB James Starks, LB Robert Francois, C Jeff Saturday, T Andrew Datko, DT Ryan Pickett, WR Donald Driver, TE Tom Crabtree. To my knowledge, Woodson, Saturday and Driver are not injured; probably just getting a vet’s night off.

Not suiting up for the Chiefs: WR Terrance Cooper, S Kendrick Lewis, CB Brandon Flowers, DB Jalil Brown, RB Cyrus Gray, DB De’Quan Menzie, DL Allen Bailey, DT Anthony Toribio.