Zero2Cool
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By Pete Dougherty
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E.J. Cochrane doesn't have an NFL resume or much time to impress the Packers in his 11th-hour shot at beating out Dave Rayner for their kicking job, but he took his first of two shots at it Wednesday.
The Packers claimed Cochrane off waivers Tuesday after the Philadelphia Eagles cut him. In the preseason, he had two touchbacks on three kickoffs and went 1-for-2 on field-goal attempts (a make from 24 yards and a miss from 48 yards). He never had a chance with the Eagles, though, because they have one of the NFL's best kickers in David Akers.
After practice Wednesday, Cochrane kicked for special-teams coach Mike Stock, General Manager Ted Thompson and pro personnel director Reggie McKenzie. Cochrane estimated attempting 20 field goals and making 15 with a strong diagonal wind that was mostly at his back. He presumably will get some kickoffs and field-goal attempts in the preseason finale against Tennessee on Friday, the day before final cuts.
Cochrane didn't get any NFL tryouts last year coming out of college at Montana State, so he doesn't have an NFL track record for the Packers to judge other than this preseason. When asked if a player with that background can win a job in one practice and one game, he said, "If he makes a good first impression on the coach, and the special teams coach and everybody sees him do well, that's key. In reality, is that happening? Who knows? But I'm very optimistic and I think I can do it."
Cochrane said he thought he made that good first impression.
"Afterwards coach (Stock) said, 'Great job today, great job E.J.," Cochrane said. "I thought that was good. He could have said, 'You did all right, you need to work on this,' but he said I did a great job."
Rayner, a second-year pro who was a kickoff specialist for Indianapolis last season, was the lone kicker in the Packers' camp the last two weeks after Thompson cut Billy Cundiff. He's made a 30-yard field goal in each of the last two games.
The Packers also are bringing in kicker Nick Novak for a workout today. Novak, who played in college at Maryland, kicked in a combined 10 games for Washington and Arizona last season and went 8-for-10 on field goals with a long of 40 yards. Arizona, which signed kicker Neil Rackers to a contract extension last year, cut Novak on Monday.
Crunch time
Defensive end Kenny Peterson isn't a shoo-in to make the Packers' roster in his fourth NFL season and doesn't know if his balky left ankle will allow him to play Friday against Tennessee in what's become a lost preseason for him.
The former third-round draft pick injured the ankle two days before the preseason opener at San Diego and hasn't played since. He returned to practice for one day last week, but his ankle was so sore that he didn't even make the trip to Cincinnati.
On Wednesday, he took part in the Packers' lone practice but didn't know whether he will be healthy enough to play Friday. He's competing for perhaps the final defensive end job along with undrafted rookie Jason Hunter and seventh-round draft pick Dave Tollefson.
"(The possibility of getting cut) is the reality of this game," Peterson said. "Nothing's guaranteed but paying taxes and dying. I'm going to try my best at a game I love playing. But it's out of my control except for Friday night if I get to play."
Long ball
Jon Ryan made good use of the strong wind at practice to put on an eye-catching punting display.
Ryan averaged 60.1 yards on the fly on 16 punts with the wind at his back, including long punts of 76 yards, 75 yards and 70 yards. He estimated that the wind was worth at least 10 yards and perhaps close to 20 on the highest punts.
He also hit four punts against the wind and averaged 34.5 yards. One of those was a shank, but he said his best hit of the day came in his final punt against the wind, which went 50 yards in the air.
Parting shot
Former Packers receiver Javon Walker, who forced his trade to Denver in the offseason, appeared to take some solace from his former team's struggles against Cincinnati on national TV Monday night. When asked about the game Wednesday, he told the Denver Post, "Obviously, we have a chance to be a Super Bowl team. Obviously, they have a chance to win four games."
Quarterback rotation
Quarterback Brett Favre likely will play one series.
Backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he has been told he will enter the game beginning with the second series. Rodgers likely will work with a mix of starters and backups. He said he expects three of the five starting offensive linemen to be finished when Favre is.
"With Brett leaving, I think (Mark) Tauscher, (Chad) Clifton) and (Scott) Wells will go with him, but the rookie guards will stay," Rodgers said.
Coach Mike McCarthy said last week he was considering not playing Favre in the preseason finale if things went well in Monday's game at Cincinnati, but the Packers were blown out 48-17. Favre said on Wednesday he wants to play against the Titans.
"I just like to play," Favre said. "If I do play, it probably won't be too much."
Henderson's recovery
McCarthy said fullback William Henderson's recovery from knee surgery on Aug. 21 was going even better than expected, meaning there is a decent chance he could play in the regular-season opener against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 10.
Henderson said doctors removed some loose cartilage in his right knee, and the original diagnosis had him missing three to six weeks. Henderson won't play Friday but hopes to be ready to practice on Monday, when preparations begin for the Bears.
"I would hope so," Henderson said. "I'm feeling confident right now, but we're taking it day by day. I'm getting close."
Some good news in there.
