Receivers practice catching the ball

Heatherthepackgirl

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Green Bay - Dropped passes have been a problem, so one of the things the Green Bay coaches tried to emphasize Tuesday, five days before the Green Bay Packers play at Chicago, was the simple act of focusing.

"The fundamentals, what you learned when you were a little kid," tight end Bubba Franks said. "We went back to the fundamentals and hopefully we corrected it. But it's just a matter of being focused in the game."

Franks thought one of the problems contributing to so many of the drops might be that he and other receivers are attempting to run and gain yards after the catch, which can distract from seeing the ball all the way in.

"You try to catch the ball and run," Franks said. "But you can't run if you don't have the ball. So you have to go back to the fundamentals of catching the ball first and then worrying about all the other stuff later."

The Packers decided against more drastic practice measures.

"You can sit outside and practice catching balls on the ***** machine all day, but you won't drop a ball there," Franks said. "When you get out there in a game, it's different."

Franks thinks the best approach is to address the problem, as the Packers have, but not obsess over it and make it a bigger problem.

"I don't see it being a problem this week. It just happened, and you can't correct it at the time," said Franks, who had several drops in the game Thursday against Minnesota. "It takes time to correct. We'll see. You can go two ways with it. (The mistakes) can either bring you down or you accept it and think of it as nothing. Then you don't have to sit there and worry about it. I mean, you've been catching the ball since you were a little kid, so you have to just go back to the basics."

Coach Mike McCarthy is concerned about the passing game in general and admitted Tuesday that it had regressed.

"Our passing game probably the first six to eight weeks was further ahead than it is right now," McCarthy said. "Throwing the football, a lot of its rhythm, timing, the precision of the route-running. Catching the football is obviously a very important factor that we need to improve on, especially the last two weeks, our performance catching the football. So those are the negatives we need to improve on."

Franks has never really been one to soften his statements or make things prettier than they are. Yet he was maybe the only player who, when the Packers were 4-8, suggested they win their final four games to finish 8-8, which was then considered a tremendous accomplishment.

The Packers are one victory away from realizing that goal but the offense needs to clean up the errors. Franks was asked if he saw progress from the Packers.

"Our defense is getting better," Franks said. "Our offense, we're not being productive in the red zone. If we take advantage of that, then the team is going in the right direction. The defense is playing pretty good, we just have to score."

Back from break: The Packers had been off for four days and the rest came at a good time. A few players said felt rejuvenated almost as if it were a bye week.

Some, like Franks, elected to get out of Green Bay but flew back on Christmas Day rather than risk a Tuesday morning flight that might have been delayed.

"Got to open up some Christmas presents at home; that was nice," said Franks, who resides in Miami. "Just being at home, being away, gave me enough energy to make this run, if we're going to make it."

Corey Williams decided to stay, though, having learned a difficult lesson in previous seasons.

"The last two years I went home around this time, I was stranded back in Arkansas," Williams said. "So I wasn't going to take a chance on doing that."

McCarthy did tell his players there would be a fine if they were late for the Tuesday afternoon practice and that was something Williams really wanted to avoid.

"I got tagged two years in a row," Williams said. "I wasn't going to make it a third year. That's why I made the decision to stay here."

Others remained in Green Bay just because it kept stress levels down.

"I just stayed here," said linebacker Nick Barnett, who has a 6-week-old son. "I actually had time to hang out with him."

Said McCarthy: "I've had nothing but positive feedback for four days off, particularly the guys who were able to travel. It seemed like everybody benefited from it and that's the positive of playing on Thursday night and our guys took full advantage of it."

Injury update: The Packers don't have to submit an injury report until today, so McCarthy did not comment on specific players. Receiver Donald Driver (shoulder) was at practice but wasn't seen participating during the period open to reporters. Barnett (broken hand) just participated in the jog-through.
 

Schmitty

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Good to hear them practicing the fundamentals. Now I better not see dropped passes. I think we will see the Packers play well on Sunday. They have to.
 

CaliforniaCheez

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Green Bay - Dropped passes have been a problem, so one of the things the Green Bay coaches tried to emphasize Tuesday, five days before the Green Bay Packers play at Chicago, was the simple act of focusing.

"The fundamentals, what you learned when you were a little kid," tight end Bubba Franks said. "We went back to the fundamentals and hopefully we corrected it. But it's just a matter of being focused in the game."

"But you can't run if you don't have the ball. So you have to go back to the fundamentals of catching the ball first and then worrying about all the other stuff later."

The Packers decided against more drastic practice measures.

"You can sit outside and practice catching balls on the ***** machine all day, but you won't drop a ball there," Franks said. "When you get out there in a game, it's different."

Franks thinks the best approach is to address the problem, as the Packers have, but not obsess over it and make it a bigger problem.

"I don't see it being a problem this week. It just happened, and you can't correct it at the time," said Franks, who had several drops in the game Thursday against Minnesota.

Coach Mike McCarthy is concerned about the passing game in general and admitted Tuesday that it had regressed.

"Our passing game probably the first six to eight weeks was further ahead than it is right now," McCarthy said. "Throwing the football, a lot of its rhythm, timing, the precision of the route-running. Catching the football is obviously a very important factor that we need to improve on, especially the last two weeks, our performance catching the football. So those are the negatives we need to improve on."

Some, like Franks, elected to get out of Green Bay but flew back on Christmas Day rather than risk a Tuesday morning flight that might have been delayed.

Corey Williams decided to stay, though, having learned a difficult lesson in previous seasons.

"The last two years I went home around this time, I was stranded back in Arkansas," Williams said. "So I wasn't going to take a chance on doing that."

McCarthy did tell his players there would be a fine if they were late for the Tuesday afternoon practice and that was something Williams really wanted to avoid.

"I got tagged two years in a row," Williams said. "I wasn't going to make it a third year. That's why I made the decision to stay here."

Others remained in Green Bay just because it kept stress levels down.

Yeah Bubba.
 

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