Through 14 games http://www.thepacker...rnberger-Jersey , the Green Bay Packers do not have a single consistent player that has been their reliable punt returner all season. With Trevor Davis opening the year on injured reserve, Tramon Williams took many of the early reps ,with Randall Cobb getting some opportunities when healthy.Davis did return for two games, returning four punts during that time, but he quickly went back to IR. Jaire Alexander has four returns as well, but it has been quite a revolving door for special teams coordinator Ron Zook.On Thursday, Zook answered a question about who would return punts on Sunday against the New York Jets by adding some more names to that list of options. “Somebody will be back there,” Zook said. I talked to Randall a little bit today. Jaire has been out there, done a nice job this week. 37’s done a nice job.”Cobb is a question mark for Sunday, as he is in the concussion protocol and has not practiced all week. That would seem to suggest that Alexander or perhaps Williams would be the primary options. However, Zook referenced number 37, Josh Jackson, as a potential option as well.Jackson had a good preseason, both on defense and special teams, but has been disappointing when the regular season came around. Still, a big return in an exhibition game — a 41-yarder — is worth remembering if he lines up deep on Sunday. He also did line up deep for one punt on Sunday against Chicago and muffed it (recovering it immediately), but given his ball skills his hands should not be in question.There’s another defensive back on Zook’s mind, however, one who has exceptional athletic ability: Tony Brown.“Actually, the guy that’s been starting to come on a little bit is 28. He’s given me some confidence in catching the ball back there,” Zook said.Brown, who signed to the Packers’ practice squad after final cuts and earned a promotion to the active roster in late September, has gradually worked his way into a significant role on defense. He has 19 tackles in nine games, adding three pass breakups and two forced fumbles.Brown has not lined up deep on a punt return this season, however, nor did he ever return one in his four years at Alabama. Still, his testing numbers from the 2018 Scouting Combine suggest a player with dynamic movement skills who could be a true weapon as a return man, provided he can secure the football. Take a look at these numbers from Mockdraftable.com:40-yard dash: 4.35 seconds (92nd percentile among cornerbacks)3-cone drill: 6.78 seconds (79th)20-yard shuttle: 4.11 seconds (62nd)60-yard shuttle: 11.14 seconds (84th)Those are some exceptional numbers, which put him squarely on our projected draft board for the Packers this spring. His 40 was a few hundredths of a second faster than Jaire Alexander’s, and he was within a tenth of a second of Alexander in the cone drill. It then came as no surprise to readers of APC that the team picked him up after final cuts. Now Elgton Jenkins Jersey , in these final two games, he might start contributing in the return game as well.These two games give the Packers an opportunity to evaluate players for 2019 and beyond. Cobb’s and Williams’ abilities on punt returns are already known quantities, and Alexander has had a few chances to show what he can do in live action. If there’s a chance that Jackson or Brown could become solid return men, the team’s coaching staff should give them every opportunity to demonstrate that in the final two games. GREEN BAY, Wis. 鈥?How fortunes have changed in less than two years for the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers.The participants in the NFC title game in January 2017 are floundering this season. The Packers have already fired head coach Mike McCarthy.More Packers coverage from FOX Sports WisconsinProtecting QB Aaron Rodgers will be Packers’ priority vs. BearsPackers place starting guard Bell on IR, sign OL SiragusaStaTuesday: Packers’ Rodgers sets record with INT-free streakPackers Snap Counts: Patrick shows fight in first startUpon Further Review: Packers vs. FalconsFalcons owner Arthur Blank reaffirmed support for his coach, Dan Quinn, after a聽four-game losing streak聽dropped the team out of the playoff picture.The game between the Falcons (4-8) and Packers (4-7-1) on Sunday at Lambeau Field was once circled on the NFL calendar as a potential matchup between contenders jockeying for a home game in the playoffs.Instead, it’s turned into a matchup between disappointing teams each trying to avoid a losing season.“I think what you want to do when you go through a difficult stretch is you want to make sure you take the lessons first, and when you do that, there’s something that you have to gain,” Quinn said. “Sometimes you don’t like to admit it, but that’s where the learning takes place the most.”It sounds a lot like what the Packers are going through at Lambeau, where the future is clouded by uncertainty.Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin took over as interim head coach after聽McCarthy was fired聽following the stunning 20-17 loss last week to the lowly Arizona Cardinals.A coaching veteran with a dry sense of humor, Philbin has delivered simple messages at a time of upheaval.“I told the offense, we’ve got to block, we’ve got to throw and catch, we’ve got to run hard with the ball. That’s really ultimately what wins games,” Philbin said. “Schemes are important, but not as important as playing guys together and playing with great effort and playing fundamentally sound. That’s really the focus.”The Packers have lost three straight and five of six. They need lots of help to get into the postseason even if they can somehow win their last four games.“I think everybody’s kind of realizing that we’re all under the microscope even more. Who knows what the changes are going to be after the season,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “So I feel like the energy was good today. Unfortunately the urgency that you need early in the season, we kind of had out in practice today.”Other notes and things to watch:10View Gallery Gallery:Potential head coaching candidates for the PackersRODGERS RECORD WATCHAt least the game could be worth watching for the quarterback play. Rodgers’ 61.8 percent completion rate this year is his lowest since 2015 (60.7 percent), though he has thrown just one interception all season. Rodgers has thrown a franchise-record 336 attempts without an interception, trailing only New England’s Tom Brady (358 in 2010-11) for longest such stretch in league history.THIRD-QUARTER BLUESOne of the Falcons’ goals for the week is to jump-start their abysmal third-quarter scoring. Atlanta has been outscored 71-34 in third quarters, including 6-0 in last week’s 26-16 loss to Baltimore. The Falcons ran only five plays and held the ball less than two minutes in the quarter. By contrast, the Falcons’ 115 second-quarter points and 107 fourth-quarter points rank among the top five in the league.CALLING PLAYSPhilbin, the former Dolphins head coach in his second stint as a Packers assistant, has extensive experience coaching and putting together offensive game plans. But the previous time that Philbin called plays was when he was a college assistant at Northeastern in 1995-96. He’ll聽assume those duties again聽on Sunday since McCarthy was the play-caller in Green Bay. Of course, the Packers also have a veteran at quarterback in Rodgers who is often at his best out of the pocket when a play breaks down.WELCOME BACKThe Falcons have lost eight players to injured reserve this season, including long snapper Josh Harris this week. They finally had a key starter return from IR last week when linebacker Deion Jones set a career high with 15 tackles and a sack against the Ravens. Jones missed 10 games after suffering a broken right foot in the opener against Philadelphia. Jones’ 15 tackles were the most by a Falcons player this season.RUN TIMEThe Falcons have the NFL’s worst rushing attack http://www.thepacker...vage-Jr.-Jersey , averaging just 79 yards a game. They were held to 34 on the ground last week聽against Baltimore聽, a week after a season-low 26 against the Saints.“When we’re at our best, we’re running the football and we’re able to create play-action passes,” quarterback Matt Ryan said.This might be the week they get things going. Green Bay allowed a season-high 182 yards on the ground to the Cardinals last week, who have the league’s second-worst rushing offense.7View Gallery Gallery:Upon Further Review: Packers vs. CardinalsAP | Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved.—ATLANTA (4-8) at GREEN BAY (4-7-1)SUNDAY, 1 p.m. ET, FoxOPENING LINE 鈥?Packers by 6 1/2RECORD VS. SPREAD 鈥?Atlanta 3-9, Green Bay 4-7-1SERIES RECORD 鈥?Packers lead 17-16LAST MEETING 鈥?Falcons beat Packers 34-23, Sept. 17, 2017LAST WEEK 鈥?Falcons lost to Ravens 26-16; Packers lost to Cardinals 20-17AP PRO32 RANKING 鈥?Falcons No. 23, Packers No. 21FALCONS OFFENSE 鈥?OVERALL (10), RUSH (32), PASS (5)FALCONS DEFENSE 鈥?OVERALL (26), RUSH (27), PASS (25)PACKERS OFFENSE 鈥?OVERALL (8), RUSH (21), PASS (6)PACKERS DEFENSE 鈥?OVERALL (13), RUSH (25), PASS (6)STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES 鈥擬eeting between now struggling participants of NFC title game in 2016 season won by Falcons. … Atlanta has won three straight in series. … Previous meeting was in Atlanta for Falcons’ first win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. … QB Matt Ryan third in NFL with 3,814 yards passing. Ryan has 124.9 rating with 12 TDs and one INT in last four against Packers, including playoffs. … RB Ito Smith second among NFC rookies with four rushing TDs. … WR Julio Jones leads NFL with 1,323 yards receiving. … LB Deion Jones had career-high 15 tackles and sack last week, returning after missing 10 games due to injury. … Defense 31st in NFL against third downs (51 percent). … Packers led by interim head coach Joe Philbin for first time following firing of Mike McCarthy. … Also offensive coordinator, Philbin calling plays for first time in 16 NFL seasons. … QB Aaron Rodgers has thrown franchise record 336 attempts without INT, trailing only Patriots QB Tom Brady (358 in 2010-11) for longest such stretch in league history. … Offense 26th in league in third-down situations (35.6 percent) … RB Aaron Jones second in NFL with 5.73 yards per carry average. Jones’ six TDs since Week 10 tied with Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey for most in league in that span. … WR Davante Adams tied for second in NFL with 11 TD catches. … LB Blake Martinez has NFC-high 106 tackles. … Fantasy tip: TE Jimmy Graham coming off game with season-high eight catches for 50 yards. Graham also had 11 targets against Cardinals, tying season high.
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