Zero2Cool
15 years ago
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Green Bay Packers cornerback Pat Lee can recite the words of Psalm 3 from memory.

His mother often read him that passage, and Lee took it to heart.

Two months ago Lee had the first three verses tattooed on his chest to serve as a reminder: I have so many enemies, so many are against me but you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.

Those are words Lee lives by after two difficult seasons in which he has spent more time on the injured list than the football field.

After failing to live up to the high expectations that accompany a second-round draft choice, Lee is relying on faith to handle adversity.

Some would argue the Packers, too, are leaning on faith when it comes to their unsettled cornerback situation.

Even though Al Harris is coming off a severe knee injury, Tramon Williams has contract issues, and Lee and second-year player Brandon Underwood have little NFL experience, the Packers didnt draft a cornerback and felt secure enough to move Will Blackmon to safety.

Charles Woodson is the reigning NFL defensive player of the year, but he cant play cornerback by himself. At some point, someone else will have to step forward. The Packers apparently believe Lee and Underwood are ready to do that.

Coach Mike McCarthy called Underwood the most improved second-year player on the team. I think he's really matured in the weight room, said McCarthy. He looks very good right now.

McCarthy heaped praise on Lee as well. Every time he gets on the field, he makes plays, McCarthy said. He has this injury hurdle that hopefully he has cleared. I'm excited about his participation and what he has shown so far in the OTAs.

With the top three cornerbacks sitting out, Lee and Underwood lined up as the starters during the Packers open practice on Wednesday. Both have flashed potential, and both have a sense that the time to produce is now.

For them not to take a corner in the draft, that just puts a big sense of responsibility on all the guys on the roster and whats expected of us now, said Underwood, a 2009 sixth-round draft choice.

Lee has played in just five games over the past two years, and his sense of urgency is so great that he believes his job is on the line.

I have a lot to prove, said Lee. I feel like this is it for me if I dont.

The memories of the Packers getting torched by high-caliber quarterbacks like Brett Favre, Kurt Warner and Ben Roethlisberger last season are still fresh. No one wants to go back there, but thats where the Packers are headed if they dont get some help in their secondary.

Underwood said some of his improvement stems from valuable lessons he learned from Woodson and Harris.

Its about being a professional, Underwood said.

You have so much more down time. Its all about what you do with your down time.

Underwood has been spending a lot of his time in the weight room and paying more attention to small details like eating right and getting enough sleep.

Your body is how you get paid, so you have to take care of your body and all the little things that go with it, he said.

Lee is also tending to details like learning the playbook inside and out. Im always trying to be prepared for everything, he said.

Ultimately, he knows all the knowledge in the world wont matter if he cant stay healthy. Ive got to show what I can do, said Lee.

Despite the uncertainty, cornerback depth does not appear to be a concern either in the Packers front office or on the field.

Said Underwood: It could be one of our strengths this year.

Said Lee: Every guy out here is good. Well be all right.

Anything seems possible with a little faith.


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Pack93z
15 years ago
If Underwood can learn to press without getting slapped around.. I think the kid and develop into a heck of a corner.. he is green but talented.

Fingers crossed that Lee can stay upon the field.
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
DakotaT
15 years ago
My question about corners for the Packers of the future is are we going to continue with press coverage raping receivers at the L.O.S.; or are we going to go to more zone coverages? When I know that, I'll start commenting on our young guys, but until that question is answered, we seemed to have a muttled mixture of corners.

I know what Harris and Woodson are capable of, everyone else, not so much.
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Pack93z
15 years ago
Here is the thing and I think Capers will make the adjustment this season.. we need to mix in more zone throughout the season so when teams are "picking" off our press coverage or neutralizing it via pre-snap motion or alignment, that we can comfortably adjust into zone.

IMO, last season during the course of the season we didn't allow this group to play enough zone to get into a comfortable set with it.. and when Zona forced us to go to it.. you had the mass chaos of confusion that we seen first hand.. guys taking the wrong shoulder, allowing receivers to run to where the help wasn't.

Yes some of that was the "greenies" in the game.. but most of it fell on the veteran safeties not being able to make the adjustments prior to the snap and helping the young players along.

If we truly want to become an elite defense.. we have to be able to blend our coverages in the secondary to give the coaching staff options to adjust to and play the chess game that coverage is.. that is unless we create the second coming of a all time elite pass rush.. and then even in the 'Zona game we would have gotten picked clean.

You have to be able to adjust in game.. last season we couldn't.. hopefully year two we take that next step.
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
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