Thumbs up: Jordy Nelson had been shelved following knee surgery (although it wasn't public knowledge yet). Randall Cobb was reduced to spectator after suffering a biceps injury earlier in practice (although it's not thought to be serious). No matter. When the Green Bay Packers' No. 1 offense took on the team's No. 1 defense in a no-huddle 11-on-11 period at the end of practice Tuesday, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was able to move the unit 70 yards in seven plays — thanks in large part to No. 4 receiver Jarrett Boykin. Boykin, who made the team as the No. 6 receiver coming out of training camp last year and has moved up the depth chart following the free-agent departure of Greg Jennings and the retirement of all-time leading receiver Donald Driver, hasn't had a ton of splash plays during camp, but he delivered a pair during the drive: His 16-yarder on a back-shoulder throw from Rodgers was stupendous, as he reached back and somehow reeled in a fastball that appeared ticketed for an incompletion; and his 20-yarder on which he absorbed a hard hit from safety Jerron McMillian, set up Rodgers' 16-yard touchdown to Jermichael Finley to cap the drive.

Thumbs down:While Boykin was making an impression offensively, Jeremy Ross made the kind of mistake that will keep coach Mike McCarthy from committing to him as the return man: Catching the football. On Tuesday, he muffed a punt off the JUGS machine, drawing the ire of the coaches, including special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum. There's not much question whether Ross has the innate talent to be the returner. But in the wake of his costly muffed punt against San Francisco in the Packers' season-ending NFC Divisional Playoff, he just can't do that sort of thing.

Play of the day:The throw-and-catch between Rodgers and Finley was a masterpiece — and the kind of play the Packers will be looking for on a regular basis from the duo. On first-and-10 from the defense's 16-yard line, Finley lined up in the left slot and ran straight down the seam, carrying rookie cornerback Micah Hyde with him. Rodgers then put the ball where only Finley was going to catch it — Hyde didn't get his head around until the ball was arriving — and Finley made a strong catch over the rookie for the touchdown at the goal line.

Camp confidential:Not that he would ever wish ill will on Bryan Bulaga, whose season is likely over with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, or on the backup quarterbacks, who now have more competition in the form of Vince Young, but the happiest guy in Green Bay on Tuesday had to be embattled kicker Mason Crosby. With Young and Bulaga's likely replacement, rookie David Bakhtiari, drawing all the attention, no one was talking about Crosby's 3-for-8 performance in Saturday night's scrimmage. Crosby came into the locker room as the media availability session was ending, so reporters were being ushered out as he arrived, but even had he talked, his struggles would have taken a back seat to the other, bigger stories.

Odds and ends:

• Ted Thompson didn't come out and rip rookie seventh-round wide receivers Kevin Dorsey and Charles Johnson, but even the general manager is getting a bit frustrated with their inability to get on the field. After each practicing only once or twice in OTAs, they've been sidelined since the first two days of camp and there's no reason to think they'll be back on the field in time to play in Friday night's preseason opener against Arizona. "We're anxious to see (them)," Thompson admitted. "It makes it difficult for everybody — difficult for them, difficult for us."

• Eddie Lacy's strong performance in the Family Night Scrimmage led to him getting the first snap at running back in drills Tuesday. Fellow rookie Johnathan Franklin was up next, followed by James Starks, who continues to have a strong camp. "The running game in the scrimmage, I thought it took a step forward," McCarthy said. "I thought we ran the ball particularly well — (I) don't want to say very well. I thought we apexed a number of runs with the blocking unit, and I thought the backs did a good job of getting to the second level. So, I was very pleased with it."

Injury report: Nelson underwent knee surgery on Sunday and won't practice the rest of camp. Bulaga is holding out hope he can play with a torn ACL. Running back Alex Green (knee) missed his first practice of training camp. Tight end Ryan Taylor (knee) sat out practice after being injured in the scrimmage and is "week-to-week," according to McCarthy. Defensive end Datone Jones missed practice with an illness. Wide receiver Sederrick Cunningham (wrist) was placed on season-ending injured reserve. Still sidelined: Johnson (knee); Dorsey (hamstring); running back DuJuan Harris (knee), safety Sean Richardson (neck), cornerback Casey Hayward (hamstring), cornerback Tramon Williams (knee), offensive lineman JC Tretter (ankle), tackle Derek Sherrod (leg), tight end Andrew Quarless (quadriceps), defensive end/outside linebacker Mike Neal (abdominal) and defensive end Jerel Worthy (knee). Outside linebacker Dezman Moses (toe) and inside linebacker Jamari Lattimore (illness) returned to practice.

Practice schedule:The Packers practice Wednesday at 8:20 a.m. in pads at Ray Nitschke Field. The practice is open to the public, weather permitting.

Jason Wilde  wrote: