Players signed, players sit and other news from Packers camp

Oct 14, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) passes against the Houston Texans during the third quarter at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-US PRESSWIRE

Ok, so the joy of the Green Bay Packers win over the Houston Texans last Sunday night is beginning to subside as we realize there’s still a lot of football yet to be played this season, starting all over again this coming Sunday when the Packers visit St. Louis.

It was back to work for the Packers today as practice for their upcoming game against the Rams got under way. Coming off a game where they lost Brandon Saine and D.J. Smith with serious injuries, the Packers injury list also included a number of other players, including one Aaron Rodgers.

We all knew that he had been hurt late in Sunday’s game, straining a calf, but it was somewhat of a surprise when he landed on the injury report and watched from the sidelines today as backup QB Graham Harrell took the majority of snaps with the first team.

Head coach Mike McCarthy wasn’t alarmed about the injury and expects that Rodger will probably be ready to go come next Sunday.

But it wasn’t so with rookie linebacker Nick Perry and cornerback Sam Shields, who McCarthy said would be hard pressed to make it back onto the field for Sunday’s game.

In addition, All-Pro wideout Greg Jennings was also still on the sidelines for practice today as he continues to heal from a groin injury. Clearly, the Packers are taking their time in making sure Jennings is ready to go before committing to him.

And while the Packers were preparing without several of their players on the field, the team also signed two more to the practice squad: wide receiver Jeremy Ross and defensive end Drew Vanderlin.

Who? You might ask? Well, here’s how the team described them in a press release issued this afternoon:

"Ross, a 6-foot, 215-pound first-year player out of the University of California, spent the final 13 games of the 2011 season on the Colts’ practice squad. He was released by Indianapolis on Aug. 31, 2012. Ross entered the NFL as a non-drafted free agent with New England in July 2011.Ross finished his career at Cal ranked No. 2 on the school’s all-time punt return list with a 15.2- yard average. He played in 43 games with 14 starts and caught 57 passes for 764 yards (13.4 avg.) and three TDs during his career. Ross will wear No. 10 with the Packers.Vanderlin, a 6-foot-3, 288-pound rookie out of Michigan Tech, participated in the Packers’ rookie orientation camp on a tryout basis in May. He finished his collegiate career ranked No. 2 on Michigan Tech’s all-time sacks list with 20. Vanderlin twice earned first-team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors and was named the team’s defensive lineman of the year as a junior and senior. He will wear No. 97 with the Packers."

In other related Packers news, the NFL announced that it had fined Danieal Manning for his punching of Packers offensive lineman Marshall Newhouse at the end of a play in last Sunday night’s game. Apparently Newhouse was slow to get off Manning, so the Texans’ defensive back started punching him. The cost of the Punches? $15,000.

Finally, how could we not congratulate Aaron Rodgers for his six-touchdown performance against the Texans? Playing against one of the best defenses in the American Football Conference, Rodgers found Jordy Nelson three times, James Jones twice and Tom Crabtree once to tie a franchise record for most touchdowns in a single game – ironically, he tied backup Matt Flynn who threw six touchdowns against the Detroit Lions in the final game of last season.

Well, he was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week – it’s an honor he’s seen before, but it was his first of this season.

Here are some statistics that were pulled together by Packers.com about Rodgers’ record performance:

• Rodgers completed 24 of 37 passes (64.9 percent) for 338 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions for a 133.8 passer rating in the Packers’ 42-24 win at Houston.
• He is the first player in NFL history with six TD passes against an undefeated team with at least five wins.
• Rodgers had at least one touchdown pass in all four quarters. He threw three TDs to JORDY NELSON, two to JAMES JONES and one to TOM CRABTREE.
• Rodgers is one of only three quarterbacks in NFL history to complete at least 60 percent of his passes with at least 330 yards and six touchdowns without an interception. He joins TOM BRADY and Pro Football Hall of Famer Y.A. TITTLE as the only QBs to accomplish the feat.
• He is the first player in franchise history with six touchdowns and no interceptions in a game.
• In his eighth season from California, this is Rodgers’ seventh career Player of the Week Award and second in three weeks (Week 4).
• Since Week 13, 2010, Rodgers’ seven Player of the Week Awards are the most in the NFL during that span.
• Rodgers and BRETT FAVRE (12) are the only players in team history to win the award at least seven times.