Peterson, not Favre, focus for Packers’ defenders

About the closest thing to bulletin board material in advance of Monday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings came from several players on the Green Bay Packers’ defense.

When asked whether it will be more important to stop quarterback Brett Favre or running back Adrian Peterson, several Packers’ defenders may have given Favre something to chew on when they all answered Peterson.

“You stop Peterson, and that’s their offense,” nose tackle Ryan Pickett said. “Brett is a great player, but they ride Adrian’s back.”

Linebackers Aaron Kampman and Brady Poppinga echoed Pickett’s sentiment.

In reality, that’s probably no different than how any defense would prepare for the Vikings.

“Any team that looks at the Minnesota Vikings is saying Adrian Peterson is a talented running back,” Kampman said. “No disrespect to Brett Favre. You stop the run in any offense. That’s where my mind is at.”

Said Poppinga: “Teams that control the running game control the game. In any situation, that running game is vital.”

Peterson leads the NFL in rushing yards through three games with 357. He’s averaging 6.1 yards per carry even after the San Francisco 49ers held him relatively in check last week, limiting him to a season-low 85 yards on 19 carries.

The Packers, who rank 23rd out of 32 teams in rushing defense, believe they’ll be prepared for Peterson, especially after playing a similar-style back last week in St. Louis’ Steven Jackson, who rushed for 117 yards. When Jackson hurt the Packers, it was on cutback runs.

“That’s what Peterson does, too,” Pickett said. “If the hole is not there, he’s good at planting his foot and bouncing it to the backside. Your ends and your backside players have to stay high or he’ll kill you every time. San Francisco did a good job of that, of keeping their ends up field high so he couldn’t cut it back.”
Clifton’s status

After saying on Monday there was a chance Chad Clifton could play against the Vikings, coach Mike McCarthy said he was still holding out hope even though the left tackle didn’t practice on Thursday.

Clifton, who missed Sunday’s game at St. Louis due to the sprained ankle he sustained against the Bengals, would have to practice at least one day this week in order to play. He continued to receive treatment on Thursday.

“There is a chance, and really the plan for Chad Clifton is just to see how he goes through the rehab (on Thursday),” McCarthy said. “There needs to be some type of testing before he practices. He has improved every day, but just like I said the other day, if Chad doesn’t practice, he won’t play.”

Daryn Colledge said he took all the reps at left tackle once again this week.

Other injuries

Two defensive starters, end Cullen Jenkins and cornerback Charles Woodson, were held out of practice due to previously unreported injuries.

Jenkins (groin) and Woodson (foot) were injured against the Rams. McCarthy expected both to practice today. Linebacker Jeremy Thompson (knee) also missed practice, and it was unclear whether he will return this week.

Ruled out again this week were safety Atari Bigby (knee) and running back Brandon Jackson (ankle).

Receiver Greg Jennings (wrist) was listed as a full participant.

Rookie defensive lineman B.J. Raji, who made his debut against the Rams after missing the first two games due to a sprained ankle, was not listed on the injury report for the first time this season.

Almost a Viking

When Kampman tried to sidestep a question about what it’s going be like for Favre to play against his old team, Kampman was reminded that he almost became a Viking.

“Why do you have to bring that up?” Kampman said.

In 2005, Kampman signed a one-year, $1.2 million restricted free agent offer sheet with the Vikings that the Packers matched a week later.

“We had a pretty good idea that we were going to stay here, but you never know,” Kampman said. “It was just for a week, and I was still working out here if that tells you something.”

The next year, he signed a four-year, $21 million deal with the Packers.

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