GREEN BAY, Wis. — Even the Packers admit Dunta Robinson had a point last Sunday.
Robinson, the Falcons veteran cornerback, stood in the Atlanta locker room after a 24-2 NFC Wild Card loss to the Giants and predicted the Giants would have a decided edge against rested Green Bay this weekend because of one word: momentum.
The Packers did not dispute that yesterday, mainly because they rode a similar wave of energy all the way to a victory in the Super Bowl last season.
“There’s definitely some truth to that,” Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings said, as 15-1 Green Bay prepared to play the underdog Giants in an NFC Divisional game Sunday at Lambeau Field. “You play to put yourself in this position, to give yourself time to self-scout and get guys healthy, but there’s always that window of sluggishness to avoid.”
At least in the regular season, the Packers have shut that window as well as any team in the NFL under sixth-year coach Mike McCarthy. Green Bay is 5-1 in games immediately following the bye week since McCarthy took over, with the five victories coming by an average margin of 15.4 points.
But that is not an entirely valid comparison when you factor in the do-or-die nature of the playoffs, as both the Giants and Jets can attest right along with the Packers.
The Giants knocked off the Cowboys after a bye week in 2007, going on to win the Super Bowl, and the Packers did the same to the Falcons last year. And the Jets upset the Chargers and Patriots after bye weeks each of the past two seasons.
McCarthy appeared unfazed yesterday by the notion of the bye week, the reward for having one of the two best records in the conference, having a negative effect on a team.
“At the end of the day, it’s a players’ game,” McCarthy said. “The ability to get your players healthy and to [practice] certain techniques, concepts and fundamentals is valuable. It’s good to regroup and get yourself back on course.”
The Packers certainly used the time off to get healthy. Although offensive tackle Chad Clifton, wideout Randall Cobb and linebacker Rob Francois were limited in practice yesterday, McCarthy strongly said all would play Sunday.
“It’s definitely a different feeling to have a lot of guys healthy,” McCarthy said. “This is as healthy as we’ve been in quite some time. I feel very strongly about everybody on the injury report.”
Jennings, the Packers Pro Bowl-bound No. 1 receiver, welcomed the break. He missed Green Bay’s final three games with a knee injury that might have prevented him from playing in the Wild Card round but will not be a factor Sunday.
Asked if the Packers were worried about rust this week, Aaron Rodgers shrugged it off.
“No, I don’t think so,” said Rodgers, who also skipped the Packers’ Week 17 win over the Lions.
Jennings agreed, saying: “It’s really not a concern in this locker room. We needed the time off. I speak for myself — I’m glad we got the open week to give me even more time to recover and get the knee where I needed it to be, and it’s definitely there.”
McCarthy also admitted his coaching staff got lucky after devoting more scouting and preparation time to the Giants than the Falcons last week before Tom Coughlin’s team routed Atlanta at MetLife Stadium.
“If you come out sharp, people will credit it to that time off that you had,” Jennings said. “And if you come out sluggish, then [critics will say] it was because of that time off that you had. It’s really a lose-lose situation more than a win-win. It’s on us to perform well.”