Oh-Oh

According to a report in today's Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, QB Brett Favre is not 100 percent going into this week's game against the Patriots at Lambeau. Brett apparently suffered an ankle injury in last week's win against the ViQueens. But both ankles have been bothering him at least since August, as he told the NFL Network back then. At age 37, not surprising.

But Brett's ankles aren't all of it. Coach McCarthy revealed that Brett suffered a groin injury in practice on Thursday. But of course, Brett says he'll be ready to go. Unfortunately, right tackle Mark Tauscher won't be playing with the groin injury he sustained in last week's game. Rookie Tony Moll will be filling his place. Moll is no Tauscher, but he is one tenacious lineman nonetheless. So we're back to three rookies starting on the line again. They have performed admirably. Let's just hope they can do it again tomorrow. They'll be going against an experienced defense, albeit one with a lot of injuries. If the Pack's young line can give Brett some time and open holes for Ahman Green, Tom Brady can be kept off the field...and that would be a good thing.

Early in the week, the Pats were favored by 6. It was down to 5-1/2 by late Friday. That's a pretty big spread. The Packers are coming off a solid win in the road and are seemingly on the upswing (despite the giveaway game in Buffalo), while the 6-3 Pats have lost two in a row, the first back-to-back losses in a 57-game span. Both teams have something to prove. This could be a defining game for the young Packers. Let's hope it is defining a team still in the wildcard chase.