Packers expect improved offensive line against 49ers

Talk about it

The Green Bay Packers expect to take a much-improved offensive line into their Saturday night playoff game at San Francisco.

The line allowed a league-high 51 sacks to quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the regular season. Twenty-one of the sacks came in the first five weeks, when the Packers had a rough 2-3 start.

The offensive line was just getting into a rhythm in early November when right tackle Bryan Bulaga went out for the season with a hip injury. But coach Mike McCarthy says he likes the way that rookie Don Barclay has stepped in.

In late December, Evan Dietrich-Smith replaced veteran Jeff Saturday at center, providing a boost in speed and strength. At the same time, the Packers’ running game has improved.

Guard T.J. Lang says the offensive line has played well lately, and is continuing to improve with the players it has now.

On Saturday, the Packer line will face one of the league’s toughest front sevens which features 49ers pass rusher Aldon Smith and bruising lineman Justin Smith.

Lang says it will be a quite a challenge, but he and his teammates will be up to it.

Starks returns

Running back James Starks might get his first playing time in five weeks when the Packers take on San Francisco in their NFC divisional playoff game on Saturday night.

The third-year Starks is getting over a bruised knee suffered on Dec. 2. Running backs coach Alex Van Pelt said Starks looked good at practice Wednesday. Coach Mike McCarthy is not saying how he might use Starks if he’s ready to go against the 49ers.

Rookie DuJuan Harris has emerged as Green Bay’s featured running back over the past few weeks.

Starks is seven inches taller and 15 pounds heavier than Harris, and could provide a more physical presence at that spot.

Van Pelt says he’s still trying to determine how to include Starks in the mix.

Receiver injuries

Meanwhile, Packer receivers Jordy Nelson, Jarrett Boykin and Randall Cobb all sat out of Wednesday’s practice.

Nelson has been battling ankle problems. He was due back at practice Thursday, and is expected to play against the 49ers.

Cobb has flu-like symptoms, but he’s expected to play as well.

Boykin is questionable. He has an ankle injury.

Linebacker Clay Matthews was limited in Wednesday’s practice by knee problem, and rookie linebacker Dezman Moses was limited with a bad hamstring. Both are expected to be OK for the 49ers game.

Safety Jerron McMillian missed his second straight practice with a personal matter. He was due back Thursday.

Longwell will kick for Seahawks

The Green Bay Packers’ all-time leading scorer is back in the NFL.

Ryan Longwell beat out three other kickers to finish the playoffs with the Seattle Seahawks. He’ll replace Steven Hauschka, who strained a calf in last Sunday’s Wild Card victory at Washington.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said he needed a kicker because Hauschka did not have the ability to make kickoffs. Longwell will handle all phases of Seattle’s kicking game on Sunday when the Seahawks play at Atlanta in an NFC divisional playoff contest. He’s a native of the Seattle region and he says he’s excited to play for his hometown Seahawks.

The 38-year-old Longwell played nine seasons in Green Bay and then six in Minnesota before the Vikings cut him almost a year ago. He has not stepped on a football field since.

He scored 1,054 points during his tenure with the Packers, with a team-record 226 field goals. Longwell is also the NFL’s 13th all-time leading scorer with 1,687 points. He’s the fifth most accurate kicker in league history, making just over 82 percent of his field goal attempts.

If Seattle can win at Atlanta on Sunday, and if the Packers win at San Francisco on Saturday night, Longwell would make a return to Lambeau Field for the NFC title game on Jan. 20.

Taylors’ fine reduced

Packers tight end Ryan Taylor partially won an appeal of his $21,000 fine for an illegal blind-side block during a punt return against Arizona on Nov. 4. The fine was reduced to $15,000.

Taylor had asked that the fine be totally eliminated. He threw a hard block on the Cardinals’ Rashad Johnson. Taylor argued that it was a clean play. No penalty flag was thrown.

Tags: wi sports, sports, proam