GREEN BAY – Packers coach Mike McCarthy might be toying with the idea of playing Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton but rotating in youngsters Allen Barbre and T.J. Lang for the thirtysomething veteran tackles during Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay, based on the coach’s cryptic comments following Friday’s practice.

 

First, the official injury report:

 

Packers – LB Brandon Chillar (hand), C/G Jason Spitz (back), WR Jordy Nelson (knee) and TE Jermichael Finley (knee) are out; WR Jake Allen (quadriceps), FB Korey Hall (calf), G/T T.J. Lang (oblique) and S Derrick Martin (concussion) are questionable; QB Aaron Rodgers (feet), CB Charles Woodson (hip), LT Chad Clifton (ankle) and WR Donald Driver (neck) are probable.

 

Buccaneers – WR Atnonio Bryant (knee), WR Michael Clayton (wrist) and CB Elbert Mack (ankle) are questionable; CB Aqib Talib (ankle) and G Jeremy Zuttah (shoulder) are probable.

 

Lang was added to the injury report after McCarthy said he “torqued his rib area” during Thursday’s practice, which could scuttle McCarthy’s potential plan of working all four players in the game against the winless Buccaneers. McCarthy did say that he thinks Lang will “be OK to go in the game.”

Clifton was limited in practice on Friday, as he often is as part of the training staff’s maintenance program with him, and McCarthy proclaimed him “ready to go.”  Tauscher practiced in full for the third straight day and is not listed on the injury report.

 

McCarthy has been hinting all week that Tauscher and Clifton would start, but on Friday he added a twist.

 

“Now, how long (they can play), durability, those are the things you look at,” McCarthy said. “Chad's situation is different than Mark Tauscher's, but you have to be smart on how you use these individuals. Just to throw them in there and think they're going to play 80 plays, or 70 plays, I don't know if that's the right thing to do this week.”

 

Asked if he’s thinking thinking about rotating or alternating series with the four players, McCarthy replied, “It's all part of the conversation.” Asked if he and team physician Pat McKenzie think Tauscher, who underwent reconstructive left knee surgery for a torn ACL in January, is ready to play a full game, McCarthy replied, “I don't think I probably want to talk about that right here. I think it's realistic to watch Mark, Nick Barnett or whoever the individual is coming off of a knee surgery, that you haven't participated in live action in a year. There's a protocol that obviously varies with the individual, the position, and we're going to trust the medical staff, and frankly the input of the athlete to make a sound decision.”

 

Tauscher wouldn’t say how much he expects to play against the Bucs, but after sitting the bench last week against Minnesota, he does expect to play.

 

“I’m going to play,” Tauscher said. “Like I told you from the beginning, whatever the role, whatever they ask me to do, I’m going to do. Whatever’s the best to help this team win. To be honest with you, everybody’s getting prepared to play, and as the flow of the game goes, that’s going to determine who plays more and who doesn’t. Obviously it does no good to get into all the scenarios. Everybody that’s going to be dressing is going to be prepared to play.

 

“I feel good, and I feel like I’ve put myself in a position to go out and play. I’m really not delving into (how many snaps). I’m just going to go out and try to play as hard and long as I can.”

 

With Lang and Clifton only doing jog-through work in practice, Barbre took a lot of snaps at left tackle as a fill-in, McCarthy said.

 

Meanwhile, Driver practiced for the first time this week and “feels good,” McCarthy said, while Rodgers practiced in full after sitting out Wednesday and Thursday to rest his injured feet.

 

“He took all his normal reps,” McCarthy said of Rodgers. “He did everything. He did the play-action, did the movements, the drop back. He took a full day's work. He's hurting, but I don't have any concerns.”

 

McCarthy said Allen hurt his quadriceps in practice Thursday but should be able to play as well.

 

On defense, McCarthy said A.J. Hawk will take Chillar’s dime linebacker spot in the nickel defense.

 

“A.J. is ready to go. (He) took a bunch of reps this week in sub,” McCarthy said. “A.J is a pro's pro. He's always prepared and he's ready to go. We're very confident that whatever we do with A.J. or really that whole inside linebacker group. I think it's a very good group.“