Rouse to start at safety

Vintage · Sep 18, 2008

Rouse to start at safety

Cowboys will test Bigby’s stand-in

By TOM SILVERSTEIN
tsilverstein@journalsentinel.com

Posted: Sept. 17, 2008

Green Bay - There probably couldn't be a worse time for the Green Bay Packers to play without one of their starters in the secondary, not with the Dallas Cowboys and their high-powered offense coming to town.
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But really, there should be no gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands because safety Atari Bigby will be sidelined Sunday with a hamstring injury.

Not with Aaron Rouse taking his spot, right?

It's put-up-or-shut-up time for Rouse, who since coming to the Packers last year as a questioned third-round draft pick has turned into one of the more intriguing players on the roster.

At 6 foot 4, 223 pounds, he has the wing span of a condor and the temperament of a bulldog. His knack for being around the ball was established early in his NFL career, and continued this summer when he won the defensive backs' interception competition in training camp.

But Rouse is coming off a subpar game against the Lions - a sprained ankle suffered in practice Thursday might have contributed to it - and will be counted on to show he can do more than just break on the ball in a timely fashion.

His angles to ball-carriers, his tackling and his knowledge of the defense must be impeccable because the Dallas Cowboys don't let football misdeeds go unpunished.

"Playing the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night, a prime-time game, who wouldn't be excited?" Rouse said after practice Wednesday. "I'm looking forward to starting and having a big game."

The play of the two safeties will be critical against the Cowboys. One will have to help double-team wide receiver Terrell Owens and the other will have to help out on tight end Jason Witten, and then fill run gaps so that running back Marion Barber doesn't go wild. How exactly the Packers plan to employ Rouse is the big question.

Bigby plays strong safety, which means he's most often closest to the line of scrimmage offering run support. Rouse is built for that kind of work, but his best plays have been breaking on downfield passes from a free safety spot.

Against the Lions, Rouse entered the game in the second quarter and made two costly errors, aligning himself incorrectly and taking a bad angle on a pair of catch-and-run touchdown passes to receiver Calvin Johnson.

Maybe he would have made a better break had his ankle been healthy, but knowing your limitations and playing to them are part of being a pro.

"He's played two games so far this year, played very well in the first game, had some bumps in the road in the second game," coach Mike McCarthy said. "He's getting more experience, but he's shown the ability to be very productive when he is out there."

Bigby has become one of the most consistent players on defense, and when he diagnoses a play he's quick to get to the ball.
He and free safety Nick Collins sometimes switch safety positions based on formations or defensive calls, but it's questionable how much defensive coordinator Bob Sanders will do that with Rouse and Collins.

"I'm free, he's strong," Collins said. "This week it might be a little different, but we still don't know. He might have to learn mine. We're still figuring out and tweaking our defense."

Playing Rouse back might be the best option because in the limited amount of playing time he has gotten, he has made plays on the ball when thrown in his area.

During a three-game span last year in which he filled in and then started for Collins: he jumped a route in Minnesota that caused quarterback Brooks Bollinger to stop his throwing motion and toss the ball into the ground; picked off Carolina's Vinny Testaverde on the Panthers' opening series; and stepped in front of Detroit's Johnson and intercepted a pass that led to Green Bay's first touchdown.

A knee injury suffered in the second half of that last game prevented him from playing the following week against Dallas and getting a chance to build on his early success.

On Sunday night, he'll get another shot at the Cowboys and their No. 2-ranked offense.

After watching the Cowboys pull out a 41-37 victory over Philadelphia on Monday night, seeing Owens catch two touchdowns and Witten seven passes for 110 yards, Rouse understands fully what he's up against.

"I think the whole world was surprised how that game went, it was back and forth and a lot of big plays every minute," Rouse said.
"I tried to focus on the small things leverage-wise and see what they (the Eagles defense) kind of got away from. It's all about watching film and studying your opponent.

"I've got a full week to prepare. . . . I'm just trying to do the little things to make sure I'm ready."
Click to expand...

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=796257

Vintage · Sep 18, 2008

Rouse got tested last week against Detroit's Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson... and gets another test against Jason Witten and Terrell Owens.

Universe · Sep 20, 2008

We are screwed. Calvin owned him last week.

Pack Attack · Sep 20, 2008

Rouse will do just fine against the Cowboys...

Vintage · Sep 20, 2008

Pack Attack said: ↑

Rouse will do just fine against the Cowboys...
Click to expand...

We'll find out Sunday night!

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