By Jason Wilde
Channel3000.com's Packer Insider from ESPN Madison

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The punt-a-palooza coach Mike McCarthy was hoping for in Thursday night’s preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs got off to a good start.

With the Green Bay Packers’ offense contributing four straight three-and-outs to start the game, Tim Masthay and Chris Bryan got two punts apiece, and it appeared they would get the heavy workload McCarthy and special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum were hoping for.

Except Kansas City linebacker Cory Greenwood went and ruined the whole plan.

Greenwood leveled long-snapper Brett Goode as Goode covered the first punt of the night, and while Goode looked woozy after the hit, he snapped for the next two punts. Evan Dietrich-Smith took over thereafter and his two snaps were, well, interesting.

“That changed it,” special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum admitted. “One thing we got to see, we got to see these guys operate with the unexpected. They got a new snapper and the ball was moved around a little. I thought they both handled the ball well. No one separated themselves in that aspect because they both handled the snaps that were a little off-line.”

As for the kicks themselves, Masthay appeared to keep the small separation he created last week.

His first punt was a 51-yarder with 4.62 seconds of hang time, and while Javier Arenas’ 44-yard return resulted in only a 7-yard net, Slocum said Masthay didn’t outkick his coverage.

“The punt was pretty good,” Slocum said. “I have to look exactly at placement of the ball. … I thought that part of it was good. I don’t think we did a very good job on our coverage.”

Masthay’s second kick, also with Goode snapping, was a 33-yarder that was fair-caught after 4.34 seconds of hang time. His last one, after a low snap by Dietrich-Smith, was a 37-yard line drive that had just 2.78 seconds of hang time and a 29-yard net.

“I did the best I could do,” Masthay said. “I’m pleased with how I performed in training camp for the most part, I’m pleased with how I performed in the preseason for the most part. There was a few punts here and there in both practice and games that I’d like to have back, but for the most part, the body of work that I’ve been able to put together, I’m pretty pleased with it. And that’s all I can really do. So now it’s just in the coaching staff and the personnel department’s hands.”

Chris Bryan, whose wife gave birth to the couple’s second son earlier this week, traveled with the team and punted twice. After a disappointing showing against Indianapolis last week, Bryan’s first punt was a 35-yarder (32-yard net) with 4.13 seconds of hang time; his second, off a high snap by Dietrich-Smith, was a 37-yarder that was not returned after 3.22 seconds of hang time.

“Look, it was OK,” Bryan said. “I kicked the drop punt on my first punt, and it got inside the 20. Wouldn’t mind a little more length on it, but all in all, 3-yard return, it didn’t hurt us too bad. (On the) second one, with a different long snapper, we were told just to get it out of there. It wasn’t a great punt, but I got it out in time, I’m not sure what the result was, but it didn’t kill us.

“I’ve done all I can and this was the last game to perform. My punts were OK, I had the holding this week and we didn’t miss. So I’ve done all I can and the decision’s up to those guys now. So we’ll wait and see Saturday and see my fate.”

The final cuts are Saturday.

As for Goode, McCarthy said the team’s medical staff didn’t immediately rule Goode out, despite his looking woozy after the hit. After the two snaps, he was taken out of the game and Dietrich-Smith snapped for two field goals without incident in addition to the two punt snaps.

“It’s a doctor evaluation. They got to (Goode) right away, and then he was able to go I think two more plays,” McCarthy said. “After that and the doctors felt that it was time for him to go. It’s a cut and dry system. If it’s a medical decision, they don’t play. There’s never any ifs and buts and whats.”

Chery picking: Jason Chery was a good story last week. Whether he amounts to anything more – say, the Packers’ return man – depends on how the team views what he did Thursday night and whether regular returner Will Blackmon is healthy.

After bobbling, then fumbling the opening kickoff before recovering it, Chery settled in and had an OK night on five punt return opportunities (three returns for 27 yards, including a 15-yarder, with two fair catches) while doing little to impress on kickoff returns (three returns, 48 yards, 16.0-yard average).

“I feel I did very well today, but you never know what the coaches will do. They could go in a different direction,” said Chery, who burst into the return conversation after begging Slocum to put him on a punt return against Indianapolis – and promptly returning it 75 yards for a touchdown. “I feel like I did very well. I hope that I’m still here. Fingers will be crossed, people will be praying, and I’ll be waiting to see.”

Chery chalked the opening kickoff up to “jitters,” and while McCarthy was critical of him in a halftime interview, his stance softened slightly in postgame.

“Ball security was not a positive but I thought he did a good job of making the first guy miss,” McCarthy said. “From the view that I had, I don’t know how many opportunities we really gave him as far as the blocking unit in front of him. We’ll take a good look at that.”

Slocum said it was a shame that Chery mishandled the opening kickoff because “that was the best unit of blockers that he had in front of him all night. … He caught the ball well in traffic after the first kickoff. He’s definitely got potential. You guys have seen the speed, we all have, and he’s got a uniqueness in the way he can run north and south. I’d like to have seen him with our full contingent of blockers in front of him the whole game, and I thought he was challenged a little bit there on some of those latter kickoff returns that we didn’t block very well for him.”

The decision the Packers must make is what to do with Blackmon, who is coming back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered last October. He returned three punts for 27 yards, including a 16-yarder, against Indianapolis last week in his second game back in action, but the knee flared up on him afterward and he did not practice all week before being scratched Thursday night.

“He’s had a setback. I’ll have more information when we get back. Hopefully he’s had productive rehab the last couple days,” McCarthy said. “He’s coming off of major surgery, and if you sat in on the doctor meetings, this all falls in the normal protocol of particularly a perimeter player who had a significant injury to his knee. He’s going through a tough spot right now.”

That said, Slocum sounded like he’s expecting to have Blackmon for the opener against the Eagles.

“I think Will is on track in terms of his injury,” Slocum said. “He fielded the ball cleanly except for one punt there a couple weeks ago. Will is a good returner. That will all factor into what we do at that position.

“To my understanding, Will is on target with his rehab. There are going to be natural setbacks when you have that major of surgery and rehab to overcome. I don’t’ think that’s unexpected.”

Health watch: In addition to not playing quarterback Aaron Rodgers, left tackle Chad Clifton, running back Ryan Grant and cornerback Charles Woodson, the Packers were also without eight injured players: Blackmon, cornerback Brandon Underwood (shoulder), left tackle Bryan Bulaga (hip), linebacker Clay Matthews (hamstring), linebacker Desmond Bishop (hamstring), linebacker Brad Jones (shoulder), defensive end Cullen Jenkins (calf) and offensive lineman Allen Barbre (back).

Mike Neal started for Jenkins for the second straight week; Brady Poppinga continued as the starter in place of Matthews; undrafted rookie free agent Frank Zombo started for the second straight week for Jones; and Sam Shields started for Woodson opposite Tramon Williams.

After the game, Capers said that Jones, who started eight games (including playoffs) as a rookie last year after Aaron Kampman’s season-ending knee injury, will start against Philadelphia if he is healthy.

“I think Brad, I don’t think there’s any question you go with the experienced guy, if he’s healthy and everything,” Capers said. “I’m hoping he’ll be healthy and ready to come out and go.”

Asked if he expects to have Matthews, who missed all four preseason games, and Jones back, Capers replied, “All indications are that we will.”

McCarthy didn’t say if he decided to sit Rodgers after both Clifton and Bulaga were scratched, leaving T.J. Lang and rookie Marshall Newhouse as the top two left tackle options.

Swain, Lumpkin shine: If the Packers are going to keep five wide receivers and three running backs, Brett Swain and Kregg Lumpkin earned their keep Thursday night.

Swain caught six passes for 130 yards, including a 77-yarder on a horribly broken coverage to set up the Packers’ only touchdown, while Lumpkin ran hard on 11 carries for 36 yards, including a touchdown.

“I’m happy for (Swain). He seemed like he had a productive day. He got behind the defense that one play but he made some other solid catches as well,” offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. “I thought he played well.

“(Lumpkin) had a couple creases there. We’ll have to study it closer. We had one where we called a run to the right and he cut it back a little early, but I thought overall he was pretty solid.”

In like Flynn: Matt Flynn got his most extensive playing time of his career, and the backup quarterback made the most of it.

With Rodgers being given the night off, Flynn started and played the first three quarters, completing 23 of 37 passes for 304 yards and an 88.1 passer rating. He directed the only touchdown drive and had a near touchdown to Swain on a pretty good fourth-down throw as well.

“I thought Matt put together a fine preseason,” McCarthy said of Flynn, who finished preseason having completed 50 of 85 passes (58.8 percent) for 583 yards with two touchdowns, two interceptions and four sacks for a 77.7 passer rating. “I thought he did a really good job of keeping us in good plays tonight at the line of scrimmage. I thought he missed some throws early in the game (where) he didn’t quite have his feet set. Like I have thought overall, for his three quarters he did a very good job.”

Extra points: Now comes the hard part, according to McCarthy: Making 22 roster moves to get down to the 53-man limit by 3 p.m. Saturday. “I think it’s the worst time of year for me personally and for our whole personnel staff and coaching staff,” McCarthy said. “You spend a lot of time with these players, you’re fond of these players. I thought it was the most competitive camp from a personnel standpoint.” … McCarthy let Philbin call the offensive plays the entire game and joked that Philbin was “a juggernaut, and I’m not going to let him do it again because he was so good.” The always self-deprecating Philbin pointed to the four three-and-outs the offense had to start the game, saying, “I called all those. Those were good. Got off to a roaring start.” … The crowd was announced at 63,843 but looked closer to 20,000 in the renovated Arrowhead Stadium. A serious accident on I-70 before the game kept a significant number of fans from making it inside before kickoff.