Undefeated Packers on guard against Rams

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers are 5-0, but haven't yet played anything approaching a perfect game on defense. They probably don't have to be at their best to beat the winless St. Louis Rams today.

Just don't expect anybody at Lambeau Field to say so.

Officially, the Packers are wary of an 0-4 Rams team that has talent and had extra time to prepare for the reigning Super Bowl champions during their bye week.

"We're not concerned about what their record is," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "We're more concerned about the fact that they're coming off a bye week. Anybody in this league that has two weeks to prepare for you definitely creates a bigger challenge. That's the message, and that's our focus."

The Rams are surprised to be where they are in the standings. The Rams figured they were on the rise after then-rookie quarterback Sam Bradford led them to a 7-9 record last season.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers tries to avoid the pressure from Falcons defensive end Kroy Biermann during the first half of their game last week in Atlanta. (JOHN BAZEMORE ~ Associated Press)

"We didn't expect or were not planning on being in the situation we're in right now," Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said. "We had some high expectations. Nothing's lost right now. We can still achieve all the goals we set out at the beginning of the season, but we certainly need to find a way to win a football game."

Bradford appears to have taken a step backward this season, completing only 49.7 percent of his passes.

"I think that it's been a rough road for him thus far," Spagnuolo said. "The offensive line hasn't come together like we had hoped. But I think there's been enough quality players in there with the offensive line, receivers and the quarterback. Having a new system, did that have an effect? I think we're finding out that it does, but we're hopeful with four games underneath us, a lot of growing pains that we've gone through, that somewhere hopefully soon in this thing we'll reap the benefits."

The Packers have no such problems. Aaron Rodgers is asserting himself as perhaps the best quarterback in the game.

Spagnuolo had a one-liner ready when asked what kind of challenge Rodgers presents to the Rams defense.

Rams quarterback Sam Bradford throws the ball against the Redskins during their game earlier this month in St. Louis. (TOM GANNAM ~ Associated Press)

"All kinds of headaches, sleepless nights, a lot of Tylenol," Spagnuolo said. "That's what it presents."

There is one area of significant concern for the Packers: Left tackle, where veteran Chad Clifton is out indefinitely after hurting his hamstring in last week's victory at Atlanta.

Marshall Newhouse, who was filling in for injured right tackle Bryan Bulaga, switched to left tackle after Clifton's injury, while first-round rookie Derek Sherrod jumped in at right tackle. The Packers' patchwork line got the job done against the Falcons. It could get Bulaga back this week.

"We're hopeful that Bryan comes back and can jump right in," Rodgers said. "But I think those young guys did a good job when they get their opportunities. The encouraging thing is it makes you feel more comfortable about the depth we have."

The Packers offense will face a few former teammates today, including cornerback Al Harris and linebacker Brady Poppinga.

"Tough, competitive football players," McCarthy said. "That hasn't changed. That's always been their style of play and obviously during their time here and that has continued in St. Louis."

The Rams have experienced a wave of injuries at cornerback, meaning Harris may start.

Spagnuolo says he's confident Harris still can play at a high level.

"He's very much into it," Spagnuolo said. "He's become a student of the game, and the system here is a little bit familiar to him because there are some similarities to what we did in Philadelphia. We've changed some things, but I think he got comfortable in it pretty quick."

Harris was known for a physical brand of press coverage during his prime, and the Packers receivers who used to see it in practice now sound like they're ready to face it in a game.

"We know Al like the back of our hands," Packers receiver Donald Driver said. "We know he's going to be aggressive when he comes up and tries to bump, try to get a quick jam on you. He knows us. We don't let people put their hands on us at all, but he's going to try to do his job and do as much as he can."

The Packers' secondary is depleted, too, after a season-ending neck injury to Pro Bowl safety Nick Collins in Week 2. The pass defense was struggling even before Collins was hurt and is giving up 299.8 yards passing per game, third-most in the league.

But the Packers say they finally felt like themselves on defense at Atlanta on Sunday when they shut out the Falcons in the second half.

"That's more like us," Packers defensive lineman Ryan Pickett said. "We watched that tape. It's like, 'OK, this is how we play defense.' It's taken us a little while to get in the groove, but we feel like we're headed in the right direction. We definitely expect to play like we played in the second half of the Atlanta game."