The Packers wrapped up a short work week on Thursday cognizant of the players' bodies. "With the Packers assigned to the Saturday NFC divisional playoff game at Atlanta, McCarthy was forced to make some significant changes to his practice and meeting schedule this week to try to save his players’ legs," writes Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "Instead of practicing Wednesday through Friday, the week went from Tuesday to Thursday." McCarthy said his team's mindset was confident. Reportedly the team will hold meetings today before flying to Atlanta this afternoon.

If there was any chance defensive coordinator Dom Capers was a legitimate head coaching candidate in Denver, that time is over. "Reportedly, the Denver Broncos were interested in interviewing Capers to replace Josh McDaniels but team vice president John Elway on Thursday announced the hiring of John Fox, the recently fired coach of the Carolina Panthers," writes Bill Huber of Packer Report. Capers is focused on the game at Atlanta, with no choice to interview for a job during the Packers' playoff run until a bye week.

Running back Brandon Jackson recently addressed his upcoming free agent status with Rob Reischel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Jackson, whose contract ends after the 2010 season, was asked if he thinks he’ll be a Packer next year," writes Reischel. "Interestingly, Jackson spoke in the past tense." Jackson should be offered a contract to be the team's third-down back next year. And I can't imagine other teams are going to be knocking down his door.

Wide receiver Greg Jennings was taken out of the Packers' first playoff game at Philadelphia, and Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel wonders if the same could happen Saturday in Atlanta. "Jennings often needs some help from his friends and now probably more than ever," writes Silverstein. "If the playoff opener against Philadelphia is any indication, Jennings is going to draw a crowd Saturday in a divisional playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons." Even if Jennings is taken out of the game, the Packers have good enough wide receivers that another should be able to pick up any slack.

The wide receivers, as a group, are featured in an article by Gary D'Amato of the Journal Sentinel, and he says that they're a very tight-knit bunch. "[Donald] Driver, who turns 36 on Feb. 2 and is the oldest of the receivers by nine years, said he had never been part of a closer group in his 12 years with the Packers," writes D'Amato. "Jennings said the unit was 'much closer than when I was a rookie.'" The entire group was used as heavily as they'd been all season long against Atlanta the first time they met this season, which looms large heading into tomorrow's game.

Linebacker Desmond Bishop is looking forward to playing against Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez. "Gonzalez led the Falcons in receiving during their 20-17 victory over the Packers during the regular season with six catches for 51 yards and a touchdown," writes Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "The Packers will have to find a way to keep the big tight end in check." Charles Woodson may get a few opportunities to line up against Gonzalez as well.

Bishop is praised for his game-saving shoestring tackle on Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson late in the fourth quarter of last week's game by Mike Vandermause of the Press-Gazette. "It’s indicative of the impressive season Bishop has enjoyed," writes Vandermause. "He finished second on the team in tackles with 121 despite riding the pines for the first month. He also forced two fumbles, returned an interception for a touchdown and collected three sacks." Bishop was rewarded with a contract extension by the Packers for his solid season. He's not playing for a contract the rest of this season, it only comes down to winning for him now.

The variety of offensive packages and formations the Packers run is given some attention from Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin. "According to ESPN Stats & Information, NFL teams ran the ball only 34 times with three backs in the offensive backfield this season; the Packers accounted for 24 of them (70.6 percent)," writes Wilde. "They have also led the league in three-back rush attempts the past two seasons, with 20 of the NFL’s 65 total carries last season and 15 of the league’s 27 carries in 2008." It's things like this that makes the Packers difficult to prepare for. Opposing teams don't see these types of things until they face the Packers, which also makes Mike McCarthy an effective playcaller for my money.

Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin was reportedly a candidate for the University of Connecticut's head coaching job. "The BCS school spent considerable time evaluating Philbin and his 27-year coaching career, although Philbin was never interviewed by the Huskies," writes Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel. "The Packers' tight playoff schedule probably didn't help Philbin's chances."

The special teams cohesion is noted by Jason Wilde. "As the Packers get ready for Saturday night’s rematch in the NFC Divisional Playoffs, they do so believing that their special teams coverage units are better because, after a tumultuous year on the injury front, they’ve finally established a core group under special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum," writes Wilde.

Special teamer Matt Wilhelm is part of those coverage units, even after following the previous Atlanta game in which he had a costly facemask penalty late in the game that set up the Falcons' game-winning field goal. "The backup linebacker is back on most of special teams coach Shawn Slocum’s unit, but he doesn’t think he was benched because of that penalty," writes Rob Demovsky. "And he wasn’t inactive because of an injury, either."

B.J. Raji's brother plays basketball at Boston College.

Casey Matthews, brother of Clay Matthews, says he's interested in coming to Green Bay, notes PWC.

Erik Walden is said to be better than Frank Zombo and Brad Jones by Monty McMahon of Total Packers.

Video: Michael Lombardi of the NFL Network talks about the Packers-Falcons matchup...