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Green Bay Packers

According to the Associated Press, an unusually early bye week did the Green Bay Packers some good.

The team returned to work Monday and practiced for about 90 minutes at nearly full strength as a few key defensive players returned from injury.

"The bye couldn't have come at a (more) perfect time," veteran safety Morgan Burnett said. "Now we're getting guys back, getting guys healthy, and that's what you really want going down the stretch."

Burnett joined star linebacker Clay Matthews, nose tackle Letroy Guion and defensive end/linebacker Datone Jones in practice after they were sidelined for Green Bay's pre-bye win over the Detroit Lions on Sept. 25.

The improved health of the team after a week off comes as the Packers (2-1) get ready to host the New York Giants on Sunday night.

"We need everybody out there," defensive back Micah Hyde said. "It's going to be a competitive game."

Head coach Mike McCarthy said earlier Monday that he would have to wait to see how the injured players who returned to the field fared in practice before assessing just how healthy the Packers will be for their next game.

Veteran cornerback Sam Shields still hasn't been cleared to resume football activities after missing the past two games because of a concussion.

"He's improving," McCarthy said. "I know the break was good for him. He was able to go home."

But McCarthy indicated the team is being very cautious with Shields, who has a history of head injuries. A concussion kept him from playing four games toward the end of last season.

"No stone has been left unturned," McCarthy said. "I think we have a very good handle on why and how and really the process for him to come back."

The Packers' pass defense has struggled without Shields, giving up numerous big plays and allowing an average of 307.3 yards through the air to rank 29th.

"Obviously, if it was that easy, anybody would be doing it," cornerback Damarious Randall said.

McCarthy and his staff devoted the team's meetings and practice time Monday to self-improvement with a focus on cleaning up the fundamentals.

And Green Bay's players are unfazed that having the bye after only three games means the team will have to finish the season with a long, uninterrupted stretch of 13 games and possibly more once the postseason comes.

Dating to the preseason, the Packers had four straight on the road -- the final two preseason games and the first two of the regular season -- followed by Sunday's home opener against the Lions. After the bye, they have three more at home before a stretch of four out of five on the road, including three straight from Nov. 13-28.

The only break comes following the Thursday night game against the Bears on Oct. 20; they'll have 10 days before their next game, at Atlanta.

"I'm not a big fan of it," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said of the early bye. "But it actually comes at a good time for us based on the way our team is health-wise The tough part is you go on a 13-game stretch after this. We do have a mini-bye after the Thursday night Chicago game, but health is a premium. We've seen it every single year. It's the teams that are playing the hottest but also that are healthy at the end of the year that go on a run."

TE Jared Cook remains out. The eighth-year pro suffered a significant injury to his right ankle in the pre-bye victory over the Lions on Sept. 25 and isn't likely to return this week and play against the Giants on Sunday night. FB Aaron Ripkowski went through practice Monday. The young starter suffered a back injury in the first half of the pre-bye victory over the Lions on Sept. 25 and didn't return to the game.

Considering Jared Abbrederis, Trevor Davis and Ty Montgomery have barely seen any playing time so far, Jeff Janis finally shedding the club cast he's worn to protect his broken right hand might not be revolutionary for the offense, but ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky notes the third-year receiver is ready if called upon like he was in last year's playoff loss at Arizona, where Janis had what seemed like a breakout performance with seven catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns. ...

A few final notes here. ... Rodgers' four-touchdown performance in the first half of Green Bay's last game before the bye week was more like the Packers' vintage passing attack.

Rodgers & Co. had sputtered the first two games, particularly the Week 2 clunker in the prime-time road loss to the Vikings, before erupting at the outset of the Sept. 25 win over the Lions. That game ended Rodgers' dubious streak of 14 games with a passer rating below 100.

His passer rating early this season is only 98.6, but only eight full-time quarterbacks rank ahead of Rodgers.

However, Green Bay's undisputed leader needs to resolve surprising accuracy issues he has completed only 58.5 percent of his passes, though he's thrown just one interception with seven touchdowns. The protection of Rodgers by a revamped offensive line that no longer has Pro Bowl guard Josh Sitton has been mostly solid. Rodgers has been sacked eight times, but he has been responsible for many of those.

Veteran receiver Jordy Nelson's return from a one-season absence because of a knee injury has been better than expected. Nelson has a team-best 17 catches for 216 yards and is tied for the league lead with four touchdown receptions.

Meanwhile, Eddie Lacy ended a personal drought of not rushing for 100 yards going back to Dec. 13 last season by running for 103 yards on 17 carries in Green Bay's most recent game. McCarthy made a concerted effort in that game to get Green Bay's running backs more involved after Lacy had only 26 carries in the first two games.

The punishing lead back is averaging 5.0 yards per rush, benefiting from an offensive line that is getting the job done in that area as well. The Packers, however, are sorely lacking punch beyond Lacy. Veteran backup James Starks has gained all of 9 yards on 12 carries. Rodgers (12 carries, 67 yards) and receiver Randall Cobb (four carries, 12 yards) have produced more than Starks so far.

And finally, with Cook ailing, free-agent tight end Robt Housler

worked out for the Packers.