First we start off with the more notable absentees from practice:
Jordy Nelson - Knee
Jermichael Finley - Knee
Korey Hall - Calf
Jason Spitz - Back
Scott Wells - Didn't Participate for personal, "positive" reasons
Derrick Martin - Hamstring
Clay Matthew was at practice but only participated in jog thru and had a bandage on his right cheek
Charles Woodson and Chad Clifton also took part in only the jog thru portion of practice

Workout Notes:
Ahman Green did take some reps out of the backfield earlier at practice.  A few running plays mixed in with a couple of short pass plays.  He looks quick and, as I had said last week, more slender than you're used to seeing him.
Mark Tauscher shared reps with Allen Barbre at right tackle and Evan Dietrich-Smith was at center in place of Wells and Spitz.

After the initial drills, Mike McCarthy took his team outside to Ray Nitschke Field for work under gray, foggy skies and in a temperature of 44 degrees.  After the team's ball-control drills were complete, the special teams drills began.  During a punt coverage drill, Mike McCarthy, in a rare outburst, lit into his team for a couple of minutes about their attention to detail.  Special teams coach, Shawn Slocum, got into Jeremy Kapinos' ear as well yelling at him to get the ball up and angled instead of right down the middle of the field.  McCarthy then made the entire special teams unit start all over again.
For fans who want to know if McCarthy really gets on his players, today I could emphatically say yes.

Defensively speaking, the Packers locker room seems to feel confident that they're headed in the right direction.  Aaron Kampman, Brady Poppinga, Cullen Jenkens even Mike McCarthy believe that Atari Bigby has solidified the secondary and allowed Dom Capers to get a little more creative with blitzes and coverage.  The fact that Bigby was here for the mini camps and training camp, he gets it.  All agree that there hasn't been nearly as many communication errors defensively.
A defensive note:  B.J. Raji told me that he's feeling really good.  The best he's felt since the beginning of training camp.  Raji said that the ankle had been somewhat bothersome and he wasn't able to get the kind of leverage that he needed to be effective.  This past Sunday @ Cleveland, Raji said, "Was the first time that I was really able to feel like my old self."

Offensively speaking, every guy you talk to believes that they shot themselves in the foot the last time the Packers faced the Vikings.  With some of the penalties and injuries, they weren't able to get into a rhythm.  The lineman talk about a concentrated effort to keep Rodgers up right and get some holes to run the ball.  They all agree that Jared Allen is a big problem and he needs special attention but as a whole they're feeling much more confident.  Rodgers also has made a concentrated effort to get the ball away before his 3rd step on his drop back.  Jennings and Driver know that they are going to be more of a focus due to the injuries of Jordy Nelson, Brett Swain and Jermichal Finley.  Both want the ball more and joked, "At least there's more for us."  Donald Lee is looking forward to being more of a posession receiver as well.  Look for Ahman Green out of the backfield a bit in this game as well.