By The Associated Press
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Laura Hawk, wife of Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk and sister of Browns quarterback Brady Quinn, may not have much to root for when the two teams meet Sunday in Cleveland.
Quinn was benched earlier in the season. And A.J. Hawk has spent more time on the sideline during the last two games, including being in just nine plays during last Sunday’s shutout win over Detroit.
“It’s obviously not my ideal situation of what I’d want to be doing,” said Hawk, who was pegged to be a cornerstone of the Green Bay defense when the team selected him with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2006 draft.
Hawk has started every game since he broke into the league, but the coaches are using an abundance of depth at linebacker in Dom Capers’ new 3-4 defensive scheme.
Brandon Chillar, whom Capers touted Friday for being a “jack of all trades,” has replaced Hawk as an inside linebacker when the Packers have employed their nickel package.
“The fact of the matter is we haven’t played much base (defense) the last two weeks,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “(Hawk) just doesn’t have a lot of opportunities right now.”
Hawk is following the lead of his demoted brother-in-law and trying to make the best of a tough situation.
Quinn also is a former first-round draft pick, taken No. 22 by the Browns in 2007. After beating out Derek Anderson during the preseason, Quinn played poorly at the start of the season and lost the job to Anderson after only three games.
“Brady has a good perspective on it, and he understands for multiple reasons why he’s not playing,” said Hawk, who talks to Quinn once a week. “He’s not going to cause any problems. He’ll get his chance eventually.”
Just as Quinn has said publicly has no desire to leave Cleveland, Hawk wants to remain a Packer.
“Regardless of how many reps I’m getting right now, I still want to be here,” Hawk said. “I’d much rather not be playing as much as I’d like on a winning team and a solid organization than starting and going 2-14.”
The one person caught in the middle of the personnel changes has been Laura Hawk. She wore a jersey to the 2006 Fiesta Bowl that was split in half to show support for her brother, who was the quarterback for Notre Dame, and for her future husband, who was on the other side with Ohio State.
“With me, she’s fine,” A.J. Hawk said. “She can handle whatever I go through. It’s her brother that bothers her more, because she still looks at him as the 5-year-old baby brother and she has to take care of him. It was hard on her at first when his whole situation started.”
Although an anticipated rematch between Hawk and Quinn on the field Sunday seems remote, Hawk could be more active than he has in nearly a month.
“I think A.J. is a really good football player,” Capers said. “It’s more you’re going to try to match up what you think fits best against the people you’re playing.”
Capers added: “I think A.J. will play a lot more this week, not to tip our hand.”
Hawk readily admits he needs to start producing. In five games this season, Hawk has a string of zeros next to his name for sacks, interceptions, fumble recoveries, forced fumbles and pass breakups.
“I’m not satisfied with the way I’ve played,” Hawk said. “The last couple weeks, I haven’t really gotten a whole lot of reps in the games, but I’ve got to make those count.”
Big plays have eluded Hawk since his rookie season in 2006, when he had career highs of 155 tackles (a team high that year), 3½ sacks, two interceptions, nine pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.
Hawk is in the midst of 31 straight games, including the playoffs, without an interception, forced fumble or fumble recovery. He has only 21 tackles this season.
Despite the lack of production, the Packers aren’t giving up on Hawk.
“Sometimes, you go a couple of weeks and you don’t play much, then all of a sudden you’re going to play a bunch,” Capers said. “I think he’s done a good job. I haven’t seen anything that’s disappointed me in A.J. at all.”
