GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy isn’t thrilled with the way a couple of his injured players chose to express their disappointment about potentially being left out of the Super Bowl team photo, saying they made a “poor decision” when they complained about it in public.

Mike McCarthy, coaching the Packers in his first Super Bowl against the team he grew up idolizing, finds himself at a confluence of emotions, Elizabeth Merrill writes. Story Still, the coach says it’s no big deal for the team to take the photo late next week so those players can be included.

“If that’s the biggest issue that we have in our preparation, we are going to have a hell of a week,” McCarthy said Thursday. “So it’s not that big of a deal.”

Earlier this week, linebacker Nick Barnett and tight end Jermichael Finley complained on their Twitter accounts that they weren’t going to be in the team photo. The photo typically would be taken at media day next Tuesday, and injured players are not scheduled to join the team in the Dallas area until next Thursday.

McCarthy says cornerback Charles Woodson and quarterback Aaron Rodgers brought the issue to his attention. McCarthy then decided to schedule the photo for next Friday instead.

The Packers list 16 players on injured reserve.

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AFC North | NFC North | ESPN Texas “It’s not that they are not part of the team,” McCarthy said. “They are in the photo. You want them in the photo and that’s important.”

McCarthy called the attention paid to the issue this week a “total overreaction,” but says other coaches have advised him to expect such distractions when a team is preparing to play in the Super Bowl.

“We’ll be as organized as we possibly can,” McCarthy said. “Something is going to be screwed up. I’ve been told that by a number of coaches. So you have to be able to let it roll off your back, and somebody else is going to get their feelings hurt. We’re going to continue to make sure that we do everything that’s in the best interests of getting our football team ready to win this game.”

via Super Bowl: Mike McCarthy: Photo complaints ‘poor decision’ – ESPN.

MOBILE, Alabama — Coach Chan Gailey’s assessment of his South squad’s Wednesday practice during Senior Bowl week: Better, but not there yet.

“We’re making more mistakes than I would like, but I think that’s to be expected somewhat in an all-star game like this, when you have new guys coming in,” the coach of the Buffalo Bills said. “But overall, the effort’s been great, the attitude’s super, and I think we’ll continue to work toward putting a good product on the field on Saturday.”

Gailey said he and his staff are taking full benefit of working closely with the players.

“What you’re trying to learn is the intangibles,” he said. “We all watch them run, jump, change direction, ball skills. But there’s been a bunch of guys who had the right kind of work ethic, who had the right kind of preparation, who had the right kind of football instincts to go be a football player when the run-jump-speed statistics said they shouldn’t. And there’s also some guys out there who have the ability, and because they won’t do those things, they don’t make it. We’ll have a great idea about the intangibles once we leave here.”

MOVING FORWARD: North coach Marvin Lewis of the Cincinnati Bengals said his team had its best workout of the week Wednesday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

“I thought we took some steps forward today,” Lewis said. “I thought the quarterbacks were sharp and did a good job releasing the football. I think the thing I hope that we can get is the protection solved and give our quarterbacks a chance to be able to stand back there and throw it. I’m happy with what we’re doing defensively. … We’re big and strong up front, and we’re physical on defense.”

MEET THE PLAYERS: The Coca-Cola Meet the Players event is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Mobile Convention Center.

Doors to the convention center will open at 8 a.m. Doors to the Exhibit Hall, which will host both the Meet the Players event and the Press-Register Senior Bowl Experience, will open at 3 p.m.

The players will be divided into eight pods in separate 1½-hour sessions. Each player will have a stack of signed cards to give to fans.

“Get there early is the best advice I can give,” said Chris Morgan, Senior Bowl sales and marketing director. “If you get there at 5 expecting to get to see a certain player, that might not happen.”

SHULA WATCH: After missing Senior Bowl week last year, former Alabama coach Mike Shula is back this year and representing a new team.

After spending four years as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ quarterback coach, he is now in the same position for new Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera. Shula, 45, was hired by Carolina last Friday and will try to help turn around

via Senior Bowl notebook: Chan Gailey of Buffalo Bills likes what he sees from south squad | al.com.