Jeff watched the Packers' exhibition opener on ESPN's "Monday Night Football," then found a sports bar in Louisville that could get Saturday night's game in San Francisco via satellite. And he doesn't like what he's seeing from Brian, a second-round pick who's 15 years younger than his big bro.

"I think obviously he's very frustrated right now. Things aren't going as smoothly as he had hoped," Jeff said. "I think he had one of those bumps in the road where everything was going pretty well. Now he's struggled and he's letting it affect his head and losing confidence and playing tentative. I just told him, `You need to simplify -- just drop back, look for the open guy and cut loose.'

"He gets in the first game, and the very first pass he throws is an interception, so the rest of that game I saw him playing very cautious, very unsure in his decision-making. The second game, I think he still had that in his head a little bit. He's just thinking about things too much -- 'Am I making the right read? Am I going to the right guy?' When you get to the game, you have to let your mind relax. I don't see him doing that right now."

Jeff, who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent and played for six teams during his seven-year NFL career and even played in the ill-fated XFL, went back into the archives and watched tape of Brian at Louisville, going so far as sending Brian a copy of one tape to remind him of how he's capable of playing. Jeff said he also told his brother that things have come easily up until now.

"I kind of had to work my way in there the hard way -- bust my butt in the off-season and during the season, put in extra work to get an extra edge," Jeff said. "With him, so far to this point, everything has gone smooth -- he played great in college, had a great career. And now he's playing against the best of the best and he's hit some bumps in the road.

"It's never easy as a rookie quarterback. The things I've seen him do (at Louisville), he hasn't done those things (with the Packers). Because he's been cautious, been tentative, been unsure. And you can't play the quarterback position like that at all. He knows he's struggling. Once he does get into a rhythm, he'll be back to throwing the ball the way he knows how to."
In turn, Brian said he's been trying to put his brother's advice to good use.
"I knew it would be a challenge. It's been nice to have a brother who's been through it," Brian said. "I feel like I'm right on the verge of really having some breakthroughs. If I can get into a nice rhythm in these upcoming games and get into the flow of the game, I'll start playing with a little more confidence and start feeling a lot better out there.

"That's the thing -- you have to be confident in your throws, confident out in the field, and eventually things will get going the right way."

Wynn's re-run: This is going to sound familiar. Second-year halfback DeShawn Wynn finds himself in the same situation as he did as a rookie: He'll need a huge performance in the Aug. 28 preseason finale against Tennessee to make the roster.

Wynn, who missed most of camp last year with a thigh injury, ran 21 times for 54 yards against the Titans in last year's finale to make the team as the fourth halfback. This year, a mild concussion forced him to miss practice early, and a sprained ankle suffered in the preseason opener against Cincinnati will keep him out of Friday night's third preseason game at Denver, just as he missed last Saturday night's game at San Francisco.

"I'm pretty much in the same predicament," said Wynn, who missed the second half of last season with a shoulder injury that landed him on injured reserve. "There's only one preseason game left. There's not much (opportunity) to show the coaches what you've got in a game situation. So I have a hard week of practice coming up to get prepared for the last one. That's how I approach it.

"People just have more questions about my injuries more than others. It seems like more of a big deal. It is what it is. Last year, I just went out there and played and did all I could do and I did make it. It may not be the same case this year."

Like Wynn, halfbacks Ryan Grant (hamstring), center Scott Wells (trunk), linebacker A.J. Hawk (chest) and safety Charlie Peprah (knee) have been ruled out, coach Mike McCarthy said.

The end zone: With Wells out and left tackle Chad Clifton back in action, the first unit offensive line consisted of, from left to right, Clifton, Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, Josh Sitton and Mark Tauscher. That figures to be the starting unit Friday night. ... Quarterback Aaron Rodgers' training-camp ritual -- strange facial hair -- continues. He's gone from scraggly, unkempt beard to something he found on beards.org called "friendly mutton chops," with a cheesy mustache up next. "This is a tribute to the Civil War generals from the mid-to-late 19th century," Rodgers said of the current look. "In training camp, you've got to do anything you can to make yourself laugh." ... Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin was back at work following the death of his father-in-law. Cornerback Joe Porter returned to practice as well.