What trip to Tampa?
The Packers erased the memory banks by Monday night even though a lot of questions persisted into mid-week about how a team that looked so good for a month, could look so bad for an afternoon.
They’re on to Houston.
Whether the 4-1 Packers regain their footing against the 1-5 Texans will depend on how quickly some front line players heal or how well their backups perform in their place. Most notably is the chest injury to left tackle David Bakhtiari. He hasn’t practiced yet this week and the coaching staff is pondering how to replace the blind side protector if he can’t go. Will they keep veteran Rick Wagner over there? Or will they juggle even further with perhaps Elgton Jenkins moving over one spot to his left, flipping Lucas Patrick from right guard to left, putting Billy Turner back inside and have Wagner play right tackle? Oh, by the way, the Texans still have J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus on the other line so the best option might be for Bakhtiari to become a fast healer.
Tyler Ervin’s wrist injury has lingered for over a week and Robert Tonyan is nursing an ankle sprain. Both have played key roles on offense. Ervin is the main motion man and Tonyan has found the end zone five times already.
On defense, Tyler Lancaster and Darnell Savage haven’t hit the practice field yet either. Lancaster hurt his shoulder against Tampa Bay forcing Kenny Clark to play a lot more snaps in first game since the opener than coaches intended. Savage’s absence could create as much juggling as Bakhtiari’s on the offense, disrupting the nickel and dime personnel groupings.
In all, 14 players were on the injury report today as Head Coach Matt LaFleur scaled back practices a bit to protect them, working both days on the less forgiving Don Hutson Center turf.
Then there’s the psychological damage done by the Buccaneers. Several players hinted the team might have been a bit inflated over their 4-0 start and plummeting back to reality was jolting. In interviews this week, Aaron Rodgers, Marcedes Lewis, Davante Adams all said what’s done is done and we’re all anxious to stay with the plan and get the arrow pointed back up.
A new linebacker may be on the way. Reports say the Packers are planning on signing James Burgess as soon as he clears COVID19 protocols. Burgess was plucked off the Atlanta Falcons practice squad after spending two seasons in Cleveland and last year with the New York Jets.
Offensive lineman Ben Braden is joining the practice squad. The former Michigan Wolverine was up and down on the Jets practice squad each of the past two years, appearing in two regular season games.
