Getty Jake Kumerow #16 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates with Jimmy Graham #80 after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Oakland Raiders in the game at Lambeau Field on October 20, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Just a week ago, the Green Bay Packers were coming out of the bye with their healthiest roster of the regular season. Now? Not so much.
The Packers were already down two offensive linemen with backup Cole Madison going on the injured reserve list and starter Bryan Bulaga expected to miss at least one game, but the team’s injury report also saw starting tight end Jimmy Graham (calf) and safety Will Redmond (foot) sidelined with new injuries.
While it isn’t unusual for Graham to take a veteran rest day on the first practice of the week, the new disclosure of an issue with his calf could prove troublesome for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. The 33-year-old tight end might not be the dynamic pass-catcher he was in the early days of his career, but he still presents Aaron Rodgers with another veteran to lean on in the passing game with 16 first downs, 318 yards and three touchdowns on 28 catches this year.
The injury for Redmond is also new, though he has been named in the injury report every week this season. A combination of ankle, elbow, shoulder, knee and concussion issues have slowed him throughout the year, but the foot issue is the first to completely sideline the backup safety in practice.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur didn’t discuss injuries during Wednesday’s press conference with reporters and wasn’t asked any questions about the injuries since the report came out after he spoke, but he did say the day’s practice was “above the neck” after the team’s late return home Sunday night from San Francisco.
“I do think being rested is equally as important as it is to get the practice reps,” LaFleur said.
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Packers Can Survive Worst-Case Scenarios
Should either Graham or Redmond be unable to play Sunday in New York, the Packers won’t need to look far for help at either position. Marcedes Lewis can supply a veteran presence to help pass-block at tight end, while youngsters Robert Tonyan and Jace Sternberger are hungry for more opportunity in the passing game. Meanwhile, Ibraheim Campbell’s recent return helps ensure some depth at the safety position behind starters Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage Jr.
The bigger challenge for the Packers, as head coach Matt LaFleur has maintained since Sunday’s loss to San Francisco, will be coming together to correct and overcome the mistakes that allowed them to be embarrassed on Sunday Night Football.
“The best teams I have been a part of have been played-led,” LaFleur said following Sunday’s 37-8 loss to the 49ers, “and I’m confident we have the guys in this locker room to lead and make sure we’re looking at ourselves critically. Because we’re all accountable to one another, and if we want to be the team we want to be — and I think we can be — we’ll have to clean up some things.”
Rodgers couldn’t agree more. Having more time to review the film from Sunday’s loss, the two-time MVP quarterback reached a firm conclusion about the distance between his squad and the Niners squad that ran them out of town.
“I think the gap is execution,” Rodgers said. “It’s not ability. It’s not talent. It’s execution. I think on paper and lining up, we feel really good about our squad against anybody, but execution is the main divider between teams that put that performance on the board like they did and the way we played.”
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