No team in the NFL has been hit harder by injuries than the Green Bay Packers. That’s not an opinion. That’s a fact that was proved to be true by an ESPN study this week.
Yet, here the Packers are at their bye week. Undefeated. The “next man up” philosophy has worked out just as general manager Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy always hope it will.
There are several key players who Green Bay won’t be getting back this season. It’s an injured reserve list led by wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who tore his ACL during preseason. Inside linebacker Sam Barrington, defensive lineman Josh Boyd and safety Sean Richardson are also done for the year.
But in the case of safety Morgan Burnett (calf injury), nose tackle B.J. Raji (groin), wide receivers Davante Adams (ankle) and Ty Montgomery (ankle), offensive linemen Bryan Bulaga (knee) and T.J. Lang (knee), and outside linebacker Nick Perry (shoulder), the bye week came at a perfect moment of the season. It should be just enough time for each of them, maybe with the exception of Perry, to recover and get back on the field.
Tight end Andrew Quarless used up the team’s once-per-season injured reserve with designation to return tag, which will allow him to be back in action by Thanksgiving.
The league-leading number of injuries hasn’t stood in the Packers’ way of winning games. And ultimately, that’s what matters most in the NFL. But recent victories have left something to be desired, especially from an offense that had previously made it look easier than it actually is to score a lot of points on a routine basis.
Perhaps Aaron Rodgers has spoiled Packers fans and raised the level of expectations to an unachievable point. After all, this is a quarterback with 15 touchdowns and two interceptions through six games. Only Tom Brady (14:1) has a better touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio this season. But Rodgers’ performance, and that of Green Bay’s offense as a whole, has looked a bit off in October. It has some wondering what’s wrong and what the solution is.
Rodgers has only thrown for more than 300 yards once so far in 2015. Last season, he threw for at least 300 yards in eight of the 16 regular-season games.
As a team, the Packers are ranked 20th in the NFL in passing yards. Green Bay hasn’t been ranked worse than ninth in that category since winning Super Bowl XLV.
The explanation could be as simple as this: Nelson isn’t available. Replacing a receiver who’s coming off a 1,500-yard season is impossible for any one player to do. The Packers hoped that some combination of Adams, Montgomery and James Jones would fill the void, which has produced mixed results. Jones is on pace for an 1,100-yard season, a feat that would only further illustrate how well his Green Bay reunion has gone. Adams, however, got off to a fairly slow start (nine catches for 92 yards in three games) and then suffered an injury.
Adams was praised by McCarthy as the team’s “offseason MVP.” Rodgers had been equally complimentary towards Adams leading into the 2015 season. He’s only 22 years old, but the former second-round pick could be the answer to the Packers’ relatively quiet offense.
Green Bay is going to need more than a healthy Adams to stay undefeated, though. When the Packers return to work after the bye, they’ll be faced with major challenges in the form of two other unbeaten teams.
First, it’s a trip to Denver for a game with the 6-0 Broncos. Yes, Peyton Manning is struggling mightily with two touchdowns and seven interceptions in his last three games. But, Denver’s defense could be the best in the NFL. The Broncos’ defense is ranked first in the league in sacks, second in yards allowed and second in interceptions.
If Green Bay is able to escape Mile High Stadium, it’s on to Carolina to face the upstart 6-0 Panthers. Fresh off a victory in Seattle, Cam Newton & Co. have continually found ways to win this season.
Those two games will go a long way in finding out just how good the Packers are this season. Winning on the road in consecutive weeks against teams with a combined 11-0 record would be a tremendous accomplishment for Green Bay. It becomes a much more realistic goal thanks to a well-timed bye that should significantly shrink the Packers’ lengthy injury list.
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