Ahead of their Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Detroit Lions, the Green Bay Packers released their final injury report. Here is what you need to know and the potential impact it all has on this game:
Packers injury report
Jaire Alexander (shoulder) – Questionable
De’Vondre Campbell (neck) – Questionable
Josiah Deguara (hip) – Doubtful
Rudy Ford (biceps) – Questionable
Aaron Jones (knee) – Out
Luke Musgrave (abdomen) – Out (placed on IR)
Darnell Savage (calf) – Out
Dontayvion Wicks (concussion) – Questionable
Emanuel Wilson (shoulder) – Out (placed on IR)
AJ Dillon (groin) – Questionable
As was already mentioned by Matt LaFleur on Tuesday, the Packers are going to be without Luke Musgrave, who suffered a lacerated kidney during Sunday’s game against the Chargers, and has since been place on IR. Somehow, Musgrave played the final 16 snaps of that game without notifying anyone of the injury. LaFleur added that Musgrave did spend time in the hospital earlier this week.
“He’s got a pretty significant injury,” LaFleur said on Tuesday. “I think it just speaks to his toughness, because he didn’t say anything all game, and then something came up.
“It’s been pretty significant,” LaFleur added. “This kid is as tough as they come, and I think that was pretty evident coming out of that Denver game when he hurt his ankle. He was battling to get back into that game and wasn’t happy when they weren’t letting him back in.”
Without Musgrave, Tucker Kraft is going to be thrust into that TE1 role and based on the Packers decision to elevate fullback Henry Pearson from the practice squad for this game, it’s possible that they could be without Josiah Deguara as well, leaving them quite thin at tight end.P can fill that Deguara-like role and played tight end in college.
Aaron Jones, fortunately, escaped major injury on Sunday but is dealing with an MCL sprain. LaFleur said on Tuesday that he did not anticipate Jones needing to go on IR, but did add that him playing Thursday was “highly unlikely.”
”Very relieved,” said LaFleur when asked about Jones. “Very relieved. That’s not anything long-term. So we are just going to work through that.”
Without Jones and Emanuel Wilson being placed on IR, the Packers signed Patrick Taylor off the New England practice squad to the 53-man roster and announced that they also signed James Robinson off their own practice squad to the active roster. AJ Dillon has been on the injury report all week as a limited participant and is questionable.
I’m not even sure what to make of this running back room if Dillon can’t go. He is going to have to shoulder the workload with Taylor handling some third down duties. The Green Bay run game is going to have the daunting challenge of trying to find some sort of success against one of the best run defenses in football. Detroit is allowing just 3.8 yards per rush this season.
Wicks was upgraded to a limited participant on Wednesday, still working his way through concussion protocol, and is listed as questionable. Reed does not have a designation after being added to the injury report on Tuesday. These two, along with Musgrave, have provided that much needed spark to the Packers passing game, turning into go-to targets for Jordan Love while also providing that big play-ability that was missing.
Having both Reed and Wicks available feels like a must for the Packers in what is going to already be a challenging game where moving the ball in the run game won’t come easy. As insurance at receiver, the Packers signed Bo Melton to the 53-man roster.
“They’re playmakers,” said LaFleur of Reed and Wicks on Monday. “They stepped up big today. They are two explosive guys. When you get the ball in their hands they are able to make guys miss and make those plays. Get some explosive pass plays and J-Reed was in the run game a lot. They’re just playmakers.”
Some more positive news is that both Jaire Alexander and Rudy Ford are questionable after practicing all week. In a game where the Packers will likely have to commit an extra defender to the box in an effort to limit the Lions’ run game, being sound on the back-end will be crucial, as this group may face more one-on-one matchups, not to mention that Amon-Ra St. Brown can wreak some havoc.
For what it’s worth, without Dallin Leavitt, and with the elevation of Benny Sapp again, that gives the Packers four safeties at the moment. Ford being active would be the fifth, which is how many they’ve had available in recent weeks. Ford has done well providing stability on the back end, both in coverage and as a tackler.
Lastly, after suffering a sting against the Chargers, De’Vondre Campbell will be questionable—although he was a full participant in Friday’s practice, which is a good sign. If he can’t go, we will see Isaiah McDuffie in his place, who has filled in as a starter on few occasions this season for both Campbell and Quay Walker. Any sort of potential success that the Packers defense is going to have starts with slowing the Detroit run game and limiting their play-action opportunities. The linebackers will, of course, play a key role in that by getting off blocks, filling gaps, and making tackles.