Six weeks ago in San Francisco, Green Bay Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga lasted only nine snaps before exiting with an injury during a game that turned into a 37-8 blowout at the hands of the 49ers.
Alex Light, Bulaga’s inexperienced backup at the time, had no chance to survive against Nick Bosa and the 49ers’ dominant defensive front.
Right tackle should be a point of optimism for the Packers as they prepare for a rematch with the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.
Bulaga missed Sunday’s win over the Seattle Seahawks with an illness, but there’s a good chance he’ll be back and ready to play this week. And even if he isn’t, or he’s limited in some way or injured again during the game, the Packers have a much better backup plan than two months ago.
Jared Veldheer, the veteran tackle who was claimed off of waivers in late November and activated to the roster last month, is now Bulaga’s top backup.
Veldheer, who has 113 career starts in the NFL, made an emergency start in place of Bulaga on Sunday and held his own, especially in pass protection.
Coach Matt LaFleur gave Veldheer the ultimate compliment, revealing he never once thought about changing a call or avoiding a concept because of the situation at right tackle. And the Packers offense didn’t miss a beat, converting nine third downs and scoring three touchdowns over three red-zone trips.
The script was mostly the same in Week 17. Veldheer entered the game for an injured Bulaga in the first half and his effectiveness in pass protection allowed the Packers to mount a late comeback without limitations in the passing game.
Maybe the Nov. 24 game would have unfolded a little differently had the Packers possessed a quality backup behind Bulaga like Veldheer.
The hope this time around is that a backup won’t be required.
Bulaga represents one-half of one of the NFL’s best offensive tackle duos. Despite little national recognition, Bulaga quietly shut down several of the league’s best pass-rushers this season, and he’d give the Packers a real shot at slowing down the edge rushers of the 49ers on Sunday.
It’s fair to wonder how the first meeting would have played out from a playcalling standpoint had Bulaga remained in the game. Almost certainly, LaFleur’s menu of playcalls shrunk when Light entered the contest, especially in high-leverage and obvious passing situations.
The return of Bulaga, availability of Veldheer and rise of left tackle David Bakhtiari – who played lights out over the last six games – could make all the difference for the Packers offense. Throw in the continued cohesion of the three interior players – left guard Elgton Jenkins, center Corey Linsley and right Billy Turner, who have started the last 15 games next to one another – and the Packers might have a six-deep offensive line capable of matching the NFL’s best front.
At the very least, it’s going to be a much more competitive battle at the line of scrimmage.
The Packers have to do a lot of things better on Sunday to beat the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium and advance to the Super Bowl. One major improvement must be in protecting Aaron Rodgers. Week 12 was a bloodbath in the passing game and on third down.
With Bulaga likely to return, and Veldheer ready behind him, the Packers should be in a much better position to keep those in red and gold away from No. 12.