Printable Page
12/21 19:27 CST Packers monitoring Willis' shoulder issue as well as Love's
progress after OT loss to Bears
Packers monitoring Willis' shoulder issue as well as Love's progress after OT
loss to Bears
By STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer
Jordan Love isn't the only Green Bay quarterback dealing with a health issue as
the Packers attempt to regroup from a brutal 22-16 overtime loss in Chicago
that dealt a major blow to their hopes of winning the NFC North.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Sunday that Malik Willis hurt his shoulder
while playing the majority of the game in place of Love, who's in concussion
protocol after a helmet-to-helmet hit from Austin Booker in the second quarter
of Saturday night's game.
"I'd say he's pretty sore," LaFleur said of Willis. "That's a legitimate deal
that he's dealing with, and he's going to be another guy that we'll see where
he's at as we progress."
The Packers (9-5-1) remain unsure about Love's potential availability for their
home game Saturday with the Baltimore Ravens.
"That's always a tough one to navigate," LaFleur said. "There's a lot of steps
to getting through that. But I do think just my conversations with people, I
have not specifically talked to him today, but it sounded like he was doing
better."
Green Bay's only other quarterback is Clayton Tune, who was signed to the
practice squad in late August. Tune played 13 games and made one start with the
Arizona Cardinals from 2023-24, and he went 14 of 23 for 70 yards with two
interceptions and no touchdown passes.
LaFleur said running back Josh Jacobs and wide receiver Jayden Reed would be
the Packers' two emergency quarterbacks.
Green Bay's injury issues at the quarterback position and elsewhere come at an
inopportune time.
After blowing a 10-point lead in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter
and losing in overtime Saturday, the Packers are 1 1/2 games behind Chicago in
the NFC North race with two weeks left in the season.
If the season ended today, the Packers would end up with the NFC's seventh and
final playoff seed for a third straight year. That's not what the Packers were
expecting when they made the blockbuster trade just before the season to
acquire superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons, who's out for the season after
tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament in a 34-26 loss at Denver that
started Green Bay's two-game skid.
Green Bay did get some good news Sunday when former Packers quarterback Aaron
Rodgers led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 29-24 victory at Detroit. The Lions'
loss means the Packers can clinch a playoff berth by winning just one of their
final two games.
"The great thing about this game is it's bittersweet now," defensive lineman
Rashan Gary said after Saturday's game, "but we've got another opportunity to
erase the taste out of our mouth this week and we have another opportunity to
correct ourselves and still put ourselves where want to be at the end of the
season."
What's working Green Bay controlled possession for nearly 39 minutes in a game that lasted just over 65 minutes. The Packers had a season-high 192 yards rushing, their sixth straight game with at least 115 yards on the ground. In their first full game without Parsons, the Packers kept the Bears out of the end zone for the first 59 1/2 minutes of the game. What needs help Green Bay reached the red zone on five separate occasions and failed to convert any of those opportunities into touchdowns. The Packers also blew a 10-point lead one week after squandering a nine-point, second-half advantage in a 34-26 loss at Denver. The Packers have been outscored 44-20 after halftime over their last two games. A team that has occasionally been prone to special teams breakdowns had its worst mistake of the season when Romeo Doubs was unable to hang on to an onside kick, setting the Bears up for their tying touchdown in the last minute of regulation. Without Parsons on the field, the Packers failed to produce a single sack for a second straight game. Stock up Willis. He again showed he's one of the NFL's most reliable backup quarterbacks. Willis, who went 2-0 as a starter last season, played the majority of this game and guided a ball-control offense that had the Packers in position to win for most of the night even as they struggled to turn scoring opportunities into touchdowns. Stock down While playing through a knee injury, Jacobs mustered just 48 yards from scrimmage (36 rushing, 12 receiving) and lost a fumble on first-and-goal from the 4 in the third quarter. He didn't have another carry the rest of the night. WR Matthew Golden didn't catch a pass for the second time in three games. The rookie first-round pick had no receptions in either of Green Bay's two game with the Bears. CB Keisean Nixon had the coverage on Caleb Williams' 46-yard touchdown pass to D.J. Moore in overtime. An apparent miscommunication between Nixon and CB Nate Hobbs allowed Jahdae Walker to get free for a tying 6-yard touchdown catch on a fourth-and-4 play with 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Injuries The Packers have a major lack of depth at tight end after John FitzPatrick injured his Achilles tendon in a game that Josh Whyle didn't play due to a concussion. Green Bay already is missing Tucker Kraft, who was having a Pro Bowl-caliber season before tearing his ACL last month. RT Zach Tom and S Evan Williams didn't play due to knee injuries. Key number 4 for 48 --- NFL teams had successfully converted just four of their 48 onside kick attempts this season, according to Sportradar, before the Bears managed to recover theirs during their comeback Saturday. Chicago's recovery improved the success rate for the season from 8.3% to 10.2%. Next steps The Packers hope they can get a little healthier before playing for a second straight Saturday. Green Bay closes the regular season Jan. 4 at Minnesota. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl |
