| Charles Woodson knows the Packers can’t worry about the numerous injuries that have depleted the first units on offense and defense. He said the backups simply have to do what they are paid to do, and that’s step up and perform. (AP) |
The Packers’ win over the Texans on Sunday night could be potentially season-altering in two ways.
It could be the monumental, signature victory that rights the ship for an inconsistent team that has yet to win or lose back-to-back games.
It could also be the game that the Packers lost multiple key players to significant injuries.
Green Bay’s 42-14 win at Houston came at a steep price. Coach Mike McCarthy, who usually withholds any revealing information about the severity of injuries after a game was upfront.
“Unfortunately, we have some potentially serious injuries,” McCarthy said.
Linebacker D.J. Smith and RB Brandon Saine crumpled to the turf and left the game with significant right knee injuries. Both wore grimaces on their faces as they were helped off the field by trainers. In the locker room, they both were on crutches with their knees wrapped.
"We feel the injuries are significant,” McCarthy said of Smith and Saine. “We’ll have to recover from that and move on.”
But that wasn’t all.
Outside linebacker Nick Perry also left the game with a knee injury. Though he was seen walking around and laughing on the sideline during the game, he didn’t return. In the fourth quarter, CB Sam Shields left the game after being kicked in the shin. Before being carted off the field, Shields could be seen angrily slamming his hand against the bench on the sideline, while talking to a trainer.
Even QB Aaron Rodgers had a slight limp as he walked off the field late in the fourth quarter. Rodgers’ leg was receiving medical attention on the sideline after he departed, though it didn’t appear serious.
The specifics and severity of the injuries won’t be known until McCarthy addresses the media late on Monday, and even then he may not have or provide much information.
Coming into the game against Houston, Green Bay was already without top WR Greg Jennings, who’s been resting a lingering groin injury he suffered in the season opener and re-aggravated a few weeks later. He’s had multiple setbacks in his recovery and won’t play until the groin is fully healed. B.J. Raji also sat out the Texans game because of an ankle injury that kept him from practicing at all last week. Jennings and Raji were both Pro Bowl players last season.
That’s not all. Starting RB Cedric Benson is out at least six weeks with a foot injury that landed him on the new injured reserve/designated for return list. Tight end D.J. Williams pulled his hamstring last Wednesday. Though it isn’t considered a serious injury it’s one that can’t be rushed back or it could flare up again.
And don’t forget the Packers lost defensive leader Desmond Bishop for the season in training camp, when he suffered a bad hamstring injury. Smith replaced Bishop, but now with both potentially out for the year, Brad Jones, Rob Francois, Jamari Lattimore and Terrell Manning will have to step up and fill in at ILB.
“It hurts, but who’s going to feel sorry for us?” S Charles Woodson said in an ESPNMilwaukee.com story. “We’ve still got games to play, and nobody’s going to care who we’ve got in the lineup. So there’s going to be some guys who have to come in and play a significant amount of snaps, and that’s just the way it is. And we expect them to come in and play well.”
Follow Packers reporter James Carlton on Twitter: @CBSPackers and @jimmycarlton88.