| Packers CB Rod Woodson hasn't played since Week 7. (US Presswire) |
The Packers have been playing without their two biggest defensive stars, DB Charles Woodson and OLB Clay Matthews, for a while now. Woodson was hurt in Week 7 and Matthews in Week 9.
The defense hasn’t exactly collapsed in their absence -- Green Bay has given up an average of 24 points in the three full games it’s played without them, winning two -- but it can only help to get two of the team’s best playmakers back.
Coach Mike McCarthy said Woodson, who broke his collarbone in the Oct. 21 win over the Rams, is close to returning. He suggested the 15-year veteran could play in next week’s game, a Week 15 showdown against the rival Bears.
"Charles is probably, I would think maybe next week would be my guess there," McCarthy said.
Initially, the team thought Woodson would miss about six weeks. This is the sixth week, though McCarthy didn’t sound as though he was going to chance letting the 36-year-old Woodson go Sunday against the Lions.
"If you ask Charles, he’s probably pushing to play this week,” McCarthy said. “There’s some more testing that you have to do to make sure he’s cleared. He has not been cleared yet."
Though he’s itching to get back on the field as soon as possible, Woodson would love nothing more than to get another crack at the Bears and QB Jay Cutler, who he intercepted in the Packers’ Week-2 win earlier this season. The feelings are probably mutual for Cutler, since after the game Woodson said, “It’s the same old Jay. We just need to be in position. Jay will throw us the ball.”
Another key player the Packers hope to have back in the next week or two is Matthews, who hurt his hamstring in the Nov. 4 win against the Cardinals. He’s had hamstring problems in past seasons, so the team is trying to be extra careful with him. Last week, McCarthy didn’t rule out Matthews until after Friday’s practice, when the three-time Pro Bowler had only been able to complete a rehab assignment.
On Monday, McCarthy said Matthews had worked out but he didn’t know the results of that session. It was originally thought that Matthews would only miss a couple of weeks. It’s now been a month. Without him, the pass rush has stagnated. In last week’s 23-14 win over the Vikings, the Packers didn’t register a single sack.
In that same game against Minnesota, Green Bay lost two more starters, this time on the offensive side of the ball. WR Jordy Nelson, who had his own hamstring injury earlier in the season, re-aggravated it and couldn’t continue.
Though McCarthy said he didn’t think Nelson’s injury was “serious in nature,” he all but ruled Nelson out for this week’s game.
“I don’t know how many weeks Jordy would be out,” McCarthy said. “I think he would be pressed hard to play this week. Once we get past the initial couple days and see what we can do on the practice field, those questions will be answered."
McCarthy indicated that Nelson tweaked the hamstring in pregame warm-ups.
“Jordy actually felt something in pregame, so he went back into the training room and then tried to play through it. It’s part of where we are in our season,” McCarthy said. “Our roster has been stressed. The receivers, some of their numbers are up as far as the reps they’re playing. Jordy is a very durable player. But I’m not concerned about it. It’s kind of the way our season has gone so far.”
Speaking of the banged-up receiving corps, Greg Jennings played in his first game since Week 4. He had abdominal surgery on Nov. 1 and played 51 snaps. McCarthy said that was more than he would have liked to play Jennings, who was sore after the game.
Also against the Vikings, OL T.J. Lang, who switched from left guard to right tackle a few weeks ago after Bryan Bulaga went on injured reserve, hurt his ankle in the second quarter
and never returned.
McCarthy said he didn’t consider either player’s injury to be “of a serious nature,” though he feels “probably a little bit better about T.J. than I do about Jordy.” Still, more evaluation is needed.
"I don't really know what T.J.'s case is going to be," McCarthy said. "That's one of the individuals where we're still gathering information. I don't have a feel if T.J.'s going to be ready for this week."
If Lang were to be sidelined for an extended period of time -- or even for Sunday’s game against the Lions -- it would be bad news for the Packers. Undrafted rookie OT Don Barclay stepped in for Lang last week and played passably, but he may not be a long-term fix.
If Lang can’t return this week, McCarthy indicated that the Packers could make a roster move to bring in another offensive lineman.
"When my day starts and ends with a lot of conversations with (general manager) Ted Thompson, obviously we have a lot going on on our active roster," McCarthy said. "We're juggling a number of things right now."
Follow Packers reporter James Carlton on Twitter: @CBSPackers and @jimmycarlton88.