Chris Thompson vs. the Linebackers

I’m not worried about Adrian Peterson. I’m just not. Yes, the man is a freak of nature. The level that he is playing at coupled with age is an incredibly anomaly in the history books of the NFL. But, AD isn’t the player he used to be. And, the Packers have played and bottled him up several times before. I am more concerned about the receiving threat of Chris Thompson.

The lack of quality players, and speed, at the linebacker position could really hurt this Green Bay defense on Sunday. Thompson is a playmaker, plain and simple. Quarterback Alex Smith trusts him and Thompson is a key part of this offensive game-plan. Thompson will get opportunities to make plays and the Packers may not have the speed at linebacker to deal with him. This all changes, however, if rookie Oren Burks is able to play.

Oren Burks is dealing with a shoulder injury and has yet to make his first career regular season start. The speed that Burks possess is game-changing. It is game-changing from both the offensive and defensive scheming standpoints. Burks’ presence could make this a moot point, but until then, Thompson is in-line to be a major factor in this game.

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