The bye week could not have come at a better time for the Green Bay Packers. They are scuffling, losing two straight games to the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football and Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football.
The bye week gave them a chance to regroup and reset with young quarterback Jordan Love, who has looked like a first-time starter in the last two games. Time off also gave the team a chance to get healthier, as the Packers were dealing with a number of injuries.
Running back Aaron Jones was able to get on the field after being held out of the game against the Raiders. Unfortunately, just as he is rounding into shape to return to the lineup, two of his teammates headed to the sidelines.
After dealing with many injuries on the offensive side of the ball, this time the Packers are missing players on defense, two starters at that. Adding insult to injury, they play the same position as well.
Linebackers De’Vondre Campbell and Quay Walker were absent from practice to start the week. Campbell has missed the last two games because of an ankle injury while Walker was able to play only 17 snaps against Las Vegas because of a knee injury.
Those are the only two players on the team’s 53-man roster who did not participate, which is good. Safeties Darnell Savage Jr. and Zayne Anderson were both taking part in practice. Savage missed a majority of the second half against the Raiders with a calf injury and Anderson has been inactive for the last three weeks with a hamstring injury.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said that he was “hopeful” Walker and Savage would be back in the lineup for this week’s game against the Denver Broncos. Cautious optimism was expressed when talking about Campbell’s availability in Week 7 prior to the team’s matchup against the Raiders in Week 5.
This could be the healthiest the Packers have been all season if Campbell and Walker are cleared to play. They have been without key players in each game this season, but that could change against the Broncos coming out of the bye week.
