Atlanta at Green Bay, Week 5
Sunday, 1 p.m.
The Packers are concerned about quarterback Aaron Rodgers's shoulder, which made him one of 14 players listed on their injury report. Perhaps they also should be concerned about running back Ryan Grant's ability to shoulder the load.
Rodgers landed hard on his shoulder while getting tackled last week by Tampa Bay's Elbert Mack. He actually stayed in the game and threw a touchdown pass to Greg Jennings, then was replaced by backup Matt Flynn, then returned briefly before leaving the game for good. Coach Mike McCarthy said that Rodgers was in "pretty intense pain" but that tests revealed no major damage. The Packers certainly hope the quarterback can go, because behind him are two rookies, Flynn and Brian Brohm, and the last thing Green Bay wants is to trot out someone even less experienced than Atlanta's newbie signal-caller, Matt Ryan. Besides, in Rodgers' initial campaign as ironman Brett Favre's replacement, it just wouldn't do to miss a game because of injury. Not that Rodgers is trying to use his predecessor's legendary toughness as motivation. "I've played with some serious injuries before, so that's personal pride. I don't need any extra fuel to play," he said.
Not playing will be defensive end Cullen Jenkins, who is out for the season with a chest injury, and cornerback Al Harris is out with a spleen injury.
The Packers are also hoping that injury is to blame for Grant's slow start and not anything more sinister. He was supposed to have been fully recovered from a bad hamstring in time for the Buccaneers game, but he only totaled 20 yards on 15 carries, and he added a costly fumble to the dreadful outing. After coming out of nowhere to give Green Bay's rushing attack a huge lift last season, Grant has seen it bog down this year at 23rd overall, and his team may be thinking of working 2007 second-round Brandon Jackson into the mix a little more.
The Falcons have an established, and talented, pecking order at running back with Michael Turner ahead of Jerious Norwood. What they would like to see is Turner turning in a few big plays on the road, starting, oh, this week. He is averaging 162 yards on the ground per home game, but only 49 in enemy territory. He'll have to do better than that to help Ryan, who at least can count on wideout Roddy White. The fourth-year receiver is on pace to become the first Falcon to record consecutive 1,200-yard seasons.
By
Desmond Bieler
|
October 3, 2008; 8:00 AM ET
| Category:
Game Previews Week 5
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