The Green Bay Packers' injury report is looking more like an injury book these days. Even with the impending return of RB Aaron Jones and WR Christian Watson, both of whom are listed as questionable for Thursday night's battle with the Detroit Lions, the Packers are facing an uphill battle to get healthy.
Thankfully, the Packers are not alone in that fight. The football scheduling gods are on their side, and they're determined to give the Packers as much time as possible to recuperate after Thursday night's NFC North slugfest.
After Thursday, the Packers will play one (1) football game over the following twenty-three (23) days.
The Packers will have 10 days off between their Thursday night battle with Detroit and their Monday night battle with the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 9. Then, it's Green Bay's early buy week, essentially giving the team three weeks of minimal game action to get stitched up.
Green Bay Packers have favorable schedule to battle injury woes
The injury report from Green Bay's Wednesday practice was... robust.
LT David Bakhtiari, ILB De'Vondre Campbell, S Zayne Anderson, and G Elgton Jenkins are all listed as out for Thursday night. Jones and Watson are expected to play, but still carry that ominous questionable designation.
As Green Bay slowly nurses a slew of injuries, the upcoming schedule could not be more favorable. There will be some conspiracy theorists who try to draw up a high-ranked scandal in the league office, but this is plain and simple good luck. Green Bay is a national TV darling, so Thursday night and Monday night slots are naturally of interest. Factor in a convenient early buy, and Green Bay doesn't have to play much football over the next month.
That's bad news for the avid Packers fan who will be starved in between meals, but it's great news for a team full of battered pro athletes who desperately need time to rest and recuperate. Thursday will mark Bakhtiari's third straight missed game with knee troubles. Campbell injured his ankle in the Packers' Week 3 win over the Saints.
The winner of Packers-Lions will take sole possession of first place in the wide-open NFC North. The Lions are fresh off a dominant defensive showing against the Atlanta Falcons. The Packers were losing 17-0 to New Orleans last week before Jordan Love authored an impressive 18-0 run to win the game. Both teams are 2-1; with Chicago and Minnesota toiling away at 0-3, Thursday could give us our first taste of who the divisional favorite is.