The Green Bay Packers encountered significant challenges during their recent game against the Denver Broncos, which resulted in a 34-26 defeat. The loss was compounded by injuries to key players, including defensive star Micah Parsons and wide receiver Christian Watson. The Packers have the 9th most difficult schedule and at 9-4-1. They’re scrapping to hold their claw on the NFC’s last wild-card playoff slot with the storms of December on the horizon.
In the third quarter of the game, Micah Parsons went down with a left knee noncontact injury. By then, though, he’d already moved the needle tremendously on the course of the game. Johnson had been leading the team with four sacks, three of which he recorded on the drive that caused his injury. The unexpected blow sent shockwaves through the team, as well as the fan base, as they pondered what it meant for the Eagles’ defensive approach in 2023 and beyond.
With Parsons out, Rashan Gary became the man. He fought on the field and in the locker room to create a culture of urgency and accountability. He pointed to the need for more guys on the defensive side of the ball to follow their lead. First, they must fill the shoes Parsons left behind.
“Will be missed on this defense. All I know is — that gives us more guys up front, more opportunities when they come to rush to cause havoc. With his absence, we got to step up front.” – Rashan Gary
Gary’s rallying cry came as the Packers faced not only Parsons’ injury but several others on their roster. After Watson left the game with an apparent shoulder or collarbone injury following a spectacular 81-yard touchdown, that’s when it became the Giants’ game. His absence altered the tenor of the whole operation and quite quickly left the team deficient in consistent offensive synergy.
The injury woes did not stop there. Offensive linemen Zach Tom and Evan Williams both left the game with knee injuries. This left the Packers even more shorthanded. Additionally, tight end Josh Whyle suffered a concussion, while wide receiver Jayden Reed limped off the field during the final drive.
Despite these challenges, LaFleur put on a brave front by declaring that there was no doubt that his team would learn and overcome. He was the first to admit that it would require a team effort to make up for what was lost.
“It’s not going to be one individual that can do that,” – Matt LaFleur
Underscoring that would take all the guys playing to the best of their ability and help each other out, LaFleur mentioned. As far as he’s concerned, these injuries create opportunities for every other player around the league to move into larger roles.
“I think it’s the collective, it’s everybody playing to the best of their ability. And, you know, like I said before, they’re going to have to feed off one another and rally around each other, and it’s going to be opportunities for other guys to get in there, and they’re going to have to be impactful.” – Matt LaFleur
Despite the challenges, safety Xavier McKinney remained optimistic about the team’s depth and ability to cope with Parsons’ potential absence.
“It’s a big loss, but we’ve got good players,” – Xavier McKinney
McKinney further added that he believes in the team’s depth of talent and readiness to adapt should Parsons need to miss time.
“I think we’ll have no problem filling that void if he’s got to miss time. … I think we’ve got plenty of depth in that room and plenty of guys that are playmakers, as well, that we’ll have no problem if he is out.” – Xavier McKinney
Next up, the Packers have a huge showdown with divisional rivals the Chicago Bears on the docket this Saturday night. A good hard-fought win would greatly improve their playoff chances. It would provide them a key tiebreaker edge over their division foes.
The next game is the most important one. The outcome may well determine whether the Packers return to the summit of the North Division. Injuries have introduced a major element of uncertainty into their lineup. It should be interesting to see how well they can build upon one another and address these challenges.
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