I thought this was supposed to be a short week.
Only five days between the last game and the next one has turned into one of the longest and most challenging short weeks in Head Coach Matt LaFleur’s tenure. He has to get an already wounded team, now with minimal but significant cases of COVID-19 ready to play one of the most important regular season games into his two and a half year run.
The 6-1 Packers meet the 7-0 Arizona Cardinals Thursday night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. With only one team in each conference earning a playoff bye, the top NFC seed ramifications loom large especially considering the Buccaneers, Rams and Cowboys have lost only once.
After burning the midnight oil since the final gun in last Sunday’s sixth straight victory, LaFleur has been scrambling over a game plan for a very talented team and now without two wide receivers and an assistant coach. Not just any employees, Pro Bowler Davante Adams, Defensive Coordinator Joe Barry and the latest addition coming today, wide receiver Allen Lazard.
Both Adams and Barry tested positive on Monday. Lazard was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list this afternoon. It’s been reported that Lazard tested positive as a close contact with Adams. However, it’s also been reported Lazard was not vaccinated and under collective bargained protocols, must sit five days. Vaccinated with a positive test, Lazard could have joined the other two able to have two negative PCR tests in 24 hour periods and possibly return to the team. It doesn’t appear likely Adams or Barry will meet protocol thresholds in time.
LaFleur said today Barry’s duties will be handled by secondary coach Jerry Gray. The former NFL defensive coordinator will make the defensive calls from the press box, relay them to linebackers coach Kirk Olividotti who will deliver the call to linebacker De’Vondre Campbell on the field.
As for the wide receivers. Adams, coming off by far his best season in 2020, was on pace to obliterate those gaudy numbers after seven games. Lazard is coming off his best game of this season, a five catch, 60 yard, touchdown effort against Washington. Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been eligible to come off the Injured Reserve List for a week after missing three games with a hamstring pull. LaFleur said today MVS has been running and his activation could come right down to game day. If he isn’t brought up, the top three targets of Aaron Rodgers will be spectating.
That leaves Randall Cobb, Equanimeous St. Brown and Amari Rodgers on the depth chart. In dire need of positive COVID news, Malik Taylor, on the Reserve/COVID-19 list since October 15, was reinstated to the active roster late today giving the offense four receivers. Two options on the practice squad are Juwann Winfree who has already been active for one game, and Chris Blair.
Cobb met the media today and said he’s expecting a larger role in the passing plan. He may have the biggest role but Cobb added he has confidence in St. Brown who made a terrific play in Chicago only have his touchdown catch nullified by a shaky offensive pass interference penalty. Amari Rodgers has been under Cobb’s wing since childhood and Randall told him opportunities like this to make plays is a chance to show coaches you deserve more plays.
If that all sounds pretty bleak, it’s not far off from another dying of thirst for receivers trip to the desert. Anyone remember that Jeff Janis fellow? The Saginaw Valley State flash with a flair for the Hail Mary?
Aaron Rodgers has been down this road before. That road to the home of the Cardinals has led to not one, but two unforgettably, excruciating sudden death playoff exits. One of them with the most unlikely cast of receivers. The 2015 NFC Divisional Playoff ended with Larry Fitzgerald finishing off the Pack with a 75 yard catch and run and a walk off, 5 yard shovel pass. Rodgers begins his recollection though with what remains the highest scoring NFL playoff game in history, the 51-45 overtime shootout in the 2009 Wild Card Round.
The team went through a light workout today, more of a walk through to install the game plan. LaFleur will get them together Wednesday morning for one last session before the team departs.
The estimated injury report listed tackle Dennis Kelly as the only player who did not participate. The limited participants included Kevin King and Preston Smith who may be close to returning. Kenny Clark (ankle) and Dean Lowry (ankle) were limited with newly listed injuries. Rasul Douglas, Josiah Deguara and Hunter Bradley would have been full participants.
