Packer Central

Packers-Cowboys Friday Injury Update: Limping Offensive Line

The Green Bay Packers for the second consecutive day practiced without three of their top seven offensive linemen.

Bill Huber

The view from the Don Hutson Center on Friday.
The view from the Don Hutson Center on Friday. / Bill Huber/Packers On SI
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers will face one of the worst defenses in the NFL when they play at the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

Will Green Bay have enough competent offensive linemen to take advantage?

Three of the Packers’ top seven offensive linemen – right tackle Zach Tom (oblique), left guard Aaron Banks (groin) and rookie offensive tackle Anthony Belton (ankle) – did not go out for the start of practice on Friday.

Tom suffered his injury during the second half of the Week 1 game against Detroit. After sitting out Week 2 against Washington, he tried to play through the injury last week at Cleveland but made it through only one snap. He is not expected to play.

Banks suffered a groin injury late in the Week 1 game against Detroit and was inactive for Week 2. He made it through the first half last week before sitting out the rest of the game. He was talking to a trainer after the rest of the team went out for practice.

Belton, who started for Tom against Washington and played the second half last week, suffered an ankle injury at practice on Wednesday.

“I don’t think it’s long-term, no, but will not be playing this week,” coach Matt LaFleur said before Friday’s practice.

If the injured players don’t play against Dallas, the Packers might go with Rasheed Walker at left tackle, Jordan Morgan at left guard, Elgton Jenkins at center, Sean Rhyan at right guard and Darian Kinnard at right tackle.

The Packers traded for Kinnard just before final cuts. A fifth-round pick in 2022, he could be making just the second start of his career, though he’s played reasonably well in 36 snaps this season.

“I think he’s done a nice job,” LaFleur said. “I think he gets better every day. He gets more comfortable with what we’re asking him to do. Even in the limited snaps he’s played for us, I think he’s done all right.”

The Packers went through four right tackles last week alone. If Tom, Banks and Belton are out, meaning Morgan, and Kinnard would have to start, the only reserves on the bench would be Donovan Jennings, an undrafted free agent last year, and Brant Banks, an undrafted free agent this year who was promoted from the practice squad this week. On the practice squad are Dalton Cooper, who was added after final cuts, and Lecitus Smith, who was re-signed this week.

Of those four, only Smith has played in a regular-season game.

“The thing is, you can’t make excuses,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “Because winning and losing, that’s what it’s all about. And these guys just go out there and the expectation is for the position.”

Dallas’ pass rush has been lackluster without Micah Parsons, but rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku has quickly improved, the Cowboys’ coaches said this week.

“He’s getting better and better in this system and in our style,” Dallas defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus told reporters on Thursday. “He’s improving and really ask the question: what is he improving? He’s doing a really good job of working on the edges. He’s getting closer and learning how to rush in this league, and I’m excited about his future.”

On the bright side for Green Bay, safety Javon Bullard, who suffered a concussion last week during a late-game collision with Quay Walker, practiced for a second consecutive day. While he remains in the concussion protocol, that he practiced again is a good sign that he’ll be ready for Sunday.

Defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt (knee), who missed the end of last week’s game, practiced all week and should be ready, as well.

For the Cowboys, receiver CeeDee Lamb and right guard Tyler Booker will be out with high-ankle sprains. Cornerbacks Trevon Diggs (knee) and DaRon Bland (foot) progressed to full participation on Thursday and should be ready.

Here is a look at the final injury reports.

Packers Final Injury Report

Out: OT Anthony Belton (ankle), RT Zach Tom (oblique).

Doubtful: LG Aaron Banks (groin),

Questionable: S Javon Bullard (concussion).

Cowboys Final Injury Report

Out: RG Tyler Booker (ankle), WR CeeDee Lamb (ankle).

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.