Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that right tackle Bryan Bulaga suffered a sprained knee cap against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday and will be “challenged to play” against the Chicago Bears this week.
Bulaga suffered the injury in the first half and was helped to the locker room for evaluation. He returned to the sidelines in the second half but was unable to play. McCarthy said the injury happened to the same knee he sprained earlier in the season but was a different injury. McCarthy couldn’t provide specifics on what exactly a “knee cap sprain” was, either.
If Bulaga can’t go on Sunday, it’ll likely be T.J. Lang who again plays at right tackle with Evan Dietrich-Smith shifting to left guard. The Packers lined up this way after first-round pick Derek Sherrod broke his leg in the second half. McCarthy confirmed that Sherrod already had surgery in Kansas City and is in good spirits. He’ll miss the rest of the season and it’s not unreasonable to think his playing status for early 2012 could be in question.
McCarthy also said that the Packers may make a move by Wednesday to replace Sherrod’s place on the active roster. Tackle Chris Campbell and guard/center Sampson Genus are the two offensive lineman currently on the Packers’ practice squad, but it’s possible the Packers look other places for help. Mark Tauscher’s name has been tossed around, although he’s been out of football for more than a year.
The other news from McCarthy’s press conference Monday is that Chad Clifton will begin individual drills on Wednesday of this week. That obviously doesn’t mean he’ll be ready for Sunday, but it is promising sign for his postseason playing prospects.
——————Zach Kruse is a 23-year-old sports journalist with a passion for the Green Bay Packers. He currently lives in Wisconsin and is working on his journalism degree, while also covering prep sports for The Dunn Co. News.
You can read more of Zach's Packers articles on AllGreenBayPackers.com.
Follow @zachkruse2——————
The Bears D is licking their chops
Please don’t line up EDS and Newhouse on the same side of the ball. For one game Id’ rather see something like this. LT-TJ, LG-EDS, C-Wells, RG- Sitton, RT Newhouse. A lineup like this would at least give some experienced cover to the inexperienced duo (EDS and Newhouse). They’ll probably have to keep a FB and a TE in to help blocking most of the time. If they repeat their erorrs of the KC game you may see Flynn throughout the playoffs.
The Oline must be fixed.
Three guys out of position on the OL? Don’t like that idea at all, Ron.
I agree Al and would think that we’ll see a lot of 2 back sets to help protect and a ton of dink and dunk as we showed last week AR won’t get the time for the deeper balls.
It’s still better than having Newhouse and EDS next to each other on AR’s blind side. The only way the EDS and Newhouse combination will work (maybe) is to have a FB and TE play strong side left every play. Briggs and Peppers will be coming at them on every play. I want AR to survive until Bulaga and hopefully Clifton get back.
If things stay the same MM will have to change his Offensive philosophy completely. Can he do that? I sure hope so.
If there was ever a time for Cliffy to resurrect himself, this is it.
Run Rodgers, RUN!!!
isn’t forest gregg around this part of town???
I’d like to see Packers play with 2-3 TE sets on offense more until a healthy lineman or two are back. Put Crabtree and Finley on the weakest side with Newhouse to help, also makes an option as screen pass receiver also. Rodgers can’t continue to hold the ball too long–it was a flaw in his second season, he improved it second half last year but has gotten beaten up lately for not getting it out. Packers used to be one of best screen pass teams in NFL, time to use it again with rolling pocket and no huddle to keep defense off Rodgers.