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Packers look to win a title without David Bakhtiari

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David Bakhtiari

The Green Bay Packers have shuffled the deck on their offensive line all season long.  They’ll have to do it again on Sunday against the Chicago Bears, as well as the playoffs and even well into next season too after losing left tackle David Bakhtiari with a torn ACL.

The first team All-Pro tackle suffered the injury in practice on Thursday and comes just six weeks after Bakhtiari signed a contract extension that made him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the history of the game.

The Packers are expected to move Billy Turner to left tackle and Elgton Jenkins to right tackle, if Rick Wagner isn’t ready to return.  If Wagner can play, then Elgton Jenkins would likely remain at left guard and Lucas Patrick at right guard.  If Wagner isn’t ready, then rookie Jon Runyan and Lucas Patrick would likely man the guard positions.

If the Packers beat the Bears on Sunday, they’ll secure the top overall seed in the NFC playoffs which will include a first round bye.  That will give the Packers more time to prepare their offensive line for a Super Bowl run.

Packers lose Lane Taylor for the season

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Lane Taylor

The Green Bay Packers had to do some shuffling on their offensive line prior to last Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.  They’ll have to do more this week against the Detroit Lions.

Lane Taylor went down with a right knee injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game at Minnesota.  After undergoing an MRI on Monday, Taylor learned the injury would require surgery and force him to miss the rest of the season.

“My heart goes out to him,” Coach Matt LaFleur said Monday.  “Just battling back from the significant injury that he had last year (torn biceps) and to get to a position where he was in our starting lineup, certainly he will be missed.  I feel bad for him as an athlete, as a man.”

The Packers also lost Lucas Patrick (shoulder), who started the game at left guard.  That meant Elgton Jenkins, who started the game at right tackle, moved back to his normal position at left guard.  Rookie Jon Runyan replaced Taylor at right guard and Rick Wagner entered the game at right tackle.  Wagner (former Badger) has seven years of NFL experience as a starter and performed well.

Many teams would have experienced turmoil with that much change during a game, but the Packers handled the shuffling well.  Quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn’t sacked the entire game, which is a great sign for any offensive line, let alone a line that had to undergo some major changes right in the middle of a game. [Read more…]

Packers display plenty of offense in season opening win (AUDIO)

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Packers beat Vikings in empty U.S. Bank Stadium

When the Green Bay Packers didn’t draft a wide receiver in the NFL Draft, many thought the Packers offense would be in trouble.  But a second year in Matt LaFleur’s system appears to be more important, at least after the first week of the new season.

Aaron Rodgers completed 32-of-44 for 364 yards and four touchdowns in the Packers 43-34 season opening win over the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.  Two of the four touchdown receptions were to the Packers number-one receiver, Davante Adams.  Adams was targeted 17 times and caught 14 passes, tying Don Hutson’s 1942 franchise record of 14 receptions in a single game.

Rodgers also tossed touchdown passes to Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard, finishing with a quarterback rating of 127.5.  His four touchdown passes moved him past Eli Manning and into seventh place on the all-time list with 368.

It was a dominating offensive performance for the Packers, who racked up 522 total yards of offense in the win.  They [Read more…]