This afternoon, the Green Bay Packers will host the Detroit Lions in an NFC North battle at Lambeau Field. However, both teams' defenses will be shorthanded in this game, as key players on both sides are inactive for today's game.
Five of the Packers' seven inactive players are critical members of the defense - four starters plus a fifth who plays starter's snaps. The team's front seven was hit especially hard this week, as Letroy Guion and linebackers Clay Matthews and Datone Jones will all miss the game.
These injuries will likely thrust young linebackers like Jayrone Elliott and Kyler Fackrell into prominent roles today to help balance keep Julius Peppers' snap count down.
Given all of these injuries, the Packers' week 4 bye next week might be coming at just the right time.
Packers Inactives
- S Morgan Burnett
- QB Joe Callahan
- DT Letroy Guion
- OLB/DE Datone Jones
- OLB Clay Matthews
- OT Kyle Murphy
- CB Sam Shields
Meanwhile, the Lions' defense is nearly as battered, with several starters out for their defense as well. No Ziggy Ansah or DeAndre Levy will mean some more advantageous matchup s for the Packers' offense today in the middle of the field.
Lions Inactives
- DE Ezekiel Ansah
- CB Adairius Barnes
- TE Orson Charles
- G Joe Dahl
- LB DeAndre Levy
- OT Cornelius Lucas
- LB Antwione Williams