Packers at Lions Inactives: Savage, Austin Active

The Detroit Lions will start a former defensive lineman at right tackle against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

Bill Huber | Dec 13, 2020

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Safety Darnell Savage is active for the Green Bay Packers for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions.

Savage, with three interceptions the past two games, was listed as questionable on Friday. That’s when he was limited participation at practice with a groin injury.

“He’s doing his job and [the ball] finds him,” defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said this week. “That’s sometimes one of the hardest things for those guys to understand. When they get frustrated and they’re trying to make plays, they end up chasing stuff that isn’t there or they end up not doing their job or trying to do somebody else’s. I think he’s the perfect example of, he’s where he’s supposed to be, he has information that he’s prepared, he knows what to expect in certain situations and formations with the opponent, which I think helps him anticipate a little bit, and he’s made the plays that have come to him.”

Also active is running back AJ Dillon, who is fresh off the COVID-19 list, and receiver Tavon Austin will make his Packer debut.

For Green Bay, quarterback Jordan Love, cornerback Ka'dar Hollman, outside linebacker Jonathan Garvin, guard Simon Stepaniak (knee), receiver Malik Taylor (hamstring) and tight end Jace Sternberger (concussion) are inactive.

Josh Jackson, inactive the past two weeks, is back and will take Hollman’s spot on the 53.

For Detroit, right tackle Tyrell Crosby (ankle), receiver Kenny Golladay (hip) and cornerback Jeff Okudah (groin) are inactive. Former Iowa defensive lineman Matt Nelson, an undrafted free agent last year, will start at right tackle. He replaced Crosby last week against Chicago. That seemed like a recipe for disaster, with Nelson tasked to go up against Bears star Khalil Mack. It was an overwhelming victory by … Nelson. While the Lions provided the requisite amount of help, Mack was kept completely off the defensive stat sheet. No sacks, no hits, no tackles.

The Lions not only will be without Okudah but veteran cornerback Desmond Trufant was placed on injured reserve last week.

Published Dec 13, 2020

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.