Packer Central

Packers-Bills Final Injury Report: Gary Questionable, Gets Favorable Matchup

The Green Bay Packers will face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night without their two top receivers, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb.

Bill Huber

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GREEN BAY, Wis. – Outside linebacker Rashan Gary, receiver Christian Watson, left tackle David Bakhtiari and left guard Elgton Jenkins are questionable for the Green Bay Packers’ game at the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.

All four practiced on Friday. Assuming they play, they would play vital roles as the slumping Packers, losers of three consecutive games, will face what might be the best team in the NFL.

With Allen Lazard (shoulder) out and Randall Cobb (ankle) on injured reserve, coach Matt LaFleur didn’t hide from the reality that the Packers could use an impact from rookie receiver Christian Watson. Watson, however, missed the last two games with a twice-injured hamstring, and the Packers need to show some caution so that a troublesome injury doesn’t become a longer-term issue.

“We certainly do need him,” LaFleur said. “But you’re not going treat it any differently than if those guys were available. That’s not fair to the player or our team, and especially with just kind of his history so far, we want to make sure that he’s good to go before we put him out there.”

Given what happened last week, when Bakhtiari was off the injury report on Friday, added as questionable on Saturday and ruled out on Sunday, the former All-Pro figures to be questionable the rest of the season because of his troublesome knee.

Whether it’s Bakhtiari, Zach Tom or a rotation of the two, the left tackle will face a big challenge. The Bills feature the No. 1-ranked pass rush in terms of sack percentage. Veteran Von Miller, who is tied for fifth in the NFL with six sacks, has taken 62.3 percent of his pass-rushing snaps from the defense’s right side or against the left tackle, according to Pro Football Focus.

Following their bye, the Bills are mostly healthy. There’s one exception: right tackle Spencer Brown is out with an ankle injury. According to PFF, Brown has allowed team highs of two sacks and 12 total pressures. Veteran David Quessenberry, a 17-game starter for the Titans last season, is expected to take Brown’s place.

In an overall matchup in which the Packers will take any advantage they can get, Gary could be the prime beneficiary. According to PFF, 64.5 percent of his pass-rushing snaps have come from the defense’s left side or against the offensive right tackle. Gary leads the Packers with six sacks and 28 total pressures, according to PFF.

While still in the concussion protocol as of Friday morning, Gary practiced as limited participation on Thursday and full participation on Friday.

“There was still another box he had to check but it was trending that way [toward playing],” LaFleur said before Friday’s practice.

Following a familiar trend as he deals with an injured thumb, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn’t practice on Wednesday, was full participation on Thursday and Friday, and deemed good to go for Sunday.

“If it’s feeling good, probably won’t tape it,” he said on Wednesday. “But if I need a little reinforcement, then I will.”

Only Lazard and cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles didn’t practice. Both players are out.

Packers-Bills Final Injury Report

Packers

Out: WR Allen Lazard (shoulder), CB Shemar Jean-Charles (ankle).

Questionable: WR Christian Watson (hamstring), OLB Rashan Gary (concussion), LT David Bakhtiari (knee), LG Elgton Jenkins (knee.

Bills

Out: RT Spencer Brown (ankle).

Questionable: RB Taiwan Jones (knee).

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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.

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