Packer Central

Packers-Lions Final Injury Report: Four Starters Questionable

David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, Allen Lazard, Christian Watson and Preston Smith are questionable for the Green Bay Packers for Sunday's game at the Detroit Lions.

Bill Huber

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GREEN BAY, Wis. – Why is David Bakhtiari so good?

“How long you got?” Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said before Friday’s practice.

The five-time All-Pro left tackle is still struggling his way through a long and arduous comeback from a major knee injury. This week, Bakhtiari didn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday and was limited participation on Friday. He is one of four starters who are questionable for Sunday’s game at Ford Field against the Detroit Lions.

That’s the site of his one and only game last year. He was excellent after a year layoff, bolstering the No. 1-seeded Packers’ championship hopes. Instead, two weeks later, he was inactive for the playoff loss against the 49ers.

The injury required a third surgery this offseason. He missed the first two games of this season and was a surprise inactive a couple weeks ago at Washington. On Sunday night at Buffalo, Bakhtiari was back to his spectacular self. He shut down the Bills’ future Hall of Fame pass rusher, Von Miller, and everyone else that lined up across from him.

“There’s very few guys that can do what he’s been able to do in terms of you miss practically a whole year,” LaFleur said. “You can practice maybe not at all during a week and go out and play at a high level. …

“He’s obviously super-talented, but he’s a guy that in many aspects is a self-made guy [with] the work that he’s put in throughout his entire career, and it probably started at a young age. So, I just think he’s obviously very athletic, but I think a lot of it is just how his mind works.”

The Packers will be down one starter. All-Pro linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, who had a big game at Washington but sustained a knee injury in the first half last week, didn’t practice all week and is out. Isaiah McDuffie will get the start and Quay Walker will take over with the communication helmet.

Bakhtiari, left guard Elgton Jenkins (knee/foot), receivers Allen Lazard (shoulder) and Christian Watson (concussion) and outside linebacker Preston Smith (shoulder/neck) are questionable. All five practiced on Friday.

“That’s a good sign but, again, every day is a little unknown,” LaFleur said of Bakhtiari and Jenkins practicing and playing.

Bakhtiari, Jenkins, Lazard and Watson are key cogs in a passing attack the Packers desperately need to get going. The Lions’ pass defense, on the other hand, is the worst in the NFL by opponent passer rating and yards per attempt. As of Friday, Watson, who suffered a concussion on the opening series at Buffalo, remained in the concussion protocol. That he practiced the last two days is a good sign. Lazard, who was inactive at Buffalo, will be a gametime decision.

“He’s a guy that has enough experience,” LaFleur said. “If he’s able to go, then we'll let him. But if he can’t, he can’t.”

For Detroit, No. 2 receiver Josh Reynolds (back) is doubtful and left tackle Taylor Decker, running back D’Andre Swift (ankle/shoulder) and defensive end Charles Harris (groin) are questionable. Decker, Swift and Harris all practiced on Thursday and Friday so should play. Swift is averaging 7.4 yards per carry and Harris led the Lions in sacks last season.

Packers-Lions Injury Report

Packers

Out: LB De’Vondre Campbell (knee), CB Shemar Jean-Charles (ankle).

Questionable: LT David Bakhtiari (knee), LG Elgton Jenkins (knee/foot), WR Allen Lazard (shoulder), OLB Preston Smith (shoulder/neck), WR Christian Watson (concussion).

Lions

Out: CB Chase Lucas (ankle), S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle), OT Matt Nelson (calf), CB A.J. Parker (hip).

Doubtful: WR Josh Reynolds (back).

Questionable: LT Taylor Decker (groin), DE Charles Harris (groin), RB D’Andre Swift (ankle/shoulder), TE Brock Wright (concussion).

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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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