Packers at Falcons Final Injury Report: Will Watson and Jones Play?

Will Aaron Jones, Christian Watson or Quay Walker be available for the Green Bay Packers when they face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday?

Author:
Bill Huber
Updated:
Sep 15, 2023 3:48 PM EDT
Original:
Sep 15, 2023

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Will Christian Watson and Aaron Jones, the Green Bay Packers’ two most explosive playmakers on offense, be available for Sunday’s Week 2 game at the Atlanta Falcons?

The answer to that question was a mystery based on Friday’s practice and will be going into Sunday. They are two of the four starters who are questionable on Friday’s injury report, coach Matt LaFleur said after practice.

Jones and Watson, who sat out practices on Wednesday and Thursday due to hamstring injuries, ran out of the Don Hutson Center following Friday’s pre-practice stretch to participate in the final practice of the week. However, Jones came back inside the Hutson Center as reporters were being walked to the exit. Jones’ helmet was on as he talked to a trainer.

Watson was limited participation, his first practice since Aug. 31, and Jones did not practice.

If Watson and Jones are unable to play, the Packers, obviously, would be severely short-handed on offense against a Falcons defense that allowed 10 points in a Week 1 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

“Yeah, just have to move on to the next guy,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said on Thursday. “That’s the thing about the NFL: You talk about it with the players – everyone’s got to be ready because, at some point during the season, your opportunity’s going to get called on and we’ve just got to be ready to go no matter who’s in there.

“We may not have some things if Aaron Jones isn’t playing, obviously, but we may have others for other guys. It’s just balancing it out and always trying to get the ball to your best playmakers.”

Jones was a game-changer against Chicago. His string of successful runs set up Green Bay’s opening touchdown, his 51-yard screen set up his scoring run for the second touchdown and his 35-yard catch-and-run on a fourth-and-3 accounted for the third touchdown.

Watson sat out the Chicago game; in his absence, six players caught at least two passes as Jordan Love finished the week ranked No. 1 in passer rating. Jones had the two big catches to finish with a team-high 86 receiving yards and Romeo Doubs scored a career-high two touchdowns.

Linebacker Quay Walker, whose availability could be a major factor against the Falcons’ elite running game, practiced as limited participation on Thursday and again on Friday. He remains in the concussion protocol but working on back-to-back days is a positive indicator. He is questionable, as well.

“You always want to have your good players and your best players absolutely available,” defensive coordinator Joe Barry said on Friday. “He’s doing good. He’s doing all the things that he has to do from a progression in the protocol. Tomorrow will be a new day and hopefully we’ll have good news.”

Other than Jones and left tackle David Bakhtiari, the fourth player who is questionable, all the players practiced.

Bakhtiari was not on the final injury report last week and did not have a setback. “I think that’s just the nature of the best. He’ll probably be questionable all year,” LaFleur said.

Receiver Romeo Doubs, who was questionable last week with a hamstring but scored two touchdowns, was not given an injury designation. He was full participation at practice.

Speaking before the Falcons’ practice on Friday, coach Arthur Smith ruled out starting linebacker Troy Andersen due to a concussion. Andersen, a second-round pick in 2022, had 10 tackles while playing all but one snap against Carolina. Nate Landman, an undrafted free agent in 2022 who has not played in a regular-season game, could get the start.

Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson, one of the greatest kickoff returners in NFL history, is off the injury report and will be available.