The theme of the last month in Packerland has been injuries. It’s been near impossible to discuss the team at all without at least broaching the topic of said injuries. I do understand that fans, myself included, are often looking for excuses to explain away losing streaks like the current one the Packers stuck in. But it would be silly to say the injuries over the last month haven’t played a major role in the team’s 4 game skid. There is good news though. Many of those key players the team lost should be back in full health. Especially on offense, the Green Bay Packers are headed to Chicago at full strength.
To start, the biggest return is obviously Jordan Love. Malik Willis was awesome against Baltimore, but everybody knows that Jordan Love is the team’s best chance at making a playoff run. It all lies on his shoulders. In 2010, the Green Bay Packers had a young quarterback return after missing a late season game due to a concussion. That quarterback went on one of the most unforgettable stretches of elite quarterbacking the game will ever see, and it ended with a Lombardi Trophy. That is the type of standard Love will have to aspire to starting today in Chicago. Thankfully, his health doesn’t seem like it will hold him back. Love was not even listed on the injury report this week, and was a full participant at all practices this week.
The next player to highlight is Josh Jacobs. That man has clearly been playing hurt for quite some time. In a press conference this week Josh said that this is the first time he has felt healthy in 6 weeks. He’s toughed it out as much as he could down the stretch of this season, but getting a healthy Josh Jacobs back should be a huge boost for the Packers today. This is especially true against a Bears defense that can be run on.
Now that he’s healthy and fresh, look for Jacobs to return to his bellcow status. I wouldn’t be surprised to see 20+ carries for Josh in Chicago. There’s no reason to run Wilson or Brooks much in this game. Feed those carries to Josh!
Lastly, and maybe most importantly, is the return of RT Zach Tom. It cannot be understated how important Zach Tom is to the overall performance of this offensive line and this team. For starters, let’s look at the Green Bay Packers record in games Tom played/didn’t play.
Team record when Zach Tom plays the entire game: 8-2 (losses vs. Phi and Car)
Team record when Zach Tom either doesn’t play or exits early with injury: 1-5-1
Obviously those numbers encompass a whole lot more than just the play at RT specifically, but I don’t think they are that flukey either. Zach is truly that important to this Packers team. He is the best run blocker on the team, especially with the zone runs that Lafleur loves. Tom’s ability to get to his spots on these plays is special to watch. If he really is fully healthy again, his return to the lineup could pay massive dividends for this Packers run game.
Today’s game is sure to be an all-time showdown of massive proportions. Green Bay facing a streaking Bears offense with a defense that has been floundering lately, means the Packers may have to win in a shootout. If that’s the case, it’s sure a blessing the team’s 3 most important offensive players are all back and healthy. The big guns are back, let’s get rocking! Go Pack Go!
