NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

Green Bay Packers: Damarious Randall Injury Hurts Secondary

By Lauren Lapaglia

Sep 25, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers player Damarious Randall runs after intercepting a pass against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: William Glasheens/The Post-Crescent via USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers player Damarious Randall runs after intercepting a pass against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: William Glasheens/The Post-Crescent via USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

While cornerback Damarious Randall showed up on the Green Bay Packers Friday injury report, the Pack hope to get several key starters back in Week 5

Much like the rest of the NFL, the Green Bay Packers have been hit by the injury bug this season. Although it’s not as serious as some of the other teams, some key components have been missing from the Packers defense.

When Green Bay released their weekly injury report on Wednesday, there were both familiar and new faces. However, there were also promising signs.

Both tight end Jared Cook (ankle) and cornerback Sam Shields (concussion) didn’t practice, which is relatively expected given their recent ailments. Defensive tackle Letroy Guion (knee), linebacker Clay Matthews (ankle/hamstring), and cornerback Damarious Randall (groin) were all limited participants. Meanwhile, safety Morgan Burnett, linebacker Datone Jones, and fullback Aaron Ripkowski were all full-participants.

The Packers are coming off of a bye week. With the rest, head coach Mike McCarthy was expecting most of his defense to return to full strength. Four of Green Bay’s five inactive players from Week 3 practiced Wednesday, which is progress towards seeing them on the field Monday night.

Moreover, the Friday injury report at the end of the week gave a better picture of the situation. Burnett, Jones, and Ripkowski were all full participants. Cook and Shields were predictably ruled out. Meanwhile, Matthews and Randall were limited participants once again. Perhaps the biggest key, though, is that Matthews had no game status listed while Randall was listed with the dreaded questionable tag.

Green Bay’s secondary will be hurting if starting cornerback Damarious Randall continues to be limited. This is the second injury of the season for Randall, who dealt with a thumb injury in Week 2. Randall joins Shields as another missing piece in the Packers secondary. Here’s what Mike McCarthy said about Shields on Monday:

"“I think our medical staff has done a great job, and Sam has an excellent support group,” McCarthy said regarding Shields’ recovery and his future. “No stone has been left unturned. I think we have a very good handle on the why and how, and the process for him to come back.”"

The Packers have looked good this season with a banged up secondary, even though they have let one loss slip through. The New York Giants will head to Lambeau field Sunday night. Clearly, their secondary will be banged up and have their work cut out for them. As long as they don’t sustain too many more injuries, they look to be in a position to pull off a win.

Home/Green Bay Packers