Packers injuries becoming factor this season
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Green Bay -- In the National Football League, it is the greatequalizer.
It can drive high expectations into the ground and turn a seasoninto dust before it even has a chance to take shape.
Injury is not something to be taken lightly.
Since coach Mike McCarthy arrived, the Green Bay Packers havebeen one of the healthiest teams in the NFL, avoiding the kind ofmass injury that has derailed the hopes of so many teams. In twoyears, starters have missed a total of 30 games. If you asked aroundthe league, others would be willing to trade their stadiums for suchnumbers.
This year, things have been a little different.
Though the Packers haven't suffered a season-ending injury to anyof their top 53 players since training camp began, they have beenbeat up. Through Week 3, starters have missed a total of six gamesand a good part of four others.
Last year through three games, the only starter to miss any timewas wide receiver Greg Jennings, who sat out the first two becauseof a hamstring pull. Safety Atari Bigby (hamstring) , fullback Korey Hall (knee), center Scott Wells (pinched nerve) and right guard Josh Sitton (knee) already have missed games, and cornerback Al Harris(spleen) and possibly safety Nick Collins (back) will be added tothe list today.
What's more, running back Ryan Grant has been playing at lessthan full speed because of a hamstring injury; No. 2 tight end Tory Humphrey played one play against Dallas because of a knee injury;and No. 3 receiver James Jones (knee) has missed one game and partsof another, and probably won't play this week, either.
After two years of ducking the injury bug, it's possible the oddshave finally caught up to the Packers.
"I'd hate to look at it that way, that your time is up and you'reheaded for a rough year," said strength and conditioning coach Rock Gullickson. "When you take an injury and really look at it, manytimes there is a reason for it."
Grant's injury has been one of the most frustrating because hearrived at training camp in top condition even though he missed aweek waiting for his contract to get done. When Grant came back,Gullickson said, he was gung-ho about being in camp and went so hardhe pulled his hamstring in his third practice.
That is one of those injuries Gullickson can explain. Others,particularly the number of hamstring pulls, are befuddling.
"Talking to some of my peers around the league, it seems likewe're all going through this right now," Gullickson said. "It seemsto be mostly guys nicked up, not a lot of guys who are out for along time. There's a lot of discussion about what are some of thethings we can do."
