Aaron Banks is back on the practice field, and Matt LaFleur is in no hurry to hand him his old job. Asked Wednesday how the Green Bay Packers will handle the line once Banks is healthy, the coach said the guard spots are open. “I would say it’s going to be pretty fluid,” LaFleur said. “We got to see where he’s at. He hasn’t practiced in a really long time, and I think those other guys have come in and done a really good job.”
The 3-2 Packers host the 2-3 Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football at Lambeau Field on October 18, coming off a 31-7 rout of the Chicago Bears in which Jordan Love completed 25 of 31 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns.
Banks limited, both guard jobs open
Banks, signed last year to be the starting left guard, has been dealing with knee and toe injuries since the start of the season. He was limited on Wednesday’s injury report. Laken Tomlinson has started the last two games at left guard, with Travis Glover at right guard.
LaFleur gave the same one-word answer when asked whether right guard would go to veteran Kevin Zeitler once he is ready. “Fluid. Those guys are playing pretty well right now,” he said, pointing to a Dallas front that includes Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams. “It could be a week-to-week thing.”
Four tackles and a question mark
The bigger worry is inside on defense. Javon Hargrave is out for the season with a torn Achilles, and Jonathan Ford (calf) did not practice. Devonte Wyatt (ankle), Anthony Campbell (ankle) and Jordon Riley, who is in his 21-day practice window after an Achilles injury, were all limited.
Campbell has missed three games, and LaFleur would not commit to him for Sunday. “If he’s ready to go, he’ll be in there. If not, we’ll have to get somebody else ready to play,” he said. Asked whether the Packers could get through a game with only four defensive tackles, LaFleur said, “Potentially. I mean, that would be less than ideal.”
Cornerbacks Keisean Nixon (groin) and Benjamin St-Juste (hamstring) and receiver Skyy Moore (ankle) also did not practice. Edge rusher Lukas Van Ness (shoulder) was a full participant.
“A ton of growth” from Hopper
Third-year linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper has stepped into a bigger role since Edgerrin Cooper’s Achilles injury, and LaFleur said the coaches saw it coming. “I’ve seen a ton of growth,” he said. “We kind of saw this coming throughout the course of OTAs and then certainly into training camp. That’s a guy that we envisioned when we drafted him.” He credited Hopper’s preparation, fundamentals and ability to diagnose plays. “If you ever want to make plays in this league, you better be able to anticipate what’s coming.”
LaFleur was just as direct about Zaire Franklin. “I love his mentality. He loves to come in and put the work in, and he demands a lot of himself,” he said. “I think he’s a really good leader for us.”
Golden on punts, and play action
Second-year receiver Matthew Golden could keep returning punts, but LaFleur said that will be decided week to week because Golden is “so valuable as a wide receiver for us.” Golden had six catches for a career-high 123 yards against Chicago.
LaFleur also joked that a reporter’s question last week inspired the play-action plan that worked so well against the Bears. He said it still came down to execution, starting with protection, and singled out Christian Watson for reading the coverage correctly on his long touchdown up the middle.
Respect for Christian Parker
LaFleur worked with Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker earlier in his Green Bay tenure and was asked about a Dallas defense that ranks near the bottom of the league. “Christian’s a great human. Extremely intelligent,” he said. “When I watch them on tape, I see a really good defense. They’ve gotten beat on some really fluky things,” LaFleur added, pointing to Bucky Irving’s 72-yard run last Thursday. “Having 10 days to prepare and get some things corrected, I would expect them to do that.”
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