Clay Matthews Injury, The Green Bay Packers are coming to Ford Field this Sunday a wounded bunch. During a conference call Wednesday with Detroit media, coach Mike McCarthy confirmed linebacker Clay Matthews would not be available for the game.
"I don't think you could ever measure what Clay Matthews means to your football team," McCarthy said. "He's clearly one of the best defensive players in the game, in my opinion. He's a dynamic player. He's someone we try to do a lot with. He gives us excellent flexibility schematically."
Matthews (hamstring) is one of several key starters who will be out of action for the Packers this week. Greg Jennings and Charles Woodson also remain on the shelf. Jennings had surgery on an abdominal muscle at the end of October and Woodson is recovering from a broken collarbone.
Green Bay also lost starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga for the season to a hip injury, a significant blow to an offensive line that has surrendered 29 sacks, the second-most in the NFL.
To deal with the loss, Green Bay will move guard T.J. Lang to right tackle and insert backup Evan Dietrich-Smith into the starting lineup.
"T.J. Lang is a hell of a football player," McCarthy said. "He's really one of the up-and-coming leaders on our football team. He has the ability to play four positions on the offensive line, probably five if you ask T.J. We've repped him some at center. He gives us great versatility and he looks pretty natural out there at the right tackle position."
On a positive note, the Packers are expecting to get leading receiver Jordy Nelson back.
"Yeah, I thought Jordy looked like his normal self today in practice," McCarthy said. "I'm hopeful we're past his ankle injury."
Nelson has 40 receptions for 532 yards and five touchdowns this season. In the 2011 season finale against the Detroit Lions last season, he had a career-day, catching nine passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns.
"I don't think you could ever measure what Clay Matthews means to your football team," McCarthy said. "He's clearly one of the best defensive players in the game, in my opinion. He's a dynamic player. He's someone we try to do a lot with. He gives us excellent flexibility schematically."
Matthews (hamstring) is one of several key starters who will be out of action for the Packers this week. Greg Jennings and Charles Woodson also remain on the shelf. Jennings had surgery on an abdominal muscle at the end of October and Woodson is recovering from a broken collarbone.
Green Bay also lost starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga for the season to a hip injury, a significant blow to an offensive line that has surrendered 29 sacks, the second-most in the NFL.
To deal with the loss, Green Bay will move guard T.J. Lang to right tackle and insert backup Evan Dietrich-Smith into the starting lineup.
"T.J. Lang is a hell of a football player," McCarthy said. "He's really one of the up-and-coming leaders on our football team. He has the ability to play four positions on the offensive line, probably five if you ask T.J. We've repped him some at center. He gives us great versatility and he looks pretty natural out there at the right tackle position."
On a positive note, the Packers are expecting to get leading receiver Jordy Nelson back.
"Yeah, I thought Jordy looked like his normal self today in practice," McCarthy said. "I'm hopeful we're past his ankle injury."
Nelson has 40 receptions for 532 yards and five touchdowns this season. In the 2011 season finale against the Detroit Lions last season, he had a career-day, catching nine passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns.
