Sports Time Radio

The Green Bay Packers face of against the undefeated Arizona Cardinals this Thursday. So not only is it a short week for both of these teams, but the Packers are going to go into the game short handed do to Covid-19.

On Monday it was announced that Green Bay’s top wide receiver and one of the top wide receivers in the NFL Davante Adams tested positive for Covid-19 and was placed on the NFL’s reserve/Covid-19 list. Then yesterday the Packers announced that one of their other wide receivers Allan Lazard would be joining Adams on the NFL’s reserve/Covid-19 list as he tested positive yesterday. .

Adams is the Packers leading receiver with 52 receptions for 744 yards and 3 touchdowns. Now it’ not a big surprise that Adams is the Packers top receiver, but Lazard is actually the Packers second leading wide receiver with 15 receptions for 184 yards and 2 touchdowns.

It looks like the Packers will have to go into Arizona to face the Cardinals without their top two wide receivers. There is a sight chance that Adams and Lazard could be available. They would need to have two consecutive negative Covid-19 tests and be asymptomatic to be eligible to play Thursday night, but there’s a very slim chance of that actually happening.

So without Adams and Lazard; what does that leave the Packers? Well Randall Cobb returned to the team this off season and has 14 receptions for 179 yards and 2 touchdowns this season, but after Cobb it’s pretty thin unless Marquez Valdes-Scantling is healthy enough to be activated off of injured reserve for Thursday nights game.

Valdes-Scantling appeared in three games before he was sidelined with a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve. Valdes-Scantling had 6 receptions for 76 yards and 1 touchdown in the three games he played in this season, but if he can return it would be a big help to the Packers depleted wide receiver corps.

The Packers also have Equanimeous St. Brown, but Brown has just 3 targets and 1 reception for 0 yards in the 5 games he’s played in this season. Of course if Adams and Lazard are out and Valdes-Scantling isn’t healthy enough to return St. Brown could see more snaps and should get more targets and some receptions Thursday night.

Since it looks like the Packers will be without Adams and Lazard for Thursday nights game look for players like Aaron Jones, Robert Tonyan and A.J. Dillion to get more targets from Aaron Rodgers. There’s been a lot of talk about Dillion’s ability in the passing game and this may be an opportunity for him for show those skills.

Oddly Adams has missed six games the past couple of seasons and the Packers have actually went 6-0 in those games. Now it’s up to head coach Matt LaFleur, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and passing game coordinator Luke Getsy to put together a game plan for Rodgers and the receivers he has healthy to try and beat the NFL’s only remaining undefeated team on Thursday night.

While Adams and Lazard are two players the Packers will be without. It also appears as defensive coordinator Joe Barry will also miss Thursday nights game as he has also tested positive for Covid-19.

With the players the Packers are going to be without as well as it being a short week to get ready for this game it’s difficult to pick against the Cardinals, but Green Bay does have one of the best quarterbacks in all of the NFL. I’d be interested to know who you’re picking to win this game. Do you have Arizona staying undefeated? Or do you see Green Bay handing them their first loss?

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