Packers Thursday Update From Practice: Two Texas-Sized Sighs of Relief

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers walked onto the practice field on Wednesday with two enormous question marks on defense.

Twenty-four hours later, their outlook has brightened at both.

At cornerback, starting cornerback Keisean Nixon returned to practice after, as coach Matt LaFleur put it, Nixon “was feeling a little something in his groin” on Wednesday so got the day off.

There’s no doubting Nixon’s toughness. This is his fifth season with the team and he hasn’t missed a game. He started all 17 games last season.

This season, he’s allowing only 8.7 yards per reception, 5.4 yards per target, and a 65.3 passer rating according to Stathead. Those are big improvements over 11.6 yards per catch, 7.5 yards per target and a 105.1 passer rating last season.

At defensive tackle, Jonathan Ford didn’t practice on Wednesday because of a calf injury but returned to the field on Thursday.

The availability of both players will be critical for the Packers against the high-powered Cowboys.

At cornerback, Benjamin St-Juste missed most of last week’s game with a hamstring injury and has not practiced this week. Dallas’ offense, of course, features quarterback Dak Prescott and the elite receiver duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. It would be huge for the Packers to have their starting corners, Nixon and Brandon Cisse, available.

At defensive tackle, Warren Brinson is on injured reserve and Javon Hargrave will land there following last week’s torn Achilles. Plus, first-year player Anthony Campbell is coming off an ankle injury that sidelined him the past three weeks.

Three Players Are Not Practicing

Five players didn’t practice on Wednesday. With the returns of Nixon and Ford, that was down to three on Thursday as the team practiced inside the Don Hutson Center because of the rain. Along with Hargrave and St-Juste, the only other player who didn’t practice was receiver/returner Skyy Moore.

Practicing again as their return-to-play windows have been opened were receiver Savion Williams, who’s in his second week of practice, and defensive tackle Jordon Riley, who returned this week.

Riley’s return will be important considering the absence of Hargrave and Brinson.

“I think he can do a lot of things,” coach Matt LaFleur said before practice. “I thought he played good football for us last year. Watching him and getting him back out on the practice field was great to see. This guy’s worked his tail off with our trainers, with our strength staff and really put himself in a pretty good position.”

At receiver, the Packers lost Jayden Reed early in the season and now Moore is out. That could mean more opportunities for J. Michael Sturdivant, the undrafted rookie whose first career touchdown last week was nullified by pass interference.

“We talk about it all the time – next-man-up mentality,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “I think for J-Mike, and we always say this, but for rookies it’s just how fast can you continue to evolve and learn from mistakes and learn from everything that happens in the game and learn from other people’s reps. There’s just so much put on you as a rookie.

“Another guy that hasn’t got too many reps with the 1s and now injuries, things like that happen, now he’s put in that role. I think he’s done a great job so far.

Cowboys Update

Cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who was acquired by the Cowboys in a trade with Pittsburgh a couple weeks ago, didn’t play in last week’s loss to Tampa Bay due to illness.

“On my way to the game, I was throwing up outside of my Uber,” he told DallasCowboys.com. “It was brutal. I'm not going to lie. … You go into the week thinking you're going to get more of a workload, and you're ready to go, and then that's ultimately what doesn't happen.

“It was very frustrating. I was prepared to play all week. My mindset was on playing, the mindset was to get the dub and, obviously, I didn't get to do that and we didn't get the dub. I was pretty pissed.”

Porter is past his illness and expects to be in the starting lineup on Sunday night.

Packers-Cowboys Injury Reports

The teams will file new injury reports after their Thursday practices. For now, here are the reports from Wednesday.

Packers Wednesday Injury Report

Did not participate: DT Jonathan Ford (calf), DT Javon Hargrave (Achilles), WR Skyy Moore (ankle), CB Keisean Nixon (groin), CB Benjamin St-Juste (hamstring).

Limited participation: LG Aaron Banks (knee/toe), DT Anthony Campbell (ankle), C/G Jacob Monk (quad), DT Jordon Riley (Achilles), S Evan Williams (illness), WR Savion Williams (ankle), DT Devonte Wyatt (ankle).

Full participation: Edge Lukas Van Ness (shoulder).

Riley and Savion Williams have been designated to return from injured reserve and are within their 21-day practice windows.

Cowboys Wednesday Injury Report

Did not participate: CB Cobie Durant (hamstring), OLB Von Miller (rest), LB DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring), T Drew Shelton (hamstring), CB Ameer Speed (knee).

Limited participation: CB Joey Porter (ankle).

Full participation: S Alijah Clark (hamstring), LT Tyler Guyton (back), WR CeeDee Lamb (thigh), OLB James Houston (shoulder), CB Shavon Revel (knee), LG Tyler Smith (thumb).

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