Leave it to the Pack to come out of their bye week with more injury questions than they had going in. But the schedule and fate are smiling on the Green and Gold, since they couldn’t ask for a better opponent to welcome to Lambeau than the putrid Cincinnati Bengals.
As you know, desperation forced them to turn to Joe Flacco, who will get another chance to beat the Green Bay Packers. The first time, he managed just 142 yards through the air and a QB rating of 55. He has superior weapons in Cincinnati, of course. But Flacco has a far inferior offensive line, which is in for a world of hurt, facing a Packers defense that has had two weeks to think about their second-half meltdown against Dak Prescott.
But back to Green Bay’s health, or lack thereof. The good news is that it sounds like Zach Tom and Aaron Banks will return to the maligned offensive line, but it may still not be completely intact. Left tackle Rasheed Walker has been dealing with a quad injury since the Dallas Cowboys game; he’s officially questionable, which is not ideal, with Trey Hendrickson looming across the line. Jordan Morgan figures to get his chance if Walker can’t go. If he handles his business, he might find himself one step closer to assuming that spot in 2026, if not sooner.
Walker is one of six guys listed as questionable, along with Tom and Banks. Nate Hobbs is still in concussion protocol, and Jacob Monk is working himself back from IR. Maybe the most concerning is Brandon McManus, who tweaked a quad in practice and has been limited ever since. Matt LaFleur sounds very concerned, while McManus thinks he’ll be fine. The team has till tomorrow to add a kicker to the roster, and they worked out a couple of guys this week, including Greg Joseph.
But big picture, the Packers are two-touchdown favorites for a reason. Cincinnati’s roster is basically Joe Burrow and the Seven Dwarfs. Take him out of the picture, and a flawed roster is exposed, especially in the trenches. Jake Browning looks nothing like the guy who filled in for Burrow in the past, and they finally moved on. But how comfortable will Flacco be hitting the road to play a game five days after joining the team? His command of the offense and chemistry with the receivers are obviously going to be a work in progress.
Meanwhile, the Packers return to Lambeau for the first time in a month and haven’t won a game since they left, thanks to a couple of blocked field goals that prevented them from being 4-0 at the bye. The offense should have plenty of opportunities to find its groove against the league’s 30th-ranked defense. It feels like a Josh Jacobs game; he says it usually takes him a month or so to get into gear. Jordan Love should also fill the stat sheet, provided the Packers keep Hendrickson mostly at bay.
As usual, the questions come on special teams, the only way a team like the Bengals can hang around. Has the Pack figured out its field goal blocking unit? Will the starters stay out there? Will the team stick with rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams as returners? It’s an adventure every time the ball is in the air.
The Packers have been good coming out of the bye under LaFleur, hoping to make it four of the last five with a win on Sunday. It’s their only home game over a 51-day span, crazy as that sounds, and they’ll be coming in a bit ornery and ready to get those last two finishes out of their system.
Look for the defense to rack up multiple turnovers, at least doubling what they had coming into the game, and expect Flacco to spend a lot of time looking up at the blue sky above Lambeau from his back. The defense isn’t the same without Devonte Wyatt, but this is not an offense that will stress Jeff Hafley — even with the best wide receiver duo in the league.
The Packers regroup and look much more like the team we saw in the first two weeks.
Packers 31
Bengals 10