The Green Bay Packers are traveling to play the New York Giants in Week 11. This is a big game for the Packers as they've dropped two straight games, and heading across the country is never easy.
One problem that has arisen for the Packers over the last few weeks has come at kicker with Brandon McManus, and it looks like Green Bay will be without him. Packers beat writer Ryan Wood reported on Saturday that the Packers have added McManus to the injury report with a right quad injury, and he is now listed as doubtful.
And with him slated to miss this contest, it'll be Lucas Havrisik who will be thrust back into action. And that could be exactly what this kicking game needed.
Brandon McManus’ Injury Could Be What Packers Needed
This is the same quad that forced him to miss two games earlier in the season, and it seemed like it never fully healed. This is a bit concerning, since he played for the last three weeks and didn't pop up on the injury report until Saturday.
In his last three outings, McManus has gone 4-of-8 on field goal attempts, including 1-of-3 from 40-49 yards away and 0-2 from 50-plus yards away. Just last week in the loss to the Eagles, he attempted a 64-yard field goal and whiffed completely as time expired.
Meanwhile, Havrisik was rock solid when he started in two games for the Packers this season. In those outings, he was a perfect 4-of-4 from field goal attempts, including a franchise record 61-yarder in Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals. He was also 6-of-6 on extra-point attempts.
For the last few weeks, fans have been clamoring for Havrisik to take over, but the Packers remained confident in McManus' ability. When speaking to the media on Nov. 12, Matt LaFleur doubled down on the team's faith in McManus, even though he was left a lot to be desired.
The quad injury has certainly impacted McManus' ability on the field, but since every game matters, you can't afford to leave points on the board. Considering that the Packers have lost the last two games by three points and McManus has missed a kick in each outing, going to Havrisik could have a positive impact on Green Bay.
If he wasn't hurt, the Packers wouldn't have made the change. But since he physically can't give it a go, it could be something that works out in Green Bay's favor, as Havrisik could take this job by the horns and not give it back. Which is something that fans desperately want.