The Green Bay Packers are gearing up to face a 2-4 Arizona Cardinals team on Sunday afternoon. While the Cardinals have a sub-.500 record, they could just as easily be 4-2 had a couple moments gone their way, including a colossal fourth-quarter meltdown against the Tennessee Titans.
As a result, the Packers can't afford to look past the Cardinals this weekend. Unfortunately, Green Bay fans received some bad news on the health of a few key defenders following Thursday's practice. According to The Athletic's Matt Schneidman, defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt and linebacker Lukas Van Ness remain injured. This isn't great news for a defense that is trying to fix the issues it's faced finishing games.
Packers Will Likely Be Without Devonte Wyatt, Lukas Van Ness vs. Cardinals in Week 7
Van Ness suffered a foot injury in the second half of last week's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. This was a huge blow to the defense as the 24-year-old stud was finally emerging this year. Prior to the injury, he recorded two sacks and 16 QB pressures. Furthermore, he has earned the highest pass rush grade of his career through five games at 70.0, according to Pro Football Focus.
Without Van Ness, Green Bay will have to rely on Kingsley Enagbare and rookie Barryn Sorrell to rotate in. Although the Cardinals’ offensive line ranks ninth in overall pass-blocking grade on PFF at 64.7, they are also tied for allowing the fifth-most sacks with 1. Still, being forced to play a young player who hasn't produced and a rookie isn't the situation the Packers want to be in.
Wyatt, on the other hand, suffered a knee injury in Week 4. His injury has had an even bigger impact on the Packers' defense. The 27-year-old was finally breaking out on the interior with Micah Parsons on the same line as him. In four games, he totaled two sacks and 18 QB pressures.
Wyatt’s absence from the lineup last week against the Bengals was certainly noticeable. The Packers recorded their lowest total of quarterback pressures all season, managing just 16. Wyatt is Green Bay’s only true difference-maker in the middle, so missing him again this week would be a significant loss for a defense already struggling to show consistency throughout the game.
Hopefully, more positive news hits Packers fans in the coming days.