The Packer Pundit

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There's an adage in sports that says it's not necessarily who you play, but when you play them. That saying is even more relevant in the NFL, in which injuries are so prevalent. The Packers are catching at least a moderate break this week. What looked like a taxing road game against the New York Giants could be significantly easier, thanks to the rash of injuries that hit the Giants in their Week 1 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants will be without running back Brandon Jacobs, who sustained a knee injury in the opener. The status of two other starters — quarterback Eli Manning (shoulder) and defensive end Osi Umenyiora (knee) — remains uncertain. A game that a week ago looked like a difficult road test would be significantly more winnable if Manning can't play. His backup, Jared Lorenzen, has appeared in only three NFL games and has thrown a total of three passes — all last week against the Cowboys. The Packers were listed as a one-point road favorite most of the week; Friday, when Manning took part in practice and was listed as questionable, they were two-point underdogs.

Key matchup: Al Harris vs. Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer
Most weeks, the Packers prefer to match Harris against the opponent's best receiver and let him follow that receiver wherever he goes. But considering the elbow injury Harris sustained last week, defensive coordinator Bob Sanders might choose to leave Harris at his right cornerback spot and match him up with whichever receiver the Giants line up on his side of the field. Either way, Harris will be tested, in part because his sore elbow will make it difficult for him to get a good jam on receivers at the line of scrimmage. The key to defending Burress is getting that jam, because he doesn't react well when pressed at the line of scrimmage. Burress and Toomer put up big numbers last week. Burress caught eight passes for 144 yards, while Toomer had nine catches for 91 yards.

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It looks like it'll be at least another week before the Packers have their No. 1 return man, Will Blackmon, available for punts and kickoffs. That means another week of putting starting cornerback Charles Woodson back on punts. After watching their other starting cornerback, Al Harris, injure his elbow while blocking on a punt return, the Packers should be nervous about risking an important player like Woodson on special teams. Blackmon won the return job in training camp thanks to some explosive runs, but he broke his left thumb on Aug. 23. Because he has to wear a bulky cast on his hand, the Packers aren't sure he can catch the ball without the risk of fumbles. Given how they benefited from the Eagles' muffed punts last week, the Packers surely want to wait until they're convinced Blackmon will be sure-handed. Though Blackmon will play on special teams in other capacities, the Packers don't plan to put him back on returns until he can play without a cast or with a smaller wrap. That won't happen until the broken bone is healed, and that hasn't happened yet.

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