The Packers have clinched the NFC North, but there’s still a first-round bye up in the air in the conference heading into Week 17.
With the 49ers drawing the Cardinals and the Seahawks facing the Rams in the season’s final week, the Packers are likely going to need to beat the Vikings in order to take that bye. Getting some of their injured players back for the game would help them on that front. The Packers were without wide receiver Jordy Nelson, safety Charles Woodson, defensive end C.J. Wilson, defensive end Jerel Worthy, tight end Tom Crabtree, running back James Starks and running back Alex Green in Week 16 because of injuries, and coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that he’s looking forward to getting some of them back for this week.
“I’m hopeful a lot of those guys can get back. But we’ll see,” McCarthy said, via the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “I know Jordy, talking with him, he feels like he’s very close. Charles, he’s waiting on information from the medical staff. He’s very close. Alex Green, I was surprised that he wasn’t available for Tennessee just based on the way that process, the result of the process, so he’ll definitely be available. C.J., I don’t have enough information there. Same withJames Starks. Tom Crabtree’s close, he’ll be close. Jerel should be ready.”
Woodson said last week that he would like to play in the finale to get his legs back after missing so much of the season with his collarbone injury. The best-case scenario for the Packers would seem to be one that gets Woodson and some of the others back on the field before earning another week of rest with a win over the Vikings.