The Packers were down to one running back on Sunday after James Starks injured his knee against the Bengals.
Rookie Johnathan Franklin gained 103 yards in his first offensive playing time of the season before losing a fumble that the Bengals turned into a touchdown on a fourth down try late in the fourth quarter. But he also picked up a foot injury that threatened to leave the Packers without any backs at all. That didn’t happen, but the team is hoping that the bye week provides enough time for Starks, Eddie Lacy and John Kuhn to get well.
Starks isn’t sure that he’ll be ready, but he knows that the extra time will be put to good use because he doesn’t think he could play if the Packers had a game this week.
“More time to heal and get right and get back to doing what I was trying to do,” Starks said, via Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I’m hoping. I prayed about it. So hopefully everything goes how I want it to go. It’s God’s plan. I’ll just make the best of it. They’re just making sure everything is good from the swelling and everything. But it feels better than it did.”
Franklin’s performance was good enough to shake up the pecking order in the backfield once the Packers get back to work. The health of the other backs will likely determine how much that order gets shaken.