Even when they win, the Green Bay Packers keep suffering major losses.
asserted
Packers → win → losses
Matt LaFleur’s squad got back to the .500 mark with a 17-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, but lost linebacker Edgerrin Cooper to an Achilles tendon injury in the process.
asserted
squad → get → process
Cooper is expected to miss the rest of the season, the latest setback for a defense that is still awaiting the return of All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons as he works his way back after tearing his ACL last December.
asserted
he → expect → ACL
LaFleur said Monday that Parsons won’t return to practice this week.
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Parsons → say → practice
“The guy is working his butt off to be out there, and I think we’ve made some ground in the last week,” LaFleur said.
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LaFleur → work → week
“But where and when he’ll be available, time will tell.
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time → tell → ?
But certainly, (we’re) looking forward to that day.”
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we → look → day
Parsons’ situation leaves the Packers without their best overall player.
asserted
situation → leave → player
Now Green Bay must find a way to replace Cooper, who arguably was performing as well as any Packer through the first four weeks of the season.
asserted
who → find → season
Cooper had six tackles for loss and three sacks to lead the Packers in both categories.
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Cooper → have → categories
He had nine tackles, a sack and an interception Sunday before getting hurt in the third quarter.
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He → have → quarter
“He’s a tough one to lose,” LaFleur said.
asserted
LaFleur → ’ → ?
“We all saw what he was able to do in basically a half of football, and the player that he is.
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he → see → football
My heart hurts for him and his recovery and what he’s going through, but it’s an opportunity for those other guys.
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it → hurt → guys
(Isaiah) McDuffie’s played a lot of great football for us.
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McDuffie → play → us
I think (Ty’Ron) Hopper’s shown really well.
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Hopper → think → ?
So those guys will get an opp.”
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guys → get → opp
The loss of Cooper represents the latest in a series of major injuries for the Packers (2-2).
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loss → represent → Packers
Offensive tackle Zach Bako-Bewele (knee) and wide receiver Jayden Reed (neck) already had season-ending injuries.
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Bewele → have → injuries
Left guard Aaron Banks has played in just one of Green Bay’s first four games due to knee and toe issues.
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Banks → play → issues
“We’ve been kind of hit with some type of curse, it seems like,” center Sean Rhyan said after Sunday’s game.
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Rhyan → hit → game
The Packers also have been playing all season without three-time Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs, who was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list after pleading no contest to two misdemeanor charges stemming from a May altercation with his then-girlfriend.
uncertain
who → play → girlfriend
What’s working
While there was nowhere to go but up in this regard, a reconfigured offensive line did a better job of protecting QB Jordan Love.
asserted
line → work → Love
Laken Tomlinson started at left guard less than a week after Green Bay signed him off Dallas’ practice squad.
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Bay → start → squad
Travis Glover made his first career start at right guard. ...
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Glover → make → guard
The defense sacked rookie QB Jalon Daniels three times and intercepted two of his passes.
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defense → sack → passes
What needs work
The Packers committed 10 penalties, the third time in four games they’ve been in double figures.
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they → need → figures
Green Bay has an NFL-high 86 penalty yards per game.
asserted
Bay → have → game
... Green Bay’s struggles to protect double-digit leads continued.
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struggles → protect → leads
After extending their lead to 17-7 in the third quarter, the Packers allowed a touchdown and then committed turnovers on their next two possessions.
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Packers → extend → possessions
The Packers have dropped too many passes, something LaFleur referenced at his Monday news conference.
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LaFleur → drop → conference
S Evan Williams intercepted a pass in the first quarter to set up a touchdown.
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Williams → intercept → touchdown
He also recorded a sack after the Bucs had crossed midfield on their final possession.
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Bucs → record → possession
... K Trey Smack made a 58-yard field goal.
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Smack → make → goal
His lone miss was blocked.
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miss → block → ?
RB Kaleb Johnson lost a fumble when Green Bay had first-and-goal at the 3 while trying to extend its 17-14 lead early in the fourth quarter. ...
asserted
Bay → lose → quarter
RB MarShawn Lloyd also had a fumble in the red zone earlier in the same drive, though Green Bay retained possession because the ball went out of bounds at Tampa Bay’s 16.
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ball → have → 16
Along with Cooper’s injury, RB Chris Brooks hurt an ankle.
asserted
Brooks → hurt → ankle
LaFleur said Monday that Brooks is undergoing testing.
asserted
Brooks → say → testing
CB Brandon Cisse also left Sunday’s game, but LaFleur said that “I don’t think it’s anything long-term.”
asserted
it → leave → game
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
