Packers make best of short work week
Chargers’ Bosa, Falcons’ Jones are ready to return
GREEN BAY, Wis. — It can be difficult enough for NFL players to have just three days to prepare for a Thursday night game.
The Green Bay Packers have another wrinkle in their schedule: They must fly west this year for their Thursday night matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
It didn’t leave much time for the Packers to wind down on Monday, a day after the 31-12 win over the Miami Dolphins.
“You’ve got to take care of your body, make sure you’re doing the right things these next couple days to get ready,” defensive lineman Kenny Clark said. “Mentally, you just put your head in the film, get a chance to look at them early.”
The abbreviated practice plans had the Packers (4-4-1) flying to Seattle on Tuesday night following what would be the most extensive practice of the week. Coaches did some preliminary preparation last week for the Seahawks, though the primary focus was on beating the Dolphins.
Seattle is 4-5 after consecutive losses to LA’s Chargers and Rams.
CHARGERS: Joey Bosa could possibly make his season debut Sunday.
The Los Angeles defensive end, who has been out with a foot injury, practiced Wednesday. Coach Anthony Lynn said he was excited to see Bosa practicing with his teammates for the first time since Sept. 5.
Bosa did individual drills during the portion of practice open to reporters and was listed as limited on the team’s practice report. Lynn has continued to stress caution about when Bosa could return, but acknowledged he could play against Denver depending on how well the third-year lineman does in individual and team drills.
“He hasn’t played football in 13-14 weeks, whatever it is. So we have to be careful putting him back in,” Lynn said.
LIONS: Detroit put guard T.J. Lang on injured reserve with a neck injury. The Lions announced the move Wednesday.
Lang has missed three games this season, including last weekend’s loss at Chicago. The 31-year-old lineman is in his second season with the Lions after playing eight with Green Bay.
Lang signed a three-year deal with Detroit before the 2017 season, returning to his home area. He was born in Royal Oak, went to high school in Bloomfield Hills and to college at Eastern Michigan.
Detroit (3-6) has lost three straight, and the Lions have yielded 16 sacks in the past two games.
RAVENS: Lamar Jackson isn’t staying awake at night thinking about the prospect of making his first NFL start.
Baltimore starting quarterback Joe Flacco missed practice Wednesday because of a hip injury, and his status for Sunday’s game against Cincinnati is uncertain.
If Flacco can’t go, coach John Harbaugh likely will turn to Jackson, whose first pro season has been spent taking a few snaps per game in run situations.
FALCONS: Linebacker Deion Jones has been moved to the active roster and is eligible to play for the first time since breaking his right foot in Week 1.
Coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday that the team will see how he looks in practice this week before deciding if Jones will be in uniform Sunday when Atlanta (4-5) hosts Dallas (4-5).
DOLPHINS: Receiver Brice Butler, who was released by Dallas last month, has signed with Miami to shore up the injury-depleted position.
Wideouts Jakeem Grant (calf) and DeVante Parker (shoulder) were both hurt in Sunday’s loss at Green Bay.
TIME CHANGES: The NFL has moved the LA Chargers at Pittsburgh game Dec. 2 to prime time at 6:20 p.m. MST, replacing the San Francisco at Seattle matchup originally scheduled for Sunday night. That game will move to 2:25 p.m. on Fox.
The Dec. 9 game between the LA Rams and Bears in Chicago is now a primetimer at 6:20 p.m. Pittsburgh at Oakland moves from a night contest to 2:25 p.m. EST on Fox.
This Sunday night’s game, Minnesota at Chicago, previously was flexed from daytime, replacing Pittsburgh at Jacksonville.