The Green Bay Packers will have to figure out their offensive line problems without their star right tackle in Week 4.
Head coach Matt LaFleur admitted the Packers shouldn’t have rushed Zach Tom back from injury in last week’s loss to the Cleveland Browns. Tom attempted to play through an oblique injury but managed only one play before exiting.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Tom is unlikely to play in the Packers’ huge showdown with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.
Packers right tackle Zach Tom expected to miss Sunday Night Football in Week 4
Tom left after one play against Cleveland, and chaos ensued.
The Packers’ first move was to call Jordan Morgan off the bench, who had played zero right tackle snaps during the summer. And it showed. The second-year player looked lost at an unfamiliar position, and the results didn’t improve when he shifted back to left guard later in the game.
Per PFF, Morgan allowed three pressures and a sack, receiving an embarrassing 22.5 pass-blocking grade.
With Tom out and left guard Aaron Banks also uncertain to play, the Packers will have a tough decision.
Can they trust Morgan to start after a disastrous Week 3 performance? If Banks can’t go, they may have no other choice.
One thing is for sure: Morgan can’t be the top choice at right tackle. LaFleur will need to lean on rookie second-round pick Anthony Belton or veteran Darian Kinnard to take those duties.
The positive: Dallas’ pass rush is nowhere near as fierce as Cleveland’s. According to ESPN, the Browns rank first in pass rush win rate through three weeks. The Cowboys are 26th. Rashan Gary has more sacks (4.5) than the Cowboys (4) this season.
Another positive: Green Bay gets its bye week following this game, giving Tom until Week 6 to get healthy — that’s a full 21 days of recovery from Tom getting hurt in Week 3. It’s a 35-day gap since initially suffering the injury, and LaFleur crucially said Tom didn’t reaggravate it last week.
For now, though, the Packers must find a way to win without their $88 million tackle.
