National Football League

Packers dealing with injuries after win

Published Oct. 15, 2013 2:23 a.m. ET

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The Green Bay Packers' injury list keeps on growing.

Coach Mike McCarthy knew about the injuries sustained by wide receivers Randall Cobb and James Jones during Sunday's victory at Baltimore.

But he didn't learn until Monday morning that starting outside linebacker Nick Perry had suffered a foot injury that will sideline him at least for this week and likely longer.

''Nick Perry was a bit of a surprise to me. I didn't expect that,'' McCarthy said, one day after his team overcame injuries in a 19-17 victory over the Ravens.

''Obviously James and Randall, (we) saw the injuries in the game. You just hope for good news there.''

McCarthy, as per his custom, would not divulge any specifics of the injuries.

Perry's injury was termed a ''foot'' injury, Jones' a ''leg'' injury and Cobb's a ''knee'' injury.

He said Jones had a chance of playing Sunday against Cleveland at Lambeau Field, but he ruled Perry out and said Cobb would miss ''multiple weeks'' while refusing to elaborate.

''I understand your need and desire to report on it, but we also have a football team to manage and decisions to make, and that's part of those decisions,'' McCarthy said.

The Packers were already playing without four-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker Clay Matthews, who suffered a broken thumb against Detroit on Oct. 6 that was expected to sideline him for a month.

Starting inside linebacker Brad Jones missed Sunday's game with a hamstring injury.

In preseason, the team lost starting left tackle Bryan Bulaga and running back DuJuan Harris, the returning starter at that position, to knee injuries.

If Cobb will miss significant time, the Packers could place him on injured reserve with the designation to return, which would require him to miss the next six games.

Each team is permitted to designate one player for return, and the Packers opted not to use their designation on Bulaga or Harris.

Jones went down with 9:48 left in the first quarter after getting caught up in a pile while blocking on an Eddie Lacy run.

Cobb, who was hit in the right knee by Ravens safety Matt Elam with 22 seconds left in the first half after catching a 15-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers, left the field on a cart but came back to the sideline on crutches during the second half.

Rodgers confronted Elam on the field after the play, accusing the rookie safety of hitting Cobb unnecessarily low.

''I just felt like (Elam) had enough time to make a hit in the legal hitting zone,'' Rodgers said after the game.

Jones stayed on the sideline trying to walk off the injury, then limped to the locker room under his own power during the first half before returning to the sideline in street clothes for the second half.

James Ihedigbo talked to Rodgers about the difficulty defensive players have on where to hit opponents.

''(Ihedigbo) came over and made actually a very knowledgeable point - which I appreciated a little intelligent banter back and forth - about some of the issues defensive players have to deal with with the target area,'' Rodgers said.

''I totally understand that and get that. I just felt like, from my vantage point, (Elam) had plenty of time to not take out a guy's legs in that situation. I think he could have hit in the proper hitting zone, and that's what I told him.''

The news of Perry's injury was surprising because he went back into the game.

Perry was injured in the closing seconds of the first half when he sacked Baltimore's Joe Flacco and forced a fumble. A Ravens offensive lineman landed on Perry's right leg, but after sitting out the third quarter, Perry went back into the game in the fourth quarter.

''It was just up to me and how I felt,'' Perry said after the game. ''You don't want to make it worse. Ultimately, it's just how I feel. We have guys who get do the job.

''I think we need everybody right now knowing that Clay is down. We're not looking forward to any more injuries, that's for sure. It's just preventative. I'll be back next week.''

With Matthews still out, Mike Neal and rookie Andy Mulumba will start at outside linebacker against the Browns, with rookie Nate Palmer as the only backup at the position.

If James Jones can't play, the Packers will have to add a receiver to the 53-man roster with only Nelson and second-year man Jarrett Boykin healthy.

''When injuries happen, I look at it as you have to flip the page,'' McCarthy said. ''It's like anything in life, are you going to cry about it or are you going to look at it as an opportunity to improve? Really, these injury situations are opportunities for our younger players or any player on our roster to jump up and take the rope.''

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org

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