Injuries to Packers starters Lattimore, Shields and Williams not 'long-term'
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Mike McCarthy didn't know much about the status of his three injured defensive starters, but the Green Bay Packers head coach knew just enough to give a bit of good news.
The Packers' starting cornerback duo of Sam Shields (knee) and Tramon Williams (ankle) both left Sunday's game with injuries and did not return, as did starting inside linebacker Jamari Lattimore (neck). But all three of them escaped without anything being too serious.
"None of them were long-term," McCarthy said. "But how fast (they return to the field) is still to be determined."
Before his press conference, McCarthy spoke with general manager Ted Thompson, who had talked with team physician Dr. Pat McKenzie about the three injuries. However, McCarthy stressed that he wouldn't have a timeline for Shields, Williams or Lattimore until Wednesday's practice.
"That will probably be a better indicator," McCarthy said.
Shields and Williams were injured within three plays of each other late in the third quarter.
Shields had a strange situation, as he went down before the Miami Dolphins even snapped the first play of the drive. He ran onto the field, started hobbling, tried to get back to the sideline and, after realizing he wouldn't make it before the play started, he went to the ground.
Williams then had his ankle rolled up on by linebacker Brad Jones after a 13-yard pass completion.
Shields and Williams remained on the bench for most of the fourth quarter. Then, with slightly more than two minutes remaining in the game, they were carted to the locker room together.
Green Bay's depth at cornerback, which is often heralded for its quality, was put to the test in the absence of both of its starters. Davon House and Casey Hayward became the first-stringers outside, while veteran special teams contributor Jarrett Bush came in and played the nickel.
"We're going to have to evaluate once we find out what those guys' status is going to be," defensive coordinator Dom Capers said. "Obviously during the course of the game when you lose your two starting corners, you've got to make some adjustments. We did and we fought our way through the tough part of the game to come back."
Hayward, who had six interceptions as a rookie in 2012, picked off his first pass of this season Sunday in Miami. House had an interception Week 3 in Detroit while covering Calvin Johnson.
It's not like Hayward and House don't get on the field when the Packers have their full complement of cornerbacks. Hayward has played 152 snaps this season and House has had 178 snaps.
Hayward isn't a stranger to a big role on Green Bay's defense. He played 61 percent of the defensive snaps two years ago and was so productive that he finished third in the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year race. If either Shields or Williams miss any games, Hayward would once again become more involved.
"Casey is a smart, instinctive football player," Capers said. "I've got confidence that if we need to expand his role that he'll step in, and he's always responded in the past when we've asked him to do more. So I think he's very capable of doing that.
"We'll just have to see where our guys, where Sam and Tramon are from an injury standpoint."
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