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Rob Demovsky
Multiple Authors
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs injured his right hand’s ring finger while attempting to stiff-arm a defender during the first quarter of Sunday’s 45-27 victory against the New England Patriots, leaving his availability for next week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings uncertain.
Jacobs visited the locker room twice in hopes of finding a way to protect his hand and continue playing. Initially, the medical team tried taping it, but upon their discomfort with that method, they moved to applying a cast.
Despite these attempts, Jacobs did not return to the game.
“We were just trying to find a solution to see if I can still play, and the most crucial factor is being able to hold onto the ball,” Jacobs said, who managed just 5 rushing yards on four attempts. “Catching is definitely going to be challenging, but if I can just grip the ball, we’ll see. We’re not certain yet — I know it’s broken, but I’m unaware of how severe it is.”
The injury occurred at the end of a 2-yard run where Jacobs extended his right arm to fend off Craig Woodson and seemed to get his hand caught in the facemask of the Patriots safety. Jacobs looked down at his hand right after the play.
He later mentioned he noticed a bone protruding from his finger and managed to push it back into place.
“I’d like to think we can find a way for him to get back out there,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur commented. “However, he was struggling to grip the ball.”
The Packers were also missing running back MarShawn Lloyd, who sat out due to a knee issue.
Nevertheless, thanks to Kaleb Johnson’s 68 yards on 14 carries, they totaled 129 rushing yards on 32 attempts — achieving over 100 rushing yards for the first time in nine games this season.
Johnson, who had been a healthy scratch on two occasions earlier this season following an early fumble, registered the Packers’ longest run of the season with a 34-yard gain in the fourth quarter.
“I believe this reflects just a glimpse of what I can offer as I grow comfortable with the system,” said Johnson, who was obtained in a trade from the Steelers on August 30.
Pierre Strong Jr. contributed 22 yards on eight carries, with quarterback Jordan Love adding a 13-yard touchdown run.
Prior to Sunday, the Packers had endured eight consecutive games with fewer than 90 rushing yards, the longest such streak to commence a season since the 1990 Colts (10 years) and tied for the third-longest start to a season in NFL history, per ESPN Research.
The Packers (6-3) entered the game with an average of just 60.6 rushing yards, the lowest figure for any team maintaining a winning record through the first eight games in the history of the league.
However, in this game, the Packers found themselves not needing to rely heavily on their running game as Love (372 passing yards, three touchdowns) delivered one of his standout performances, while receivers Christian Watson (seven receptions for 171 yards and a touchdown) and Matthew Golden (10 receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown) became the first pair of Packers’ teammates to amass 150 receiving yards and a touchdown each in the same game since 1942.
Jacobs was among several Packers players who exited the match. Linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper left with a chest injury and was substituted by Nick Niemann. Hopper was stepping in due to earlier losses of linebackers Edgerrin Cooper and Zaire Franklin this season.
The Packers (6-3) are set for a crucial NFC North home matchup against Minnesota next Sunday.
