Packers: Kevin King, Tyler Ervin miss practice on Wednesday
Packers CB Kevin King didn’t practice on Wednesday.
The bye week has helped the Green Bay Packers get healthier and they could have a few players return to action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
However, two key players didn’t practice on Wednesday: cornerback Kevin King and running back/returner Tyler Ervin.
According to Mike Spofford of Packers.com, King and Ervin were the only two players not to practice.
CB Kevin King, RB Tyler Ervin only #Packers not practicing Wednesday. Everyone else participating in non-padded workout.
— Mike Spofford (@mikespofford) October 14, 2020
King left the Week 4 win with a quad injury, while Ervin has been dealing with a wrist injury.
Of course, there’s good and bad news to take away from this.
The good is that the Packers have most of their players at practice, which should indicate most of them will be available for Sunday’s game. That likely includes wide receiver Davante Adams, who has missed two games, and defensive tackle Kenny Clark, who has missed three games. Getting both players back would be huge ahead of such a tough game.
However, Green Bay’s defense will also need King out there on Sunday against one of the strongest receiving corps in the NFL.
Star receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have both dealt with injuries this season, and it’s no guarantee Godwin will play on Sunday. According to Greg Auman of The Athletic, he was limited to just stretching during Wednesday’s practice.
However, whether Godwin plays or not, the Packers pass defense will have a tough matchup this week. Mike Evans has 271 yards and six touchdowns so far this season, establishing a great connection with Tom Brady already.
Jaire Alexander could cover Evans, although the best combination for the Packers could be King on Evans and Alexander on Godwin. Again, depending on which players are out there on Sunday.
With injuries at receiver, the Bucs have had good contributions from Scotty Miller, with 15 catches for 250 yards and a touchdown on the season.
If King misses the game, the Packers will likely play with an additional safety in the game often. Josh Jackson would also see an increase in snaps as the backup corner.
Ervin has proven to be an important part of the offense, and he is also the team’s best returner on special teams. Even when Ervin isn’t getting the ball, Matt LaFleur can use him to confuse defenses and keep them guessing on what play is being called.
Let’s hope both King and Ervin are healthy and ready to go on Sunday.