First Clay Matthews and now David Bakhtiari.
The Green Bay Packers have been without their starting left tackle since they returned to practice on Saturday. Bakhtiari has been sidelined with what is being reported as a sore knee, the same injury that has sidelined Matthews.
Maybe that would help explain Bakhtiari’s less-than-stellar performance on Thursday night.
With Bakhtiari down, the Packers have been using Don Barclay with the first unit at left tackle. Barclay has starting experience, but all of it has been at right tackle.
On Monday, coach Mike McCarthy suggested that the Packers would likely move starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga to left tackle if this were the regular season. That would make sense since Bulaga played the position before a torn ACL and Bakhtiari’s play made Bulaga a right tackle.
The Packers could then put Barclay at right tackle, where he’s not responsible for protecting Aaron Rodgers’ back.
Although Barclay has played well in the past, he’s much stronger as a run blocker than he is in pass protection.
As for Bakhtiari, it sounds like he’ll miss the majority of the week.
“He’s going through a treatment program that is probably going to take a couple more days, at least,” McCarthy said.