Fill-Ins Have Kept Packers in the Playoff Hunt

For every cloud there’s a silver lining, or so they say. This applies to the Packers’ horrendous spate of injuries on the season. Despite all of the bad news, several backups have turned in positive performances.

In the defensive backfield, safety Kentrell Brice was expected to get more playing time this year even without any injuries. On the year, Brice has participated in 56 percent of the defensive snaps, and also in 43 percent of the special teams snaps. Dom Capers singled him out on Wednesday, saying Brice even needed to be briefly switched to an outside cornerback against the Vikings.

Lenzy Pipkins, who we barely heard of during the preseason, partook in 42 snaps last Sunday. He has been one of the Packers’ better tacklers this season.

Two other subs have also helped out in the defensive backfield. Josh Hawkins, with 150 snaps at cornerback in five games, has shown himself to be a dependable addition there. Marwin Evans has been in the defensive backfield for 80 snaps in the last four games. Evans is also the second most-utilized Green Bay player on special teams, behind only Kyler Fackrell.

Running back Aaron Jones wasn’t even a sure bet to make the final roster. But when he was needed against the Cowboys, he ran for 125 yards in 19 carries. How good is that? Eddie Lacy only topped that amount twice in four years here: a 141-yard game in 2013 and a 150-yard effort in 2013. James Starks in seven years topped it once, with 132 yards in early 2015 against the Skins. You’d have to go back over ten years to find out how many times Ryan Grant or Ahman Green had this many yards in a game.

How about the unsung guys filling in on the offensive line? Justin McCray has been in on 65 percent of the offensive snaps on the year. Lucas Patrick has had 93 total snaps in two games; Ulrick John had 32 snaps against Minnesota. All eight offensive linemen on the active roster played against the Vikings.

Then there’s Quinton Dial, who has gone almost unnoticed, but he’s taken 132 snaps in the last five games at nose tackle, and he has 10 tackles on the year. Dial recorded 126 tackles and 4.5 sacks in four prior years with the 49ers.

Linebacker/defensive end Chris Odom has seen spot action on the defense or on special teams in four games.

Without these guys filling in for injured players, and for the most part doing so capably, the Packers wouldn’t have four wins.