Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark will miss some time with a high ankle sprain. It doesn’t appear it’s season-ending, but Clark will probably be out for two or three weeks at a minimum. That’s a bummer considering Clark was playing at an All-Pro level inside, but it’s encouraging to hear that he could be back for the final part of the season if Green Bay has a chance to make the playoffs. That said, can the suddenly stout Packers run defense survive without him?

They will get the first test on Sunday night with Le’Veon Bell in the backfield for Pittsburgh. Of course, Clark is missing for the best back the Packers will see all year, and the best running back they’ve seen in a month. It’s going to be a challenge to do things without Clark. Montravious Adams has not done much to begin his NFL career, but he’s going to be asked to have a bigger role on Sunday and beyond. He needs to step up, even if it’s just to be a run stopper. Same goes for Jake Ryan, who had an awful game against Baltimore, his job is to fill holes that Clark created. The expectation is he may have to do more.

Not that the Packers have much of a chance in Pittsburgh even with the Steelers having a brand that is playing down to their competition, but the loss of Clark really hurts their chance to keep things close. With a reshuffling of the front seven, Bell could have a monster day in the backfield, and that might be all Pittsburgh needs to carry them to victory. The absence of Clark shouldn’t hurt as much in the next weeks following Pittsburgh with Tampa Bay and Cleveland on the schedule who both struggle at times to run the football.

Packers suffer yet another injury, and the team hopes to get by with this one as they have with the countless others.

Charlie.