NFL notes: Green Bay’s Bryan Bulaga will miss Seahawks game
The Green Bay Packers have to quickly adjust to not having familiar starters.
Add the name of veteran tackle Bryan Bulaga to a growing list.
Bulaga won’t play in the Packers’ home opener against the Seahawks on Sunday night after he suffered a knee injury in practice Thursday.
The loss of Bulaga comes after starting LB Sam Barrington left the Packers’ opening-day win at Chicago with what turned out to be a season-ending foot injury.
Green Bay lost Pro Bowl receiver Jordy Nelson for the season to a knee injury in a preseason game four weeks ago.
Bulaga injured his left knee during what coach Mike McCarthy said was an individual drill. The sixth-year pro suffered an injury to the same knee in the Packers’ season-opening loss in Seattle last year.
Beason blasts NFL over Thursday games
Giants linebacker Jon Beason knows his sprained left knee will only allow him to participate in a handful of snaps, if any, in Sunday’s home opener against Atlanta.
He also knows that if coach Tom Coughlin upgrades him from doubtful, it will probably knock him out of Thursday night’s game against NFC East foe Washington.
He’s not happy about that, and he blames the NFL.
“Me personally, they decided to throw another football game in there, it shows they really don’t care about the players,” Beason said. “We’re still playing 16 games, whether we play two in a week or not.
“But I know how I feel on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and then to have to play a game on Thursday, it’s tough.”
Quick kicks
Injured Buccaneers WR Mike Evans hopes to return to the lineup against NFC South rival New Orleans. Evans been sidelined since mid-August with a sore right hamstring. … Falcons WR Julio Jones said he’ll be ready to go against the Giants after sitting out two practices with a sore hamstring. Jones returned to practice Friday. He is listed as probable. … Lions TE Brandon Pettigrew has been ruled out against Minnesota because of a hamstring injury. LB DeAndre Levy, who missed the season opener with a hip injury, is listed as doubtful. … Bills RB LeSean McCoy is questionable against the Patriots because of a hamstring injury. McCoy has been bothered by the injury since training camp. He was limited at practice for the second straight day on Friday. … The Texans will replace Houston’s NRG Stadium’s natural grass with an artificial surface for the rest of the season, installing an AstroTurf surface.