The 2014 NFL season didn't start off the way the Green Bay Packers had hoped as not only did they drop their Week 1 game to the Seattle Seahawks, but they lost running back Eddie Lacy to a concussion and right tackle Bryan Bulaga to a left knee injury.
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Lacy departed the Packer's 36-16 loss to the defending champion Seahawks at CenturyLink Field Thursday night in the second quarter after carrying the ball for 34 yards on 12 attempts. He did not return.
It is uncertain how severe Lacy's injury is since NFL concussion protocol requires that athletes do not discuss the injury with the media after initially suffering head injuries.
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A loss of Lacy long-term could be a huge blow to the team as he was a spark plug as a rookie in 2013, rushing for 1,178 yards on 284 attempts while reaching the end zone 11 times.
Bulaga went down with a left knee injury, but Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy believes that the right guard avoided sustaining a season-ending ailment.
"As of right now, we do not fear a major injury," McCarthy told ESPN of Bulaga, who blew out his left knee last summer. "So, that's kind of where it stands. Until we get back and get the scans and everything, we'll know better, but right now, the trainers' words were they do not fear a major injury."
Bulaga was wearing a brace on his knee after missing the entire 2013 campaign and he was playing in his first game since November of 2012.
Bulaga sustained the injury after colliding with tight end Richard Rodgers during a 3-yard gain for Lacy.
"That sucks. I didn't really see the play, but obviously he's a guy who's had some bad luck the last couple of years," Packers guard T.J. Lang said of Bulaga. "He's one of the hardest working guys we've got, and seeing him go down is never easy. Talking with him, I think he sounded pretty confident that he won't be out long."
The good news for the Packers is they have 10 days between games to rest up and the team is hopeful that Lacy and Bulaga will be good to go by Week 2.
Green Bay (0-1) hosts the New York Jets at Lambeau Field on Sept. 14 in their 2014 home opener.
The Packers are looking to build off of an 8-7-1 finish to 2013 that saw them finish in first place in the NFC North and lose to the San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round.
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