Packers' Kenny Clark carted off after ankle injury late in game

ByROB DEMOVSKY
November 19, 2017, 7:48 PM

— -- GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers lost Clay Matthews early and Kenny Clark late in Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and the latter injury, which appeared to be serious, did not sit well with members of the defense.

Clark, the Packers' first-round pick in 2016, had to be carted off the field with an ankle injury that occurred while he was engaged with Ravens center Ryan Jensen.

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix said Clark was down on two knees and Jensen hit him repeatedly. The injury occurred during the fourth quarter of the Packers' 23-0 loss at Lambeau Field.

"No. 66, I don't even know his name, but he's trash," Clinton-Dix said of Jensen. "He's a bad player. He doesn't play fair. This is a game that we all love to play and love to enjoy, and you never want to see a guy get hurt when you're playing overaggressive and doing things that you shouldn't be doing. It's uncalled for.

"[No.] 66, I don't like him. He needs to tighten up on his play. Play ball. If you can't whup him regularly, don't cheap shot him. That's what that guy's been doing all year. I've been watching film of 66, and he's a dirty player. I would love to have him on my team if he was like that, but at the end of the day, you can't play like that and want to be a great in this league. It's uncalled for."

Clark was not available for comment after the game, and Packers coach Mike McCarthy had no update on his injured players.

"It was a play that a lot of us Packer players didn't really like too much," cornerback Davon House said.

Matthews sustained a groin injury in the first quarter, shortly after he ended the second-longest sack drought of his career. He dumped Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco to force a punt on Baltimore's first possession.

Matthews played the next series and then was examined on the sideline by the Packers' medical staff. He returned for one more snap but limped off. He was then taken to the locker room early in the second quarter, then ruled out for the rest of the game.

Matthews had 2 1/2 sacks after four games, but then went the next five games without a sack until Sunday.

"It's huge, man, especially the way Kenny got hurt," House said of losing Clark and Matthews. "Guy's a young guy, and for him to get hurt the way he got hurt sucks. Hopefully he's all right, hopefully Clay's all right too. They're our big dogs. You need them. They do a great job rushing the [passer], collapsing the pocket for us. Makes our job a lot easier on the back end when they're playing healthy and they're doing what they're doing."

The Packers' defense was already playing without two starters: cornerback Kevin King (shoulder) and safety Morgan Burnett (groin).