Jaire Alexander's big second quarter shifts the tide for Packers

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Banged-up line holds its ground: The Packers had to do a lot of moving and shaking over the course of 60 minutes on their offensive line.


Already without veteran Billy Turner (knee), Green Bay slid starting left guard Elgton Jenkins to right tackle and started fourth-year veteran Lucas Patrick at Jenkins' usual post.


But when Patrick left in the second quarter with a shoulder injury and didn't return, the Packers were forced to slide Jenkins back to left guard and insert Rick Wagner at right tackle.


If that wasn't enough, Green Bay then lost veteran guard Lane Taylor to a knee injury in the fourth quarter, requiring rookie sixth-round pick Jon Runyan to finish the game at right guard.


But despite all the upheaval, the Packers' offense kept on humming and Aaron Rodgers wasn't sacked a single time.


"I'm proud of both Rick and Jon stepping in, really important to stay ready as a backup," Rodgers said. "We talked last night about how you're one play away. A lot of guys in the room are one play away and you gotta be ready to go when your number's called. So I'm proud of those guys stepping up."


The Packers didn't have an update on Taylor after the game, aside from Rodgers and Head Coach Matt LaFleur expressing their well wishes to the eighth-year veteran, who missed all but two games last year due to a torn biceps muscle.


Team decision: As President/CEO Mark Murphy outlined in a statement during the game, the Packers remained in the locker room during the playing of the national anthem and "Lift Every Voice and Sing" so as "to not distract from our message that we stand united for social justice and racial equality."


Added Adams after the game: "We had multiple conversations as a team and we wanted to make sure we controlled the narrative of what happened. All the extra details of what took place inside the locker room we'll keep that for our football team. We just wanted to make sure we stayed together, kept the focus on what it was. … We decided to stay inside as a team."


Odds and ends: Along with the injuries to Taylor and Patrick, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark also left in the second quarter with a groin injury and didn't return. … Rookie linebacker Krys Barnes, promoted from the practice squad Saturday, started next to Christian Kirksey and finished with six tackles, including two key stops for a loss in the second quarter. Barnes is the first undrafted rookie linebacker to start for Green Bay in Week 1 since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.