GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Packers expect cornerback Charles Woodson to play Sunday against the Detroit Lions.
Woodson, a six-time Pro Bowl selection and the 2009 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is listed as probable for the game after suffering an ankle injury in practice Wednesday.
Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers saw the Woodson get hurt and briefly felt some uneasiness.
"You're always concerned when you see one of your guys go down," Capers said. "But he bounced back up."
Woodson, 34, has missed only one game because of injury in his five seasons with the Packers, who signed the former Oakland Raider as a free agent in 2006. The 13-year pro has played in every game the last three years.
Woodson has played all of this season with a nagging toe injury that has curtailed how much he practices each week, but Capers hasn't seen the cornerback's play suffer.
"I think he's played at a pretty high level for us," Capers said. "Probably everybody wants to compare it to last year, but that's one of those rare years that may come around once in a career."
Last season, Woodson had career highs of nine interceptions and three returns for touchdowns, along with a personal-best-tying four forced fumbles. Through 12 games this season, Woodson has just two interceptions, his fewest as a Packer, but he has forced four more fumbles.
Woodson had a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown in the opening minute of the second half to put the Packers ahead 28-14. Later, after the Lions pulled within 28-26 and were driving again, Woodson came up with three big plays in succession to force a punt. The Packers' offense ran out the clock.
"We don't win that football game if he doesn't make the plays that he made," Capers said.
Defensive end Cullen Jenkins is out indefinitely after he aggravated a calf injury in Green Bay's last game. Rookie C.J. Wilson and second-year pro Jarius Wynn are options to replace Jenkins, or the Packers could go heavy on the line with B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett and Howard Green.
"It will depend on how the game's going a little bit, the run-pass ratio," Capers said.
Notes: Coach Mike McCarthy expects LT Chad Clifton to play after he recovered from a concussion sustained in last Sunday's win over the San Francisco 49ers. ... LB Clay Matthews said it won't be hard for the Packers to stay focused against the 2-10 Lions. "Yeah, there's some good teams ahead, but this is a good team," Matthews said. "We're not fooled by the 2-10 record."
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
