Will Packers' Za'Darius Smith play in Week 2 against the Lions? HC Matt LaFleur provides update

Linebacker Za'Darius Smith is perhaps the most important player on the Green Bay Packers defense. With a total of 26 sacks in his last two seasons, Smith has transformed himself and the Packers' defense into a force to be reckoned with.

But that was not the case on opening day as the Packers succumbed to a 3-38 loss to the Jameis Winston-led New Orleans Saints. The Green Bay Packers defense could not sack Winston even once and allowed 171 yards on the ground and 151 yards through the air.

One of the primary reasons for this may have been Za'Darius Smith's lack of fitness. He was only able to muster one tackle in the game. It was recently revealed that Smith had lingering back problems throughout the game.

With a critical game against the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football on the horizon, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has a decision ahead of him: Does he play Za'Darius Smith on a limited snap count or does he rest him for a game or more?

Will the loss of Za'Darius Smith mean a loss for the Packers

Speaking about Smith's availability for the game against the Lions, Matt LaFleur said:

"We're going to have to shut him down for a while. Do you keep him in a limited or do you shut him down for a while and try to get him up to the snap count we'd like him to be."

Coach LaFleur has decided that it's best to place Za'Darius Smith on injured reserve and give him time to heal. Smith will be out for at least a minimum of three weeks. He will miss the games against the Detroit Lions, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With Smith out, the Packers know that it's time for others to step up and take advantage of this opportunity.

Finding a silver lining

One bright spot for the Packers is that two of the three teams they'll play against have quarterbacks that are not necessarily mobile. The Lions have Jared Goff, who has scrambling ability but is not necessarily known as a runner. The 49ers may present a considerable problem with either Trey Lance or Jimmy Garoppolo being able to run effectively outside of the pocket.

The last game of those three weeks will see 39-year-old Ben Roethlisberger marshall the Steelers' offense. Big Ben is as statue-esque as they come, so the hope is that the Packers will be able to survive without Za'Darius Smith in the next three games.

If they can't, they may find themselves looking up from the cellar of the NFC North division.