Cedric Benson out for eight weeks with Lisfranc injury

[Lake Louise]

Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy already confirmed that running back Cedric Benson won't play Sunday against the Houston Texans after he injured his left foot against the Indianapolis Colts.

McCarthy was conservative. NFL.com and NFL Network's Steve Wyche reported Monday night that Benson will be out approximately eight weeks with a Lisfranc injury, which would place his return somewhere around the first week of December -- if he doesn't need potentially season-ending surgery.

The Packers can't afford to lose a veteran back like Benson, who leads the team with 248 yards on 71 carries. Their next leading rusher, Alex Green, has just 57 yards and is representative of Green Bay's paper-thin backfield. You can't trek through the meat of your schedule throwing screens to Randall Cobb all day.

Jason Wilde of ESPN Milwaukee reminds us that running back James Starks was a healthy scratch for the Colts game after recovering from a lingering case of turf toe. He joins Green, Brandon Saine and John Kuhn as Green Bay's remaining healthy backs. Not exactly The Four Horsemen there.

So much for bringing Benson over to help establish a run game. Not that he has done anything really so far. Green Bay already has looked iffy this year, and now this. Things don't look that great for the Packers.