Five Packers defensive starters inactive

GREEN BAY - Five Green Bay Packers defensive starters will not be playing in their Sunday afternoon meeting with the Detroit Lions.

Inactive for the Packers are OLB Clay Matthews (ankle / hamstring), CB Sam Shields (concussion), NT Letroy Guion (knee), DE Datone Jones (knee) and S Morgan Burnett (groin).

Matthews, Shields and Burnett had been declared out on the injury report on Friday. Guion and Jones were doubtful.

Julius Peppers will start for Matthews, Quinten Rollins for Shields, Kenny Clark for Guion, Dean Lowry for Jones and Micah Hyde for Burnett.

Here are the Packers' inactives:

• QB Joe Callahan
• CB Sam Shields
• S Morgan Burnett
• LB Clay Matthews
• T Kyle Murphy
• DE Datone Jones
• DT Letroy Guion

The Lions are hurting on defense, too. Two of their best players, DE Ziggy Ansah (ankle) and LB DeAndre Levy (thigh) are inactive.

Also inactive is backup linebacker Antwione Williams (hamstring), who would have started for Levy. The Lions did not announce a starter to replace Levy, but it will be either backup Thurston Armbrister or Zaviar Gooden, who was signed from the practice squad on Saturday.

Kerry Hyder will replace Ansah at defensive end. He has three sacks in a rve role and will have to play more on running downs. The Packers may try to target him with their rushing attack.

Theo Riddick will be the Lions' starting running back, replacing Ameer Abdullah, who was placed on injured reserve this week with a foot injury. Dwayne Washington and Zach Zenner are his backups.

Here are the Lions' inactives:

• CB Adairius Barnes
• LB Antwione Williams
• LB DeAndre Levy
• OL Joe Dahl
• OT Cornelius Lucas
• TE Orson Charles
• DE Ziggy Ansah