Rodgers, Matthews active vs. Texans

GREEN BAY – Clay Matthews is active six days after taking a vicious block that injured the AC joint in his left shoulder, but it’s unclear where he’ll line up.

That’s because the Green Bay Packers will also have the services of inside linebacker Jake Ryan, their top run-stopping linebacker. For all practical purposes, Ryan had missed each of past three games with a sprained ankle suffered before the first defensive snap at Tennessee.

Matthews filled in for Ryan at inside linebacker Monday night in Philadelphia, returning to a position he’d occupied at a Pro Bowl level the past two seasons. With Ryan returning, Matthews likely will slide back to outside linebacker, with Joe Thomas and Ryan consuming the inside linebacker snaps.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers (hamstring) is also active against the Houston Texans, giving the Packers their most irreplaceable offensive and defensive player. Both were expected to play.

The Packers activated cornerback Makinton Dorleant from injured reserve Saturday, placing cornerback Demetri Goodson on injured reserve, but Dorleant is inactive against the Texans.

The Texans defense will be less than full strength, and not just because all-world defensive tackle J.J. Watt has missed all but three games because of the a back injury. Jadeveon Clowney did not make the trip to Green Bay, staying in Houston because of a wrist and elbow injury.

Here is the full list of Packers inactives against the Texans:

WR Trevor Davis

CB Makinton Dorleant

ILB Blake Martinez

OLB Kyler Fackrell

G T.J. Lang

C JC Tretter

DT Christian Ringo

rwood@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @ByRyanWood