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Green Bay - If Green Bay Packers running back James Starks can deal with the pain, he should be able to play against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day.

Starks took part in practice Tuesday and while the medical staff told him to take it easy, he couldn't help but open it up on a couple of runs to see if his sprained right knee and ankle could handle the stress.

The verdict was so far, so good.

"I was going through a little bit of pain, but I can deal with pain," Starks said. "Running backs play with a lot of pain, so I can get through it. I just have to start tolerating it a little better. I feel good, though. I feel better."

Of the two players who suffered injuries against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Starks has the most to overcome. Wide receiver Greg Jennings, who bruised his knee, practiced and has already been cleared to play, according to coach Mike McCarthy.

Starks may have avoided a season-ending injury given the way his leg was bent, but he wound up being more scared than injured. He has been walking around with a smile on his face since the end of the game, so it has been clear he's feeling better.

The medical staff will make the final decision on if and how much he plays.

"James was limited, went through all the group periods, individual periods, took a few reps in team," McCarthy said. "It's always hard to evaluate a running back on a Tuesday. We'll see how he does tomorrow."

Asked if getting Starks out on the field was mostly so he could see the offense run through the game plan, McCarthy said no.

"James Starks was out there getting ready to play in the game," he said. "It will be a medical decision if plays (or) if he doesn't play. I talked to him coming off the field, and he has 48 hours to get himself ready."

Starks may have been preparing himself for surgery if things had gone a little differently on Sunday. He said he was told that his bow-leggedness might have saved him from having his knee caught in a more precarious situation.

"My legs are turned in this way, and they go that way, so if I was straight-legged and my knee (was hit), it probably would have torn," he said.

Injury report: Linebacker Frank Zombo, who has been out two weeks with a hamstring pull, returned to practice and may be able to play.

"We'll see," McCarthy said. "He's definitely one of the guys we're talking about at the 46 (-man game-day roster). I'm curious to see how practice went for him, I've not spoken to Frank."

Linebacker Desmond Bishop (calf) was added to the injury report and listed as a limited participant, but he said he would play Thursday. Linebacker Clay Matthews (ankle) was limited, as were tackle Marshall Newhouse (knee) and guard Josh Sitton (knee).

For the Lions, wide receiver Calvin Johnson (ankle), defensive tackle Corey Williams (calf) , punter Ryan Donahue (thigh), running back Jahvid Best (concussion) and end Lawrence Jackson (thigh) did not participate.

Lesson learned: The Packers did not fare well against Detroit last year, first losing quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a concussion and then losing the game, 7-3.

Rodgers got hurt at the end of a scramble, when he was tackled hard and had his head hit the turf.

Asked what he learned from that game, Rodgers said:

"Slide when you get the first down. I think it's important to remember my role on this team. If I'm not taking care of myself, I can hurt this team. If I got the first down I'm probably not going to outrun anybody or make too many guys miss, so make sure I get down pretty quickly."

No worries: For the most part, the Packers expressed no concern about the Lions' reputation for engaging in some rough stuff.

In particular, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who has been fined three times to the tune of $42,500 for illegal hits, can make quarterbacks and running backs pay a heavy price for entering his personal space.

"You know, we're going in to this game and we're confident in our abilities," Rodgers said. "We know it's a tough opponent; we're expecting a tough game.

"We know what kind of game we're in for."

Confident bunch: Suh said in a conference call with local reporters that he doesn't see the Packers as invincible and that the Lions can match them in talent.

"By all means do I think our team is at their level to be able to play against them," he said. "I don't see them as a golden perfect team. Everybody has flaws in this league, but everybody has great things that they do.

"It's just a matter of limiting the amount of mistakes that we have on our time and causing them to make as many mistakes as possible and to make the (most) of the biggest mistakes they do have."

Suh said the Lions are well aware that Minnesota had some success putting pressure on Rodgers and that he was looking forward to the challenge of facing the Packers quarterback, the highest-rated passer in the National Football League.