Pack's Jennings set to return from abdominal tear

November 28, 2012

 

GREEN BAY — The Green Bay Packers won't get all of their injured starters back this week. The one they will get back could make a big difference. The Packers are hoping the return of two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Greg Jennings will revive a disappointing game.

The question is how many snaps Jennings will be able to handle against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Jennings has missed the last seven games and had surgery Nov. 1 to repair a lower abdominal tear that has bothered him since he first injured it near the end of the Sept. 9 season opener against San Francisco. Coach Mike McCarthy expects Jennings to be a full participant in practice Wednesday.

"Just talking with Greg Saturday and Sunday, I think he's in a good place and he's ready to (go)," McCarthy said. "He needs a full week of work, and that's our plan."

Jennings was in and out of the lineup during the first month of the season and has not played since catching a touchdown Sept. 30 in a victory over New Orleans.

"You also have to have the conversation of, how many plays is he going to play? That's really what the week's work is for," McCarthy said. "We'll see how it goes Wednesday. Because when guys come off injuries that hold them out of multiple weeks, multiple games, it's important that we not only have Greg for Minnesota, but all the way through (the rest of the season). So that's something we'll watch Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and communicate."

Jennings practiced all three days last week and proclaimed himself "ready" last Friday, but he was inactive for the team's 38-10 loss at the New York Giants on Sunday night.

"As a player, every player wants to be out there and play. I'm no different. I want to go out there and play — especially if you feel good," Jennings said last week. "But at the end of the day, I'm going to let them make the decision. I'm going to give my input, but it'll be their decision, their call. We'll see."

While quarterback Aaron Rodgers has had Jordy Nelson, James Jones and emerging second-year man Randall Cobb in his arsenal, Jennings' absence has been felt by the Packers, who rank 18th in the NFL in yards per game (342.9) and 13th in scoring (24.8 points per game) after leading the NFL in scoring last season (35.0) and finishing fifth in yardage (401.5).

"Greg's a dynamic player. He's been to the Pro Bowl, he has an excellent working relationship with Aaron Rodgers, they're on the same page," McCarthy said. "Greg's one of those receivers that's extremely athletic, his body language is very easy to readjust to and Aaron has great confidence to throw to with anticipation. They have a lot of history together, a lot of production. It'd be great to have him back."

The Packers have had trouble against teams playing predominantly Cover-2 defenses against them, and Jennings' ability to get open on underneath routes as well as stretch the field would help.

"Obviously, he's an outstanding player," offensive coordinator Tom Clements said. "Anytime you get an outstanding player on the field, it makes the defense prepare a little bit differently and hopefully we can take advantage of a good player."

McCarthy did not update the status of 2011 first-round draft pick Derek Sherrod, who has been on the physically-unable-to-perform list since breaking a lower leg last Dec. 18 at Kansas City, or of veteran running back Cedric Benson, who sprained a foot Oct. 7 at Indianapolis. Benson was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return.

Benson, who was put on IR three days after the injury, was scheduled to visit a specialist in Charlotte, N.C., and after initially ruling out surgery, that possibility was reportedly still being considered last week. Benson is currently eligible to return to practice and under league rules could play Dec. 9 against Detroit.

But McCarthy said Benson would not practice this week and asked if he thought the Packers would get Benson back this season, McCarthy replied, "We'll probably have some information for you tomorrow on Cedric Benson."

McCarthy also said the team would have an announcement on Sherrod on Wednesday. The NFL's transaction wire stated that Sherrod "remains on Reserve/Physically Unable To Perform (List)," indicating he will not play this season.

The Packers' offensive line is struggling in the wake of right tackle Bryan Bulaga's season-ending hip injury Nov. 4, and the only remaining backups on the 53-man roster are undrafted rookie free agents Don Barclay and Greg Van Roten.


Packers' run defense takes hit with Wilson injury

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers might have the worst timing in the NFL.

Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings roll into town Sunday, and the Packers expect they'll be without defensive end C.J. Wilson, a cornerstone of their run defense. That's on top of the absences of Charles Woodson and, most likely, Clay Matthews.

"I feel better from Sunday ... but it's a longshot," Wilson, who injured his knee in last weekend's blowout loss to the New York Giants, said Wednesday. "It's a horrible feeling knowing I won't be able to play Sunday and help the team with my defense, to stop this beast."

Few teams have been hit harder by injuries this year than the Packers (7-4), who have lost more than a dozen starters or projected starters for at least one game, and their timing has only made the pain worse.

With No. 1 receiver Greg Jennings already out, Jordy Nelson, Aaron Rodgers' second-favorite target, missed one game and most of another. James Starks, Green Bay's leading rusher last season, was still nursing a toe injury when Cedric Benson went down with a foot injury. Starks got healthy just in time for fullback John Kuhn to suffer a hamstring injury.

The Packers had to take on Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions without both Woodson and cornerback Sam Shields. The last time Green Bay faced a bulldozer of a running back, Houston's Arian Foster? Nose tackle B.J. Raji was in sweats.

Now comes Peterson, and Wilson will be on the sidelines.

"Without C.J., it's definitely going to be tougher," fellow defensive lineman Ryan Pickett said. "C.J. is a real good player, especially against the run."

The Packers have been tough to run on lately. After giving up a total of 407 yards rushing in the first three weeks of the season, they've held opponents to an average of 91.9 yards over the last eight games, fourth-best in the league.

They were particularly stingy with Foster. Though he scored two touchdowns, Foster was held to just 29 yards, his fewest in two seasons, and his 1.7 yards per carry was a career low.

But Wilson played a big part in that. And, no offense to Foster or any of the other running backs the Packers have faced, but Peterson is a much, much bigger challenge.

"This is a different animal," Pickett said. "I mean, he's a once-a-decade kind of runner."

Peterson leads the NFL with 1,236 yards rushing, almost 200 more than Foster. He's averaging a whopping 5.8 yards per carry, about a yard better than almost every other top running back. He's run for 100 yards in five straight games, matching Robert Smith's franchise record.

And this from a guy who blew out his ACL not even 12 months ago.

"I think he's better, scary to say," Pickett said. "I already thought he was the best back, hands down, in the league, and now he's looking better on tape. I was shocked when we started watching tape on him. He's running the ball real hard and he's breaking a lot of tackles.

"You just don't expect to see him do the things he's doing," Pickett added. "This is probably one of his better years he's ever had. He's running the ball great. We were watching the run cut-ups and it's like a highlight reel. I'm like, 'Wow, what is this?' He's averaging almost 6 yards a carry. That's unheard of."

If Wilson doesn't play, the Packers will lean on rookies Mike Daniels and Jerel Worthy, who filled in after Wilson got hurt against the Giants.

Welcome to the big time, kids!

"We'll have to have the young guys step up," Pickett said. "They've been stepping up all year, they'll have to again."

When it comes to stopping Peterson, though, it really is a job for the entire defense.

He's savvy and slick enough to find even the smallest of holes, and he'll make anyone who leaves his assignment look silly. He's also guaranteed to make at least one guy miss every play, so there'd better be a second wave ready to stop him. Third and fourth wave, too, and probably a fifth just for good measure.

It sounds like a defensive lineman's nightmare — and Pickett can't wait for it.

"I like playing against this, this is a challenge. A big challenge," he said. "He's the leading rusher in the league right now and it's the Vikings. And we don't like the Vikings. It's an extra push to get ready for this game."

Notes: Matthews did not practice Wednesday and coach Mike McCarthy said he thinks it's "a stretch" the linebacker would be ready for Sunday's game. But "he's getting close," McCarthy said. "He wants the opportunity to talk again on Friday." ... McCarthy said RB Cedric Benson was being re-evaluated Wednesday. Benson has been on the injured reserve, eligible to return list since Oct. 10, but is reportedly still considering surgery on his injured foot. ... The Packers have won nine straight games against NFC North opponents. Asked to explain their divisional success, McCarthy joked, "Coaching."

 

 

Associated Press