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Green
Bay Packers' Greg Jennings gives a thumbs up to the crowd as
he is taken off the field on a cart after being injured
during the second half of an NFL football game against the
Oakland Raiders on Sunday in
Green Bay
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GREEN BAY - Wide receiver Greg
Jennings will be on the sideline as the Green Bay Packers make their
push for a perfect regular season. Come playoff time, the Packers
expect to have him back.
Coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that
Jennings will miss two to three weeks with a knee sprain, but is
likely to return for the postseason.
"We have three games left,"
McCarthy said. "Yes, I would think it'd be safe to say he'll be
back for the playoffs."
Jennings hurt his left knee when he
landed awkwardly in the third quarter of Sunday's victory over
Oakland. Jennings had to be helped from the sideline to a cart and
was taken to the locker room.
At 13-0, the Packers can clinch
home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with a victory at
Kansas City on Sunday. But losing Jennings will be a significant —
if only temporary — blow to a team best known for its dominant
passing game.
"We feel fortunate that it is
only a couple weeks," McCarthy said.
The Packers are monitoring several
other injuries this week.
Defensive lineman Ryan Pickett and
backup running back Brandon Saine both left Sunday's game with
concussions. McCarthy is optimistic both players will be available
this week, but first will have to clear post-concussion testing
protocols.
The Packers also are missing veteran
left tackle Chad Clifton, guard Josh Sitton, running back James
Starks and inside linebacker Desmond Bishop.
McCarthy said Sitton is "making
progress" on his right knee injury and may practice this week.
Bishop is "close" to returning from a calf injury. And
McCarthy said he was hopeful Starks (right knee/ankle) could
practice Wednesday.
And McCarthy hasn't given up on
getting back Clifton, who has been out since injuring his hamstring
in the Packers' Oct. 9 victory at Atlanta, then hurting his back
during the rehabilitation process. McCarthy said Clifton may be able
to return to practice next week.
"I wouldn't say it was too late
for Chad Clifton," McCarthy said. "Actually, Chad was in
the training room when I was in there. He looks good, had a hard
workout today."
But the biggest concern was Jennings,
and the Packers appear to have dodged the worst-case scenario.
"I have not seen Greg today, but
I was told his spirits were (high), he was upbeat," McCarthy
said. "He was in here for treatment, had a process to go
through it with the medical staff."
After making his first Pro Bowl in
2010, Jennings has 67 catches for 949 yards and nine touchdowns this
season. He's just as valuable when he isn't catching the ball,
occupying defenders and creating opportunities for the Packers'
other receivers.
"We feel that we have enough to
move forward," McCarthy said. "Greg will be missed, but
with that, it's more opportunity for the other perimeter
players."
Now the rest of the Packers' deep and
talented group of receivers will have to take up the slack.
"Greg's a playmaker, and it's
hard to fill in (for) a guy like that," tight end Jermichael
Finley said Sunday night. "But we've got playmakers all through
our offense. Young guys are going to have to step up, or the guys
that already in will have to step up. Next man up."
The Packers still are loaded with
pass-catching talent, as Finley, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Donald
Driver and rookie Randall Cobb all can provide big-play threats.
"I think we know that everybody
has a job to do," Driver said. "It gets to a point where
somebody has to step up, I think we can do it. It's been a proven
fact that guys have stepped up to fill other guys' shoes."
Still, Packers players acknowledged
that losing Jennings is significant.
"It'd be a tremendous
loss," Clay Matthews said. "Obviously, I think he's an
elite receiver in this league, and you hate to see players get
injured. Hopefully we'll have him back soon enough. I'm not sure
what happened, but hopefully he's not out too long."
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