Perhaps looking to stem the negativity following their disastrous loss to the New York Giants, word came from the Green Bay Packers that receiver Greg Jennings will play against Minnesota on Sunday.
It will be the first time Jennings has played since week four. He was initially misdiagnosed as having a hamstring injury and later had surgery for an abdominal tear.
Jennings practiced all last week, but was held out of the Giants game. There’s word he could have played in that game, but the team was reportedly worried about his conditioning after seven weeks off.
So is Jennings the savior the Packers offense seems to need at this point?
We’ll have to wait and see, but his involvement in the offense depends largely on the game plan. Teams will continue to play the Packers two deep and Jennings has been known as a deep threat, which the two-deep look is designed to combat.
If Jennings is going to be effective, the Packers will have to work him in the middle of the field in front of the safeties, rather than vertically. While Jennings has had success there, the Packers haven’t this season.
At the very least, Jennings will be another weapon opposing defenses will have to worry about.
Greg Jennings plays football??
I thought he only did crappy commercials that embarass the organization.
Embarass the organization? Because he did old spice commercials??? If people honestly think that that’s a concern… God help us.
Oh, you didn’t hear? The Packers organization has taken firm moral stances against their players supporting both hygiene (e.g. Old Spice commercials) as well as the NFL’s Ticket Exchange program. How dare Greg Jennings embarrass the Packers by being involved in the marketing of the organization of which the Packers are a member? And body wash?! He should be ashamed!
Greg Jennings called and said “You can save your smelf”.
If this was a welcome return or addition to our O-line, answer is “maybe”.
It doesnt matter who you have as a receiver if your O-line sucks, or your coach refuses to give help because he wants to spread the defense out and throw bombs down the field.
Hope Jennings does make a difference, just doubt it will be that easy to fix!
Correct. McCarthy has to accept the fact that our o-line can blocks for about two seconds before the it becomes a jailbreak. This does not compute with an offense that runs deep patterns on every play. Unless Jennings is an all-pro tackle, his return won’t matter much.
Not sure Jennings will save anybody, but Matthews and Woodson might. A year ago this week the Giants got blown out 49-24 in New Orleans. Hopefully a healthy defense in January will make this New Jersey debacle a distant memory. Either that or I am in serious denial.
Who would even come off the field for a gimpy Jennings at this point? Assuming a steady plan of 4 or 5 wides will land Rodgers on IR, it’ll be hard to pull Jordy, Cobb, or Jones off the field and still be able to keep Rodgers upright.
The Steelers played mostly the two deep against the Packers in the Super Bowl, and the Packers scored 31 in that game. Of course, Nick Collins scored 7 of it.
Regardless, Jennings was a weapon against the two deep from the slot. He also runs the seam route and deep in on the team, both of which are preferred routes against that coverage.
The Packers were trying to have Randall Cobb assume that role, but the Giants double-covered the slot, similar as to how the Packers covered Victor Cruz. With Jennings back, you leave him in single coverage if you double Cobb, and vice versa.
If you look at the Packer offense prior to the KC game and then compare it to the Packer offense since, you find a pretty strong statistical argument for the importance of Greg Jennings.
Well since the offense is splitting run and pass 50/50 right now with little room for creativity aside, I don’t see how were going to see those old backside slants from Jennings and probably won’t being seeing any routes run across the middle of the field. I mean McCarthy found zero room in his playbook to get James Jones involved last week, how’s he going to get Jennings in there when Starks and Al Green are touching the ball 25-30 times a game?
I mean, didn’t you hear? Al Green and Starks are the new Pack offense — it’s a 50/50 balanced attack baby!!!!
That’s great news about Jennings, but he’s only a piece of the walking wounded. What about Perry, Matthews, Bulaga, Woodson, Shields? Any chance any of them will play on Sunday. And I’m sure I’m overlooking someone.
Let’s hope GJ found his catching hands whilst recuping…..
Perry was put on IR a month ago…Bulaga after the AZ game. Matthews is doubtful, shields and woody out.