On Monday, head coach Mike McCarthy said he was ‘hopeful’ Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson could play Sunday against the Chicago Bears. That hope has now suddenly disappeared after the coach called him a ‘longshot’ to play today, after the fifth year wide out missed practice again with a hamstring injury.
McCarthy-Plan is for Matthews to play, tomorrow’s practice is toughest, hopeful he can play. Longshot for Jordy Nelson to play. #packers
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 12, 2012
Seconds after I posted this, we received another little slice of wideout hurt. Jordy Nelson has been officially ruled out due to a hamstring injury.
This is notable, which is why I’m noting it, but it’s something far less than surprising, as it merely confirms a development which we’ve expected since Monday. That means you, the Nelson owner, should have grabbed one of the prime waiver wire candidates earlier this week, with Chris Givens and T.Y. Hilton leading our list. Even though the waiver period has ended both of those names are still widely available for hire, with Hilton owned in 52.7 percent of ESPN leagues, while Givens’ ownership is at only 14.7 percent.
Nelson’s absence will likely lead to smiling Greg Jennings and James Jones owners, as Jennings will receive a significant uptick in targets, while Jones’ usage will remain high for at least one more week.
When Greg Jennings went down earlier this year with a groin injury, Jordy Nelson owners were pleased with the thought of him getting even more looks from quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The problem? Nelson can’t stay healthy either.
Packers HC Mike McCarthy said WR Jordy Nelson would be “hard pressed” to play Sunday vs. Detroit.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 3, 2012
Nelson left in the first quarter of Green Bay’s win over Minnesota Sunday with a hamstring injury. He apparently “felt something in pre-game” but he then decided to give it a go. Unfortunately after just one reception for ten yards, the second-round pick in 2008 was unable to continue. Nelson was forced to miss a Week 8 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a similar issue.
This is good news for Jennings and James Jones owners, both of whom will now receive more targets in Nelson’s absence. Jennings made his return to the lineup Sunday and was targeted eight times, catching four balls for 46 yards, while Jones was targeted twice, catching two balls for 40 yards and a touchdown.
Hopefully Nelson can return for the rest of the fantasy playoff drive, but it doesn’t look good this week.
I’m sorry guys. I did this.
Remember that week when Ryan Broyles was among the great value fantasy players at his position, and I wrote as many love letters to him as I did, say, Knowshon Moreno and Colin Kaepernick? Yeah, that was this week after Broyles busted out for 126 receiving yards and on six catches and 12 targets on Thanksgiving Day, and he looked prepared to win a few fantasy championships down the stretch. Optimism for that outcome rose even higher when Titus Young’s continued douche act landed him on the inactive list again today, solidifying Broyles’ status as Matthew Stafford’s No.2 target opposite Calvin Johnson.
Now what have we learned? We still can’t have nice things.
Earlier I used the headline “Jordy Nelson would like to make you smile” when the Packers receiver was surprisingly active despite a hamstring injury that kept him out of practice all week, and it was so severe that he wasn’t even able to test it Friday or do any light work.
Now Nelson would like to make you vomit uncontrollably. Or maybe that’s just the remains of last night’s Jack Daniels surging to the surface. Either way, watching Nelson roll over his ankle after an awkward catch — his first and likely only catch today — and then hobble to the sideline likely prompted an acid reflex of some kind.
Jordy Nelson couldn’t even test his injured hamstring on Friday, and although Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said at the time that he’s 50/50, that percentage seemed like it was a downright filthy lie. How can a player who’s missed a game with an injury and then wasn’t even able to take it for a test drive at half speed in practice have a chance to play at full speed while facing contact?
That question, friends, is why we all just watch games, and click away to plug players into fake lineups and such. For we are mere mortals, and football players are cyborgs who were once raised by a giant rat in a sewer, or something.
Nelson is active and playing. While Calvin Johnson playing is unsurprising and the worry about him was a product of instinctive profuse sweating, Nelson’s inclusion on the Packers’ active list is the opposite of that for the aforementioned lack of any test whatsoever this week. That’s also why — again similar to Johnson — you can feel free to insert Nelson into your starting lineup now, but do it with decreased expectations.
Now that I’ve written this Nelson will surely surprise us (and indeed, just after typing those words Jay Glazer reported that he’s a “full go” so we’ll see), and do something crazy and heroic. But the worry about him is even more significant than the concern surrounding Johnson, because while both will be limited despite still playing, Johnson’s injury hasn’t necessitated any missed time.
Nelson is a surprise last-minute active. Treat him accordingly, and look at him as a mid-tier WR2 when usually he’d be flirting with WR1 status in the high octane Packers offense with Greg Jennings out despite a less than ideal matchup against the Cardinals and Patrick Peterson.
Here are the other notable actives/inactives.
Earlier we wrote a giant, screaming headline that was entirely fake while telling you not to worry about Calvin Johnson. Now this headline is more silent and soft. That’s because when the grown ups tell us news that sucks, they speak in low, hushed tones.
So grab your wife and children, and head to the storm shelter. Grab your Jordy Nelson replacement too, because he’s maybe, probably, most likely not playing this weekend.
