Numbers crunch
By JASON WILDE
GREEN BAY Greg Jennings swears hes not pressing, swears he doesnt know his statistics and swears he isnt unhappy with his role in the Green Bay Packers offense.
Now, if the Packers werent winning, well, then maybe the fourth-year wide receiver would be taking a different tack. But with an 8-4 record and a four-game winning streak entering Sundays game at Chicago, Jennings said Wednesday that winning cures whatever disappointment he might feel personally about his season.
Im telling you, when were playing the way were playing, when were winning, youre going to get nothing but smiles, Jennings said after practice Wednesday. Now, if it were reversed, then maybe. But Im not trying to mess with anything. Were good, where were at. Were all helping one another, were all making each other better, were all complementing each other right now. Theres no reason to mess with anything.
Still, Jennings numbers are down. Last year, he caught 80 passes for 1,292 yards and nine touchdowns; he enters the 13th game of the year with just 53 receptions for 799 yards and three touchdowns, putting him on pace for 70 catches for 1,065 yards and four TDs.
I honestly dont even know my numbers right now. I dont, said Jennings, who signed a three-year, $27 million contract extension in the offseason and started the year by catching the game-winning 50-yard touchdown pass against Chicago in the regular-season opener. I dont really get caught up in numbers. When you start focusing on numbers, you start worrying about this and worrying about that. So I dont know how many catches I have, I dont know how many yards. I know my touchdowns.
In Monday nights victory over Baltimore, Jennings dropped two passes, but he said the explanations were simple: On the slant that he dropped, he simply took his eye off the ball; on the puma route on the sideline, he lost the ball in the lights.
Im not concerned about that, not at all, said Jennings, who has now dropped five passes on the season, tying him with Donald Driver for the team lead. Im nowhere close to being concerned it. Not sounding cocky about it, but drops are a part of the game. But what happened to me on (Monday), the slant, totally (my fault), totally like 100 percent. That is just uncalled for. (On the other drop), I cant control the lights.
Asked if he thought Jennings was pressing against the Ravens, causing the drops, coach Mike McCarthy said he didnt think so then proceeded to defend his receiver.
Greg is an outstanding football player. I'm excited he's on our team. He's going to be on our team for a long time, McCarthy said. I think (his decreased productivity) is a product of our offense. ... It's kind of tough to have numbers for everybody across the board. You'd like to. But Greg's a team player and I think he does a great job for us. Maybe he would have had more production Monday night, but I didn't have a sense he was pressing in the game.
On Oct. 12, Jennings politely but publicly complained about his role in the offense, saying he wanted the doggone ball more.
The offense was kind of struggling. So that was a different situation, Jennings said Wednesday. Dont get me wrong, every receiver wants to see more balls. That is just every receiver. But were a close knit group, and were very unselfish. Youre never going to see a guy just complaining about getting balls or not getting balls. So its not about that. Thats when it becomes a selfish game, and were not about being selfish guys at all.
That said, Jennings did suggest that if McCarthy and offensive coordinator Joe Philbin lined him up in the slot more often, instead of being split out wide, his production would go up.
Being in the slot is stealing. I tell Drive that all the time. Youre a thief if youre in the slot. Because you have so much space to work with, its ridiculous, Jennings said. Thats the way it is. We all play all the positions, we can all play any position out there on the field, and we switch from time to time just to give the defense a different look. And wherever that ball goes, we just try to make plays.
Jennings is often lined up on the same side as the slot receiver in a three-receiver set, leaving James Jones alone on the opposite side of the field.
I talk (about) this with James all the time. We could go to James every single play. Because he gets the one-on-one (coverage), Jennings said. He could get the ball every (play) I mean literally, this is not me exaggerating. When him and Jordy (Nelson) are by themselves on that boundary I mean, its almost like that is a mismatch every time. But (quarterback Aaron Rodgers) spreads the ball around, so Im not complaining.
So if lining up in the slot is stealing and the single receiver on the opposite of Jennings and the slot receiver could get the ball on every play, why isnt Jennings lining up in those spots more often?
Well, its all about formations and personnel, he said. A lot of times this year, defenses have been rolling (coverage) to me. So we try to kind of put me in a position where either theyre doing something we want them to do or we think theyre going to do something so I can either get open or kind of pull the coverage. So its a give-and-take. Thats what the game is all about.