[img_r]http://cmsimg.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=U0&Date=20080925&Category=PKR01&ArtNo=80925158&Ref=AR&Profile=1058&MaxW=150&Border=0[/img_r]Jordy Nelson was more involved in the Green Bay Packers last two drives of Sundays loss to Dallas than he was in the first 2 games of his young NFL career.
With starting receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings gassed and No. 3 wideout James Jones on the sideline icing his injured knee, Nelson had eight balls thrown his way and caught four of them for 42 yards his second, third, fourth and fifth receptions as a pro.
That total seems likely to rise steadily in the coming weeks, based in large part on the tenuous health of Jones and Ruvell Martin.
Nelson is the third healthy receiver for a Packers offense that has utilized at least three wideouts on 65.8 percent of snaps this season.
So, if defenses scheme to contain Driver and Jennings a dynamic duo that in three games has racked up 34 receptions for 539 yards the Packers top draft pick should have opportunities to take advantage.
Its not the situation the team wants to be in, with all these guys getting banged up, Nelson said this week. But guys have got to step up and fill in and do their best to try to keep the team going in the right direction.
Martin has fully participated in practice since last week, albeit with a cumbersome cast protecting the broken bone in his left hand, and most likely will return from a two-week absence on Sunday at Tampa Bay.
Jones injury is of more concern.
The second-year pro returned to action at Detroit on Sept. 14 only 23 days after a tearing the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a preseason game at Denver but didnt look like himself while recording four receptions for 29 yards, with two drops.
Jones tweaked the knee on the first play against Dallas (another drop), and although tests revealed no further damage, Jones on Wednesday said he felt terrible about his chances for playing this week.
I cant be myself, man, said Jones, who had 47 catches for 676 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie in 2007.
Im out there worrying about my knee. I dont want to fall on my knee the wrong way. Thats why, if Im not going to be 100 percent by Sunday, Im just going to tell them its a no-go.
I have no explosion. I cant run away from defenders; I cant do anything like that. I need to get this thing 100 percent so I can be out there and be James Jones.
In the meantime, its more action for Nelson, a second-round pick (No. 36 overall) whose first NFL catch was a 29-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter at Detroit. After playing only 41 snaps and being targeted three times in the seasons first two games, Nelson played 56 snaps and was targeted 10 times against Dallas.
Asked whether hes comfortable with the rookie getting that much action, receivers coach Jimmy Robinson said, Absolutely. Ive got no qualms, no concerns about him being in there. He knows what hes doing and he catches the ball when you throw it to him.
Though Nelson has been playing outside at the X and Z receiver spots, he knows enough to play the slot if needed, too. The Packers try to cross-train all receivers by making them learn the broader concept of each play, rather than specific routes therein, and Nelsons been very good at that, Robinson said.
A former walk-on safety who didnt play his first two years at Kansas State, Nelson became a highly productive college player, recording a Big 12 Conference-record 122 catches for 1,606 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior.
At 6-foot-3 and 217 pounds, Nelson is a taller target than Jones (6-1, 218) and has comparable speed. Nelsons biggest challenge is running the precise routes needed to get open against NFL defensive backs.
Ive got to keep working on it so Im running them the way (coaches) want them ran and the way (quarterback Aaron Rodgers) wants it ran, Nelson said. Thats the important thing to get A-Rod and I on the same page, so when were out there, hes confident in me and I know Ill be in the right spot for him.