[img_r]http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/packer/img/news/oct08/tgreg1015.jpg[/img_r]Green Bay - If the measure of a great deep-ball receiver is his height and speed, then it may be time to start reconsidering the prototype because Greg Jennings doesn't have much of the first or a ton of the other.

Since entering the NFL out of Western Michigan in 2006, Greg Jennings' 19 TDs have averaged 37.3 yards, more than any active player with at least 15 TD catches.

All the Green Bay Packers' emerging big-play artist has are numbers that put him in a category once reserved only for physical anomalies like Randy Moss, Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson. The others might have the build and the 40-yard dash times, but Jennings has the statistics.

Since entering the NFL out of Western Michigan in 2006, the second-round pick's 19 touchdowns have averaged 37.3 yards, more than any other active player with at least 15 touchdown receptions.

This season, Jennings leads the NFL in receiving yards with 653, putting him on pace for 1,741, which would be the highest single-season total since Jerry Rice set the all-time NFL mark with 1,848 in 1995. It took Rice 122 receptions to reach that total; Jennings is on pace for 91.

With a gaudy per-catch average of 19.2 yards, the 5-11, 198-pound Jennings - who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds at the scouting combine - is becoming one of the most dangerous long-ball threats in the game.

"He's a very smooth route runner," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. "He's made some great run-after-the-catches, turning some 10-yard plays into 30-yard plays. That's a big dynamic of our offense that all the guys do really well. He's had the opportunity to make some big plays out of some medium plays."

That was Jennings' reputation coming out of college. He was sold as someone who could turn a short slant or medium post route into a long touchdown.

But lately he's been catching the passes reserved for the likes of Moss, Owens and Johnson, big receivers with freakish speed and the ability to out-jump defenders when the ball is underthrown. He is difficult to cover because he runs all his routes at the same speed, so defensive backs can't tell by his body language if he's going deep or breaking off the route short.

Jennings caught bombs against Minnesota for 56 yards, against Detroit for 62 yards, against Tampa Bay for 25 and 48 yards, against Atlanta for 25 yards and most recently against Seattle for 45. Some came with defenders draped on him, others were the result of beating man-to-man coverage.

All of them made Jennings look as if he was born to go deep.

"Actually, my first breakout year in college, that was my worry, that I only caught deep balls," Jennings said. "I never really got a chance to show my run-after-the-catch ability. The coaches put me in situations my junior and senior year to catch it and run versus my sophomore year, I was always the deep threat. It's exciting to be able to do both."

Jennings' big-play ability, particularly where it comes to scoring touchdowns, is fairly remarkable. Last year, he caught 12 touchdown passes that averaged 35.25 yards. The only player who blew him away in that category was Tampa Bay's Joey Galloway, who averaged 50.16 yards per catch.

But Galloway only caught six touchdowns.

Of the top receivers, none was as explosive as Jennings last year. New England's Moss set a single-season record with 23 touchdowns, but the immensely dangerous deep threat only averaged 21.8 yards per score. Dallas' Owens scored 15 touchdowns, but his average was 28.6, nearly 7 yards below Jennings'.

Owens averaged 16.7 yards on his 81 receptions, Moss averaged 15.2 on his 98 and Jennings averaged 17.4 on his 53.

This year, Jennings is playing with a different quarterback, one who has outstanding touch and accuracy on the deep ball. Rodgers has done a good job of recognizing when teams are focusing their attention on Donald Driver and leaving Jennings in one-on-one coverage.

And then he's delivering it where Jennings can go get it.

"You have a quarterback putting the ball with pinpoint placement; he's on point almost every time he throws the ball," said Jennings, whose four touchdown catches this year have averaged 35.7 yards. "It's all up to the receiver at that point. It's almost like it's the will to win. When that ball is in the air, either you want it or they want it, whose heart is bigger.

"The way I look at it, I want to be the one who comes down with it."

The Packers are prepared for more double coverage on Jennings now that teams are recognizing how good he is. Seattle was one of the first teams to start shading coverage more toward Jennings than Driver.

Still, Rodgers picked one of the few times Jennings was in man-to-man to heave it to him deep and it resulted in a 45-yard touchdown.

"The great thing about the West Coast offense is that you have so many quick options, high-percentage options, but on almost every play you have an option to take it deep," Rodgers said. "There's many times in a game where Greg has an option to take his route deeper. I think a lot of times we're waiting for those one-on-one opportunities, and thankfully, we're making the most of those opportunities."

Part of the reason Jennings has been successful is the attention Driver receives. If the coverage flows the other way, more throws could go to Driver and Jennings' numbers could go down. The Packers are willing to accept that because they have faith in Driver, too.

"Greg's success has to be related to having Donald Driver, a Pro Bowl receiver, on the other side because it's pick your poison," Rodgers said. "You roll the coverage to Donald, you have Greg one-on-one. You roll the coverage to Greg, as Seattle did a little bit last week, you have Donald one-on-one. Both add a great dimension to the offense."


MR. BIG
[ul]653 Receiving yards after six games, which leads the NFL.

1 2 Catches of 20 yards or more, which leads the NFL.

5 Receptions of 40 yards or more this season, which leads all receivers.[/ul]