Packers: WR Jordy Nelson's individual success shapes team's success
By James Carlton | CBSSports.com
October 16, 2012 6:18 pm ET
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Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson had a big night against the Houston Texans on Sunday. His success catching passes has been directly proportional to Green Bay's success in the win-loss column. (US Presswire)
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In Sunday night's 42-24 victory over the Texans, WR
Jordy Nelson had his best game of the season in the
Packers' biggest win of the season.
Facing a top-shelf cornerback in Houston's Johnathan Joseph, and against the one-on-one man coverage he so often exploited last year but has rarely seen in 2012, Nelson put on a receiving clinic. He caught nine passes for 121 yards and tied a career high with three touchdowns, each a work of art that displayed the crisp route-running, deceptive speed and sure hands that defined Nelson's breakout 2011 season.
His first score came on a beautiful, 41-yard over-the-shoulder connection on the Packers' opening drive. That was the first time they've scored on their first possession this season, and it temporarily silenced the raucous Reliant Stadium crowd. The play came immediately after Houston was called for offsides on fourth down, giving Green Bay a first down and another shot at scoring.
"That was big to get back onto the field and get that touchdown to start us off," Nelson said. "We wanted to start fast. It was big and it got us going."
Indeed, Nelson got the ball early and often, especially in the end zone. His second touchdown also came one play after a Texans penalty, this time for defensive pass interference. The Packers capitalized and Nelson scored on a 21-yard reception across the middle, capping a three-catch drive in the second quarter. His third touchdown, in the third quarter, came six plays after he'd dropped a short slant pass. But he was ready the next time the ball came his way, scoring on a 1-yard diving catch in the back right corner of the end zone.
“Jordy's a great player," said QB
Aaron Rodgers, who passed for 338 yards and a career-high six touchdowns. “He's a phenomenal, phenomenal athlete. He gives you a lot of confidence as a quarterback. When you put the ball in his area, he's going to come up with it. He made some big catches for us. The touchdown really got us going early in the game. It was just him running by the corner and making a good play on the ball, and he's strong enough to get in the end zone.â€
Nelson's 121-yard day was his first 100-yard receiving game this season, but it was the third time he'd gone over 75 yards. The Packers have won all three of those games.
In fact, in Nelson's five-year career in Green Bay, the Packers are 16-0 when Nelson has at least 75 receiving yards in a game. Many of those wins came last year, when the dominant Packers went 15-1. Nonetheless, Nelson's involvement in the offense still seems to have a largely causal relationship with Green Bay's success.
In 2012, the Packers are 3-0 when Nelson has at least 75 yards and 0-3 when he has fewer than 75. In Green Bay's three losses, to San Francisco, Seattle and Indianapolis, Nelson totaled nine receptions for 112 yards and zero touchdowns. In the three wins, over Chicago, New Orleans and Houston, he had 23 receptions for 298 yards and four touchdowns.
Oftentimes, Nelson's individual success dovetails with Green Bay's offensive success because, over the last two seasons, he's become the big-play receiver in an offense that lives on the big play. If Nelson is getting open and getting the ball downfield, it usually means Rodgers is getting good protection and has ample time to find Nelson. It also means the opponent is playing a favorable coverage scheme.
Several teams this season have played the Packers with a two-deep safety shell, taking the deep pass away and forcing them to run or throw underneath. That doesn't play to the strengths of the lanky and long-strided Nelson (6-foot-3, 217 pounds), who excels at running long routes that use crafty double moves and going up to get the ball over smaller defenders.
Against the Seahawks in Week 3, when Nelson was matched up against big, physical cornerbacks Richard Sherman (6-3, 195) and Brandon Browner (6-4, 221), who had safety help over the top, he was targeted just three times, catching two passes for 19 yards.
“I'm fine,†Nelson said about having a down start to the season, one year after putting up 1,263 yards and 15 touchdowns. With Sunday's output, he quadrupled his season touchdown total coming into the game.
“Obviously you'll take [a big game],†he said. “You want to do what you're supposed to do to help the team win. And when your number gets called, you have to make the play. In our room all we do is preach to make the most of your opportunities, and I think we did that tonight.â€
The Texans, with a ferocious pass rush led by Defensive Player of the Year candidate J.J. Watt and a highly regarded pass defense (ranked fourth in the NFL through the first five weeks), elected not to sit back. They were aggressive and attacked the Packers. According to the
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Texans rushed five or more defenders on half of all dropbacks, the most the Packers have seen since the 2011 season opener.
"[Houston] put those corners in one-on-one spots with not a lot of safety help," Rodgers said. "So we wanted to take some shots early, and as we got into the flow of the game we were able to dictate some of the stuff we wanted to do on offense."
Rodgers took advantage, finding Nelson on five passes of at least 10 yards. Rodgers also threw touchdowns of 48 yards and 18 yards to TE
Tom Crabtree and WR
James Jones, respectively, and hit WR
Randall Cobb for a 24-yard completion.
For Rodgers and Nelson, it was far and away the best offensive performance of the season. They were in sync and on song. It could be a one-week outburst by a tandem fed up with media and fan criticism; or it could be a return to last year's dynamic form.
“It's all about doing your job,†Nelson said. “As an offense, we hadn't been doing that this year, and we did it for most of (Sunday's) game. We can be explosive. We just haven't been able to put it together. And we were able to do it in a big game.â€
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