Remember that scene in The Dark Knight Rises where the villain, Bane, blows up most of the Heinz Field playing surface and Hines Ward turns around after his kickoff return for a touchdown to find he’s the only player left standing?
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NFL Network reported that the Packers’ medical staff thinks Nelson tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee after landing awkwardly during the first quarter of the Packers’ 24-19 exhibition loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Given what Nelson means to the Packers’ offense – he caught a career-high 98 passes for a Packers franchise-record 1,519 yards with 13 touchdowns last season – no one on the roster can simply fill the void and render Nelson’s injury as meaningless as NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers believes preseason games to be.
The Packers have Super Bowl aspirations this season and they have one of the deepest offenses in the league, but now that will take a hit.
“The big thing is that we are going through more of a process of preparation for this game than we have other (preseason) games, working off the cards (during practices) and looking at the opponent and their personalities”, said Tomlin. “So in that aspect, you have to try and be proactive and positive going forward”.
You can see video of Nelson’s injury below.
Even though that doesn’t lessen the disappointment. “That’s my mindset”.
Receiver Randall Cobb said he spoke to Nelson at halftime. He reached 1,200 yards in three of his last four seasons and earned huge praise for his off-the-field work when ESPN wrote about how he often works 12-hour days at the family farm in Riley, Kan., during the offseason.
Davante Adams is finally worth all that hype. Will Nelson play again this season? “Once he got carted off, it struck me”. Last season, Rodgers threw his way 149 times. It doesn’t take someone to be hurt or someone to have a cold or someone to need to get a drink of water. The receiving core for the Steelers features one of the top picks in most fantasy drafts, Antonio Browns.
Two steps later, Green Bay’s Pro Bowl wide receiver was on the turf, his left knee injured and his season very much in doubt.
That might keep the Packers from pursuing a veteran free-agent or claiming a waiver-wire pass-catcher. Asked what they talked about, Cobb said, “Nothing that needs to be said here”. “He’s an ascending player”. Nelson has proven to be a flawless complement to Rodgers’s unique and incredible skill set-he thrives at the hard catch and in finding space when Rodgers has to improvise from the pocket.
Packers running back Eddie Lacy was the leading rusher in the game, gaining 30 yards in six carries.
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As for the game, the fourth quarter began with the Packers almost getting a turnover, as S Jean Fanor tipped a third-down pass that S Sean Richardson dove for and snagged.
