Packers WR Jordy Nelson still a long shot to play in NFC title game.
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Jordy Nelson is still considered a bit of a long shot to play in Sunday's NFC Championship Game.
According to a source, the Green Bay Packers receiver has a chance to play against the Atlanta Falcons, but it's only a small chance.
The source reiterated what ESPN reported last week that Nelson did not sustain any major internal injuries but added that it would still be difficult for Nelson to play just two weeks after he broke ribs. In fact, the source said that most players would have little or no chance to play that soon after such an injury but that "Nelson is different than most players."
The Packers didn't even wait until game day to rule out Nelson from Sunday's NFC divisional playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys. Coach Mike McCarthy said on Friday that team physicians Dr. Pat McKenzie and Dr. John Gray would not clear Nelson to play and that he would be re-evaluated on Monday.
McCarthy would not say what the plan was for Nelson this week.
"Can't tell you if Jordy's going to practice Wednesday, but he did all the work in the [regeneration] workout today," McCarthy said Monday. "So that's a good sign."
Nelson was injured in the Packers' wild-card win over the New York Giants on Jan. 8 when safety Leon Hall hit him in the ribs after Nelson couldn't hang on to a catch near the sideline. Hall was not penalized or fined for the hit. Without Nelson, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers still threw for 356 yards and two touchdowns without Nelson in Sunday's 34-31 win over the Cowboys.
Last week, Rodgers said he was hopeful Nelson could return for the NFC title game.
"We're going to try to get this one and hopefully get him back if he can't play this week," Rodgers said Thursday.
"He's been a warrior all season. I don't think he's missed a practice hardly all season. Different without him out there, but we're hopeful he's going to be able to heal quickly and be able to go."
In the regular season, Nelson led the Packers in catches (97) and receiving yards (1,257) and led the entire NFL in touchdown catches (14).
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Jordy Nelson is still considered a bit of a long shot to play in Sunday's NFC Championship Game.
According to a source, the Green Bay Packers receiver has a chance to play against the Atlanta Falcons, but it's only a small chance.
The source reiterated what ESPN reported last week that Nelson did not sustain any major internal injuries but added that it would still be difficult for Nelson to play just two weeks after he broke ribs. In fact, the source said that most players would have little or no chance to play that soon after such an injury but that "Nelson is different than most players."
The Packers didn't even wait until game day to rule out Nelson from Sunday's NFC divisional playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys. Coach Mike McCarthy said on Friday that team physicians Dr. Pat McKenzie and Dr. John Gray would not clear Nelson to play and that he would be re-evaluated on Monday.
McCarthy would not say what the plan was for Nelson this week.
"Can't tell you if Jordy's going to practice Wednesday, but he did all the work in the [regeneration] workout today," McCarthy said Monday. "So that's a good sign."
Nelson was injured in the Packers' wild-card win over the New York Giants on Jan. 8 when safety Leon Hall hit him in the ribs after Nelson couldn't hang on to a catch near the sideline. Hall was not penalized or fined for the hit. Without Nelson, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers still threw for 356 yards and two touchdowns without Nelson in Sunday's 34-31 win over the Cowboys.
Last week, Rodgers said he was hopeful Nelson could return for the NFC title game.
"We're going to try to get this one and hopefully get him back if he can't play this week," Rodgers said Thursday.
"He's been a warrior all season. I don't think he's missed a practice hardly all season. Different without him out there, but we're hopeful he's going to be able to heal quickly and be able to go."
In the regular season, Nelson led the Packers in catches (97) and receiving yards (1,257) and led the entire NFL in touchdown catches (14).
This will be the first Conference Championship weekend since 1998 in which all four starting quarterbacks are at least 30 years old: Tom Brady (39), Ben Roethlisberger (34), Aaron Rodgers (33) and Matt Ryan (31), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Mike Tomlin: Comments 'regrettable,' Antonio Brown 'selfish'.
PITTSBURGH -- Mike Tomlin called his postgame locker room language "regrettable" but will punish Antonio Brown internally for streaming the coach's message to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Facebook Live on Sunday night.
Tomlin took a hard line with Brown, the electric receiver who streamed footage of Tomlin saying how the Steelers "spotted those a--h---- [the New England Patriots] a day and a half" of AFC Championship Game preparation after the team's divisional-round win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
"It was foolish of him to do that," Tomlin said during his weekly news conference Tuesday. "It was selfish of him to do that. It was inconsiderate for him to do that."
Tomlin said he hasn't spoken to Brown yet but will do so when he sees him. Brown's punishment won't be tangible on the field Sunday against New England. Brown violated team policy and the NFL's social media policy that prohibits posting messages 90 minutes before kickoff through postgame interviews. Violation of the league policy could elicit a fine.
Tomlin said certain star players bounce from team to team because of off-the-field distractions, alluding to a recurring theme with Brown's antics.
"I definitely don't want that to be his story," Tomlin said. "I'm sure he doesn't want that to be his story. So he has to address these things that put him and us in positions from time to time, in settings such as this that need to be addressed."
When asked to clarify the "from time to time" comment, Tomlin said he addressed everything in his opening statement.
Brown was in the back of the locker room talking to the camera while Tomlin and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger addressed the team and urged players to stay "low-profile." Roethlisberger told 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday that the situation is "unfortunate" and he's "a little disappointed" in his top receiver.
"Coach talks and then I talk, and you just don't want everyone to know what's going on in there with the family," Roethlisberger told the show. "And also, I wish AB would have been listening to Coach and myself instead of being on the other side of the locker room filming."
While addressing the "elephant in the room," Tomlin pointed to himself as needing to clean up his language in all settings and said this matter would not be a distraction for his team.
"This thing that is the National Football League, this platform that we have, is a precious and awesome thing," Tomlin said. "Not something we take very lightly. The responsibility associated with being in this thing just from a role-model standpoint is something I personally embrace."
BETONLINE
| Sunday, Feb 05, 2017 - NFL Football Game | ||||||||
| 06:30 PM | Atlanta Falcons | +1 | -105 | |||||
| Pittsburgh Steelers | -1 | -115 | ||||||
| 06:30 PM | Pittsburgh Steelers | pk | -110 | |||||
| Green Bay Packers | pk | -110 | ||||||
| 06:30 PM | New England Patriots | -4½ | -105 | |||||
| Green Bay Packers | +4½ | -115 | ||||||
| 06:30 PM | New England Patriots | -6 | -105 | |||||
| Atlanta Falcons | +6 | -115 |
The combined TD-Int ratio for the four QBs playing in Conference Championships this weekend? +113
The NFL confirmed its championship game officials today. Terry McAulay will be the referee for the AFC Championship Game between the Steelers and Patriots. Bill Vinovich will handle the NFC Championship Game between the Packers and Falcons.
Terry McAulay
Bill Vinovich
Terry McAulay
| Date | Tm | Opp | Pos | PtsO | Pen | Yds | Pts | Pen | Yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2, 2016 | San Francisco 49ers | Dallas Cowboys | Referee | 24 | 6 | 45 | 17 | 5 | 32 |
| October 9, 2016 | Denver Broncos | Atlanta Falcons | Referee | 23 | 7 | 78 | 16 | 8 | 57 |
| October 23, 2016 | Arizona Cardinals | Seattle Seahawks | Referee | 6 | 10 | 90 | 6 | 6 | 45 |
| October 30, 2016 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Oakland Raiders | Referee | 30 | 23 | 200 | 24 | 6 | 64 |
| November 6, 2016 | Los Angeles Rams | Carolina Panthers | Referee | 13 | 5 | 35 | 10 | 10 | 109 |
| November 13, 2016 | San Diego Chargers | Miami Dolphins | Referee | 31 | 11 | 81 | 24 | 4 | 29 |
| November 20, 2016 | Cincinnati Bengals | Buffalo Bills | Referee | 16 | 9 | 75 | 12 | 4 | 25 |
| November 28, 2016 | Philadelphia Eagles | Green Bay Packers | Referee | 27 | 7 | 51 | 13 | 7 | 42 |
| December 4, 2016 | Pittsburgh Steelers | New York Giants | Referee | 14 | 4 | 24 | 24 | 12 | 115 |
| December 8, 2016 | Kansas City Chiefs | Oakland Raiders | Referee | 13 | 10 | 82 | 21 | 9 | 73 |
| December 18, 2016 | Dallas Cowboys | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Referee | 20 | 3 | 35 | 26 | 8 | 91 |
| January 1, 2017 | Minnesota Vikings | Chicago Bears | Referee | 10 | 6 | 49 | 38 | 2 | 15 |
Bill Vinovich
NFL Picks.....Odds Couple.....Championship Opening Lines.
How much does HFA help? Since '01, Patriots are 16-3 at home and 3-4 on road in playoffs. Reg sea: 107-21 home (.836), 89-39 road (.695).
