Finding his zone: An Irrepressible Jordy Nelson is Doing his part

Jordy Nelson wasn't supposed to be on the cusp of potentially surpassing his 15-touchdown season from 2011, a year removed from tearing his ACL. He wasn't supposed to be the Packers' most reliable target in the red zone, catching 61.76 percent of his total targets for 11 touchdowns, leading Green Bay's receiving corps — and running backs, with a 29.06 target percent. He definitely wasn't supposed to lead the league in touchdown receptions going into week 17, and likely at the culmination of the regular season.

As it turns out, the Kansas native has done and is doing all of those things. Complete that brief resume with a possible Comeback Player of the Year award with his name engraved on the gold encasing resembling the NFL Shield.

His efficiency this season and gradually re-established chemistry with Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers has kept the once-dynamic duo flying high under a new, illuminated flame. Despite Nelson's injury that sidelined him for all of the 2015 season and kept him out of action until 2016's season-opener in Jacksonville, he hasn't lost a step.

That is unless you're watching film from the first portion of the Packers' season.

Despite catching five touchdowns in his first four games back on the field, Nelson was still staring into the face of adversity at the tail-end of his recovery. His biggest battle was overcoming the mental aspect that lingers after a major injury. Something that can prevent someone from making a split-second decision, make the wrong break on a route or even run the risk of re-injury. While a box score won't show you those things — especially not in this case, given his 11.5 yards per reception and 57.1 percent catch rate in those four games, Nelson still hadn't made the complete jump back to full health.

That tune has changed. Twice this season has Nelson recorded four straight games with at least one touchdown reception. He also has three games under his belt where he has multi-touchdown receptions. The key to putting up these kinds of numbers isn't simple, but don't ask No. 87 that.

"Just catching the ball. Creating separation, trying to make it as easy on (Rodgers) as possible," Nelson told reporters on Wednesday. "It's just everyone doing their job. Everyone being sound, and trying to get open as much as they can and make it as easy on him as possible."

Through 15 games, Nelson is sixth in receiving yards, sixth in plays of 20 yards or more, seventh in average yards per game and has more receiving touchdowns than Dez Bryant and Larry Fitzgerald combined, making him the league-leader.

On his team, he leads the rest of his receiving group with 25.84 target percentage, and Rodgers has completed 91 of 146 total targets (62.3%) Nelson's way. A game with seven or more catches on Sunday will either tie or top the mark of 98 receptions he set in 2014. A feat that, two years ago, put Nelson in 4th all-time for most receptions in a single season by a Packers wide receiver.

He's a big reason why Rodgers has been playing mistake-free football, not just in the duration of his career, but this season especially. Rodgers hasn't thrown an interception in 206 attempts, or since late in the fourth quarter against the Titans in week 10. That game was played on November 13th — one month and six days ago.

Luckily for Nelson, he has help behind him if he were to be shut out of the end zone, which he has been just four times this season. Ty Montgomery continues to be a viable, versatile option both in the backfield and lined up in the slot or out wide. Meanwhile, the subtle emergence of Geronimo Allison in the absence of Randall Cobb on Saturday was a developing concept that many had been waiting since Allison's break-out training camp.

"We've seen a lot of different guys step up," Rodgers said. "Almost a different guy every single week with Jordy, obviously... It's been a number of different guys who have played big roles for us."

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Zachary Jacobson is a staff writer/reporter for Cheesehead TV. He's the voice of The Leap on iTunes and can be heard on The Scoop KLGR 1490 AM every Saturday morning. He's also a contributor on the Pack-A-Day Podcast. He can be found on Twitter via @ZachAJacobson or contacted through email at [email protected].

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Comments (6)

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NickPerry's picture

December 29, 2016 at 06:20 am

Nelson has amazed me this season. After last season's struggles there was so much negative talk about whether a 31 year old WR could fix those struggles, especially coming off an ACL injury. Nelson has silenced that talk with what I think could be his best season ever. Coming off an injury AND putting up numbers that could be as good or better than 2014? I know that's more than many could have hoped for...Amazing!!

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Savage57's picture

December 29, 2016 at 07:35 am

For all the crazy catches he's made during his career, what's amazing about Jordy is how he always seems to the find the right place on the field when AR needs him most.

Yesterday, there was a question about Cobb being overpaid. Independent of Nelson, he's not. When Jordy's on the field, absolutely. Nelson's been and still seems to be AR's pop-off valve.

He's rounded back into fighting trim and there's a moral to his story: Never bet against farm kids.

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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

December 29, 2016 at 08:50 pm

Huh? Average slot receivers should not make $10M/year. He is overpaid whether Nelson or anyone else is on the field.

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tobinrote's picture

December 29, 2016 at 08:17 am

what is even more amazing about his performance in the last half dozen games or so is that he clearly does not have the straight line speed he used to be blessed with, and he still finds a way. Now that Adams' drop devils have reappeared we need the savvy Jordy more than ever.

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Bearmeat's picture

December 29, 2016 at 10:03 am

Jordy is a top 5 GB Packer WR of all time. This year proved it. Amazing player and so humble. Glad he's on our team and not some bonehead like Dez or Brandon Marshall instead.

In no particular order:

Hutson
Lofton
Nelson
Sharpe
Freeman

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NickPerry's picture

December 31, 2016 at 01:24 pm

Nice list Bearmeat. Isn't it funny we';ll all list Hutson as a Top WR even though none of us (To my knowledge anyways) have ever watched or saw him play.

Freeman or Driver, either or will work. Freeman was so good so fast and REALLY important on those back to back SB teams.

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