Jason Wilde, ESPN.com 8y

Aaron Rodgers plus Jordy Nelson equals points, production, and MVPs

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers wanted no part of any bold predictions. So instead, the Green Bay Packers quarterback turned into a human calendar.

“It’s early.”

“It’s the spring right now.”

“It’s April.”

That’s how Rodgers replied at the start of the team’s offseason program last week whenever the conversation turned to wide receiver Jordy Nelson's comeback from last year’s season-ruining knee injury and what it might mean for the Packers’ offense to have him back.

Rodgers is a smart guy. He knows exactly what Nelson’s return means, at least based on what the two have done together since Nelson emerged late in the 2010 season and during the team’s postseason run to the Super Bowl XLV title.

Whenever Rodgers and Nelson have been simultaneously healthy, the Packers have led the NFL in scoring, Nelson has racked up ridiculous numbers and Rodgers has come home with the NFL MVP trophy.

That’s what happened in 2014, when Nelson caught a team-high 98 passes for a franchise-record 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns, Rodgers threw for 4,381 yards and 38 touchdowns en route to his second MVP award, and the Packers scored an NFL-best 486 points.

And that’s what happened in 2011, when Nelson had his first 1,000-yard season (68 receptions, 1,263 yards, 15 TDs), Rodgers threw for 4,643 yards with 45 touchdowns and an NFL-record 122.5 passer rating to earn his first MVP, and the Packers led the NFL and set a franchise-record with 560 points scored, the second-most in league history.

In fact, before Nelson missed all of last season with the torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered in his right knee during an Aug. 23 preseason game at Pittsburgh, the Packers were an astonishing 39-13 in regular-season play from 2011 through 2014 when both he and Rodgers were on the field -- and that includes the 2013 loss to Chicago that Rodgers left with a broken collarbone, and the two 2012 games Nelson left with hamstring injuries.

“I don’t know if that’s the focus,” Rodgers replied when asked if he’d thought about how good the Packers offense could be with Nelson back. “This is a fun time in the offseason, but there will be plenty of time for the goals [to be set].”

There’s no denying just how much the Packers -- and, specifically, Rodgers -- missed Nelson last season. As a group, the Packers finished 23rd in the 32-team NFL in total offense -- their worst finish in Mike McCarthy’s 10 years as coach -- and 15th in scoring. Rodgers, meanwhile, had the lowest passer rating of his career as a starter (92.7) and threw just 31 touchdown passes as his receivers struggled to create separation.

“Offensively we took a huge step back,” McCarthy said bluntly after the season ended. “There’s no question about that."

With Nelson ahead of schedule with his rehabilitation from his September surgery, the Packers are cautiously optimistic that he’ll be himself again in time for training camp, and Nelson hinted last week that he’s hoping to do some 11-on-11 work during organized team activities next month. Add a slimmed-down Eddie Lacy and an exciting free-agent addition in tight end Jared Cook, and the Packers offense seems likely to regain its dominant form.

Not that anyone would predict such a thing.

“I’m not going to sit here and try to predict the future,” said Nelson, sounding very much like Rodgers, his car-pool buddy to the airport for away games. “We’ve seen what we can do in the past. Hopefully, we can have a good offseason, a good camp. There are a lot of things that go into that, obviously. There are injuries that can happen from now until then and a lot of different things. We look forward to starting the process, starting the grind, and seeing what happens.”

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