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Packers' Nelson Tears ACL in Preseason Game

The Packers got a big dose of bad news on Sunday, with a report indicating the initial diagnosis on Jordy Nelson's injury is a torn ACL.

Nelson went up to make a catch during the first quarter of the Packers-Steelers Week 2 preseason game and, despite making no contact with a defender, went down to the ground and clutched his leg.

 width=According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the Packers' "initial diagnosis" is a torn ACL. The team is "awaiting MRI results" in order to confirm the injury.

Hopefully the MRI says something different. But players tear ACLs all the time and still manage to walk off the field. It looked bad on the field when it happened, what with Nelson not really appearing to roll his ankle and not touching a defender at all.

If it is a torn ACL for Nelson, his season is likely done. Players have come back in less than nine months from such knee injuries in recent years, but he's essentially playing for 2016 at this point.

Green Bay's offensive line is stout, and Eddie Lacy is a stud in the running game. But you don't just magically replace the production and talent of a guy like Nelson. Losing him would be a massive blow.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy remained optimistic about the results of Nelson's tests on Monday in his remarks to reporters after the game.

"I'm not going to get into preliminary tests [and] opinions trying to beat someone to be first out there," McCarthy said. "Like I said, I'm hoping and praying for good news tomorrow. That's the way I look at it based on the information I've been given."

Rodgers, however, sounded somber following a preseason game where two starters on each team exited with injuries.

"It's difficult to lose a guy like that in a meaningless game," Rodgers said.

Rodgers' backup, Scott Tolzien, and starting guard T.J. Lang both were being evaluated for concussions.

The Packers lost to the Steelers 24-19.

>>WR Reggie Wayne Working on Deal With Patriots

The New England Patriots are close to signing another big-name, high-production veteran who is past his prime but potentially still has something left in the tank. It's nothing new for the Patriots, but the name is still a big deal.

The idea of former Colts legend Reggie Wayne inking a deal with the Patriots is probably heresy to many folks in Indianapolis, but it's close to happening, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Wayne's one of the all-time great members of the Colts and one of the all-time great wide receivers in NFL history.

He looked like a shell of himself for much of 2014, however, failing to provide Andrew Luck with a true No. 1 option (T.Y. Hilton took over that role).

Given the Patriots receiving options -- Brandon LaFell, Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola behind Rob Gronkowski -- Wayne could potentially be a fit. He averaged more than 70 yards per game in 12 games against the Patriots for his career and caught five touchdowns, so Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have seen plenty of him.

>>EIU Grad Garoppolo Solid In Preseason Outing

With just over a minute remaining in the first half of the Patriots' preseason game against the Saints, Jimmy Garoppolo morphed into Tom Brady, leading the Patriots on a drive that spanned five plays, went 80 yards, and resulted in seven points.

OK, that's obviously an exaggeration. But on Saturday, Garoppolo quarterbacked the Patriots for the majority of the game and, for the most part, he looked just fine under center. He looked like a quarterback that the Patriots can win with while Brady serves his four-game suspension.

Garoppolo consistently and methodically completed passes, leading the Patriots on five scoring drives. By the time the game ended, Garoppolo had racked up 269 yards. He also completed 28 of 33 passes, threw one touchdown pass, and accumulated a passer rating of 98.1. Despite tossing one interception, his accuracy and comfort in the Patriots' offensive system shouldn't go unnoticed.

Garoppolo's day started with 1:50 left in the first quarter, replacing Brady, who went 2 of 5 for 13 yards. From the beginning, Garoppolo was in time with his receivers, connecting on a variety of short and intermediate routes, seldom pushing the ball down the field.

His first drive ended with a missed field goal and it wasn't until his fourth drive that Garoppolo got the Patriots on the board. He did so in impressive fashion.

The two-minute drill started with an 11-yard pass on the left side of the field. Then Garoppolo threw low to Brandon Gibson over the middle of the field, but Gibson rescued the low ball with a sliding grab. The completion netted 15 yards. Three plays later, after two more Garoppolo completions, the Patriots' backup quarterback flashed some athleticism, avoiding a sack, extending the play, and finding Chris Harper in the end zone.

After halftime, Garoppolo marched the Patriots down the field on an 11-play, 55-yard touchdown drive. Garoppolo continued to throw short, but he was on time with his receivers and many of his completions were darts.

In the fourth quarter, Garoppolo finally unleashed his deep ball. It didn't end well, as he overshot his target on the play and the pass ended up in the belly of a defensive back. Still, Garoppolo was impressive on Saturday, and his sharp and accurate performance should assuage the worries of Patriots fans.

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