Packers play waiting game over wide receivers Nelson, Adams

[January 20, 2017]  (Reuters) - The Green Bay Packers face major question marks over the fitness of wide receivers Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams as they prepare for Sunday's NFC Championship game against the Falcons in Atlanta.

Nelson, a four-time Pro Bowl selection and the league's receiving touchdowns leader in 2016, has been sidelined by broken ribs since Jan. 8 while Adams injured his ankle during the fourth quarter of last week's divisional playoff win against the Dallas Cowboys.

"I'm not sure how we're going to line up or who's going to line up (on Sunday)," Packers head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Thursday.

"We'll hopefully have a better gauge if we think these guys are going to make it. I don't think we'll really know until Saturday.

"We don't really have enough information right now. We want to give them the whole week just because of the timing of it. In the regular-season mind-set, none of them would play... but, obviously, this is a different time."

Nelson, who has established himself as the top target for Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, is in all likelihood a long shot to play on Sunday.

Adams, who injured his ankle after his leg was trapped underneath Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr on a tackle after a 16-yard reception, has been held out of both days of practice this week but felt that his fitness was steadily improving.

Green Bay Packers receiver Jordy Nelson during practice at the Don Hutson Center in preparation for the NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons. Mandatory Credit: Jim Matthews/Green Bay Press Gazette via USA TODAY Sports

"It's getting there, I'll just take it day by day and see how I'm feeling come game time," said the 24-year-old who was drafted by the Packers in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

"I want to be out there with my team, but until Sunday I will not know what's going to go down."

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in St. Augustine, Florida; Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)

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