Jennings' status remains in doubt

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin — Greg Jennings is listed as questionable for Monday night against the Seattle Seahawks after missing the last game with a groin injury.

Stick to the plan: Russell Wilson and the Seahawks may not have to worry about Packers star Greg Jennings on Monday. AP

His coach and teammates suspect the Pro Bowl wide receiver has a better than a 50-50 shot of playing in the Packers' first road game this season.

"I thought Greg looked good today," coach Mike McCarthy said after watching Jennings practice Saturday for the second straight day. "He made a big jump from earlier in the week. He practiced well."

Concerns about Jennings' availability cropped up after the team withheld him from practice Thursday. Jennings tested his groin Tuesday. He practiced on a limited basis the last two days but had a full workout Saturday.

"His examination in the morning (Sunday) will be the key, whether he goes or not," McCarthy said. "But I felt he looked like himself today."

Jennings wasn't available in the locker room after practice Saturday. A day earlier, he said he was planning to play Monday even though his groin is not fully healed.

"But it feels really good," he said. "I'm extremely excited about the progress."

Jennings was initially hurt in the final minutes of Green Bay's season-opening loss to San Francisco on Sept. 9. The Packers had a quick turnaround for their next game, beating Chicago four days later.

"He knows his body better than anyone, so everything will be by him," receiver Jordy Nelson said. "I'm not even going to talk about his injury or anything. But hopefully he can go."

The Packers could sure use him. Their high-scoring offense of last season is mostly intact, but Green Bay has struggled to score. They are averaging 22.5 points and of their five touchdowns, two have come on special teams.

"It's going to be important for us to have (Jennings) back," receiver/kick returner Randall Cobb said. "We know what he brings to the game. So I think we'll be excited if he's able to play."

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Panthers receiver Steve Smith says he "lit into" Cam Newton about his actions on the sideline when the young quarterback was replaced late in the fourth quarter of Thursday night's 36-7 blowout loss to the New York Giants.

Smith said he was upset when Newton sat sulking on the bench instead of getting up to watch backup Derek Anderson and trying to learn from his own mistakes.

As a team captain and the elder statesman of the team, Smith felt something needed to be said to the 23-year old Newton about the importance of remaining positive and better handling adversity.

"I don't want to be passive and not do it because if I don't do it, who will?" Smith said. "The same way with my son, I can't expect somebody else (to do that). So yeah, I lit into him because I thought it was an opportunity for him to see and understand what was going on. This is more than about playing football. It's about becoming a man and understanding what this is."

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