By Paul Imig Special to OnMilwaukee.com Published Oct 08, 2015 at 1:06 PM

Long passing plays from Aaron Rodgers to Jordy Nelson were a common occurrence in recent years. While Nelson’s absence hasn’t stopped Rodgers from having a great season, it has meant less downfield success for the Green Bay Packers.

Nelson led the Packers in yards per reception in each season from 2011-2014. His big-play ability was unquestioned, ranging from a career-best 18.6 yards per catch in 2011 to no lower than 15.2 yards per reception during that span.

Through four weeks of this season, Green Bay’s offense ranks sixth in points per game and 10th in yards per game. Last season, the Packers led the NFL in points and were sixth in total yards.

The 4-0 record is ultimately what’s important for Rodgers, but there are still adjustments that need to be made as Green Bay learns how to thrive offensively without Nelson.

"We’ve still had some balls over the top, but we just haven’t had kind of the 'Jordy package,'" Rodgers said. 'We haven’t found a guy to do some of that stuff yet, but we’re making up for it by running the ball well. I think we’re in the top two or three running the ball and the offensive line has been blocking really well.

"We’re just kind of doing things a little differently, and it equals four wins."

Rodgers is right. The Packers are third in the league in rushing yards per game. That’s an improvement over the past two seasons since Eddie Lacy was drafted, when Green Bay ranked 11th (2014) and seventh (2013) in rushing.

The big play was certainly lacking in the Packers’ 17-3 win in San Francisco this past Sunday. James Jones had a 38-yard reception, but that was the only play that went for more than 20 yards.

"As an offense, we struggled (against the 49ers), especially in explosive gains and things like that," Jones said.

Jones has become Rodgers’ favorite deep-ball target this season, averaging 18.6 yards per catch.

But with Davante Adams sidelined Week 4 due to an ankle injury, Green Bay had a suddenly thin wide receiver group. And it showed. Rodgers even stated after the game that the offense wasn’t its normal high-powered self.

The most important thing for Rodgers, though, is to be efficient and not turn the ball over. Yes, he hopes to unlock the "Jordy package" even with Nelson unable to take the field. And for as skilled as Ty Montgomery is, having him as the third receiver option during his season was never in Mike McCarthy or Ted Thompson’s plans.

Rodgers’ career continues being defined by his aptitude for making the smart play, though. Regardless of who he has available to throw to.

"I play the same way," Rodgers said. "I’ve never had a favorite receiver that I’ve forced the ball to. I go through my progressions and look for the open guys and try to make the proper reads.

"It’s different without Jordy there, obviously, because he was open more times than anybody else. He got the lion’s share of the targets last year, but we’ve been able to spread it around a little bit.

"Obviously, we had some difficulty without Davante last week and a couple of our guys are still playing through some (injury) stuff, but James had a nice day. Randall fought through his injury and did some good things. Richard probably had his best game for us this season. We’ve just got to keep on plugging away."

It’s that attitude from Rodgers that McCarthy loves.

"I think it speaks to Aaron’s discipline, the fact that he hasn’t changed the way he plays," McCarthy said. "I think it’s important any time you go through a change in personnel, even going back to the preseason starting with Jordy. You don’t replace Jordy Nelson, so we don’t need to change how we’re playing. Everybody needs to step up and do their role, do their job but make sure you’re ready to take advantage of more opportunities that may come your way.

"I think really that speaks to the discipline of Aaron at the quarterback position. He hasn’t tried to force things to try to make things happen. He’s done a great job of running the offense and taking advantage of what the defense gives us."

Rodgers has yet to throw an interception this season, and he only came close to doing so once. That happened Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The deep passes are great for the offense and great for the highlight reels. But playing turnover-free football is always going to be more important for Rodgers. And he has been able to do that whether Nelson is on the field or not.

"It’s just about limiting the potential intercepted passes," Rodgers said. "That’s just about trying to be accurate, being on the same page with the guys and then avoiding the unnecessary ones."

Paul Imig Special to OnMilwaukee.com
Paul Imig spent the past five years working for FOX Sports WI. He began by covering the Milwaukee Bucks and Milwaukee Brewers before taking over the Green Bay Packers beat in 2011. In addition to his writing, Paul also made television appearances nationwide on FOX Sports 1. He can be heard on the radio statewide on The Bill Michaels Show and can be seen on Time Warner Cable's Roundtable show with Dennis Krause. Paul is the 2015 recipient of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's award for Graduate Of the Last Decade (GOLD).