Watch: Jordan Love hits Romeo Doubs for big play at Packers-Bengals practice

The Packers play of the day from Wednesday’s joint practice might have been Jordan Love hitting Romeo Doubs for a likely touchdown.

One of the best plays from the Green Bay Packers’ joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals came during an 11-on-11 third down period. Quarterback Jordan Love went deep down the right sideline and connected with Romeo Doubs, who got behind speedy cornerback D.J. Turner and likely would have scored a touchdown of 51 yards in a real-game scenario.

Here’s video of the play from the near sideline:

While Doubs isn’t seen throughout the video, it’s clear he gained separation from Turner via a double move. Love then delivered a picture perfect pass, hitting Doubs in stride betwen the 20- and 25-yard lines. Considering Turner fell down and the safety didn’t have a great angle, it’s likely Doubs — a second-year receiver with breakout potential — would have scored.

A legitimate deep threat at Nevada, Doubs is starting to build an impressive profile as a field-stretcher entering Year 2. He can run, and Love trusts him in one-on-one situations.

While Doubs won the route, the play was another example of one of Love’s “wow” throws, which have showed up daily this summer. However, Love also missed Doubs deep earlier in the practice, highlighting the ups and downs of the Packers’ downfield passing game to open training camp. Building consistency is required.

Of course, not all plays are highlights. Love also threw this red-zone interception to Mike Hilton, who anticipated a bubble screen and likely would have had a 90-yard interception return for a touchdown in a real-game scenario.

Here’s that play:

Love said he probably should have just handed the ball off on the RPO. Hilton’s anticipation of the bubble led to a missed block and the easy turnover. For every confidence-building play in training camp, there’s one terrific learning experience. Such is life with a first-year starting quarterback.

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Downfield passing efficiency represents area of possible improvement for Packers offense

The Packers really struggled throwing the ball downfield in 2022. Can Jordan Love and the young WRs and TEs do better in 2023?

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None of us truly know what to expect from the Green Bay Packers offense this season with a first-time starting quarterback and a young group of pass catchers, but one realistic area of improvement for this group is in their efficiency on downfield passes.

The Packers’ lack of success on these deep pass attempts wasn’t for a lack of trying, however. According to Sharp Football, on passes of 30+ yards, Aaron Rodgers had 40 attempts but completed just six of them. For some context, Rodgers led the NFL in the number of downfield passes, with only one other quarterback registering at least 30 attempts of 30-plus yards. The end result was the Packers ranking 30th in expected points added (EPA) per attempt, 29th in success, and 29th in yards per attempt (YPA). Rodgers also threw four interceptions to just two touchdowns.

PFF, which considers passes that travel at least 20 yards to be deep, tells a similar story. Rodgers would rank second in attempts on these types of passes in 2022 but 29th in yards per attempt and 26th in completion percentage. While Rodgers’ 12 touchdowns were the second-most, he threw the third-most interceptions as well.

Oftentimes, whether it be something good or something bad, there are a number of factors that contribute to the results. For the Packers’ offense on these downfield throws, some contributors to the poor numbers could have included the overall down year from Rodgers, who did not play anywhere near his MVP level and was also dealing with a thumb injury that, to some degree, may have affected his accuracy on these throws.

Green Bay was also navigating its first season without Davante Adams and asking two rookie receivers, Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, who dealt with injuries, to play large roles. Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard would both miss time with injuries as well. There was also a lot of movement due to injuries along the offensive line through the first nine weeks of the season. The negative trickle-down effect of this to the passing game is less time in the pocket for these types of plays to develop. The Packers also had very little playmaking from the tight end position.

With Love at quarterback, we likely won’t see as many of these downfield attempts. Instead, there will be an added emphasis on getting the pass catchers the ball in space where there will be the potential for yards after the catch (YAC). For reference, San Francisco’s Brock Purdy ranked 18th in the percentage of his total throws that were considered downfield passes last season. Given the overlap between Matt LaFleur’s offense and Kyle Shanahan’s in San Francisco, we can look to the 49ers to get an idea of how things could play out for the Packers.

But with that said, it’s not as if the downfield element can be non-existent, either. If defenses don’t fear getting beat deep, they will shrink the field by playing closer to the line of scrimmage, which makes moving the ball on the ground or over the short and intermediate areas of the field more difficult. Before Watson’s breakout game against Dallas last season, we saw opposing defenses doing this to Green Bay, and it created major problems for the offense.

What Love does have going for him is that both David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins will begin the season healthy. Watson and Doubs are entering their second NFL seasons, which recent history suggests is when many receivers see a big jump in production. The Packers also added playmaking to the tight end position with Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft. Musgrave, specifically, will be able to stretch the field vertically, and we have already seen that during the offseason programs.

With a first time starting quarterback, nothing is guaranteed, as LaFleur said, patience will be required with Love. But when it comes to Love being more efficient than what Rodgers was in 2022 on downfield passes, that’s actually quite realistic. Especially if the offense is able to find success in the run game and routinely take advantage of the potential YAC on shorter routes and over the middle, all of which will help open up downfield opportunities.

Good news for Packers with Year 2 often providing production jumps for WRs

The Packers offense needs jumps from Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. Fortunately, Year 2 is often the sweet spot for WRs.

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If the Green Bay Packers offense is going to find regular success in 2023, it is going to require Year 2 leaps from at least one, but likely both, Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. The good news is that the second season for many wide receivers ends up being their breakout years.

In an article from Ryan Heath of Fantasy Points, he writes that oftentimes, wide receivers underwhelm as rookies before making a “big leap” in their sophomore seasons. From there, those receivers who made that jump then gradually improved over the next few years. Since 2014, 28% of receivers have seen significant jumps in production in their second NFL seasons, and nearly 33% in Year 3.

Heath also adds that yards per route run as a rookie can be “extremely predictive” of future success. This efficiency metric, in particular, pertains to Watson, who ranked 11th among all receivers last season in this stat category, averaging 2.26 yards per route run, according to PFF.

Although the pads are yet to come on, the Packers’ offseason programs may have already provided us with a small glimpse into the potential growth that both Watson and Doubs have experienced as they embark on their second seasons. In part, these developmental leaps take place because the players are more comfortable with the playbook and their responsibilities. Matt LaFleur has commented that there is a night and day difference between Watson this year compared to last, while Doubs says that he is playing much faster.

During a red zone drill in the first minicamp practice, Doubs was able to create enough separation against Jaire Alexander in coverage and made a sliding catch in the back left corner of the end zone. Later on, Jordan Love connected with Watson a deep ball down the left sideline, where the nearest defender was Alexander. Following that practice, Alexander acknowledged that those plays probably aren’t happening this time a year ago, showcasing the progression that both players have had.

With Watson and Doubs now as the veterans in this Green Bay receiving room, they, of course, are going to be asked to do a lot more. This includes as leaders but also in their responsibilities and what they are asked to do on the football field, not only in total targets. At the NFL Owners’ meetings earlier this offseason, LaFleur said that, while refinement is still needed, he doesn’t believe that there is a route that Doubs can’t run. He also added that Watson’s route responsibilities and what he’s asked to do are going to grow as well. In short, because of this we will see each player running in a wider variety of routes this season, creating additional opportunities for each.

Along with a greater variance in the type of routes that each player is asked to run, more targets over the middle of the field, which should lead to YAC opportunities, will be more prevalent as it is a key aspect of the LaFleur offense. Versatility and speed are also hallmarks of this new-look Packers’ offense, which means a variety of different alignments being utilized around the formation, helping to generate mismatches and keep the defense off-balance. There will also be an emphasis on getting the Green Bay pass catchers the ball in space, where they can use that speed to make plays. All of this should take at least some of the playmaking burden off the shoulders of Watson and Doubs, with the LaFleur scheme doing some of the work for them.

Ultimately, there is no guarantee that Watson and Doubs are going to see significant jumps this season, and although things look promising now, both will have to carry that momentum through the rest of summer and into the season. However, for what it’s worth, the recipe and ingredients for a pair of Year 2 leaps from each player is there, which again, is a must for this offense.

Jaire Alexander: Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson ‘standing out’ in offseason workout program

The Packers’ All-Pro cornerback is liking what he’s seeing out of second-year receivers Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson.

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Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander wasn’t present during the voluntary portion of the offseason workout program, but he kept up with team through watching practice tape, and he likes what he’s seeing out of second-year receivers Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson entering 2023.

Doubs caught a touchdown pass in a red zone drill against Alexander’s coverage during Tuesday’s mandatory minicamp practice.

“He deserves it. He’s been working hard. I’ve been watching the practices. Him and Christian have been standing out. He’s been working hard,” Alexander said Tuesday.

Watson also got behind Alexander for a long touchdown during a team drill Tuesday.

Alexander said the receiving corps overall has stood out, and Jordan Love has “dropped some good passes” during OTAs.

Alexander knows challenging the Packers young passing game is going to help everyone get better.

“These are the guys are on team that we’re going to be rocking with. It’s good to challenge them,” Alexander said. “I want to see the best for the team.”

Minicamp continues with another practice Wednesday and concludes Thursday with a team activity away from football. Alexander said he’ll turn up the intensity even more once training camp arrives.

Doubs, the favorite for the No. 2 receiver job behind Watson, is winning over the Packers’ All-Pro corner.

“Doubs caught a touchdown on me and I gave him a hug almost. Good stuff, man,” Alexander said. The year before, he didn’t catch anything.”

Jordan Love and Romeo Doubs amplifying connection during Packers offseason workout program

The connection between Jordan Love and Romeo Doubs is strengthening during the Packers offseason workout program.

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An incredible throw and catch between Jordan Love and Romeo Doubs during Tuesday’s practice at OTAs highlighted the budding connection between the Green Bay Packers’ first-year starting quarterback and second-year receiver.

According to Packers Wire’s Paul Bretl, Doubs completed a contested catch against tight coverage and got both feet inbounds on a well-placed throw from Love into the corner of the end zone during a team red zone drill.

The play of the day showed how much confidence Love has in terms of Doubs making a play regardless of circumstance.

“When in doubt, you can throw it out there and you know (Doubs) is going to make a play,” Love said Tuesday. “He’s done a great job of going to get the ball whereever it’s at. He’s made some really tough catches. Just builds everyone’s confidence, builds my confidence in him, being able to throw the ball out there and know he’s going to make a play.”

Doubs is a legitimate breakout candidate entering his second season. Coach Matt LaFleur said he’s seeing Doubs take the “next step” during the offseason workout program.

The former Nevada star becoming a dependable and reliable pass-catcher in Green Bay in 2023 would be huge for Love in terms of providing a security blanket in the passing game.

“I think it’s easy when you have a really good player, they just make it happen. It’s easy to get them the ball, Love said of Doubs. “Romeo is catching it really well right now, running really good routes, he’s getting open. It’s easy to throw to open guys. He’s been doing a really good job.”

This summer has been less the start of a connection and more the strengthening of an existing one. Last year, Love and Doubs connected twice for touchdowns during the preseason, including a long touchdown in San Francisco and a second score on a fade route in the end zone against the Saints at Lambeau Field. Because Aaron Rodgers missed most of the offseason workout program and then sat out practice for weeks while recovering from a thumb injury, Love and Doubs enjoyed plenty of time together on the field in 2022.

“We’ve had that connection, we did a lot of that stuff last year. Continuing that connection has been great.”

Packers seeing WR Romeo Doubs take ‘next step’ to start Year 2

Matt LaFleur on Romeo Doubs to start Year 2: “Rome has done a nice job of really making that next step…I think he’s shown a lot of progress.”

The Green Bay Packers believe they are witnessing the beginning of a second-year jump from wide receiver Romeo Doubs during the offseason workout program.

“Rome has done a nice job of really making that next step,” coach Matt LaFleur said after Tuesday’s practice. “Now he has to go out and do it in games, but what we’ve seen from him in practice…just how deliberate he is with what he’s trying to work on. He’s doing a great job of getting his feet in the ground, running violent routes, violent cuts. Being aggressive with his hands. I think he’s shown a lot of progress.”

Doubs, a fourth-round pick of the Packers last season, caught 42 passes for 425 yards and three touchdowns over 14 games as a rookie. He was excellent during training camp and productive to start the regular season, catching at least one pass of 20 or more yards or scoring a touchdown during each of his first five games.

As is the case with every rookie, the highs come with unavoidable lows.

Doubs rebounded from a tough stretch against the Jets and Commanders and caught four passes and a touchdown in primetime against the Bills, but an ankle injury suffered on an 18-yard catch early against the Detroit Lions in Week 9 stunted what he was building as a rookie.

Healthy and confident, Doubs said he was “playing faster” after a practice last week.

Part of taking the next step will be getting on the same page as Jordan Love, the Packers’ first-year starting quarterback. If OTAs are any indication, Love-to-Doubs will be a common connection come the regular season.

“Just the rapport that those two guys have shown throughout eight practices has been pretty solid,” LaFleur said.

LaFleur pointed to Doubs’ process and routine as big reasons why he’s primed to make a big jump.

“I always look back to the person,” LaFleur said. “There are sometimes you almost have to pull him back because he’s so invested into it and puts so much time into it, that sometimes you can almost wear yourself out. That’s one thing with him, you never have to worry about whether or not he’s working. When we get out of here, and the time he spends away from here, he’ll be very deliberate with what he does. So I expect him to be able to pick up right where he left off. He’s done some unbelievable things throughout the course of these OTAs, whether it’s with the route running or the catches. Just continue building on that rapport that he has with Jordan.”

Doubs made one of the splash plays of Tuesday’s practice when he hauled in a contested touchdown catch from Love on a fade route during a live team drill.

Packers WR Romeo Doubs is ‘playing faster’ and showing off chemistry with Jordan Love

“Going into Year 2, I’m playing faster,” said Packers WR Romeo Doubs after Wednesday’s OTA practice.

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It’s only one OTA practice in late May, and the pads aren’t even on. However, if there was a standout performer for the Green Bay Packers at Wednesday’s practice, it was second-year wide receiver Romeo Doubs.

Practice was cut slightly short due to some incoming rain, but before then, Doubs was a go-to target of Jordan Love’s. His first noteworthy play came on a third and 10 drill with Love buying time as the pocket collapsed. During the scramble-like drill, Doubs found the soft spot down the left sideline between the cornerback and safety, giving Love a wide enough window to drop the ball into for a completion.

“Going into Year 2, I’m playing a lot faster,'” said Doubs after practice. “So I don’t want to say comfortable, because I know being comfortable comes with some sort of complacent area. But just humbly speaking, I’m playing a lot faster.”

Knowing the why translates to playing freely.

“Just understanding the plays more,” Doubs later added. “Not only do I get to understand the play, but why the play is being ran. Everything else just becomes natural and reactionary.”

To end the practice, the Packers ran a two-minute drill, with the situation being that the score was tied. On that drive, Doubs caught four passes, including several quick slants with some yards after the catch and an out route towards the sidelines. The offense ended up within the opponent’s 10-yard line and had a field goal opportunity to win the game with eight seconds left.

Doubs spent time during the offseason working out with Love on several occasions. He is also familiar and has spent time with Steve Calhoun, Love’s long-time quarterback coach. On Wednesday, we saw the early dividends of that time spent together, which to some degree, has helped develop some chemistry between the two. Doubs’ route running ability helped him create space, Love was often looking in his direction, and the timing was precise.

“I’ve been working with Jordan as well this offseason,” Doubs said. “I got with him plenty of times. I met Steve (Calhoun) going into my senior year of college, so I’ve been around him for quite a while.”

Will the time together help develop chemistry?

“I believe so,” said Doubs. “You work with him and know what he likes. But, yes, to answer that question I do believe there is chemistry.”

In part, out of necessity, but also because of Doubs’ ability to run a variety of routes, something Matt LaFleur discussed earlier this offseason, his role is drastically going to expand this season, despite being a fairly inexperienced player himself. With just 529 career snaps and 42 receptions, Doubs is now the most experienced receiver on this Packers team in those regards.

All of this not only means that it’s important for him to make a big leap in his second NFL season from a production standpoint but that he also takes on a leadership role and does his best to help the rookie pass-catchers get up to speed as quickly as they can, so they can begin making an impact sooner than later.

“Just being a better receiver and being there for the rookies,” said Doubs when discussing what he’s focusing on. “Which is the most important part for me as well because I would be wrong doing everything solo, and I know coming in, they (the rookies) might not get the concepts. Or they might not know what the depth of the route is. That’s up to my responsibility to help them out so they can go out there and be a better version of themselves.”

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Development of Packers WRs Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs key for Jordan Love

The Packers need to add more talent at wide receiver, but the development of Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs will be most important for Jordan Love.

The route-running abilities of Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs will hopefully make things easier on Green Bay Packers’ first-year starting quarterback Jordan Love and allow Matt LaFleur as the play-caller the opportunity to keep opposing defenses off balance.

For a Packers team that is limited in what they can do in free agency, Green Bay’s biggest improvements in 2023 are going to have to come internally from players who are entering their second and third NFL seasons, where the largest leaps are often made.

Watson and Doubs, of course, fall into that category. Both were limited at various points during their rookie seasons due to injuries, which slowed their growth, but they were also learning a new offense and adjusting to the NFL as well.

Now entering Year 2, where Watson and Doubs are presumably healthy along with more comfortable with the playbook, each has the opportunity to take on larger roles within the offense, with both possessing the ability to run a variety of route concepts.

At the NFL Annual Meetings last week, LaFleur was very complimentary of his second-year pass-catchers, telling reporters that Watson will be asked to run more routes. LaFleur added that he doesn’t believe there is a route that Doubs can’t run and compared his movement skills to that of Davante Adams.

“He (Watson) is a guy who can handle a lot,” said LaFleur via Packers.com. “I haven’t been around too many rookies where you can move their position in game, and he wouldn’t even flinch. He is exceptionally intelligent and knows the plan inside and out, but there’s a level of detail that is going to get better with him. Quite frankly, we are going to ask him to run more routes than he did a year ago.

“He’s (Doubs) got a unique skill set,” LaFleur later mentioned. “I want to temper this comparison, but he’s got some Davante Adams-type movement skills. Now, he’s got to learn when to use it and how to harness that, but he’s got that twitch that you’re looking for. I don’t think there’s a route that he won’t be able to run; we’re just going to have to give him enough reps to where he can continue his progression.”

What this does is it allows LaFleur to get much more creative with his play designs. We hear LaFleur talk about the “illusion of complexity,” and what Watson and Doubs can do as route runners helps him achieve that by the offense being able to run similar plays from a variety of formations, along with different plays that begin similarly. The end result is that defenses will have a more difficult time deciphering what is coming, given that there is a variety of possibilities.

With Love at quarterback, at least early on in the season, it’s going to be important that the play designs cultivated from Watson and Doubs’ diverse route trees help shoulder some of the burden and create easier opportunities for him in the passing game.

To complement Watson and Doubs, the Packers could very much benefit from another deep threat at the receiver position. With opponents having to respect the downfield shot, that element will help create additional room underneath for Doubs and Watson. Perhaps this player is already on the roster in Samori Toure, or the Packers could look to the draft with players such as Jalin Hyatt, Marvin Mims, Dontayvion Wicks, Tyler Scott, Trey Palmer, and Quentin Johnston, to name a few.

To add to what the Packers already have, adding a wide receiver prospect who can win in a variety of ways and at all levels of the field would further complicate things for opposing defenses. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cedric Tillman are two early-round options who could help in that capacity.

With all that said, Doubs and Watson still have to show that they can regularly take on those additional route running responsibilities, and if so, that alone doesn’t guarantee success for the offense either. But this development should help expand the offense and create some easier pitch-and-catch opportunities for Love.

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Matt LaFleur on Packers WR Romeo Doubs: ‘He’s got some Davante Adams-type movement skills’

LaFleur on Doubs: “I want to temper this comparison, but he’s got some Davante Adams-type movement skills.”

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur usually stays even-keeled when talking about his team, but on Tuesday at the NFL Annual Meetings, he compared Romeo Doubs to one of the most prolific wide receivers in franchise history. Naturally, there was a caveat thrown in there.   

“I want to temper this comparison, but he’s got some Davante Adams-type movement skills,” LaFleur said to reporters in Phoenix.   

“Now, he’s got to learn how to use it and how to harness that, but he’s got that twitch that you’re looking for. I don’t think there’s a route that he won’t be able to run, we’re just going to have to give him enough reps where he can continue his progression.  

Obviously, Doubs has a long way to go to reach Adams’ legendary status. After spending eight seasons in Green Bay, Adams finished second in team history in receptions and touchdowns and fourth in receiving yards. Of course, it’s not fair to expect Doubs to produce anything remotely close to Adams, but there are similarities to how both players started their careers.  

As a rookie, Adams ended up with 38 catches for 446 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Doubs had similar production in his first season, hauling in 42 passes for 425 yards and three touchdowns. Also, much like Adams struggled with drops early in his career, Doubs battled his own adversity last season when he missed four games with an ankle injury. LaFleur believes the injury hindered Doubs from returning to the level of play he saw earlier in the year.  

There were high expectations for Doubs entering 2022 after a strong showing in training camp. The fourth-round pick out of Nevada drew a lot of attention when it seemed like he made a head-turning play almost every practice.   

However, when the regular season eventually kicked in, Doubs realized how difficult it is to be consistent in the NFL.  

Fortunately, LaFleur has seen firsthand how serious Doubs is about getting better.  

“Just his routine, how committed he is. He’s one of the first guys in the building and one of the last to leave,” said LaFleur.   

Doubs’ work ethic certainly shows up in his route running. He joined the Packers as one of the more polished draft picks in recent memory, which drew praise from Aaron Rodgers.  

“Doubs is a very crisp route runner,” Rodgers said during the season. 

Adams has made a career out of making defensive backs look silly with his elite route running. Doubs isn’t quite there yet but could be following a similar path. 

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Drops were an issue for Packers offense in 2022

The Packers dropped far too many passes during the 2022 season.

According to the tracking numbers at Pro Football Reference, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers tied for the most passes dropped in the NFL during the 2022 season. Like Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Rodgers had 40 passes dropped. His drop percentage of 7.8 ranked second among quarterbacks.

Drops are subjective and often vary from tracking site to tracking site. But the Packers’ ability to consistently catch the football was an obvious issue in 2022.

Pro Football Reference’s list of drops for the Packers:

WR Romeo Doubs: 9
RB A.J. Dillon: 7
WR Allen Lazard: 6
RB Aaron Jones: 6
WR Christian Watson: 4
WR Randall Cobb: 2
TE Josiah Deguara: 2
WR Sammy Watkins: 2
TE Robert Tonyan: 1
TE Marcedes Lewis: 1
WR Juwann Winfree: 1

For comparison’s sake, consider that the Packers only dropped 13 of Rodgers’ passes in 2021, and no player had more than three.

Of course, the 2022 season kicked off with Watson dropping what would have been a 75-yard touchdown from Rodgers on the first play from scrimmage in Week 1. While Watson was solid the rest of the way, the drop provided a glimpse into the future for others in terms of catching the ball.

Jones and Dillon, who were expected to shoulder a bigger load in the passing game, dropped 13 combined passes, or one for every 10 or so targets.

Doubs, a fourth-round rookie, dropped nine total passes, tied for the fourth-most in football despite seeing only 67 targets. His drop percentage – 13.4 – led all players, per Pro Football Reference.

Lazard, who dropped only one pass in 2021, dropped six as his target share went up.

The Packers had a razor-thin margin for error on offense and couldn’t afford missed opportunities. While not all drops are created equal, and not all can be blamed solely on the receiver, the Packers needed to be more consistent creating completions and just couldn’t do it, especially early in the season.

Talent doesn’t appear to be an issue. Doubs, despite his drops as a rookie, appears to be a terrific hands-catcher with a real future as a starter. Watson overcame his early drop and was a star down the stretch. Dillon was almost perfect catching the ball during his first two seasons. Jones missed on a few downfield passes but is otherwise a weapon in the passing game. Lazard’s drops looked mostly concentration-related.

Pro Football Focus had the Packers down for 30 drops in 2022, so it’s possible Pro Football Reference is just a more harsh grader of what is a pass that should be caught.

Regardless of who is playing quarterback next season, the Packers need to be more consistent making plays in the passing game. There are a lot of factors that go into completing a pass, including ball placement by the passer, but the finish is a big one. The Packers must be better catching the football in 2023.

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