Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Reviewing the rookie season of Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs, a fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft.
The Green Bay Packers made 11 picks during the 2022 NFL draft: six offensive players and five defensive players. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be going through and reviewing the 2022 season for all of the Packers’ rookies.
Next up: wide receiver Romeo Doubs, the 132nd overall pick and the Packers’ first of two fourth-round draft picks in 2022:
Packers rookie WR Romeo Doubs: “This might have been one of the craziest years in life I had to be a part of.”
As the reality of Sunday’s season-ending loss settled in, Green Bay Packers receiver Romeo Doubs stood at his locker trying to find the words to describe his first year in the NFL.
“This might have been one of the craziest years in life I had to be a part of,” he said.
A fourth-round pick by the Packers in 2022, Doubs caught on quicker than most rookies. During training camp, he consistently made plays against the starting defense and carried that momentum into the regular season when he led the team in receiving for the first five weeks.
In Week 7, Doubs wouldn’t register a single catch against the Washington Commanders, only to rebound with 62 yards and a spectacular touchdown against the Buffalo Bills. Then, on the heels of a promising performance against a future playoff team, Doubs suffered a high ankle sprain on Green Bay’s first play from scrimmage against the Detroit Lions in Week 9. The injury sidelined him for the next four games. He would later return to face the Los Angeles Rams and lead the team with five catches for 55 yards in only 23 snaps.
Doubs had already experienced plenty of highs and lows that are typical for a first-year wide receiver, but his worst moment wouldn’t come until the final week when the Packers were on the brink of the postseason needing a win over the Lions.
After getting hurt on his first snap against Detroit, Doubs had equally disappointing results in the Week 18 finale. He was only targeted twice and credited with two drops by Pro Football Focus.
The first drop occurred on a 3rd and 6 in the third quarter as Doubs was unable to bring in a low pass from Aaron Rodgers. The drive ended in no points after a missed 53-yard field goal from Mason Crosby on the ensuing play. The next target came in an even bigger moment during Green Bay’s second-to-last drive when they were still leading 16-13. Doubs got a step on his man down the right sideline and allowed a perfectly placed ball from Rodgers to slip right through his hands.
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A missed opportunity to go up by two scores led to a 75-yard touchdown drive by the Lions that ultimately eliminated Green Bay from playoff contention.
Over the course of his rookie season, Doubs remained even-keeled despite the roller coaster of emotions. That was still the case as he took in the good and the bad on Monday.
“It was a lot of ups and downs this year,” said Doubs. “Unfortunately, it was disappointing, but it was a lot to learn from this year being a first-year guy, being able to get on the field with (Rodgers), how fast you have to learn everything. It was tough, but I made sure that throughout those tough times, I was able to embrace those.”
After a fast start, Doubs finished fourth on the team with 425 yards on 42 receptions to go along with three touchdowns. Right now, everything is still too green to process. Doubs didn’t want to speculate on the future of his Hall of Fame quarterback but knows he needs to focus on his own improvement during the offseason.
“It was a tough year. I don’t know how to feel about it, but again, all I can do is just move on forward and just get better.”
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Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are among the most effective rookie receiving duos in NFL history
The Green Bay Packers did a great job drafting in 2022 when they selected receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs in the second and fourth rounds respectively. The duo became the fourth rookie receiving tandem in NFL history to reach the 35-reception threshold while also managing to catch three touchdowns apiece.
Among the other rookie duos to achieve this impressive feat were Bill Groman and Charley Hennigan in 1960, Fred Barnett and Calvin Williams in 1990, and Darrin Chiaverini and Kevin Johnson in 1999.
Watson also became the only player in the league this season to have seven receiving touchdowns and multiple rushing touchdowns and moved to third place among Packers rookies for receiving touchdowns in a rookie season. He will need two more receiving touchdowns to tie for second place in franchise history in that category, which would match the mark set by receiver Max McGee in 1954 when he came down with nine passes for six-point scores.
Both of Green Bay’s rookie receivers are among the top five in their draft class for touchdown receptions this season, and also rank among the top 10 in receptions and receiving yards.
Both of these outstanding pass-catchers have bright futures, and the Packers appear to be stacked at the receiver position moving forward. Watson’s length and incredible long speed should make him a viable deep threat for years to come, and Doubs’ savvy route running will make him a favorite target of any quarterback he plays with over the course of his career.
As a second-round selection, expectations for Watson were high entering the 2022 season, and after an adjustment to the pace of play in the NFL, he has burst onto the scene since Week 10. Doubs has been a steady contributor all season but is still waiting for a breakout performance of more than 100 yards receiving in a single game.
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This week’s Packers Film Room dives into the tape of rookie WRs Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson against the Rams.
The Green Bay Packers ran an efficient offense in their win over the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night, and some of that is a credit to getting Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson back in the lineup. The two rookie receivers haven’t gotten much field time together this season, but they combined for nine catches totaling 101 yards against the Rams. Moving forward, the Packers offense should be able to play to its potential for the final three games.
Before Week 15, seeing Doubs and Watson on the field at the same time had been a rarity. Watson battled injuries through the first half of the season, while Doubs missed the last four games with an ankle injury. This labored Green Bay’s offense, which struggled to find any consistency. However, with both players healthy this week, it gave us a better look at what this offense can look like with their different skill sets at the team’s disposal.
Aaron Rodgers spoke a little bit about the differences between Doubs and Watson during his post-game press conference.
“Doubs is a very crisp route runner,” Rodgers said. “Romes (Romeo) has always been a little bit more polished as a route runner, and Christian is just so explosive. I thought Matt (LaFleur) did a good job of giving Romeo some routes where we needed his crispness and giving Christian opportunities to use his speed.”
Of course, it is one thing to listen to Rodgers and another to see what he is talking about. So, we are back with another film review, this time taking a closer look at the performances of both Doubs and Watson against the Rams.
Let’s start with a nice route from Doubs against off coverage. The play begins with Watson motioning to the other side of the field, leaving Doubs with plenty of room to operate. He sells the vertical, which buys him some cushion before cutting to the outside. The corner looks to drive on the out route as soon as Doubs makes his break, but this leads to a double move from Doubs, who chops his feet and then whips around to come back inside. Doubs’ route savvy creates plenty of separation and an easy throw for Rodgers. We also get to see a great hands catch from Doubs.
Here is another smooth route from Doubs. The vertical threat forces the corner to open his hips early, which gives Doubs a chance to maximize separation on a short in-breaker. Notice the sharpness of the angle Doubs takes on this route and how he loses no speed when making his cut. This is great attention to detail from a rookie.
Shifting over to Watson, we see how corners have to respect his speed. Again, the corner opens his hips early as Watson appears to be running a go route. However, after 10 yards, Watson throttles down and settles in for a curl. It just goes to show Watson is more than just a deep threat and can also use his speed for other routes.
This is what separates Doubs and Watson as route runners. Here, Watson runs a 15-yard dig. The route isn’t super clean as we see Watson drift upfield closer to the defender as he crosses over the middle. It gives the safety a better chance at forcing an incompletion, but Watson makes a contested catch, nonetheless.
No, Watson didn’t get into the endzone this week, but he got an assist for helping Aaron Jones. For starters, Watson is in this role because he is a tremendous blocker. It’s a simple swing pass, and Watson is tasked with making the key block. He does a great job of recognizing and digging out the nearest defender, who is flowing with Jones toward the flat. Great effort from Watson allows Jones to read the block that also disrupts the help defender coming downhill. It’s a beautiful play by Watson, who essentially takes out two defenders with one block. Here we see why Watson is such a special player and how he can impact the game even when the ball isn’t in his hands.
Let’s finish with a 3rd-and-1 play that uses Watson’s speed in a unique way. Watson is lined up behind the line of scrimmage on this play-action call and runs a slide route across the formation. It’s not overly complicated and allows Rodgers to get the ball in Watson’s hands quickly. Doubs is the vertical route on this play and rubs the defender who is supposed to be covering Watson. Because the defender is late, Watson makes an easy catch and has the leverage to use his speed to turn upfield. It’s a great play design and perfect for getting the ball in the hands of a playmaker.
All in all, I think Matt LaFleur said it best. Doubs and Watson have come a long way, and there is so much more in front of them. Doubs is already a good route runner with a chance to be great if he continues to work on his craft. Meanwhile, Watson is more than just a one-trick pony and could be one of the better all-around receivers in just a few years. Together, they give Green Bay’s offense two different skill sets that will make it tough on opposing defenses for years to come.
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The present and future at wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers was on full display on MNF vs. the Rams.
Maybe it’s a tad late, but the potential of rookie wide receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs has finally turned into production. Aaron Rodgers talked about the expectations of a young wide receiver room during the summer, and they were met in last night’s 24-12 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
“I like production over potential,” Rodgers said in June. “We have some production, but we have a lot of potential. We need to temper expectations and heighten accountability.”
Watson and Doubs were Green Bay’s two most productive receivers against the Rams, combining for nine catches totaling 101 yards. It was the first time both receivers had taken the field together since Week 9 and the first time the Packers had both of their rookie receivers healthy and playing with confidence.
Doubs made his return against Los Angeles after an ankle injury sidelined him for four games. In just 23 snaps, he posted a team-high 55 yards on five receptions, including four catches resulting in first downs. Doubs’ smooth routing running and ability to separate was something the offense had been missing in his absence.
“I was happy to get him out there; he’s a very crisp route runner,” said Rodgers.
“It was great to see him back out there,” Matt LaFleur echoed. “You can certainly see his route-running ability, how effortless it is when he catches the football.”
While Doubs was out, he watched Watson emerge into a dynamic threat within the offense and a touchdown machine. Prior to his injury, Doubs and Watson had only been on the field together for 52 snaps. While Doubs was eager to make his return to the field, he was also excited to join forces with his fellow rookie, who was red hot.
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it,” Doubs said leading up to the Rams’ game. “Christian’s been balling, and I can’t wait to be out there with him because we’ve been looking forward to that opportunity.”
Watson was Green Bay’s leading receiver with 313 yards on 15 catches while totaling eight touchdowns during an impressive four-game stretch. Unfortunately, a missed hand signal prevented Watson from finding the endzone against Los Angeles, but he did deliver a key block that helped Aaron Jones cross the goal line to go up by 18 points in the third quarter.
After a month of stardom, a slow start limited Watson to only one target in the first half on Monday. However, he would eventually get back on track by catching a pair of passes for 10 and 15 yards on the team’s next drive, which ended in a touchdown. Watson’s day ended with him catching four of his six targets for 46 yards – his lowest total since Week 9 – although getting the win is more important.
“Just to be able to contribute in any way is satisfying, especially in a win, and that’s all that matters to me,” Watson said postgame.
A second straight win for the Packers has them sitting at 6-8, and their playoff hopes are improving ever so slightly. Even better, their offense is clicking at the right time, and their rookie receivers are turning their potential into much-needed production. Green Bay still has its focus on this season, but even LaFleur admitted that the futures are very bright for Watson and Doubs.
“Both of those guys have come a long way, but I still think there’s much more in front of them, so that’s really exciting.”
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Packers rookie Romeo Doubs expects to play against the Rams after missing four games with an ankle injury
After practicing at full speed on Tuesday, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs said he expects to play this week against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.
Doubs has missed the last four games with an ankle injury he suffered against the Detroit Lions in Week 9. The injury occurred on the offense’s first play from scrimmage when Doubs made an 18-yard catch that ended with a hard hit on his right ankle. He never returned after being carted to the locker room.
In nine games this season, Doubs has caught 31 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns on 50 targets. He is averaging 10.1 yards per reception.
Doubs returned to practice the Wednesday before the team faced the Chicago Bears in week 13 but was officially ruled inactive before kickoff so he would have extra time to heal during the following bye week.
Now healthy, Doubs will return to a Packers team looking to make one final playoff push. Doubs was one of Green Bay’s best young playmakers before the injury and will have the chance to join forces with fellow rookie Christian Watson.
Doubs has not played alongside Watson since his emergence and didn’t get much of a chance early in the season, either. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovksy, Doubs and Watson have only been on the field together for 52 snaps.
Expect that to change moving forward, with both receivers showing a lot of promise as rookies. Doubs could be limited to a pitch count against the Rams, but this week should give us our first look at what he and Watson can do in prominent roles for Green Bay’s offense.
Despite some ups and downs early in the post Davante Adams era, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst likes the long-term outlook of his WR room.
The moment that Brian Gutekunst realized that Davante Adams had no plans to re-sign with the Green Bay Packers, he knew the wide receiver room at 1265 Lombardi Avenue was in store for a remodel.
Replacing the best wide receiver and his production was always going to take time. There were going to be growing pains.
It was dubbed the Davante Replacement plan. A plan that just a few weeks ago looked like a complete and utter failure. A plan that fell under extreme scrutiny before and after the trade deadline when Gutekunst failed to add a wide receiver.
Turns out, all we needed was a little patience, a hard thing to come by in today’s fast-paced world, where people want to see results immediately.
“Whenever you lose a player the caliber of Tae, you’re going to have to overcome it,” Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst said during his press conference on Monday. “I think we struggled out of the gate to do that. At the same time, that room, in particular, looks pretty bright moving forward.”
The centerpiece of that room and the remodel of the wide receiver room is Christian Watson. The dynamic wide receiver is the reason why the light is shining so bright in Green Bay’s wide receiver room.
The NDSU wide receiver that the Packers traded up for in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft struggled to get and stay on the field early in the season as he battled the injury bug.
Over the last four games, Watson has hauled in 15 receptions for 313 receiving yards. During that four-game stretch, Watson has had two 100-yard receiving games and he’s accounted for eight touchdowns.
Most TD scored over a 4-game span for a rookie WR in NFL history
1998 Randy Moss 8
2022 Christian Watson 8 pic.twitter.com/4yT04rfkas— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 4, 2022
“You have to give that kid a lot of credit,” Gutekunst said. “Going into camp with the surgery and having to miss that time…I give him a lot of credit for not losing faith and not losing his work ethic. Because when the opportunities presented themselves he made the most of them.”
.@packers @ChristianW2017 @NDSUfootball we have never seen the month that this Super Rookie is putting up. 8 TD’s including a game winner! Is it too late for OROY Awards? Can anyone keep him from strutting into an endzone near you? #GoPackGo #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/WnI19AJZkv
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) December 6, 2022
When the Packers return from the bye week they could get a closer look at what the wide receiver room could look like moving forward when Romeo Doubs returns from injury.
According to ESPN’s Rob Demovksy, Watson, and Doubs, the fourth-round pick out of Nevada have only been on the field together this season for 52 snaps. Getting those two on the field together will be a high priority for Matt LaFleur as the Packers assess what they have at the wide receiver position.
“It would be nice to get all those guys out there at the same time,” Gutekunst said…I’m very high on those guys’ ceilings and what they can do as a group.”
With Watson, Doubs and Samori Toure, the Packers have foundational pieces in place at the wide receiver room. Now, it’s up to Gutekunst to continue to add young talent to the mix.
This year’s wide receiver class is not as highly regarded as the previous three wide receiver draft classes, but there are still talented wide receivers that could be high on Gutekunst’s board. Here are five wide receivers that Gutekunst could target in the first three rounds if he opts to add a wide receiver early in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Johnston has all the tools to tempt Gutekunst to take a wide receiver in the first round. Like Watson, Johnston has a unique blend of size (6-4, 215) and speed. Pairing him with Watson would put a lot of stress on defenses.
Emmanuel Sanders, Cortland Sutton, Cole Beasley, James Proche, Trey Quinn, Reggie Roberson, and Danny Gray. SMU has produced a lot of talented wide receivers over the years and Rice may be the most talented. Rice set the program record for receiving yards this season. His greatest strength is his ability to create after the catch. He could be a target for Gutekunst at the top of the second round.
If Oduzne opts for the NFL Draft he could go early in the second round. Odunze enjoyed a breakout season under first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer. Odunze passes the eye test with his size (6-3, 201 pounds), athleticism, and play strength. The Washington wide receiver is a vertical threat with his long strides and straight-line quickness. He’s able to vary his route speed to keep defensive backs off balance and has a lot of branches on his route tree.
Tillman would give the Packers a big, physical wide receiver to pair with Watson. Tillman is a long (6-3), physical wide receiver that outmuscles defensive backs at the catch point. With his frame, he has a large catch radius and has the body control to adjust to the ball while it’s in the air.
The Cyclone wide receiver has excellent hand-eye coordination and makes contested catches look like a walk in the park. He has outstanding body control and does a good job of adjusting to the ball. Hutchinson finished this season with 107 receptions for 1,171 yards and six touchdowns.
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The Packers got rookie WR Romeo Doubs back at practice on Wednesday, putting him in position to return to the field after missing three games.
Green Bay Packers rookie receiver Romeo Doubs is getting closer to a return to the playing field.
Doubs, who suffered a significant ankle injury against the Detroit Lions on Nov. 6, returned to practice on Wednesday and now has a chance to play Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
Doubs was injured on the Packers’ first play on offense during the team’s Week 9 loss to the Lions at Ford Field. His ankle was twisted while being tackled at the end of an 18-yard catch.
Doubs caught 31 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns before his injury, including a four-catch, 62-yard performance in Buffalo against the Bills in Week 8.
Doubs missed games against the Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles.
Getting the fourth-rounder back would provide another boost to a Packers passing game that has recently witnessed Christian Watson’s ascendence (six touchdowns) during Doubs’ three-game absence.
The Packers will provide an official injury report to open Week 13 on Wednesday.
.@RomeoDoubs returns to practice 🏈🙌 #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/Q66eFD8fJg
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 30, 2022
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Here are the Best and worst PFF grades from the Philadelphia Eagles’ 40-33 win over the Packers on Sunday night
Philadelphia took some early body blows from the Packers and then proceeded to physically pound on the Packers’ defensive line Sunday night.
The Eagles gained 363 rushing yards and 500 total yards of offense to beat Green Bay 40-33, improving to a league-best 10-1 this season.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts set a franchise record for most rushing yards by a quarterback with 157 and running back Miles Sanders set a career-high with 143 rushing yards as the Birds relied on what they do best.
The PFF Grades are out for Week 12 and Jason Kelce led the charge.
Here’s what the national media is saying about the Philadelphia Eagles after their 40-33 win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 12
The Eagles are 10-1 after a 40-33 win over the Packers on Sunday night in a game that saw Aaron Rodgers exit with an oblique injury.
Philadelphia rode quarterback Jalen Hurts, who amassed a record-setting 157 yards rushing on the ground, eclipsing the 130 yards rushing set by Michael Vick during the 2010 NFL season.
Hurts became the first player since at least 1950 with 150-plus yards rushing and 150-plus yards passing with multiple pass touchdowns in a game, while Miles Sanders ran for 143 yards and two scores as Philadelphia rushed for 363 overall, the second-best total for the franchise.
Here’s the national reaction to Philadelphia’s impressive offensive performance.
