Receiver Injuries Add to Challenge vs. Bills
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers really only has strong chemistry with two of his receivers: Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb. Chances are, neither will be on the field for the Green Bay Packers’ game at the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.
Lazard on Thursday said he didn’t think he’d be available due to a shoulder injury. Cobb is on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain. They rank first and second on the team in receiving yards.
Who’s left for a matchup against arguably the best team in the NFL? Rookie Romeo Doubs is tied with Lazard for No. 2 on the team with 26 receptions, though he had more drops (two) than catches (zero) last week against Washington. Sammy Watkins has eight catches for 147 yards in three games. Christian Watson has seven catches but missed four of the last five games with a hamstring injury. Amari Rodgers has three catches but has mostly been glued to the bench. Samori Toure had one catch in his NFL debut last week. Juwann Winfree (one catch) and Travis Fulgham (zero) are on the practice squad.
Combined in seven games, they’ve caught 46 passes for 482 yards and two touchdowns. By himself in six games, Buffalo’s Stefon Diggs has caught 49 passes for 656 yards and six touchdowns.
“I have the utmost confidence in those guys,” Lazard said. “We’ve preached to them all year and even more so this week about they’re in this building for a reason. It’s not by accident. They’re very talented individuals and more than capable of going out there and showcasing their talents at the best of their ability, so I’m expecting big, great things from those guys in the room. At the end of the day, when you got 12 back there, really anything’s possible, so they have to go out there, execute, do their jobs – nothing more than that – and we’ll just see where the ball lands.”
It would be helpful to land in someone’s hands some distance down the field. That’s not snarky. That’s reality. Rodgers has almost twice as many completions behind the line of scrimmage (52) as 10-plus yards downfield (29), according to PFF. His average completion travels 4.20 yards downfield, the shortest distance in the NFL, according to league data.
The potential return of Watson could help. The Packers sent their two second-round picks to the rival Vikings to select him with the 34th overall pick. His rookie season started with insult (the dropped touchdown on the first play at Minnesota) and has continued with plenty of injury (a pair of two-game absences due to a hamstring).
However, his combination of size and speed is practically unmatched across the NFL. Without a deep threat, Green Bay’s offense has bogged down.
“It definitely opens up things, for sure,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said on Thursday. “He brings an element to our offense that we haven’t had in a few weeks.”
According to PFF, 32 quarterbacks have thrown at least a dozen passes 20-plus yards downfield. Of that group, Rodgers ranks 24th in completion percentage and 25th in yards per attempt (8.7).
Early in the season, Green Bay’s short passing game was effective. With defenses not fearing Green Bay’s deep game, they’ve increasingly taken away that element of the offense. Over the last two-and-a-half games, the Packers have had 24 “true” possessions (not counting Hail Mary drives) and scored only three touchdowns.
“I think in any offense, you want a fast player on the field to open things up,” receivers coach/passing game coordinator Jason Vrable said. “Earlier [in the season], he had a double move on the left sideline, I think it was against the Bears, and he set the guy and he ran past him. Before the guy even turned, he was three steps behind him.
“People naturally respect his speed. He’s strong, he’s big. You guys can all see that stuff. Obviously, when you’re watching the tape and you’re the defense, you have to respect that speed because he’s going to run by people. He’s done a great job rehabbing and getting back and feeling great, so I’m excited to see where he’s at going into this game.”
The Bills’ MVP-candidate quarterback, Josh Allen, has two premier receivers with Diggs and Gabe Davis. The Packers’ four-time MVP quarterback, Rodgers, doesn’t have anything resembling that type of proven talent. That disparity is one reason why the Bills are averaging 29.3 points per game and the Packers are averaging only 18.3.
“When the receivers perform well, you’re going to put up some points and move the ball,” Vrable said. “It has to be more consistent, and that’s on me and our room and the growth of them. We knew going in, there’s going to be some young guys playing [and] some growing pains here and there. We’ve got to get on top of our stuff and perform better.”
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