Packers’ Romeo Doubs Returns to Lineup, End Zone in Rout of Cardinals

Back from a one-game suspension, Green Bay Packers receiver scored his first touchdowns of the season in a blowout win over the Cardinals on Sunday.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) acknowleges the fans after Sunday's win over the Cardinals. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In his return from a one-game suspension, Romeo Doubs scored his first touchdown of the season. Then, he scored another.

“I was able to get back to my regular self, you know?” Doubs said after helping the Green Bay Packers beat the Arizona Cardinals 34-13 on Sunday at Lambeau Field. “Despite what was going on, I just had to do the best of my ability, just limiting those distractions and, ultimately, it paid off.”

Doubs didn’t start the game but made his presence felt on Green Bay’s second scoring drive. On the first snap, with Jordan Love “baking a pizza” because he had so much time, as coach Matt LaFleur put it, Doubs caught a pass for 19 yards.

Ten plays later, Doubs was in the end zone. On third-and-5 from the 10, Doubs caught a pass at the sideline, spun out of a tackle and dove head-long into the end zone to make it 14-0.

There were no pound-his-chest moments or over-the-top celebrations. Rather, he handed the ball to the official and hugged his teammates.

“We’re a family,” Love said. “We’re in this thing all together. Just staying together, keeping that brotherhood is definitely very important to us.

“Rome, I don’t think Rome’s ever showed emotion when he’s scored any touchdowns, so I think that’s just who he is. It was awesome to get that little group hug we had going out there on his first touchdown. That’s what this team’s all about is that brotherhood, staying together and going out there and playing for each other.”

If there was any question about whether Doubs had lost the team’s trust, it was answered when Doubs put the game on ice in the third quarter.

On third-and-4 from the Cardinals’ 20, Arizona sent a seven-man blitz at Love. With a defender in his face, Love knew where he had one-on-one coverage and flung one Doubs’ way at the goal line.

“They went all-out and it’s kind of a look we hadn’t really seen from them, so they did a good job with that,” Love said. “The extra defender was right there on the right side and Romeo was running a double move on the outside, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get around him or be able to escape, so trusted Rome and threw him up one.

“It was one-on-one and he made a great play to be able to catch it and finish in the end zone. So, great play by Rome right there.”

With cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting unable to find the ball, Doubs turned around, made the catch at the 1 and reached it over the goal line.

“It was not surprising” that Love gave him a 50/50 ball. “I just did the best of my ability just to make a play on it.”

The touchdown gave the Packers a 31-13 lead. It was the second two-touchdown game of his career – the other was Week 1 of last season at Chicago – and his first touchdowns of this season.

“It feels amazing in the moment but, in the long run, you’ve just got to keep finding ways to just keep building,” Doubs said. “It’s not just me. He trusts the entire receiving corps to produce.”

The Packers needed the production after Dontayvion Wicks dropped out of the game after a third-down conversion in the first quarter.

More than that, the Packers need Doubs, period. While he got off to a quiet start this season, he’s one of the top playmakers on the team and one of the best red-zone threats in the NFL.

“It’s huge. Just having Rome back out there on the field was awesome, was huge,” Love said. “He went out there and made some big-time plays, the two touchdown catches and some more plays before that. It’s awesome to have Rome back out there.”

Doubs spoke in his typical hushed and serious manner after the game. If there were any emotions, he kept him to himself.

“I’m good, man,” he said. “I’m just ready to be a ballplayer, try to move past whatever has happened and just get back to our winning culture like Green Bay has always been.”

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Jordan Love lit up the Arizona Cardinals, and the run game helped drop the hammer late - the #Packers win 34-13 before a showdown with the Houston Texans next week at Lambeau Field.https://t.co/AFlLPrGWwA

— Jacob Westendorf (@JacobWestendorf) October 13, 2024

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