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The first game of the post-Davante Adams era for the Green Bay Packers did not end well.
The Packers did not have a single wide receiver go over 50 receiving yards in the 23-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Green Bay’s defense was torched by Minnesota’s top target, Justin Jefferson, who had 184 yards and two scores on nine catches.
Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs. Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb came nowhere close to matching that individual total, but they did cobble together some nice plays that could inspire hope inside the Green Bay offense.
Aaron Rodgers also called on Aaron Jones and Robert Tonyan in the passing attack, but the two returning stars can’t be the quarterback’s top target every week.
Green Bay needs more out of the wide receiver position to remain as the team to beat in the NFC North.
The Packers still have time to work on their quarterback-wide receiver chemistry before it becomes a real concern. Matchups over the next month against Chicago and both New York teams should allow Watson and others to achieve success with Rodgers before the schedule begins to get tougher.
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Week 1 was not a total failure for the new wide receivers in the Green Bay offense.
Romeo Doubs caught four of five targets for 37 yards, Christian Watson hauled in two of four targets for 34 yards and Sammy Watkins caught all three passes thrown at him.
Watson’s drop of a clear touchdown catch will be the main play critics focus on when breaking down Green Bay’s offensive performance in Week 1.
The context of the situation has to be considered as well. Watson and Doubs were thrust into larger roles than expected in preseason due to Allen Lazard’s injury.
A healthy Lazard in Week 1 may not have pushed the Packers past the Vikings in the score column, but it would have at least taken some pressure off the young wide outs.
Instead, Aaron Rodgers was forced to rely on his young wide outs right away. He spread the ball around to his running backs and tight ends to attempt to let some pressure off Watson and Doubs to do everything.
Watson and Doubs need to show improvement on Sunday night at home against Chicago to prove that Week 1 was about getting nerves out of the way.
The new wide outs could have been better in Week 1, but they caught some balls and worked on their in-game chemistry with Rodgers that should make them better for Week 2 and beyond.
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Allen Lazard missed Week 1 with an ankle injury.
He is officially listed as questionable for the second of Green Bay’s opening NFC North tilts, this one at home with Chicago.
Lazard’s presence on the field is important for the Packers because he is the wide receiver that should have the most chemistry with Rodgers. Randall Cobb fits into that category as well, but he will not be expected to be the No. 1 pass catcher.
Lazard can take away the top cornerback from Watson or Doubs and allow them to attack more vulnerable parts of the opposing secondary. That could lead to a few more targets and one or two more big plays.
There is no guarantee that Lazard’s return will spark an increase in Rodgers’ production because he is now the top target instead of being a supporting piece to one of the top wideouts in football.
Lazard will have way more responsibilities inside the Green Bay offense than he did in previous seasons. If he thrives in that role, he could allow Watson and Doubs to develop at their own pace.
If Lazard is unable to step up to the top pass-catcher role, Green Bay could be in a rough spot until one of the unproven players makes more of an impact on the field.
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Aaron Rodgers has not been the best starter in recent years.
Rodgers produced his second straight season-opening performance under 200 passing yards on Sunday and it marked the third time in four years that the Packers scored 10 points or fewer in the opener.
Rodgers is not in midseason form yet and that is a good sign for Watson, Doubs and the rest of the wide receiver unit.
As Rodgers gets sharper, he should help out the young wide receivers with their production and that could also lead to an increase in confidence.
Rodgers responded to last season’s Week 1 loss by throwing for 255 yards and four touchdowns against the Detroit Lions. In 2019, he had 209 yards and a pair of scoring throws in a Week 2 victory.
A home game against the Bears, a team Rodgers threw for 451 yards and eight touchdowns against in 2021, could be the perfect remedy to any offensive struggles that popped up in Week 1.
If the drops and lack of a 50-yard receiver extend into Week 2, then there will be room for more concerns.
Week-by-week improvement from Rodgers and his wide receivers should put the Packers in a solid position in the hunt for the NFC North title and the top seed in the conference.