The primary three seasons of head coach Matt LaFleur’s tenure with the Green Bay Packers had been historic as his squads turned the primary in NFL historical past to win no less than 13 video games three years in a row from 2019 to 2021.
A staple of that success together with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who gained consecutive NFL MVPs in 2020 and 2021, was Rodgers’ high goal, All-Professional extensive receiver Davante Adams. He ranked second in the whole NFL in catches (321), receiving yards (3,924) and receiving touchdowns (34) within the first three years of LaFleur calling performs en route to 3 straight Professional Bowl nods and two First-Crew All-Professional alternatives in 2020 and 2021.
Right now, LaFleur’s Inexperienced Bay offense is constructed somewhat in a different way within the Jordan Love period. In Love’s first 12 months beginning in 2023, he ranked second within the NFL in passing touchdowns (32) whereas throwing to a gaggle of extensive receivers that set NFL single-season information for many catches (302), receiving yards (3,642) and receiving touchdowns (31) by first- or second-year gamers in 2023. The 2023 Packers turned the youngest staff to win a playoff sport because the 1970 NFL/AFL merger (common age of 25 years and 214 days) after pummeling the second-seeded Dallas Cowboys 48-32 within the NFC wild card spherical, a sport Inexperienced Bay led 27-0 at one level.
Their offensive success, centered round a variety of totally different younger wideouts contributing, has led many within the Fantasy football world and soccer world at massive to query if Inexperienced Bay has a go-to pass-catcher. On Monday, LaFleur was requested a query particularly about 2023 fifth-round decide Dontayvion Wicks‘ position within the pecking order after he caught a 65-yard deep ball down the fitting sideline within the Packers’ preseason opener towards the Cleveland Browns. That led to the pinnacle coach standing on his cleaning soap field about how he feels about these forms of questions.
“I wish to vomit each time I hear No. 1 receiver. It drives me loopy,” LaFleur said on Monday. “That is one thing you guys speak about. I believe we have got a bunch of them. I believe the great thing about them is that they’re able to doing many issues, which provides us loads of versatility from an offensive perspective by way of how we use these guys and deploy their skills. Particularly these, I’d say top-four guys, they’re able to being a No. 1 in some capability. It is simply how can we wish to assault any individual? The place can we wish to put these guys? Who’s going to get the ball? I do not know. It may change on a week-to-week foundation. We noticed it final 12 months.”
Inexperienced Bay was the one staff within the NFL final season to have 4 gamers — extensive receivers Jayden Reed (2023 second-round decide), Romeo Doubs (2022 fourth-round decide), Christian Watson (2022 second-round decide) and Wicks — with over 400 receiving yards and 4 or extra receiving touchdowns — who had been all beneath the age of 25. No matter the place Wicks suits into that rotation on a weekly foundation, LaFleur has loads of succesful choices to scheme up for Love to select from when he drops again to go.
