The Green Bay Packers need rookie wide receiver Davante Adams to step up vs. the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
Davante Adams was selected by the Green Bay Packers with the 53rd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, but little did they know that they would be getting a potential star.
During the Packers’ 26-21 victory over the Dallas Cowboys this past week in the divisional round of the playoffs, Adams showed the true “star” potential that he possesses. He caught seven passes for 117 yards and a touchdown, including a huge 46-yard touchdown reception that brought the Packers back to within one point in the second half.
Green Bay is going to have a very tough game against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship, and they will need their young wide receiver to come through with a big game.
In 16 regular season games with the Packers during his rookie year, Adams ended up totaling 38 receptions for 446 yards and three touchdowns. He didn’t start coming into his own until late in the year. During the Packers’ Week 1 game against Seattle, he didn’t even get targeted once by Aaron Rodgers. That is going to be one of the main changes in the offense this time around, and his speed and athleticism are going to give Rodgers another huge target against a very dangerous defense.
The Packers know that they will need to make some big plays throughout the course of the game in order to win, and Adams is one of their best playmakers.
At 6’1″ and 215 pounds, he is going to be an interesting opponent for the Seahawks’ defense. Last time around, Richard Sherman was stuck on Jarrett Boykin all game long which wasn’t a contest. Boykin was unable to get open, but Adams would be a much more difficult player to defend against for Sherman.
Rodgers didn’t throw even one pass in Sherman’s direction during their last meeting, which severely limited the Green Bay offense. That won’t necessarily be the case this week, especially with the added threat of having Adams on the field.
There are plenty of improvements that Green Bay has made on both sides of the football since Week 1. Whether they be implementing Adams into the lineup or seeing their defense step up and begin playing strong football, the Packers believe that they are bringing a nearly brand new team into Seattle.
Obviously there is a major concern about whether or not Rodgers can play the entire game due to the calf injury. He was hopping around quite a bit against Dallas and showed some signs of being in pain, but he was still able to complete 24 of his 35 passing attempts for 316 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. Those are the type of numbers that the Packers need from him once again, but it will be much more difficult to come by.
All of that being said, the Packers are going to need all of their receivers playing at a high level in order for the offense to be as high-powered as they need it to be. Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are going to be the primary concerns for the Seahawks, which will give Adams an easier go of it.
This is by far the most important game that Adams has ever played in, and he will be asked to have a similar performance to the one against the Cowboys last week.
While it is a lot to ask of a rookie in his second playoff game, Adams is more than capable of rising to the challenge. He has all of the physical tools and has worked hard to get to this point. Rodgers has complete trust in him, and Mike McCarthy has been using him a lot more and has put him in more situations to make an impact.
Expect to see Adams come out with another big game, and to give the Packers that extra offensive weapon that they desperately needed in Week 1.