3 improvements Aaron Rodgers must make to ensure Packers turnaround
By Mark Powell
Aaron Rodgers improvements: Target the veteran wideouts
As great as the likes of Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson may be one day, they are not ready for the big stage yet. Doubs had four catches for 37 yards, while Watson dropped a walk-in touchdown on his first catch attempt.
Randall Cobb and Sammy Watkins, as flawed as they might be, have a combined 21 years of NFL experience on their plates. They’ve been here before, and have dealt with similar struggles.
Rodgers trusts Cobb, for one, more than any wide receiver on the roster. Why, then, was he targeted just three times on Sunday, good for sixth on the team? Watkins, a veteran in his first season in Green Bay, also received three targets.
The trick for the Packers to regain some of their 2021 form, at least for now, is to lean on the players they can trust. This is especially true in a tough matchup against the rival Bears, a squad Rodgers is used to dominating.
Eventually, the young wideouts will grow into trusted variables of this Packers offense. That time was not Week 1 against Minnesota, though, and it likely won’t be Week 2 against the Bears. As much as Rodgers wants to trust the young players he was impressed with in training camp, it’s Cobb and Watkins who know how to create early separation, and who can be consistently counted on to make plays at critical moments.