The Packers Are In A Pickle

Say it isn't so...

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With just 3 days till the Jordan Love era officially kicks off vs the Bears the Packers have run into a road bump. News broke yesterday that both Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs missed practice with hamstring injuries. That’s not the kind of news you want to see before the first game of the season. 

All eyes will be on the status of both starting receivers as the home opener vs the Bears gets closer and closer. This was already going to be a game filled with uncertainty considering Jordan Love has only started in 1 career NFL game. But now the uncertainty has reached another level. 

Here’s an interesting stat regarding receivers who missed practice last season. 

The odds are not in our favor. My guess is one plays and one sits out on sunday. Jordan Love would be at a disadvantage losing either of his top receivers. The Packers offense would greatly miss the speed of Watson that stretches the defense and forces them to keep an eye on him at all times. Missing Doubs would also prove to be costly. We witnessed the chemistry he’s already built up with Love in the preseason. 

The Plan If Both Guys Are Out

If Love is without both of his top weapons the Packers are going to have to make do with young unproven talent. Starting rookie slot receiver Jayden Reed and tight end Luke Musgrave could see a much higher target share vs the Bears than expected. Both were already slated to have a sizable role as rookies in this Matt Lafleur offense. With Love’s top weapons potentially out, these guys will need to carry the load. 

Both  have yet to play in an NFL game. The pressure was already on, but now it’s taken up a notch. 

With both Watson and Doubs being primarily outside receivers, here are a few guys who could take their place on Sunday: Samori Toure, Malik Heath, Dontayvion Wicks. 

Toure is entering his second season with the Packers but barely played last season. 87 snaps to be exact. Last year he played 35% of his snaps on the outside. He has the edge over the other guys when it comes to knowing the offense because he’s been in the system for a year. 

Malik Heath, undrafted rookie from Ole Miss, is the guy that I have more trust in. He came into Packers camp and consistently dominated, not only in practice but in every preseason game. The odds were stacked against him but he made the most of his opportunity. The Packers gave him starting reps in the final week of camp. But he’s still young and unproven and has yet to take a regular season snap in the NFL. 

The final player who could fill in is 5th round rookie receiver Dontayvion Wicks. Only problem is he also has a hamstring injury. It’s likely not as serious considering he practiced yesterday in a limited capacity. 

Even without these injuries there were questions about how quickly this offense would get off the ground. It’s the youngest unit in the league. Watson and Doubs are the experienced guys in the room. If they miss Sunday’s game there’s a chance this offense has a hard time making do. I’m not going to say it’s the end of the world, but there could be a lot of mental mistakes with guys who haven’t spent much time in the offense. 

Jordan Love has been building chemistry with Watson and Doubs since last off-season. With Rodgers rarely showing up during the off-season program, Love got plenty of reps with last year's rookies.  But now the potential starters Love could be throwing too are guys he’s barely played with. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried. 

This is even more of a reason for the Packers to go heavy with the running game on Sunday. The Bears had one of the worst defenses in the league last year and while they’ve made improvements stopping the run is not one of their strong suits. 

Here’s a look at how the Bears ranked last year: 

• 32nd scoring defense

• 18th ranked passing defense

• 27th in rush yards per attempt allowed

It’s time to feed Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. 

Injuries always rear their ugly head. Matt LaFleur has his hands full as he prepares for the first game of the 2023 season. Let’s hope he can work his magic.