#368 Packers Unscripted: Projecting the numbers

Not that we haven't talked about him a lot already this season, but an interesting comment. I'm gonna go back to a few weeks ago when Aaron Rodgers was asked about Davante Adams and you know, why is it that you know, he's not talked about amongst the league's elite receivers. He's sort of always talked. He's sort of mentioned as an afterthought or maybe on that next tier, so to speak, when it comes to the national conversations, is what I'm

talking about. And Rogers said, well, he's still just he It's going to come for him and he just needs to have that one wow season. Well, He's got seventy seven catches for one thousand, twenty two yards and ten touchdowns. That's a pretty good season. If today we're already January two, but there are five games left in this season and he's got those numbers. This looks to me like this

is the Wow season for Davante Adams. And regardless of how the Packers finished record wise, if if the recognition, the DO recognition doesn't come his way, now, I'm not sure how Itever was. Here's what's really exciting about Davante Adams. I think he's one of the real untapped gems out there for the national media and um, those type of outlets to really discover because you know, you and I have been around for five years. He has a very confident but yet pleasant demeanor in terms of how he

deals with the media. UM, I never want to go out and say that guy's quote unquote enjoy the whole media process because it is a big commitment and you know they're they're working twelve hour days, fourteen hour days and then they gotta they gotta intersplice this. But I don't think Davantae Adams hates it. It seems like ever since the beginning, even when the questions are really hard

for him, he always embraced that. And I think behind whatever the season turns into, whether it's dred yards, hundred catches, all the touchdowns in the world, I think is that door starts to get open and people start to really not I don't want to put the Jordy Nelson air in the past, but start to understand that this is the receiver of the future for the Packers and Aaron Rodgers. I think people are gonna be pleasantly surprised at the type of individual that they're going to be dealing with.

Because Davante Adams doesn't want to be a super are he doesn't want to be a celebrity. But the way he carries himself and and how he handles those responsibilities, I think are going to endear him to the national picture whenever that day finally arrives. Yeah, I think for the most part, as much as you say, he does enjoy some of the banter with the media, but for the most part he does just let us play on

the field and talking. And I think that's something that certainly the local media here in Green Bay, as we talked to him on a daily on a weekly basis. We certainly respect that about him. I wrote a story for our website this week, kind of a numbers based, statistics based story to look at things projecting with where Adams is after eleven games this year, and if you just do the math, which doesn't always work out, but if you do the math projecting where he is seventy

seven catches, that's an easy one. That's seven per game through eleven games. So that actually would equate if he keeps up that pace to a hundred and twelve receptions, which is exactly the single season record for the Green Bay Packers held by Sterling Sharp, which he set back in now. If you go with the yards, his ten twenty two right now would project to fight six or

just under fift hundred. Jordy Nelson has that franchise record for a single season at fifteen nineteen from two thousand and fourteen, so you can see it wouldn't take much of an increase in his pace and to potentially eclipse his old buddy Jordy there for that single season record. And then as far as touchdowns, he's got ten right now that projects to fourteen or fifteen by the end

of the regular season. There have only been three players in Packer's history with fifteen or more touchdown catches in one season, and that's Sterling Sharp with eighteen in that's the franchise record. Don Hudson had seventeen and then Jordy Nelson had fifteen back in, so he's on pace. However this falls, this is going to go down as one of the most historic seasons for a Green Bay Packers

wide receiver. And when you're talking about this being the one hundred season of Green Bay Packers football, that's saying something. It is and Mike gonna see whether or not he ends up obviously breaking that receiving record, uh in terms

of receptions, but I think what's extra powerful. You think of Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Donald Driver, all the phenomenal receivers the Packers have had over the last twenty five years, but the fact that Davante Adams needs only twenty three more catches over these next seven

games two eclipse a hundred catches on the season. That's something that hasn't been done since with Robert Brooks Um Regardless of whether or not he pushes for Sterling I think it just puts into context the type of receiver he's become in this league, in in what he offers

to Aaron Rodgers in this offense. And you know, I think if you ask Aaron Rodgers, if you and even if you asked Davante and to some extent, there's a lot of plays out there that he still wishes he had on top of the seventy seven catches, the twenty two yards. But the thing I appreciate the most about the season in which he's having is the fact that there's no more of this all your three yards away

from a thousand yards season. It's been fun to kind joke with him about that, and he's taken it in strip but at the same time, it is something that's kind of been, you know, held against him over the last couple of years. That heading into this season, and until he surpassed it in Minnesota the other night, he hadn't had a one thousand yard season as a wide

receiver yet. But that's finally over and done and he had you know, he was on pace for it again last year before the concussion and causing him force him to force be out of the last two games. The fact that he has it now. You can't take that away from him. You have that forever. And as much as the game has changed and there's more passing and maybe it isn't the same threshold that it was twenty

five years ago, it's still really special. And for a guy like Davante Adams, a student of the game, a guy that follows and tracks all the other top receivers, watches all the film on all on all the guys that he's you know, shares the position with, you have to imagine that this is something that's meaningful now. At the end of the day, he wants to win. He wants to chase a Super Bowl championship, something that he has not had yet at this point of his career.

The one thing that is of not you know, maybe the only thing that's missing right now when you look at some of the division titles and NFC title games he's been to, and I think that's what drives him. But these are the type of things that Mike McCarthy

always like to say. When you're on your back porch someday and you're sitting there and you're reflecting on what you've accomplished, Davante Adam is going to be able to look back at the two thousand eighteen season with fondness and in understanding that, Okay, at five years old, with a lot of careers still ahead of him, you know, this is when I really stepped up to be in

one of the elite. Yeah. And I got an interesting question and insider inbox this week that a fan asked, who do I think, when this is all said and done, is going to be known as the receiver for Aaron Rodgers. Would it be Jordy Nelson or will it be Davante Adams.

And it's an interesting question because when you look back at Brett Farve's career, for instance, for all the success that he had, all the connections he had with Sterling Sharp and with Robert Brooks, at the end of the day fifty seven regular season touchdowns with Antonio Freeman, I think when everybody thinks of Brett Farve and if you're going to pick one receiver, you kind of go with

Freeman in that equation with Adams. It was really interesting that the question came in this week because then I looked at all the numbers and Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson surpassed the far Freeman connection for total touchdowns a couple of years ago, and if you include regular season and postseason, Rogers and Nelson had seventy touchdowns together. Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams including postseason games, have exactly half

right now, thirty five, it's thirty five and seventy. So it was just it was really kind of serendipitous in a way that that question came in this week and I looked at the numbers and you kind of go, oh, thirty five and seventy when you include the playoff games, and obviously you know, whatever happens this year, hopefully Rogers and and uh and Adams have some more playoff games to add to the regular season numbers that I'm sure they'll put up. I'm not sure how to answer the

question in terms of making a prediction. I don't like to do that, but the numbers are interesting when you look at it. It was interesting also in the fact that Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson played together for ten seasons. UH that was unmatched by I want to say it was two or three years. No other tandem in the league had been able to stick together for that long. Just incredible longevity on both of their uh you know, both of their parts. The thing about Aaron Rodgers, though,

I think is different from Brett Farve. I think you can't really point out one receiver with Rogers because there's just been so many. Greg Jennings had a phenomenal run with him. Jordy Nelson had just a kinship. I mean just something, it just it. It is just crazy the type of um you know, wavelength those two operated on. Randall Cobb, Donald Driver got a chance to play with

both of them. I think the ultimate thing for Aaron Rodgers when it's all said and down, and also a feather in the cap of Ted Thompson, is how the Packers were able to keep keeping the shelf stocked at

that position. Aaron Brett Farve had to. He did have Antonio Freeman, he had Robert Brooks, he ad Sterling Sharp, but it was really difficult that it just seemed like other than maybe Donald Driver at the end of it, he never really had like one guy that was just there for six seven years and that was his receiver. R He a lot of times had to make it work. There were years where Corey Bradford was in there, Bill schrader.

I think what's really special about this group that they've had is a lot of those guys played on second contracts. A lot of them were able to, you know, really do some damage through the air, you know, passing game for years. And I think that's when it's all said and done, going to be one of the big trademarks of Aaron Rodgers in this offense. Yeah, I would agree

with you, But some sponsor business here. Packers fans, stop in at your local quick Trip and pick up your Packers cup today, get eighty nine cent refills on your Cafe Cruba coffee all season long. And um, we're getting close to the deadline here on this west, so definitely enter the Cousins Subs Best Seats in the House promotion. You and a guest could win a chance to kick back on the fifty yard line in style. Two pairs of lucky Packers fans will be chosen prior to each

home game for this v I P experience. Enter daily now through December sixteen by completing the entry form and submitting. For complete rules and eligibility, go to Packers dot com slash Best Seats Cousin Subs. We believe in better alright heading into this game against the Arizona Cardinals. Bill, you take one glance at the Packers injury report this week

and it's like, yeah, it's click. WHOA, Um, I guess we'll start on the offensive line, UM, David bak Try Lane Taylor, the two guys on the left side both not practicing. Neither one has been ruled out necessarily. UM bak Try spoke to reporters definitely indicated he's going to give it his best effort to try to get ready to play. Um Justin McCrae a guy who is who's ready to step in at left guard certainly if if

Lane Taylor is unable to go. And interesting kind of as much as everything seemed to change for Justin McCrae and that he started the season as a frontline guy and as one of those guys in the starting I've now he's back to being, you know, the guy that just has to be ready to run in there and

take over as soon as something happened. Yeah. I wrote about this on our website too, and it was funny because is there any you know he missed time with the shoulder injury, basically missed a better part of two months. He started the first three games of the season at right guard, held down that position throughout the off season. They did sign Byron Bell, but for the most part,

there wasn't like a direct competitor. It seemed like for that spot, well, he has the shoulder injury, he misses time. The Packers decided to keep that cohesiveness with Brian Balagh and Bell. And then when mccraig comes back, he's been working his way back into lineup and playing special teams. But is there nothing more nothing more poetic about justin mccraige's story that his first opportunity to get back in with the starting offenses Byron Bell's shoe coming off his

cleat coming off in that game against Minnesota. And honestly, it was such a low key moment because it was the Packers lost. Things didn't go well in the second half. But how amazing was that when Byron bell his shoot comes off, he has to make a split second decision what am I gonna do here? So from the other side of the line of the hash marks, he decides to just catapult his shoe across the field. He fighted,

he fired it quite the distance. It was quite the punt passing kick throw that he had there the lot, the side judge has the duck. Well, then finally they decide, yeah, you know what, you're not staying in without a shoe on. So he comes off. Justin mccraig comes in and hey, while Justin mccraige is back in the lineup because unfortunately then Lane Taylor ends up having the quad injury. So Bell comes back into his spot in uh, mccraig goes

to left guard. He said it was kind of a tough position to be in because he practiced only on the right side all week. Yeah, he's been taking most of his practice reps since he came back from the shoulder. Most of his practice reps have been right guard and right tackle um so far this year and then but now he's got to shift left guard and that's that's the job. Yeah, So he said, you know, he still wants to be a starter, He still wants to be

a player in this league. But you know, this is the hand he's dealt and the positive thing for him, as he says, the shoulders good to go. He's felt good with that now for a while. So it's just about baking, sure, He takes care of those opportunities. We'll see what this week unfolds, if bok tr goes, if

Taylor goes. But the one thing the Patricks have been really steadfast about going back to last season and the eight starts that McRae made, is that they feel good about him if he has to go in at any of those five spots. He's shown that he can handle that responsibility, especially being cold off the bench. Yeah, and where do things stand? Just give us the update as far as where things are in the secondary with Kevin

Kings and those players who are all listed on the reporters. Well, yeah, so King is still working his way back, still in practice, but you know how those things go with the soft tissue injuries. Trying to see when he could potentially be back out there. Brian did not practice again on Wednesday. Will see obviously what happens on Thursday. We you know, at this point in time, with how these things shuffle out, you know it, you never know. So uh, but they

did sign another safety. Now you have any pleasant coming in who was formerly with the Houston Texans, a special teams guy for a number of years. Also had a cup of coffee with the Arizona Cardinals before being released a few weeks ago. So there's been a lot of mixing and matching there. I've said I mentioned this an

Insider Inbox. One of the somewhat pleasant surprises for me has been Ibraheim campbell Um, just because this is a guy that got signed three and a half weeks ago and then suddenly he's playing an important role on special teams and he's playing almost every snap on defense. I thought he showed some good technique in that game against Minnesota given the kind of situation he was thrust into. Um. But yeah, I mean, the biggest one Mike at the

end of the day is Kevin King. If you Packers can get him back in there, it really there's such a big domino effect with the secondary and having him locking down one side of the field. Yeah, absolutely, I agree with you. One more quick thought before we go Thursday night football. The New Orleans Saints have won ten straight. Alice Cowboys have won three in a row. What chance do you give the Cowboys to maybe cool off the hottest team in football? What do you think It's all

in that defense. It's all about seeing if the Cowboys defense is for real and if they can take on the biggest challenge I think that they faced this season. Now they get them on their home turf. I think that's big. But you know, Drew Brees is so locked in right now, Mike and and being able to you know, it's incredible the amount of efficiency he you know, Philip Rivers last week against the Cardinals. These guys that are just able to do it every single down. Um, you

didn't play Madden, I did. Uh. They would put up this little graphic on the screen if you had five completed passes a row, ten completed passes a role. Let's just say I never got past ten. I don't know what it looked like when you got to fifteen or

twenty or twenty five. So for some of these guys to be doing what they're doing, I just think this is gonna be such a big, big, you know, challenge and an opportunity at the same time for the Cowboys to show that, you know what we are legitimate and offensively, Dak Prescott, since you've added Amari Cooper into this offense, has been really hot. So he has an opportunity against the Saints defense that also has given up some yards

this year. So it's gonna be really good contest. Yeah, the I will say this, regardless of what happens tonight, New Orleans couldn't have asked for this to set up any better in the sense that they're looking at these back to back Thursday games Thanksgiving and then the following Thursday, and now they kind of get that mini by heading into the stretch run where they'll they'll be looking to lock down a first round by in the playoffs, maybe

home field throughout, and just getting that little bit of a break this late in the season for a team that is expecting, obviously to make a deep run. The Saints couldn't have asked for this to uh to set up any better for him. You know, it really does

stand out to me now, mind you. I get it they had to still play on short rest, you know, a week ago, but um, you know, but they had a home game and they took care of business exactly, and then you gotta you got a full week to go into the Thursday night game, and then you get a week and a half going into the Tampa Bay game. It has set up really well for them right now. Sean Paynton has them operating in a well oiled Machine and my fantasy football team will have Elvin Kamara on

the field tonight, so we'll see how that goes. All right with that, we will call it a wrap on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team on Packers dot com on Twitter, He's at west Hot I'm at Mike Spofford at Packers for the team account. Thanks for tuning in, everybody. We'll see you next time. H