The Green Bay Packers are looking to get back in the win column as they travel to take on the Los Angeles Rams in their Week Five game. Green Bay has not defeated the Rams in Los Angeles since 1966, though they did beat them four times in St. Louis between 1995 and 2015.
Unfortunately for the Packers, they are most likely going to be without wide receiver Christian Watson, who suffered a high ankle sprain against the Minnesota Vikings in Week Four. The good news, though, is that Watson does not need to go on injured reserve, which means that he should return within four weeks.
The Green Bay Packers May Also Be Without Wide Receiver Romeo Doubs
Green Bay’s wide receiver depth took another hit late this week. Watson’s fellow 2022 NFL Draft pick, Romeo Doubs, missed practice on both Thursday and Friday with what the team says is a personal matter.
Head coach Matt LaFleur is not sure whether Doubs will be able to play on Sunday versus the Rams.
Doubs is one of three wide receivers in franchise history with 100 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns through his first two seasons in the NFL. The other two are Pro Football Hall of Famer James Lofton and Packers legend Sterling Sharpe (who should be in the Hall of Fame).
Romeo Doubs | Sterling Sharpe | James Lofton | |
Receptions | 101 | 145 | 100 |
Receiving Yards | 1,099 | 2,214 | 1,786 |
Touchdowns | 11 | 13 | 10 |
With Watson and Doubs both possibly out on Sunday, the Packers will prepare to face Los Angeles with two 2023 NFL Draft picks as their top two wide receivers, one of whom has been determined to be the next NFL star at his position.
The Green Bay Packers Will Look to Jayden Reed to Lead to Wide Receiver Room
Last season, Jayden Reed became of the most popular players among Green Bay’s fanbase. He caught 64 passes for 793 and eight touchdowns. It was truly one of the greatest seasons by a rookie wide receiver in franchise history.
Wide Receiver | Year | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
Billy Howton | 1952 | 53 | 1,231 | 13 |
James Lofton | 1978 | 46 | 818 | 6 |
Sterling Sharpe | 1988 | 55 | 791 | 1 |
Jayden Reed | 2023 | 64 | 793 | 8 |
As one can see in the chart above, Reed broke Sharpe’s franchise record for receptions by a rookie wide receiver.
This season, Reed has 17 receptions for 336 yards and two touchdowns through the team’s first four games. He already has two 100+ receiving yard games, a feat no Packers wide receiver achieved until the final weeks of the season last year.
Reed has seven receptions for 139 yards and one touchdown in Green Bay’s Week One loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and four receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown in their loss to the Vikings.
According to Justis Mosqueda of ACME Packing Company, Reed has been the best slot wide receiver in the NFL this season, and it’s not particularly close:
“Only four other receivers league-wide have been as valuable as Reed has been out of the slot this season and only a handful of others are even a third as valuable as Reed in 2024. No matter how you slice it, Reed is the most valuable slot receiver in the NFL right now.”
Even though Green Bay may be without their preferred starting wide receivers on Sunday, having Reed on the field means that their passing game should not miss a beat.
With Jordan Love getting stronger and stronger as he recovers from a sprained MCL, and Reed emerging as one of the best wide receivers in the league, Green Bay will have a chance in every game that they play.
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