Breaking down the Packers’ receiving corps through two games

The Green Bay Packers offense has had a handful of big plays and dominant drives so far in their first two games of 2019. However, at other times the offense has seemed stale and fallen flat. The wide receiver corps has been good for stretches and then not great at others. Let’s take a look at the Packers’ wideouts through week 2.

One thing that has been clear is if Davante Adams is not getting open, there is not much of a passing game. He was double and triple covered against the Chicago Bears, and the Minnesota Vikings had him on lock for most of the second half. These are the moments where the rest of the pass-catchers need to step up.

Still, Davante Adams has been his usual self through two games. Tight route running and quick moves allow him to get open across the middle and rack up yards. He has seen 133 snaps and gotten 17 balls thrown his way. He caught 11 passes for 142 yards but he has yet to record a touchdown. It is business as usual for him and he will continue to the focal part of the offense and have a great season.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling is clearly the number 2 wide receiver. Valdes-Scantling has seen the field for 107 offensive snaps and gotten 12 targets. He currently has 7 catches on the season second to Davante Adams. Through two games, MVS has 71 yards, but 47 of those came on one play. If you take out that one play he has 6 catches for 24 yards, exactly four yards per catch. Him stepping up will be the key to this team taking their game to the next level.

Jimmy Graham has been the Packers’ third receiving option, despite playing tight end. In his 83 snaps, he has the third-most targets with 8 and has 3 catches. Graham did catch the first touchdown of the season, but he has not seen much success since.

The only wide receiver with a touchdown is Geronimo Allison, but he only has five targets on 66 offensive snaps. He was quiet in the Bears game, but came down with a spectacular catch in the first quarter of the Vikings game. Allison has shown that he can be a good wide receiver in this league, and has come up big in the past. Look for him to get more opportunities over the next few games.

Jake Kumerow has seven snaps and only one target. He clearly is not a very big part of the offense, yet. Fans are ready to see what the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater graduate can do.

The fifth and final wide out was Trevor Davis. He only recorded one catch, but he is now a member of the Oakland Raiders after a trade for a 6th-round pick.

Matt LaFleur was brought in to revitalize this offense and take them to new heights. The first half of the Vikings game showed flashes of what this offense can be. Once the Vikings made adjustments they seemed to have no answer, not scoring a point in the second half. The Packers do not seem to have a player ready to step up and be that no. 2 wideout, and the passing game is vital if the Packers want to make a serious post season run.

Both the Vikings and the Bears have outstanding passing defenses, so we might not have seen the full scale of what this team is capable of. The Broncos game will be a good chance for Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Geronimo Allison to step up and show that they can be viable options while most of the attention goes to Davante.