The Green Bay Packers’ offense was severely depleted heading into their Week 16 game against the Carolina Panthers. One would never guess that given the offense’s 33 points and quarterback Jordan Love’s seventh game of the season with multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions. The defense, on the other hand, did not appear to be as strong.
While the defense has struggled and calls to fire Joe Barry have grown, the offense has refused to accept its inexperience, youth, or injuries as excuses. They have truly adopted the “next man up” mentality, and as a result, their chemistry has grown week after week.
Unfortunately, the Packers were missing wide receivers Christian Watson and Jayden Reed, as well as tight end Luke Musgrave. Reed, who leads the team in receptions and yards, missed the game due to an ankle injury, while Watson is still recovering from a hamstring injury. Musgrave was recently activated from injured reserve to recover from a lacerated kidney.
Love and the Packers needed others to step up because they were missing three of their top pass catchers. While Bo Melton and Tucker Kraft had strong supporting performances, it was Dontayvion Wicks who found the end zone.
Wicks had two receptions for 29 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers on Sunday. He now has 33 receptions for 520 yards and two touchdowns on the season. When he is targeted, Love has a passer rating of 103.4. He now has more receiving yards in his rookie season than the following Packers wide receivers:
Adams, Davante
Lazard, Allen
Randall Cobb Romeo Questions
Mr. Jordy Nelson
Driver, Donald
Mr. Antonio Freeman
There are many more, of course, but these are some of the more recent and larger names that Wicks has already surpassed.
