GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Davante Adams gave it one of those "pshaw" answers. Of course the Green Bay Packers receiver had had consecutive games with double-digit receptions before he combined for 25 catches in the past two.
“Yeah, I don’t know exactly [which games] but at Fresno with Derek [Carr at quarterback], we threw the ball a lot,” said Adams, who caught 233 passes in two years (including an FBS-leading 131 in 2013) at Fresno State. “I can remember at least three or four games where I had double-digit catches back to back to back.”
A quick check of the game logs tell a different story.
Yes, Adams had multiple games with 10 or more catches. Six of them, in fact, in 2013 alone. But none came in consecutive games. It was an every-other situation.
So Adams’ 12-catch, 74-yard performance in the Packers' Week 8 loss at Atlanta was indeed historic for Adams, and for the Packers. That he backed up his 13-catch, 132-yard game the week earlier against the Bears marked the first back-to-back double-digit catch games of his career, whether in college or the pros. And, according to Elias Sports Bureau research, those 25 receptions were the most in a two-game span in Packers history.
More history could await Adams on Sunday against the Colts: No Packers player has ever caught 10-plus passes in three consecutive games, and no one in the NFL has done it since 2012 with Calvin Johnson, who had four straight.
This from a player who battled the inconsistent label for his first two-plus NFL seasons. He followed 100-yard receiving games as rookie in 2014 with a pair of one-catch performances that left coaches and fantasy football players alike wondering which one was the real Adams.
“He’s had success the last two weeks, and I think like everybody, your confidence naturally grows,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “I really like where Davante is at. He’s a consistent guy and he’s got a lot of ability and he’s got a lot of growth in front of him. We’ve still got to make sure we’re giving him those opportunities.”
Against the Falcons, that manifested itself in the form of snaps out of the backfield because hybrid receiver/running back Ty Montgomery couldn’t play due to illness. Four of Adams’ 12 catches came with him lined up in the backfield, a role that was new to him before last Sunday.
Still, Adams doesn’t expect to play running back as much as Montgomery, and hasn’t carried the ball yet, either.
“I’m a wide receiver,” Adams insisted.
And an effective one. Through seven games, Adams already has 40 catches and needs only 10 more to match last season’s total.
“The more you do it at that consistent level, confidence builds up,” Packers offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett said. “And that plays an important role in it as well.”
Adams, however, insisted his confidence never wavered.
“I never lost my confidence; I thought you guys were done with that, but apparently not,” the 23-year-old said.
He did admit, though, that his confidence has grown in large part because he’s healthier this season. He battled an ankle injury most of 2015.
“That’s where the confidence thing comes in because when you’re able to just go and play and play full speed and not worry about how this is going to feel when I put this foot down a certain way on this route,” Adams said. “You can just play carefree, and that’s when you start having fun. The more fun you have, all that stuff is linked together.”