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          Packers' Love proving he 'trusts the entire receiving corps'

          • Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff WriterOct 15, 2024, 10:00 AM
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              Rob Demovsky is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Green Bay Packers. He has covered the Packers since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2013. Demovsky is a two-time Wisconsin Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the NSSA. You can follow him on Twitter at @RobDemovsky.
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          GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Christian Watson had just returned from his ankle injury. Romeo Doubs was back after a one-game suspension. Jayden Reed had been doing Jayden Reed things, catching the ball and running it from the slot and the backfield. Tucker Kraft was starting to show how dangerous he could be with his tackle-breaking catch-and-runs. Plus, there was Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton and Ben Sims as options.

          So who would Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Jordan Love rely on?

          The answer should have been clear: All of them.

          By the end of Sunday's 34-13 dismantling of the Arizona Cardinals at Lambeau Field, Love had targeted 10 different wide receivers or tight ends. Nine of them caught at least one pass.

          "That's just the glory of our offense, man," said Reed, who finished with six catches but for just 28 yards and a touchdown. "We've got a lot of different players that can make plays. We distribute here. Got a lot of different playmakers, and you've got to game plan for that."

          No single player totaled more than Watson's 68 receiving yards, and Reed was the only player with more than three receptions.

          This was the Packers' passing game at nearly full strength. Only tight end Luke Musgrave, who went on injured reserve last week because of an ankle injury, was missing.

          That doesn't mean there won't be a 139-yard receiving game like Reed had on seven catches in Week 4 against the Vikings. And there could still be players with multiple touchdowns in a game this season, like Doubs with his two on Sunday or Wicks with a pair against the Vikings or Kraft's two against the Rams.

          "One hundred percent [agree]," said Watson, whose catches included a 44-yard touchdown and a 14-yarder that Love tear-dropped over a linebacker to convert a fourth-and-1 in the second quarter. "I think everyone is going to have their [opportunities] regardless, and sometimes it just happens that you get a couple more situationally how the game is going, and you're able to get those stats up."

          The multi-threat aspect of the Packers' passing game makes it difficult on opposing defensive coordinators. However, it's not necessarily conducive to the type of individual player accolades that can lead to big pay days when it's time for free agency.

          Doubs and Watson will be free agents after the 2025 season, but ideally they'll be looking for contract extensions by this time next year. Reed, Wicks, Kraft and Musgrave all have two more seasons after this season before they would hit free agency.

          "I don't really think that's the mentality we have about it," Watson said. "Everyone has individual goals. Everyone wants to get the ball. I'm sure if you ask anybody in here, any wide receiver in here, any tight end in here, they want the ball every single play. But I think the more that other people are making plays, [then] we know that the more plays there are that's going to be made going forward."

          Doubs' suspension was the first -- and to date the only -- sign of trouble in the receiver room. A Sports Illustrated report said he was unhappy with his opportunities on offense. Doubs said that wasn't the case but has not disclosed why he skipped two days of work without communicating with the team, which led to his suspension.

          Sunday's diverse offensive performance coincided with Love being as healthy and as mobile as he's been since suffering a sprained left MCL in Week 1. As good as Malik Willis was in his two fill-in starts, Love makes it possible to spread the ball around.

          Take the deep ball to Watson in the second quarter. It stemmed from an adjustment LaFleur and Love made on the sideline after seeing the way the Cardinals' safeties played a coverage earlier in the game. Watson outran Budda Baker, and Love threw one nearly 40 yards in the air for the score.

          "That was a great play that Matt dialed up on the sidelines," Love said. "It was something we didn't even have in this week. We talked about it, dialed it up and went out there and executed it, and it worked out perfect. It's awesome having Christian out there, just having his speed. The deep threat he is, it's nice to have him back as well."

          Then there was the second touchdown to Doubs. The Cardinals sent an all-out blitz with seven rushers, leaving everyone single covered, and Love launched it fading away and off his back foot. Doubs ran circles around cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting to haul it in.

          "Trusted Rome and threw him up one," Love said.

          Said Doubs: "It's not just me, he trusts the entire receiving corps to produce."