Rodgers & Adams on-field chemistry can take the next step under LaFleur
Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams have had quite the connection over the past few seasons in Green Bay. So much so that this past year marked Adams’ first-ever 1000 yard season at wide receiver. He ended up catching a total of 111 passes for 1,386 yards and 13 total touchdowns. He was just two receptions shy of breaking the all-time franchise mark held by Packers Hall of Famer Sterling Sharpe (112). He has a very good chance to surpass it this season.
Matt LaFleur’s offensive scheme is predicated on the play-action pass; something Aaron Rodgers excels at. Rodgers spoke about his connection with Adams in an interview with the Associated Press after Tuesday’s OTA practice. “I’d like to throw to Davante more. He’s that open. We’ve got to keep finding ways to get him the ball. There’s nothing wrong with having a go-to guy who’s that dynamic and trying to find ways to get him the ball.” Rodgers obviously knows how dynamic of a player Adams is and doesn’t look to shy away from getting him the ball in any and all situations during games.
It took some time, but Davante Adams has definitely proven to be a legitimate #1 wide receiver for Green Bay. Perhaps his best trait at the position is his speed off the line on pass plays. The guy becomes a blur when matched up with a corner or safety one-on-one. Nobody comes close to matching or exceeding it in the league. He has targeted a total of 169 times in 2018, a big leap compared to 2017 (only 111 targets). His catch percentage was also up from 2017. In 2017, he caught 28 of the 46 targets from Rodgers (60.8%) for 342 yards and 5 touchdowns; in only 6 games. (74 REC for 885 yards and 10 touchdowns overall). He saw those numbers increase tenfold in 2018 and should see an even bigger leap in 2019 and beyond.
It’s pretty clear that Adams has become Aaron Rodgers’ #1 target since 2016, and for obvious reasons — the guy can flat outperform under the brightest possible lights the NFL atmosphere provides, and he’s only just entering his 6th season. Under LaFleur’s new scheme, he should only get better. In Tennessee, he used a lot of receiver screens; which is great news for Adams — a player that can gain a lot of yards after the catch in the open field. LaFleur’s system; a West Coast scheme mixed with RPOs & bootleg/play-action passes, is also beneficial with the variety of different play calls it has. The routes for receivers can be chosen at the snap by the quarterback; in this case, Aaron Rodgers. This will only make the connection between him & Adams even more dangerous with the many different pre-snap routes that will be running. Adams has also shown the ability to be lethal in the slot while taking the pressure off of Randall Cobb last season. This year, he has the option of playing out wide or in the slot under LaFleur; basically a game of pick your poison for opposing defensive coordinators.
All in all, I expect an increase in productivity for both Adams and Rodgers under Matt LaFleur. His system is beneficial for not only them but the entire offense. Everyone will benefit in some way from it. It’s definitely a far cry from what they’ve dealt with offensively in the past. There’s finally some essence of variety and unpredictability this year from an offensive perspective. Furthermore, it will hopefully be a welcomed change from the old, stale offensive system used for the past decade or so in Green Bay. Lastly, It will hopefully translate well out on the field; I have a feeling it will. Under LaFleur, the Rodgers-Adams connection will only become more potent than it already is; lookout, NFL.
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