Getty Davante Adams #17 of the Green Bay Packers runs with the ball against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on November 24, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Every single member of the Green Bay Packers’ locker room has watched the tape. They’ve all replayed their mistakes, accepted responsibility for them and taken steps to learn from them for the future.
Now, Davante Adams is ready for everyone to get over it and move on.
“We didn’t just lose seven games in a row, so we can stop acting like it’s the end of the world,” Adams told reporters Wednesday. “I mean, obviously, we win that game, we put ourselves in a much better position and everyone is happier, but let’s stop being dramatic. It was one game. It was a big game because it was the current game we had.
“We’ve had so much success in this locker room that we’re not going to be rattled by one game no matter who it is or where it is.”
We gotta be better!! And we will…Love my guys thru thick n thin 👊🏾
The Packers star wide receiver has been back in the lineup for three games now after a turf toe injury kept him sidelined for a month, but the offense has taken a noticeable step backward since his return and is struggling to get into a rhythm. At least part of the issue has come from Packers’ dedication to throwing the ball to Adams, who has caught seven passes in each of his last three outings but has gotten fewer than 44 yards in two of them.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said after Sunday’s loss he plans to evaluate whether they are “overreliant” on their top pass-catcher, which Adams knows isn’t a knock against his abilities. He agrees the Packers offense is most successful when it can “sharing the wealth” and, more importantly, ensure breakout rusher Aaron Jones stays involved in the game plan.
“You’ve just got to let it come to you,” Adams said. “I think you make plays best in this league when you don’t force it. You just kind of go with what works and something that’s been working with this team well is moving it around, spreading it around to different guys, sharing the wealth, getting Aaron Jones involved. Obviously, he’s been a big part of our success this year.”
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Adams Says Injury Isn’t Holding Him Back
Adams hasn’t shied away from admitting his turf toe injury has been unlike anything he has faced in his six-year NFL career, but he isn’t using it as an excuse, either.
While some have speculated that lingering pain has affected his speed or movement on the field, Adams said the injury has not contributed to his lack of production since returning for Week 9 in a 26-11 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers.
“IIt’s been a little bit of a process understanding what I can do, but I’m feeling like myself now, so I’m able to get out there and move around,” Adams said. “I think you guys can see the way I’m moving. The lack of numbers or whatever that came with it has nothing to do with my toe at this point. We’ve just got to make sure we start clicking.”
Certainly, more involvement in the passing game for Jones — who has 354 receiving yards this year — will help the Packers re-establish themselves on offense, but Adams could also use some help from his fellow receivers.
The Packers have benefitted from a diverse set of weapons in the passing game, tagging nine different targets for double-digit receptions on the season, but both Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Geronimo Allison are struggling to make an impact as the next-best wideouts on the roster.
Considered the Packers’ No. 2 receiver coming out of training camp, Valdes-Scantling has almost entirely disappeared as of late with just two catches for 11 total yards over his last four games with a measly eight targets. Allison has been favored slightly more in the slot during that span but has generated just 43 yards combined.
“Obviously, I don’t want it to be that way with me being out there,” Adams said. “The foresight I had going into it was me coming back would make things better, so I’m just trying to, like I said before, do what I can for the offense to move forward.”
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