Getty Davante Adams #17 of the Green Bay Packers makes a catch against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of the NFC Championship game at Levi's Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California.
The Kansas City Chiefs had a number of players deliver in clutch moments Sunday night to help them come away with a 31-20 victory in Super Bowl LIV, but one of their stars shared a little bit of the spotlight with the Green Bay Packers’ leading receiver.
With the San Francisco 49ers leading 20-17 in the second half, Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins put a move on cornerback Richard Sherman and burned past him to haul in a 38-yard reception from quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Three plays later, Damien Williams caught a third-down touchdown pass to pull the Chiefs ahead for good with under three minutes left to play.
How does that relate to the Packers? Well, according to Watkins, he learned how to beat Sherman off the line watching Davante Adams do the same on the game tape.
You called it @AaronNagler. @tae15adams showed the way for Watkins.
“Man, shoutout to Davante Adams,” Watkins said during his postgame interview with Deion Sanders when asked about his move that left Sherman in the dust.
Watkins expanded on it more with reporters later on Sunday night, saying he mirrored the same quick-jab release that Adams used to get past Sherman for a 65-yard catch in the fourth quarter of the Packers’ season-ending loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship game. Here’s a closer look at both plays for the sake of comparison.
Two weeks ago, Davante Adams burned Richard Sherman in the NFC Championship using a quick jab to the right off the line.
Sammy Watkins used the same release and route in the #SuperBowl to put the Chiefs within scoring distance.
Adams didn’t take long to respond, retweeting a clip of Watkins’ interview with Sanders along with the words: “Game recognize game!! Respect bro.”
Watkins finished with five catches for 98 yards in the Super Bowl victory behind teammate Tyreek Hill with a team-leading nine catches for 105 yards.
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Adams’ Presitge Only Growing Around NFL
While Adams didn’t lead any statistical charts during the 2019 season, the NFL is only getting wiser to his reputation as one of its best receivers.
Adams finished the regular season three yards shy of 1,000 receiving yards for the second time in his career, only this time he did it in just 12 games after missing four in the middle of the season with a turf toe injury. It isn’t hard to imagine what the numbers might have looked like had he stayed healthy the entire season, especially considering the damage he did during the postseason.
Adams caught for more than 100 yards in each of the Packers’ two playoff games — setting a franchise record with four career postseason games of 100-plus receiving yards — with a total of 17 catches for 298 yards and two touchdowns. Counting those two performances, he finished with 100 or more yards in four other games on the season, including his 10-catch, 180-yard performance in Week 4 against Philadelphia before exiting late in the game with his toe injury.
In service of Adams’ talents, the Packers are expected to spend the offseason looking for a reliable No. 2 option in the passing game. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Geronimo Allison both had disappointing seasons as the Packers’ most experienced players while Allen Lazard’s breakout potential was shown in moments without ever materializing for consistent stretches.
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