Adams Off to Killer Start to Season
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Davante Adams’ take-no-prisoners approach has him on course to obliterate the Green Bay Packers’ receiving record book.
Last season, Adams set the franchise record with 115 receptions. That broke Sterling Sharpe’s 27-year-old record of 112.
In 2014, Jordy Nelson set the franchise record with 1,519 receiving yards. That nudged aside Robert Brooks’ 21-year-old record of 1,497 yards.
Entering Sunday’s Week 6 game at the Chicago Bears, Adams leads the NFL with 42 receptions and 579 receiving yards. If he continues on this pace, he’ll finish the year with 143 receptions for 1,969 yards. That would crush the franchise standards by 28 receptions and 450 yards.
It also would put the NFL single-season records of 149 receptions by the Saints’ Michael Thomas in 2019 and the 1,964 yards by the Lions’ Calvin Johnson in 2012 in play.
To be sure, a 17th game will factor in the production and the march toward any records. That said, Adams is averaging 8.4 catches per game and 115.8 receiving yards per game. That’s ahead of last year’s 8.2 receptions and league-leading 98.1 yards.
A rivalry game against the Bears won’t make Adams’ motor burn any hotter. That’s because Adams’ motor is always running at max capacity, whether it’s the Bears this week, the Bengals last week or Washington next week.
“I look at it everybody like a rival,” he said. “It means something to me because I know how much it means to this organization. I hate everybody that I play against. So, when I’m going out there, I’m going to try to – like I said last week, I’m going to go out there and try to murder you with every opportunity that I can. They’ll get the same treatment just like last week. It’s the same thing in my head. It’s an age-old rivalry and it means a lot to this town and really to football. It’s important that we add another one in our column over here.”
While Adams is having another brilliant season, where he’s well off the pace is touchdowns. In 14 games last year, Adams led the NFL with 18 touchdown catches. That tied Sharpe for third-most in NFL history. This year, he has only two.
However, as Adams noted, he wasn’t a touchdown machine to start last season. He scored two in the opener against Minnesota, didn’t score in one half of action against Detroit in Week 2, was inactive the next two games and was kept out of the end zone in Week 5 against Tampa Bay. So, entering Week 6 against Houston, Adams also had two scores. He then scored in 10 of the final 11 regular-season games, with four games of multiple touchdowns.
Whether Adams can start earning frequently-flyer miles into end zones remains to be seen. What is certain is Aaron Rodgers is going to keep looking Adams’ way. Adams is No. 1 with 61 targets. That’s almost a dozen per game. It hasn’t been too much of a good thing, though. According to Pro Football Focus, among all receivers who have been targeted 15 times (three per game), Adams is No. 1 with 3.49 yards per pass route. He’s one of only five players averaging more than 3 yards per route.
“If you’re forcing the ball into spots too often, then maybe you are trying to feed a guy too much. I don’t feel like I am,” Rodgers said. “I feel like the targets I’ve given him, for the most part, are high-percentage targets. I don’t feel like I’m forcing the ball to him. I take my chances with ‘17’ just about every snap. Because he’s generally open and open to him is different than other players. So, I don’t feel like I’m forcing the ball to him. He gets open, and I like throwing it to the open guy.”
After practice on Thursday, veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis raved about everything Adams brings to the table.
“He’s special,” tight end Marcedes Lewis said. “When I was in Jacksonville doing my thing, I’d watch him over here. Obviously, you hear about it, but actually being on the same team with him, [and] we actually just talked about it before I came in here. For me, you gain respect from your peers on a team by how hard you work and how diligent you are about your process and your business.
“Him and I look at it the same exact way. When we go out there to practice, I love to practice. And I love to work my technique and get better every day. And watching him go through his process reminds me of how I was when I was catching the ball a lot and doing my thing. I’m honored every time I get to step on the field with him and whoop whoever it is in front of me so A-Rod can have some more time to throw the ball downfield, because I know something big is going to happen. So, he’s definitely different, and blessing, man.”
