When Randall Cobb returned to the Green Bay Packers before the 2021 season, the move looked like little more than a way to appease the then-disgruntled Aaron Rodgers. Few could have guessed that, a year later, he’d find the fountain of youth and become one of the most crucial components of Green Bay’s rebuilding offense.
Cobb and Rodgers rekindled their chemistry in 2020, with Cobb proving a reliable target when the chips were down. But the 2021 offense still revolved around Davante Adams, and Cobb missed a few games with injury. In 2022, Cobb has played a more significant role. So far, he’s been one of the most reliable assets to an offense still trying to find its footing. Between his connection with Rodgers, his third-down reliability, and his veteran leadership, Cobb is a vital complementary component to this offense.
The narrative of Rodgers only targeting those he trusts is a bit overblown. He’s taken chances on young players, and rookie Romeo Doubs leads the team in targets and receptions. But when the chips are down, Green Bay’s leading man does tend to go for his “guys.” And on third downs, Cobb has been that guy. Coming into Sunday’s loss, Cobb had ten catches, and five have been third-down conversations.
Four of those conversations led to scores.
Cobb showed up in big moments against the New England Patriots. In the fourth quarter, he caught a 24-yarder that allowed the Packers to tie the game. In overtime, his 11-yard gain put the team in field goal range.
“When you need someone in a go-to moment, it’s always nice to have 18 in there,” David Bakhtiari said following the game.
On London soil a week later, Cobb built on that performance in a big way and took over as the WR1 against the New York Giants.
No. 18 became the focal point with Wink Martindale’s defense often double-teaming Doubs and not fearing Christian Watson‘s jet sweeps. Cobb started strong in the first half as Rodgers’ go-to guy, with five catches and 76 yards. On the day, Cobb’s 13 targets, seven catches, and 99 yards led the team. Of particular note was a brilliant catch initially ruled incomplete where Cobb kept both feet inbounds in Jared Cook-like fashion.
Although he finished just shy of 100 yards on the day, this was Cobb’s most impactful game in years. His last 100-yard game with Green Bay was in the 2018 season opener.
When Rodgers and LaFleur embraced the quick-pass game, the 32-yard-old veteran was unstoppable thanks to some excellent blocking from Doubs and Allen Lazard. But, in an unfortunate tradition, the Packers went away from what worked. They went back to hero ball, and the team eventually lost.
Cobb is now tied for second on the team in targets (25, with Lazard) and receptions (17, with Robert Tonyan). His 249 yards lead the team. He hasn’t crossed the end zone, but he’s absolutely playing a more significant role on offense than most probably imagined.
In a complementary role for this offense, Cobb is an amazing thing to behold. He hasn’t lost a step in his mental connection with Rodgers, and he knows how to get the first down. He’s a reliable safety net that defenses need to fear.
But is it a concern for the rest of the receiving corps? By the end of the game, when Rodgers went into hero ball mode, Rodgers was forcing the ball to Cobb at times over taking the easy, open throws. We’ve seen this happen with Adams in the past, particularly in last year’s playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers. If Cobb is always the third-down guy, defenses will focus on him more.
Is there a long-term concern with the other receivers in the room? I don’t believe this is — yet. Without Adams, Green Bay might have a different featured offensive player from week to week. In the past, we’ve seen games where Aaron Jones, Lazard, and Tonyan have dominated targets and then returned to mere roleplayers the following week. Against the Giants, it just seemed that this was Cobb’s week. If Cobb gets the defensive focus following the London game, that creates more opportunities for the rest of the group.
The ideal offense in a vacuum needs to rely on the run game more and spread the ball around. Jones is the most valuable weapon on this offense, even if Rodgers and Matt LaFleur sometimes forget that. Doubs and Lazard are your WR1 and WR2, and Cobb and Watson are complementary role players. Once the offense strikes that balance and cleans up their mistakes, they’ll look much better.
Despite promising moments, the Packers’ offense has a lot to work on. But through five weeks, it’s undeniable that 32-year-old Cobb is a crucial cog in this offense. Even if he doesn’t play as large of a role as he did in London, he plays a major role in keeping the scheme afloat.
