When the Green Bay Packers needed a touchdown late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s contest against the Los Angeles Chargers, Jordan Love keyed in on Romeo Doubs for what proved to be the game-winning score. As flashy as some of the other parts of the offense may be, Doubs has demonstrated a knack for finding space in the red zone. Love should continue to lean on the second-year wideout when it matters most.
The touchdown on Sunday will go down as a 24-yard scoring pass from Love to Doubs with 2:29 remaining to give the Packers a 23-20 lead. However, it was the technique that Doubs showed on the pass that really demonstrated his maturation as a pass catcher. Doubs used his body to create the separation and met the ball with both hands at the peak of his jump. The awareness he has to rip the ball away from the oncoming swat from Los Angeles cornerback Michael Davis to secure the go-ahead score really stands out about the catch.
It’s the type of play that you would hope most receivers would be able to make. Still, it stands out on a team exclusively relying on first- and second-year players at wideout. Doubs can’t necessarily match the downfield explosiveness of Jayden Reed or a hopefully resurgent Christian Watson. However, he appears to have a level of savvy that his teammates at the position can’t quite match. That touchdown was the seventh of the season for Doubs, more than doubling his rookie total of three and tying him for third in the league alongside the likes of Keenan Allen and Stefon Diggs.
That adds to his season highlight reel, one that certainly includes the 50/50 ball he won over standout Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain back in October — a much different touchdown than the one against the Chargers or the toe-tap in the corner of the end zone against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, it continues to emphasize his ball-winning ability, no matter who Gene Steratore said came down with it. These types of plays, albeit maybe not quite at this level, have always been a part of Doubs’ scouting report. Still, seeing him excel provides a shot of excitement for fans of this struggling team who can at least dream about the potential of Doubs’ Love connection for years to come.
Doubs leads the team with 65 targets, which have been clustered inconsistently across the game log. After back-to-back games with 12 and 13 targets, respectively, against the New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions in September, Doubs has seen more than six targets just once and has averaged three receptions per game over his last six. Love has struggled to connect on the deep ball this season, so why not rely on Doubs more on third down? If he can win jump balls in the end zone, he should also be able to move the sticks effectively.
With offensive loadstone Aaron Jones seemingly out for an unknown period of time, a unit still struggling to find its identity will need to adapt again to account for his absence. It will be hard to keep the ball out of Jayden Reed’s hands, and the Packers certainly want to see more out of tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft. On any given play, though, Love should have a good idea where Doubs is, and Matt LaFleur needs to scheme up more uses for his contested-catch ability. Doubs has been on the field for 78.7% of the Packers offensive snaps, well ahead of Reed, the next highest at wide receiver at 58%. Doubs will continue to be out there. While he may not be the first read, chances are he’ll give Love a great chance at a completion when it matters most.
