After the Detroit Lions beat them 34-20 last Thursday, the Green Bay Packers have a long week to prepare for a game against the Las Vegas Raiders in the desert. The 1-3 Raiders are third in the AFC West, meaning this isn’t a marquee matchup on paper, but Davante Adams adds real drama.
Adams played with the Packers for eight years and is still in his prime, making him a focal point of Green Bay’s defense this week. He will most likely match up against Jaire Alexander, who he practiced against every day for four seasons.
But there is a massive disclaimer. Adams had Aaron Rodgers throwing him the ball in Green Bay. Now he has Jimmy Garoppolo.
Through the first four games of the season, Adams has 33 receptions for 397 yards and three touchdowns. He’s tied for the third-most receptions and touchdowns in the league, while he ranks eighth in receiving yardage.
Alexander has had a quiet season. He’s only played in two games, and he has two pass breakups. But one of the best indicators of a great defensive back is when the quarterback doesn’t throw the ball his way. However, since Adams is the best receiver — if not the best player — on the Raiders, Garoppollo will target him on Monday.
Adams is one of the most complete receivers in the NFL, and he has been for the last six years. There are many ways Adams can attack a defense. First off, his route-running is unlike any other. He can make initial moves off of the line of scrimmage that create separation from the corners.
Secondly, Adams has a lot of speed. A defensive back can jam Adams at the line of scrimmage to disrupt his initial moves, but he has the foot speed to recover from the jam. If a corner tries to stop an initial move, Adams can use his burst to blow past him.
Finally, Adams has some of the best hands in the NFL. If a defensive back gets a good jam on Adams’ initial move and he stays with him in good coverage, Adams can still make a catch on a 50/50 ball with blanket coverage. He has repeatedly made spinning catches, one-handed snags, and has also “Moss’d” a few defenders as well.
From the 2018 to the 2021 season, Jaire Alexander lined up and practiced against Davante Adams almost every day. Alexander praised the experiences that he had competing against him.
“You gotta love going against, you know, one of the best receivers in the league every snap, if you can,” Alexander said. “I just think it makes us better, iron sharpens iron, and Tae is one of the best. So, whenever I can get that matchup, you know, I’m drooling at the mouth.”
Adams also praised Alexander during a training camp press conference a few months ago. He said he beat Alexander on a route during the first week of Alexander’s rookie-year training camp. After practice, he was the first guy in the locker room watching the practice film and wanting to learn to get better.
“Another player that I played with, in the past, that turned out to be probably the best in the league right now, Jaire Alexander,” Adams claimed. “The intentionality and the care to want to get better like that, and to learn. For it to mean as much as it does to him, that says a lot about him as a player.”
From what it sounds like, the student will be battling the teacher on Monday night.
If the Packers want to beat the Raiders, locking up Davante Adams is the primary defensive focus. The secondary focus would be stopping Josh Jacobs, but given the trends of the league and Josh McDaniels’ scheme, expect Garoppollo to throw the ball quite a bit on Monday.
If the Packers are to stop Adams, Alexander needs to play a few yards off of the line so that he doesn’t fall victim to Adams’ initial moves. He should keep Davante in front of him at all times due to his speed, and he should only let Adams get past him in coverage if Darnell Savage or Rudy Ford are there for help.
If Green Bay can limit Adams or take him out of the game plan, the Raiders will be forced to run the ball with Josh Jacobs. Given his track record this season, that will not do much for them. If the Packers turn Jacobs into Las Vegas’ main threat, then Green Bay should escape the desert with a win on Monday night.
