Davante Adams has a Breakout Performance in Packers Win Over Miami

Over the first five weeks of the season, Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver Davante Adams has shown only glimpses of the type of player he could be in the NFL.

After not recording a single reception in only nine snaps in Green Bay’s opener in Seattle, Adams has steadily become a bigger part of the Packers’ offense.

Regardless if you are one of the clairvoyant few that saw the rookie’s ascendance coming on Sunday, one thing really stood out – Rodgers trusts No. 17.

In recent years, Aaron Rodgers has lost reliable passing targets Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, and James Jones, but the Packers offense keeps rolling on and in large part due to the young ascending talent at the wide receiver position.

We all know about Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. Heck, after leading the league in receiving over the first six weeks, the entire NFL should know about Nelson at this point. Cobb’s team-leading seven touchdown receptions also shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone following the development of the dynamic four-year wide receiver.

However, after Rodgers’ top two passing targets, there is plenty of room for another offensive weapon to emerge on Green Bay’s offense this season.

On Sunday, in the Packers’ nail-biting win over the Miami Dolphins on the road, another legitimate receiving threat may have emerged in the stout 6-1, 215-pound rookie receiver out of Fresno State. Adams proved to be reliable target for Rodgers throughout the game, hauling in six receptions for 77 yards and zero drops.

Davante Adams (17) is unable to make a catch as Miami Dolphins cornerback

Cortland Finnegan

(24) defends the play during the first half at Sun Life Stadium. Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports photograph

Adams’ breakout performance may not come as a surprise to some, considering the rookie caught five passes for 50 yards against the Jets in week two and hauled in his first-career touchdown pass against Minnesota last week on a crisp post route.

Others may say it is about time second-round pick showed up in a game, considering Green Bay’s track record with early-round draft picks at wide receiver and the fact that Adams led the nation in receptions as a senior with 131.

Having said this, Adams hasn’t really had the ideal rookie year up to this point, only recording 10 receptions for 90 yards in the season before Sunday’s win, where he nearly doubled his season numbers.

Regardless if you are one of the clairvoyant few that saw the rookie’s ascendance coming on Sunday, one thing really stood out – Rodgers trusts No. 17.

In interviews with the media last week, Rodgers mentioned the jump Adams has made in practice and in the film room over the past couple of weeks. Rodgers also discussed on his podcast last Tuesday how the Packers need to get the rookie more involved in their offense.

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So I guess it doesn’t take Nostradamus to have seen Adams’ breakout performance coming this week. But what has been really impressive about the rookie is the way he has already earned Rodgers’ trust this early in the season.

Rodgers’ first two throws of the game went straight to Adams for five and 18 yards. On a crucial 3rd-and-4 just before the two-minute warning at the end of the first half, Rodgers looked immediately to Adams for a seven-yard pass for the first down. Later in the second half, Rodgers hit Adams again on a short route and the rookie took it up field for 24 yards to get the Packers in the redzone and set up their third touchdown of the game.

And in perhaps the play of the game with Green Bay down 24-20 and no timeouts at Miami’s 16 yard line, Rodgers faked the spike with only 13 seconds left in the game and flicked the ball to Adams in the flat, hoping to catch the defense by surprise while counting on the rookie to make a play.

Adams didn’t disappoint. He took on Pro Bowl cornerback Cortland Finnegan, juked past the veteran, and got out of bounds at the four yard line for a 12-yard gain to set up the game-winning touchdown.

It was a risky play by Rodgers with the game on the line. If Adams didn’t get past Finnegan and out of bounds then the game would have been over and the Packers would be leaving the Florida heat at .500 and a game behind the division lead.

If this play highlights anything it’s that Adam has his quarterback’s complete trust.

Consider it a watershed moment for the rookie wideout.

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