Why the Green Bay Packers defeated Kansas City In Week 3

Sep 28, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver

(89) runs past Kansas City Chiefs cornerback

(22) after catching a pass in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Experienced Receiving Options

Sep 28, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver

(18) scores a touchdown as Kansas City Chiefs defensive back

(27) defends during the first quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

We all already know that Green Bay is missing Jordy Nelson for the year (curse you preseason!!!).

On Monday night, we saw another receiver go down; this time it was Davante Adams.

Now of course, we already saw a precursor of this last week when Adams first hurt his ankle. In that game he managed to return to the field, albeit with a suppressed level of ability.

This time, Adams went down after only a few plays but did not return; whether that was a sign of the severity of his injury or a move by the coaching staff to play it safe is yet to be fully determined.

In any case, this means the other receivers would have to step up.

They did so, with splendor.

Ty Montgomery got some early work and the first touchdown pass of the game from Aaron Rodgers, but the majority of the work on the night went through the two most experienced pass-catchers on the roster: Randall Cobb and James Jones.

Cobb was the top option on the night, evidenced by being the to-targeted player on the offense for the night (12). In those targets, he managed to grab 7 catches, accumulating 91 yards and three touchdowns in the process. He was consistently shredding whoever lined up on him, especially the over-matched usual-safety Tavon Branch.

Jones did pretty well himself, getting targeted on 8 passes on the night. In those targets, Jones managed 7 catches for 139 yards and a touchdown; that includes a huge 52-yard catch-&-run on a free play. That also makes it three straight games where Jones has grabbed a touchdown. Pretty good for a guy who was cut twice this offseason before rejoining the Packers.

The troubling injury issues with the receiving corps have continued to mount. While having Aaron Rodgers somewhat lessens the impact of each individual loss, it definitely makes a difference to have veterans with multiple years of experience in this offensive system and with this quarterback out there catching passes.

Next: Racking Up Defensive Statistics