Packers: Going on the road will help young receivers

Facing an arch-rival on the road in their first-ever NFL game probably isn’t the most ideal circumstance for the Green Bay Packers‘ young receivers.

Rookies Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Samori Toure will need to grow fast to earn the trust of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Maybe the pressure of having to produce in front of a rival crowd against a talented defense will help them become better players.

This experience is huge for them and could very well end up paying big dividends down the road.

Especially for Watson and Doubs, they haven’t really played in front of major crowds before since they played for a couple of mid-major schools in North Dakota State and Nevada.

With Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling both in the AFC West, Aaron Rodgers is going to have to rely on his younger receivers an awful lot. Facing a hated rival, who has experienced defensive backs, will help these young receivers win or lose.

Sure, Rodgers has the elite backfield duo of Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon at his disposal, along with veteran receivers in Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, and Sammy Watkins.

He also is getting starting tight end Robert Tonyan back from a torn ACL, who led the NFL in touchdowns among tight ends in 2020.

The Minnesota defense will want to take those guys away, which means Rodgers will look to find Doubs, Watson, and Toure in important moments.

This season, the Packers will face potential Super Bowl contenders on the road in the Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Philadelphia Eagles. Those teams also have fantastic defenses.

Minnesota is wanting to dethrone the Packers and end their run at being the dominant force in the NFC North.

Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, and Samori Toure absolutely need this experience. They need to figure out how to respond after getting challenged by a team that is looking to take them out.

Playing with arguably the greatest quarterback of all-time in Aaron Rodgers will help them because he has the experience of playing in big divisional games, and Rodgers wants the best for them.

It will be interesting to look at the body language of Doubs, Watson, and the rest of the younger players to see how they feel in Week 1 of their NFL careers against a tough opponent.