Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams Become Most Prolific TD Duo in Packers History
Dec 25, 2021
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 06: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates with teammate Davante Adams #17 following their touchdown completion during the first quarter of their game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lambeau Field on December 06, 2020 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams are now the most productive touchdown duo in Green Bay Packers history, surpassing Rodgers' longtime partnership with former Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson.
The two accomplished the feat when Rodgers hit Adams for a nine-yard score in the second quarter of Saturday's game against the Cleveland Browns to put the Packers up 14-6.
Rodgers and Adams have played together since 2014. In 105 games, Adams has caught 595 passes from Rodgers for 7,285 yards and 66 touchdowns on 903 targets.
Nelson caught 483 passes from the reigning MVP for 7,069 yards and 65 scores on 727 targets in 119 games from 2008 to 2017. He and Rodgers won a Super Bowl together in 2011.
Rodgers is playing at an MVP level once again this season. He entered Saturday's game completing 67.8 percent of his passes for 3,487 yards and 30 touchdowns against four interceptions.
Adams is also in the midst of another impressive campaign, entering Saturday leading the Packers with 96 catches for 1,248 yards (third in NFL) and eight touchdowns in 13 games.
Rodgers also overtook Brett Favre's record for the most touchdown passes in Green Bay history after hitting Allen Lazard for an 11-yard score in the first quarter of Saturday's game.
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Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams Connect for 2 TDs as Packers Defeat Justin Fields, Bears
Dec 13, 2021
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 28: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers throws a pass during a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lambeau Field on November 28, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Rams 36-28. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers remained undefeated at Lambeau Field with a 45-30 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. Aaron Rodgers led the way with 341 passing yards and four touchdowns as Green Bay improved to 10-3 and 6-0 at home.
Star receiver Davante Adams had a big day with 10 catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
With the win, the Packers swept the regular-season series against the Bears 2-0. The first meeting between the NFC North rivals on Oct. 17 is remembered for Rodgers yelling "I still own you!" at Bears fans. That statement remains true as Green Bay is now 23-5 against Chicago when Rodgers is under center.
The Bears fell to 4-9 after their seventh loss in their last eight games. Rookie quarterback Justin Fields threw for 194 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for Chicago. He also ran for a team-high 74 yards and lost a fumble.
Notable Stats
Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB: 29-of-37 for 341 YDS, 4 TD
Davante Adams, WR, GB: 10 REC for 121 YDS, 2 TD
Aaron Jones, RB, GB: 5 CAR for 35 YDS, TD; 3 REC for 30 YDS, TD
Rasul Douglas, CB, GB: 55-YD INT return TD
Justin Fields, QB, CHI: 18-of-33 for 224 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT; 9 CAR for 74 YDS, fumble lost
Jakeem Grant Sr., WR, CHI: 1 REC for 46 YDS, TD; 97-YD punt return TD
Balanced Attack Helps Packers Pull Away in Second Half
After a wild first half that saw both teams combine for 48 points, the Packers emerged out of halftime with more discipline on both sides of the ball to pull away.
Green Bay opened the third quarter with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to erase a six-point deficit. There was a good mix of runs and passes on the drive, and Aaron Jones capped it with a three-yard rush into the end zone.
9 plays, 75 yards and the @Packers take the lead to start the second half! #GoPackGo
The Packers defense came up big on the very next possession as Preston Smith came up with a strip sack on Fields and the fumble was recovered by Rashan Gary. One play later, Rodgers found Jones for a 23-yard touchdown.
Sunday's win was a solid gut-check for a Green Bay team that hopes to contend for a Super Bowl appearance. After facing a surprising early deficit, the Packers showed their poise and responded nicely to earn the victory.
Bears Offense Gets Hot Early, Loses Steam Late
Chicago was pushing Green Bay around to start the game, but the team failed to maintain its fight in the second half.
Sixth-year speedster Jakeem Grant Sr. was the star of the first half. He started by taking a shovel pass 46 yards for a touchdown.
The Bears added a field goal at the end of the second quarter for 27 first-half points. It was a surprising performance, as Chicago entered the game averaging just 16.8 points this season.
From @EliasSports: The 45 combined points in the second quarter was the most ever in any quarter of the Bears-Packers rivalry. The prior high was 42 points in 1955.
But it was all downhill from there. The Bears offense couldn't get anything going in the second half. After totaling 247 yards in the first half, Chicago was limited to just 17 yards for much of the second half before padding stats with a couple garbage-time drives. The Bears finished the game with 347 yards.
Sunday's loss is another disappointment in a tough season for the Bears. The team's first-half performance should provide some confidence going forward, but a loss is a loss. It can be expected that changes are coming for Chicago in the offseason.
What's Next?
The Packers will go for their third straight win in a Week 15 road matchup against the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday. The Bears will return home to face another division foe in the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.
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Packers' Davante Adams Says Vikings' Justin Jefferson Reminds Him of 6-Year NFL Vet
Nov 18, 2021
Seattle Seahawks' Quandre Diggs stops Green Bay Packers' Davante Adams after a catch during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
It took Davante Adams three seasons to turn into Aaron Rodgers' favorite target. Justin Jefferson did the same for Kirk Cousins less than two years into his career, and Adams says he sees a star when watching the Viking receiver work.
"I see a six-year vet when I watch him play," Adams told reporters of Jefferson. "He reminds me of, I don't even know how to...I haven't seen anybody come in in a while and play like the way that he's playing right now. He really strikes me as somebody that has it figured out, whatever that means. 'Cause I wasn't playing that fast in my first and second year.
"Last year, he already looked like he'd been playing for four years at that point, so he's kind of aging like a dog right now, and I mean in its purest form because he's a dog out there and I respect what he's doing and it's really fun to watch. I truly hope that it doesn't look like what's it's been looking like the last couple weeks against us, but it's definitely fun to watch."
Jefferson made the Pro Bowl and set an NFL rookie receiving record with 1,400 yards in 2020 and picked up right where he left off this season. He's hauled in 55 passes for 775 yards and four touchdowns over the Vikings' first nine games.
Adams didn't top the 1,000-yard mark until his fifth NFL season and is still yet to reach 1,400 yards through the air. While most would still rank Adams as the better overall receiver, the margin isn't much, and Jefferson appears destined to be among the game's best for the next decade.
Davante Adams Has 'Pretty High' Hopes Odell Beckham Jr. Signs with Packers
Nov 10, 2021
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (13) stands on the sideline during an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Kirk Irwin)
Davante Adams has a good feeling Odell Beckham Jr. will soon be joining him in Green Bay.
Adams spoke to reporters Wednesday, saying that his hopes the Packers land Beckham are "pretty high" after speaking with the three-time Pro Bowler. He said he discussed a partnership with his fellow wideout, but Adams doesn't think Beckham has 100 percent decided on a destination.
If Beckham does land in Green Bay, Adams expects Beckham to have a larger workload than he saw late in his Cleveland tenure.
“He had one catch for six yards in his last game. I can guarantee we can get him more than that over here," Adams said.
Beckham cleared waivers Tuesday after being released by the Browns a day earlier. ESPN's Dianna Russini reported he has narrowed his choices down to Green Bay, New Orleans and Kansas City.
If Beckham's goal is to play with a high-quality quarterback—a seeming given considering the deterioration of his relationship with Baker Mayfield—the Saints seem like a distant third choice. New Orleans started Trevor Siemian at quarterback last week after Jameis Winston tore his ACL, and their only other option under center is Taysom Hill. Neither Siemian nor Hill would be any sort of upgrade over Mayfield.
Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes, meanwhile, would be the epitome of an upgrade. Neither of the future Hall of Famers are having their best season and would see their respective offenses instantly boosted by the addition of a WR2 of Beckham's caliber. The second wide receiver role in both Green Bay and Kansas City has been very much a secondary position in recent years—Rodgers regularly zeroes in on Adams, while Mahomes feeds Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce—so Beckham has to consider whether he's willing to play second fiddle.
If not, a return to his native Louisiana might be enticing enough for him to eschew his desire for a top-flight quarterback.
Davante Adams Activated Off COVID-19 List by Packers with Aaron Rodgers Out
Nov 4, 2021
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (17) runs the ball after a catch against the Washington Football Team during an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021, in Green Bay, Wis. (Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini)
The Green Bay Packers activated wide receiver Davante Adams from the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, paving the way for him to play Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Adams missed last week's win over the Arizona Cardinals after entering COVID-19 protocols. The Packers are slated to be without quarterback Aaron Rodgers for at least this week after he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday.
With Jordan Love set for his first NFL start, Adams' return should be a major boon to the offense. Adams reeled in 52 receptions for 744 yards and three touchdowns over the first seven games of the season, dwarfing his teammates in nearly every receiving category. He is third in the NFL in receptions and fourth in yardage despite missing a week of action.
The Packers' passing game struggled last week without Adams and Allen Lazard, who was also in health and safety protocols, with Rodgers limited to 184 yards passing. No Green Bay wideout had more than 30 yards.
Love will get a promising matchup in Week 9 as the Chiefs rank near the bottom of the NFL in almost every defensive category.
Kliff Kingsbury: Kyler Murray, A.J. Green Had 'Miscommunication' on Game-Ending INT
Oct 29, 2021
Green Bay Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas (29) intercepts a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver A.J. Green (18) in the end zone during the second half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. The Packers won 24-21. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The cliche "roller coaster of emotions" was invented for games like Thursday's between the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals.
It seemed as if Kyler Murray was going to lead a dramatic 99-yard touchdown drive to win the game in the final seconds, but Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas picked off his pass in the end zone to clinch Green Bay's 24-21 victory. It wasn't all Murray's fault, though, as wide receiver A.J. Green didn't look for the ball.
"Miscommunication, obviously. ... We feel like it's a safe throw if he knew the route to run," Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters. "... Just didn't communicate on some level."
Murray echoed that sentiment:
Kyler Murray on his final throw to Cardinals WR A.J. Green in the right side of the end zone as Green wasn't looking, causing an interception by Packers CB Rasul Douglas and loss.
"I honestly don't know. Just a miscommunication. I couldn't tell you, but we just gotta be better."
That lack of communication proved costly because the Cardinals lost their undefeated record and fell to 7-1. They also dropped out of the top spot in the race for the NFC's No. 1 seed, as the Packers improved to 7-1 and now own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Arizona was in comeback mode for much of the contest because the offense was stagnant into the third quarter. However, Murray finally established a rhythm in the period and carried it into the fourth, directing touchdown drives of 81 and 75 yards.
He had an opportunity to lead one more at the end of the game only because the Cardinals defense stopped the Packers on four straight plays after Green Bay had 1st-and-goal from the 1-yard line.
Yet Murray's miscommunication with Green—who may have been the target only because DeAndre Hopkins suffered a hamstring injury that kept him off the field for extended stretches—ended the comeback effort.
The Packers deserve plenty of credit as well.
Aaron Rodgers led them to a win even though they were missing wide receivers Davante Adams, Allen Lazard or Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Rodgers found Randall Cobb for two touchdowns, and the running back combination of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon was largely unstoppable.
It was one of the most impressive wins of the season even though Arizona's late mistake stood out more than any other play.
