3 X-Factors for Green Bay Packers against Vikings in Week 1
By Paul Bretl
Green Bay Packers X-Factor: Romeo Doubs
With Allen Lazard listed as doubtful, Romeo Doubs’s role will likely be much larger than originally anticipated.
Doubs had an impressive summer, regularly making a splash play or two each practice, as well as into the preseason, but there were rookie miscues as well, including dropped passes and wrong routes. It’s a lot to expect from a rookie in his first NFL game, but those mistakes can’t happen on Sunday.
Watkins, along with Robert Tonyan, Aaron Jones, and AJ Dillon, will all get their fair share of targets, but this Packers offense needs someone else at the receiver position for the Vikings’ defense to be mindful of. We will see what Sunday holds for Randall Cobb, but last season he was utilized a lot on third downs.
Doubs can provide the Packers with a downfield threat but also a big slot target and someone who can win at all three levels of the field — he was excellent at creating separation — which we saw this summer as well as during his time at Nevada.
If Doubs can make plays when given the chance, his presence can help open up opportunities for others in this Packers’ offense. He also will provide Matt LaFleur with more flexibility with his ability to line up inside and out while being able to win in multiple ways.
However, if Doubs struggles or isn’t getting open, it makes it all the easier for this Vikings’ defense to key in on Watkins, Tonyan, and Jones. Doubs’ presence with his skill-sets will provide a needed element to this Green Bay offense.