The Green Bay Packers have their first road game of the year on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. They are 2-0 on the season, but rookie WR Matthew Golden hasn't been able to make a ton of plays so far.
On Wednesday, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said that the team doesn't need to force anything when it comes to Golden due to the confidence they have in the WR room. Fans thought he would be more incorporated in the game plan early on, but quarterback Jordan Love offered up some hope for Golden's production moving forward.
While speaking with reporters, Love took blame for narrowly missing Golden on two deep passes last week. He added that with Jayden Reed out, there will be more chances for Golden in the coming weeks.
"There’s definitely gonna be opps for other guys, but definitely M.G.,” Love said, via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.
Jordan Love Takes Blame for Misses to Matthew Golden
Golden has two catches for 16 yards through two games, which is underwhelming for sure. Against the Commanders, the two were close to connecting on some deep passes downfield but weren't able to.
With Reed sidelined for the foreseeable future after suffering a broken collarbone, and Christian Watson still on the PUP list, there will be opportunities there for taking. In addition to Golden, Green Bay's WR room features Romeo Doubs, Malik Heath, Dontayvion Wicks, and Savion Williams as of this writing.
Doubs (96 yards) and Wicks (74 yards) are the top two receiving leaders for the Packers through Week 2, but the Packers selected Golden with the No. 23 pick for a reason. He has the talent to be an effective playmaker, and he showed flashes of it during the summer.
The rookie is clearly still looking to find his footing in the league. He has been close to reeling in some chunk plays, but football is a game of inches. As he continues to get more reps with Love, the two will connect on some of his passes down the field.
And Love is right. Since Reed will miss time, extra reps will be available in the WR room, and the Texas Longhorns product will be leaned on a little bit more. If he produces in these next few games, his target share will only go up, which would be fantastic news for the future of this passing attack.