Can Packers be contenders without elite WR play? | You Pod To Win The Game
Yahoo Sports Senior NFL Writer Charles Robinson and Senior Writer Frank Schwab discuss the Green Bay Packers 23-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and debate if Aaron Rodgers can lead the Packers to contention without elite wide receiver play.
Video Transcript
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CHARLES ROBINSON: The Minnesota Vikings--
FRANK SCHWAB: Yeah.
CHARLES ROBINSON: --beat the Green Bay Packers 23 to 7. Obviously, everyone saw the Christian Watson drop. The rookie dropped a wide-open touchdown. It just makes you sick. And you could see it on Rodgers' face how sick he is in that moment. Again, it's week one, so let's start there. Let's be calm about all of our reactions, especially when it's not built around a quarterback like Dak Prescott going down for who knows how long.
FRANK SCHWAB: That's different.
CHARLES ROBINSON: This is a run of the mill loss for the Packers. It's a bad loss, OK? I don't know how you get around watching that game and not honing in on-- and everybody did it-- Davante Adams not being there. I think this is one of those times where what you suspect is what the problem is. It's a--
FRANK SCHWAB: Yeah.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Losing that guy is immense, and Rodgers is going to feel it. I don't want to spend the whole time talking about Rodgers, particularly given what Minnesota did. And Justin Jefferson is a badass. But, yeah, this is-- you tell me. Is this the Saints opener? Is it just the Saints opener again? Which it could be.
FRANK SCHWAB: Yeah, I've thought about that.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Which it could be.
FRANK SCHWAB: I led with that. I led with that. And I said, hey, the same result. Maybe the same result will be for the next 16 games going forward and you get the number-one seed in the NFC. Possible. They don't play starters in the preseason. Matt LaFleur's obviously fine with the trade-off of we're going to stink some week ones because I'm not going to play my starters in the preseason.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Right.
FRANK SCHWAB: And maybe it is. But the difference here, like you said, is Davante Adams. And it was striking to me that I'm sitting there watching, and the Packers are one screen, and the Raiders are on the other. And Davante Adams was dominating that game. I know they lost, but he was great in that game. I mean, he really was. He made that great touchdown catch.
And then you're looking at the Packers, who didn't have Allen Lazard. I mean, look, he's supposed to be their number-one receiver this year.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Fair.
FRANK SCHWAB: He got stepped on in practice or whatever happened last week, couldn't answer the bell with an ankle injury.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Offensive tackle problems, too, right?
FRANK SCHWAB: Yes, the offensive line, they're beat up there. And Rodgers got hit hard a few times, and that's concerning for a 38-year-old dude. But you're just watching those Packers receivers saying-- we talked about Romeo Doubs for a while at camp and Christian Watson, like you said, and even Sammy Watkins. The ghost of Sammy Watkins is alive, playing on a Packers. None of these guys can do anything.
And then the funny thing is, you look at the Vikings-- you just mentioned Justin Jefferson. And it's like, guys, Kirk Cousins is not a better quarterback than Aaron Rodgers, but Kirk Cousins was better today because he has Justin Jefferson to throw to. Packers, you have not ever invested in a big-time receiver, and you traded the one you had because he was just-- OK, I get. Whatever, he wanted out.
But you don't have an AJ Brown. You don't have a Justin Jefferson. You don't have one of these alpha receivers, and it shows in the offense. I get Aaron Rodgers is great, but he has nobody to throw to. And maybe Allen Lazard-- I don't think Allen Lazard is going to be that guy. Maybe he is.
But right now, the difference between this year and last year-- last year, it was like, OK, they just got hammered. But that was weird. You're like what-- this time, you're like, OK, I can figure out what happened. Their offense has no pop whatsoever, and maybe it changes next week. But, man, I don't know. I just don't-- like you said, this is kind of what we expected from this offense coming in, especially when Lazard was out, of they might really have some trouble in the passing game.
