Injuries to Sammy Watkins and Christian Watson created the opportunity, and Green Bay Packers rookie receiver Romeo Doubs took full advantage during his first NFL start on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The fourth-round pick played a career-high 55 snaps from scrimmage and caught all eight of his targets for 73 yards and his first NFL touchdown during the Packers’ 14-12 win.
According to the team, Doubs’ eight catches are the most by a rookie since 1988 and the second-most by a rookie in a single game (Max McGee, nine, 1954) in Packers history.
He’s also the first Packers receiver not named Davante Adams to catch eight or more passes in a game since 2018.
Through three games, Doubs leads the Packers in catches (14) and receiving yards (137). He’s on pace to catch almost 80 passes.
It didn’t take long for the rookie to get going in a big spot against the Bucs.
Doubs made three catches on the opening drive, including a 21-yarder to get the Packers into Tampa Bay territory. Six plays later, he finished the march by catching a 5-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers, who gave him a chance to make a play on a run-pass option look.
Twice, Doubs was sent in motion from left to right and made an athletic play running full speed into the flat. On each occasion, he turned his body, made the twisting catch, got re-orientated and sped upfield past a defender for gains of nine yards and 10 yards. The Packers used to run the same play design for Adams.
Later, the rookie impressed Rodgers by making an all-hands catch in traffic off an in-breaking route for a 15-yard gain to start a drive in the third quarter.
Doubs has a catch of at least 20 yards in all three games to start his NFL career. He produced a 23-yarder to convert a 2nd-and-19 against the Vikings, a 20-yarder to help the Packers eventually convert a 2nd-and-28 spot against the Bears, and a 21-yarder to spark the first touchdown drive on Sunday.
He’s also caught 87.5 percent of his targets and is averaging 8.6 yards per target, both encouraging early numbers for the first-year pass-catcher.
Doubs appears to be in a unique spot for a Packers rookie receiver: He’s not only talented, but he has a true opportunity to make an impact. Watkins is out for at least three more games, and Watson has dealt with knee and hamstring injuries since the start of training camp. Over the next month, Doubs could solidify himself as a long-term starter for the Packers offense.
