Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver Romeo Doubs had an increased role in a Week 3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Packers needed someone to step up in the absence of Sammy Watkins and Christian Watson, and Doubs answered the call by catching all eight of his targets for 73 yards. He also scored his first career touchdown on the first drive of the game.
“He made the most of his snaps yesterday. He did an outstanding job,” head coach Matt LaFleur said Monday. “He was a guy who showed up consistently being able to separate versus man coverage that we were getting.”
Doubs was voted the NFL Rookie of the Week for his play in Week 3. In total, Doubs played 55 snaps, which was a new season high. Expect a similar workload in the coming weeks as Doubs is expected to fill in for Watkins after he went on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
So far, the early returns on Green Bay’s fourth-round pick have been good. Doubs is the Packers’ leading receiver in targets, catches, and yards. Clearly, the speed of the game hasn’t been too much for him, and the trust he has built with Aaron Rodgers is already taking shape.
Doubs’ performance against the Buccaneers was the culmination of a summer in which reporters and coaches raved about a rookie receiver out of Nevada. Doubs showed flashes in the preseason, and now he is doing in the regular season against one of the best defenses in the league.
So, what exactly when it to Doubs’ performance down in Tampa? Let’s break down the film.
This Romeo Doubs guy is a player pic.twitter.com/UDTfZybE9y
— Brandon Carwile (@PackerScribe) September 27, 2022
The first play is a staple of the LaFleur/Shanahan playbook called drift. It is one of their most-used play-action concepts and is a great way to dictate the defense. Notice how the threat of a run draws the linebackers in. This allows Doubs to get behind the linebackers while also putting the corner in a tough spot. He eats up the Cover 3 cushion with good acceleration before making a nice break to the inside. He then flashes his run after catch ability to gain 21 yards.
Doubs is sudden enough to lineup in the slot and attract targets. Gotta appreciate that alignment versatility. pic.twitter.com/S3jBIux3n2
— Brandon Carwile (@PackerScribe) September 27, 2022
Doubs has the body and skillset of a prototypical X receiver, but he can also kick inside to the slot. His footspeed is good enough to separate from NFL nickels, and his competitive toughness enables him to work over the middle. Here, he is matched up on an edge rusher playing inside leverage with Tampa Bay in quarters coverage. Don’t mind the shuck by the defender, as this actually plays right into Doubs’ hands on this stick route.
Love seeing these stacked formations near the goal line because it creates so many headaches for corners. pic.twitter.com/RSepbE8eIL
— Brandon Carwile (@PackerScribe) September 27, 2022
Doubs’ first NFL touchdown came on a beautiful play design. Allen Lazard is so good on these shield slants because he is not afraid to be physical. In this stacked receiver formation, Lazard’s goal is to run a pick on the defenders, so Doubs will have free rein for a slant route. It works perfectly here with a nice finish by Doubs to stretch across the goal line.
Get the ball in Doubs’ hands and good things will happen. pic.twitter.com/p1okKkc44z
— Brandon Carwile (@PackerScribe) September 27, 2022
This is essentially asking Doubs to make a play with his feet. He cuts across the formation on a slide route and is able to gain separation from the safety who is man coverage. It creates an easy dump-off opportunity for Rodgers and shows how much Green Bay likes Doubs’ run after catch ability. The Packers may only be scratching the surface of what he can do in this offense.
The #Packers were scheming plays for Doubs quite a bit against the Bucs. Clearly a lot of trust there. pic.twitter.com/4stOugegXe
— Brandon Carwile (@PackerScribe) September 27, 2022
They ran a similar play later in the game that would have picked up a first down if not for a penalty.
Doubs flashed strong hands and explosion out of his break in week three. pic.twitter.com/iEjjQGM0Nu
— Brandon Carwile (@PackerScribe) September 27, 2022
Here we see him as the primary read again on another drift concept. Notice how the Buccaneers’ top corner Jamel Dean has outside leverage on Doubs. This works in Doubs’ favor as he does a nice job planting his foot to get out of his break with good separation.
Expect the #Packers to come back to this at some point. pic.twitter.com/FE2oQOSFqF
— Brandon Carwile (@PackerScribe) September 27, 2022
Here is a little bonus play that would go for a huge gain against a defense that isn’t as fast as the Buccaneers. The Packers believe Doubs can also be dynamic in the screen game.
Conclusion
Overall, Doubs did a really nice job against Tampa Bay. He showed he can win against man coverage while flashing his athleticism through his route running and run after catch ability. I think it’s a safe bet that his role will continue to expand over the course of the season. Doubs appears to be comfortable within the offense and has a good rapport with Rodgers. If the team continues to make him a part of their weekly game plan, I honestly think he could become the first rookie to lead the team in receiving since Sterling Sharpe in 1988.
