Jordan Love and Dontayvion Wicks are a historically bad combination

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers quarterbacks have thrown 43 passes to Dontayvion Wicks. They have resulted in 16 completions and 27 incompletions.

In Week 3, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has thrown 30 passes to Amon-Ra St. Brown. It resulted in 30 completions.

Yes, while Jordan Love and Wicks formed the worst quarterback-receiver duo in the NFL at midseason, Goff and St. Brown were literally an unstoppable duo.

St. Brown caught all seven goals against the Packers, including the opening touchdown, in the Lions’ 24-10 win at Lambeau Field.

“That’s pretty crazy,” Goff said after the game. “He’s the friendliest target I’ve ever thrown at.”

If Goff and St. Brown are friendly, Love and Wicks are enemies.

According to Stathead, exactly 1,050 receivers have been targeted at least 40 times in a season over the past decade. Wicks’ catch rate of 37.2 percent ranks 1,045th.

Now that the bye week has arrived, the Packers face a decision. Do they give his playing time and opportunities to Bo Melton or Malik Heath, or do they continue to roll Wicks out like he’s St. Brown?

Coach Matt LaFleur isn’t ready to give up on his talented second-year player.

“We see him do it in practice. I think that’s where it starts,” LaFleur said Monday. “Obviously you want those results to be related to the game. And I’m a big believer in ‘Practice prep equals game reality.’ But I think it just comes back to basics.”

Wicks was targeted three times against the Lions. He had zero catches and two drops, including one on a catchable but off-target pass in the end zone in the fourth quarter.

“Hey, listen, I understand. It was a wet day, and that should never be an excuse,” LaFleur said. “I think if you look at some of the drops, our fundamentals weren’t necessarily right with the way we coach it and the way we practice it in terms of being aggressive with your hands, and we let that ball in us too much end up in the body.

“That happened on that one kind of slant play on third-and-3 (in the fourth quarter), and then obviously there was another one in the end zone. The ball was certainly behind him; I just think this is a play he should be able to make and he can definitely make it. And I saw him make it.”

The weather could explain Sunday’s problems, but what about the rest of the season?

Of the 72 receivers targeted 30 times this season, Wicks has the lowest catch rate and the highest drop rate.

“Well, we have something to work on, I guess,” LaFleur replied.

According to PFF, Wicks has dropped six passes this season; only teammate Jayden Reed and veteran star Amari Cooper (seven apiece) have more.

The Lions had one loss as a team this season. In the last 40 games since Week 1 of the 2022 season, St. Brown has six drops but 265 receptions.

As a rookie last year, Wicks’ route-running ability drew comparisons to that of Davante Adams. In 2015, Adams’ second season in the NFL, he caught 53.2 percent of his passes and averaged 9.7 yards per reception and 5.1 yards per target.

Adams battled an ankle injury that season. He rebounded in 2016 and began a streak of six straight Pro Bowl seasons in 2017.

Wicks suffered a shoulder injury earlier this season, but is no longer on the injury report. Of the aforementioned 1,050 receivers, Wicks is tied for 1,045th with 4.5 yards per target.

All other Packers receivers have caught 91 of 131 passes, or 69.4 percent.

However, the season hasn’t been a total loss. Against Houston two weeks ago, Wicks caught a 30-yard touchdown pass and added a crucial third-and-2 conversion on the game-winning drive. He has four touchdown catches this season.

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— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) November 4, 2024