GREEN BAY, Wis. — It’s hard to get many people the football when you run only 45 offensive plays, like the Green Bay Packers did in Thursday’s 34-31 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Just ask Jayden Reed, the versatile receiver who at times this season has been the Packers’ best player in the passing game. The ball came Reed’s way only once against the Lions.
Maybe he would’ve seen it more if he didn’t drop that lone target — yes it was a drop, his mom said so. It happened on a short out on second-and-5 from Detroit’s 47-yard line in the first quarter and would’ve been close to a first down. The Packers never got a first down on that drive and punted two plays later.
While it was difficult to see on film whether Reed dropped it, ESPN Research counted it as one of seven he has dropped this season (tied for second in the NFL).
“I asked my Mom, and she said on the TV copy it was a drop,” Reed said, noting that she’s a tough grader. “That could’ve changed the momentum, just coming out with a catch. So it could be that, too, you never know.”
However, it’s also hard to get the ball when you play only 25 snaps like Reed did against the Lions. That followed the Thanksgiving win over Miami, when Reed played 36 of the 54 offensive plays the Packers ran.
In fact, since Reed’s five-catch, 113-yard performance in the Week 9 loss to the Lions at Lambeau Field, he has totaled 73 yards receiving on eight catches in four games, including the zero-catch game against Detroit last week.
“I always want the ball in my hands,” Reed said. “A lot of that I can’t control. I don’t make the calls. It’s a team game. The blocking’s got to go right, a lot has to go right for things like that to happen.”
Some of that starts with Packers coach Matt LaFleur, who on Monday explained Reed’s minimal involvement in the Lions’ game.
“We tried to go to him early in the game,” LaFleur said. “Matter of fact, the first play was kind of designed to either, more than likely, go to him or [Dontayvion] Wicks. We got sacked on that play.
“The first third down, we threw him the ball. He drew a DPI [defensive pass interference]. And then, early on, I think it was second-and-five, we had the ball midfield, and we threw him an out route. We didn’t complete that.”
LaFleur said the Lions countered the Packers’ three-receiver sets with a defensive look that dared the Packers to throw the ball.
“We didn’t want to get into [that kind of] game,” LaFleur said. “We knew it was important that we continue to run the ball. It’s just there wasn’t a lot of runs that draw up very nicely versus that configuration, so that’s part of the reason we did a little bit more, I would say we’re trying to go more, bigger people, [two-tight-end] personnel.”
That takes one of the three receivers off the field, typically the slot receiver, such as Reed.
That’s where LaFleur said they still could have found ways to get Reed on the field more than they did.
“Now where we can be better is, and I talked to Jayden about this, is just making sure that we have some of those plays for him in the game plan where he’s tagged to go in there and play wide out, because obviously, he’s a very impactful player,” LaFleur said. “And we never … it wasn’t by design that we don’t want to throw him the ball. That’s never the case. We tried to down in the red area too … they did a good job.”
Reed still leads the Packers in targets (59), catches (44) and receiving yards (693), and he ranks second to tight end Tucker Kraft in touchdown catches (six). Reed also has a rushing touchdown (which came in the season opener) on one of his 13 carries for 128 yards on end arounds, jet sweeps and the like.
Five times in the first nine games, Reed played at least two-thirds of the offense snaps — including four games in which he played more than 71% of the snaps.
The second-year pro isn’t sure whether to expect a return to that kind of involvement as the 9-4 Packers begin the stretch run with Sunday night’s game at the 8-5 Seattle Seahawks (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC) or a continuation of the past four games, when he played at least two-thirds of the snaps once — against the Dolphins on Thanksgiving when he had three catches for 24 yards, though two of his three catches went for touchdowns and he added a 23-yard run
At times, it’s been a difficult season for the team’s receiving group. The Packers didn’t throw much in Weeks 2 and 3 with Malik Willis filling in for the injured Jordan Love at quarterback. Romeo Doubs served a one-game suspension in Week 5 for conduct detrimental to the team after he skipped two days of practice and meetings because he was frustrated with his role in the offense. Christian Watson got off to a slow start, and Wicks leads the NFL with nine drops.
“Man, just keep controlling what I can control, keep being a good teammate,” Reed said. “Whether I am or not getting the ball, just keep cheering those guys and being there for them, coaching them up. This is a team sport. It’s not about me at the end of the day.”
