The Packers went into Ford Field on Thanksgiving for what was, arguably, the biggest game of the season and did what every one of the Green Bay faithful had hoped they would do: Put together a complete, 60-minute effort with level performances on both sides of the ball.
The Packers had played that way in the two opening games of the season, when they looked like an easy favorite in the NFC (remember Rasheed Walker saying they could go undefeated?), but had been wildly inconsistent since.
But on Sunday, in what was an evenly matched showdown, the Packers came out with a 31-24 win thanks in large part to a receiver who pretty accurately reflects the ups and downs this team has had all season: Dontayvion Wicks.
Packers Have Faith in Receivers
The numbers on Wicks were excellent: six catches on seven targets for 94 yards and two touchdowns. But he made two of the biggest plays in the game for the Packers, converting a fourth-and-3 early in the second quarter for a 22-yard touchdown from Jordan Love and making the game-sealing catch on another fourth-and-3 in the fourth quarter.
“I have a lot of trust and faith in our wide receivers,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “I think they’re all certainly capable. They all played their (expletive) off today, they all played big, made big-time plays.”
Packers Win Sealed on Dontayvion Wicks Catch
The final play was a 16-yard completion from Love to Wicks with 1:44 to play and the Lions out of timeouts. It was a gutsy call by LaFleur–a fourth down from the Lions’ 45-yard line that would have given Detroit ample opportunity to tie the game–and a great catch from Wicks.
“I can’t say enough good things about Wicks,” LaFleur said. “We’ve all seen the type of season it’s been for him in regards to battling through, he has been injured quite a bit. He has been in and out of the lineup. But he made critical plays all game. The touchdown on fourth down, the fourth down conversion at the end.
“Just really proud of him and the mental toughness to stay with it because he is a hell of a player, he is a tough guy to cover, and he came up big for us today.”
Dontayvion Wicks Overcoming Injuries, Drops
Wicks has had a difficult year, missing two games with a calf injury and undergoing a stretch in which he had drops in consecutive games after he returned, in Weeks 10 and 11. In a deep Packers receiver room, he was easily lost in the shuffle.
LaFleur credited Wicks, though, for putting his drop issues behind him and getting better.
“It’s never been for him a lack of talent. He’s always had the talent,” LaFleur said. “I think obviously you want to go attack the ball aggressively, I think that can help eliminate a lot of drops. I know a lot of great receivers who have struggled with drops and overcame that. It’s not—he’s got great hands. He is a natural plucker of the football.
“It’s never been a lack of confidence in him. I’ve never wavered and I can speak for myself and our staff, we’ve never wavered on his ability. He’s so talented. He just has to keep approaching it the same way and he is going to have games like this.”
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