The offense for the Green Bay Packers is in desperate need of finding a spark. The NFL trade deadline came and went with no new player arriving in Green Bay. Therefore, the Packers will have to find that spark from within. Rookie Samori Toure might be the guy who can step up for the Packers’ offense.
A major issue in Green Bay this season has been the injuries that have begun to pile up at the wide receiver position. Allen Lazard has missed two games, Randall Cobb is currently on the injured reserve with a high ankle sprain, Sammy Watkins missed four games with a hamstring injury, and now rookie Christian Watson might miss more time after suffering a concussion on Sunday against the Bills.
The lack of availability at the position has started to open things up for the young guys. Rookie Romeo Doubs has received an increase in workload. Amari Rodgers has started to work in the offense more. However, the one who’s seen the jump in opportunities has been Toure, who first saw some limited action on offense against the Washington Commanders. He’s been a player who has certainly stood out to quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
“I said to [Toure], I think you’re too talented to be a healthy scratch every week,” Rodgers said. “I think it’s possible for you and even probable that you need to be suiting up and making plays by mid-season.”
Last week, Rodgers publicly stated his concerns with the Packers’ offense during his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show in regards to who was being featured more heavily on offense as opposed to other players.
“Guys who are making too many mistakes, shouldn’t be playing,” Rodgers said. “Maybe guys who aren’t playing…give them a chance.”
Following their game on Sunday, the second portion of his comments might have been directed toward Toure. Against the Bills on “Sunday Night Football,” he had his first real opportunity in a game after playing 14 snaps on offense, according to Pro Football Reference. On those 14 snaps, he received four targets, one of which went for a 38-yard touchdown.
A seventh-round selection out of Nebraska, Toure operated within the Packers’ offense like a seasoned veteran in Week 8. On the touchdown specifically, Toure’s original route appeared to be a post that was tightly covered by Bills safety, Damar Hamlin. As Rodgers danced around the pocket, Toure adjusted to bend the route back toward the middle of the end zone, allowing Rodgers to find him for a wide-open touchdown.
Plays like that are exactly what the Packers should be looking for on offense. Rodgers is a master at making things happen when a scripted play falls apart, and it’s something that the Packers’ young receivers haven’t quite had the instinct to pick up on this season.
“There’s the paper offense and the on-the-field offense,” Rodgers said earlier this season. “We just have to transfer some of those, the expectations of what’s going to happen out there, allowing our instincts to kind take over when it’s not cookie cutter like it is on the playbook.”
Toure proved he can step up and make a play for the Packers’ offense when his number is called. Now, it’s about time the Packers start calling on his number more often.
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Kole Noble is a lifelong Packers fan currently living in North Carolina and is a huge NFL Draft nut. You can follow him on twitter at @SlawSportsShow.
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