Davante Adams wanted to leave no doubt about his standing in the NFL’s receiver hierarchy Thursday night. As he has most of the season, the 27-year-old put on an absolute clinic against San Francisco, torching the Niners for a mammoth 10-173-1 receiving line in a 34-17 Green Bay rout.
After the game, the Packers megastar was asked if he considers himself the top receiver in football. While some would argue that title belongs to DeAndre Hopkins or Julio Jones (there’s also a pretty compelling case to be made for Michael Thomas when healthy), Adams thinks his elite resume speaks for itself.
“I think that’s fair to say. I think that’s not being conceited. That’s just being confident,” said Adams in post-game remarks relayed by ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky. “I think, obviously, what I've done and what I'm going to continue to do is going to prove that to anybody who isn't on board with that."
Judging on the games we’ve seen so far, it’s hard to reach any other conclusion. The seventh-year stud has been sensational of late, submitting a combined 30 catches for 422 yards and six touchdowns over his last three contests. Even factoring in a two-game injury absence (he missed Weeks 3 and 4 with a pulled hamstring), Adams is still the NFL’s leader in receiving touchdowns with eight. He also paces the league in receiving yards per game (112.5), positioning him well ahead of runner-up Hopkins (100.6) and Julio (97.3), who ranks third in that metric.
Volume has certainly been a prime component of Adams’ recent statistical explosion (he boasts an eye-popping 32.1-percent target share this season), but the Fresno State product is no empty-calories compiler. Generally regarded as one of the sport’s most precise route-runners, Adams can make plays like this in his sleep.
His lunging, over-the-shoulder touchdown grab Thursday night, the end result of a gorgeously-placed 36-yard rocket from shoo-in Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, was similarly spectacular. Per Elias Sports Bureau, Adams is just the second player in history to register three games of at least 10 catches and 150+ yards in the same season, following in the hallowed footsteps of Lions great Calvin Johnson.
In acknowledging his otherworldly start, Adams made sure to give credit where it was due, commending Rodgers and the Packers’ stout offensive line for making his job easier. “If the line isn't protecting or if the quarterback doesn't look your way or if the other receivers don't do their part to pull defenders away, none of what I do can happen,” said the three-time Pro Bowler. “So at the end of the day, I'll tell you, yes, absolutely, I think I'm the best wide receiver in the game, but there's a lot of things that go into me being able to make that statement."
Next up for Adams is a mouthwatering Week 10 showdown with the Jaguars, who have surrendered an unconscionable 173.3 receiving yards per game (ninth-worst) to opposing wide receivers this year. Buckle up.
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