Pay Corey Davis
I read that tweet and it felt disrespectful. I don’t think it was intended to be, but in the midst of Corey Davis finally having his breakout season, treating him as an afterthought or as a weak link got my hackles up a little bit.
So, I went in and did the research to see whether or not it was actually a viable strategy. Let’s do some math (yay). On average, the Titans pass the ball 31 times per game, and in the 10 games where Corey Davis and A.J. Brown both play, Davis averages 7.4 targets, and Brown averages 7.1 targets.
Let’s say the goal for the Packers is to force 12 targets to Davis and 3 targets to Brown. Problem solved right? With 8 in the box and with Brown limited, what is Davis going to do?
Well, it turns out the answer is, he is going to do a lot. Look at where Davis ranks among NFL receivers in yards per target:
Here is a list of WRs with 30+ rec. & 10+ yards per target:
— Ran GMC(arthon) (@jlomas72) December 21, 2020
1. Corey Davis (12)
2. Will Fuller (11.7)
3. Justin Jefferson (11.5)
4. Julio Jones (11.3)
5. Rashard Higgins (11.1)
6. D.K. Metcalf (10.9)
7. D.J. Moore (10.9)
8. A.J. Brown (10.1)
9. MVS (10.1)
10. Scott Miller (10)
Yea, that is his name at the top of the list, and A.J. Brown not too much further down. He is ahead of deep threats like Will Fuller and D.K. Metcalf, ahead of big body guys like Julio Jones and MVS, ahead of shifty YAC guys like A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson.
So thinking that eight men in the box will shut down Derrick Henry or that erasing A.J. Brown or Corey Davis is even an option is bold, but if Green Bay thinks that this is going to be the blueprint for beating the Titans, then the Packers are in for a rude awakening just like every other team in the NFL.