Don't Expect Packers' Receiver Issues To Change Anytime Soon

Packers rookie receiver Christian Watson has become the face of the Green Bay receiver issues. The second-round pick dropped what could have been a touchdown to open their Week 1 loss to the Vikings, and it only spiraled from there offensively.

Aaron Rodgers has made his frustrations clear since training camp, calling out the young guys for everything from bad routes to dropped passes, and it's been a narrative that not only has dominated the start of their season but clearly won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Division Odds Tightening

With the Bears up next on Sunday Night Football, the growing pains have already affected the futures market with Green Bay, falling to just +110 to win the NFC North, and the Vikings now at +130 on FanDuel.

They trailed 17-0 at halftime to the Vikings on Sunday, and Justin Jefferson had more receiving yards than the Packers had net passing yards before the final drive. The learning curve is steep, and it's glaring so far.

Rodgers has also made it clear the youngins' need to catch up:

"I've got to play the same way," Rodgers told reporters on Wednesday, per ESPN. "I don't play the way I played in 2011, [but] I've got to play on time and guys gotta get open, so no, I'm not gonna change the way I play. I have to realize who's out there, who we're throwing to and how we're gonna actually make some hay and score some points."

Sure, it's hard for a future Hall of Fame quarterback to change the way he approaches anything to cater to rookies, but in reality, there needs to be at least a little flexibility, and less stubbornness if this has a chance of getting better.

It's not coddling when you adapt your leadership style to the people around you. Coaches will find ways to maximize talent based on their skill set and design certain plays to accentuate that. Those same coaches usually find avenues to relate to individual players based on their personalities too, with tough love working for some, and a more measured approach coming into play for others.

That's something Rodgers needs to take into account here if he wants to turn this around.

Help On The Way

Sure, getting back Allen Lazard will help, but he's now elevated to a role he's never been in before as a No. 1 receiver when he gets back into the lineup. The health of the offensive line will make a huge difference, having played behind a makeshift group this past weekend.

The reality here though, is that everything comes back to the future Hall of Fame quarterback first. It's how the NFL works, and it's what comes with $50 million a year in Rodgers' case too.

It's fine to hold everyone accountable, but how you approach that matters, especially with young players that clearly have a low level of confidence at the moment.

The sooner they grow, the sooner this Packers team can talk about things like winning the division, otherwise, those Vikings are clearly ready to snatch that title away in 2022.