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GREEN BAY – After a season when the story revolved around the packers 'comings and goings, Aaron Rodgers' oldest target stole the show in the first game of the season against Chicago.
Randall Cobb, the eldest of the eight receivers currently on contract with the Packers, captured nine of the ten passes for a total of 142 yards, including the 75-yard touchdown that propelled Green Bay to 24 23 wins in the first match of the 100th season of the franchise.
Cobb's 142 yards were seventh in Week 1 and scored the 15th time in his career (including the playoffs) that he had at least 100 yards in a game.
Head coach Mike McCarthy has often stated that one of the priorities of the Packers offensive is to put the ball in Cobb's hands and it's easy to see why. In these 15 games, Cobb has overshadowed the mark of the century, the Packers have triumphed 13 times.
"That was vintage Cobb out there," said receiver Davante Adams after the game. "That's why he's here and that's why he continues to make plays, and always amazes us, especially in a big time like this. He is a playmaker and he will continue to do so.
The Packers have remained faithful to Cobb's abilities despite some recent outbreaks of injury. Last year, the 5-foot-10, 192-pound receiver managed to become one of five franchise history players to record 60 or more receptions in four consecutive seasons.
If Cobb does it again in 2018, he will join only Donald Driver (2004-09) and Sterling Sharpe (1989-94) to accomplish this feat in five consecutive seasons.
During the off-season, all eyes turned to Jimmy Graham's signature five times with the Pro Bowl end team and the Packers' decision to prepare three rookie receivers. Behind the scenes, however, Cobb was working on improving his own game with off-off game coordinator Jim Hostler and receiver coach David Raih.
Cobb said he saw the biggest difference in his game in "some of the new things I've tried to implement in my course this year," as well as "some of the things I wanted to change in my versions and some things I do with my steps.
Joe Philbin, who returned in January as the offensive coordinator he had previously held in Green Bay from 2007 to 2011, was on staff when the Packers drafted Cobb in the second round of Kentucky in 2011.
At the time, Philbin remembers Cobb as a young slot machine catcher who used his instincts to succeed. Today, Cobb has blossomed into a cunning veteran who has mastered the tree of the road and yet possesses the explosiveness needed to grow in the middle of the field.
"I thought it was really decisive, not much hesitation in his game," Philbin said. "I think that overall, it's not just about a guy who can handle short stop circuits inside. I think that he has flexibility and a very good awareness and recognition of the cover, can adjust his route. He remains friendly for the quarterback. I thought that he had made a good start.
Even though Cobb's career day sparked the attack, the 28-year-old receiver also acted as an emergency option on kick returns after Trevor Davis had a heart attack this morning, gaining 17 yards on the his only return.
While Cobb did not score a single kick in a game last season, the veteran has long been considered the Packers' best option because of his gaming skills and reliability, which played into the Cobb's decision. .
While Davis is placed on the injured list on Monday, McCarthy confirmed this week that Cobb will remain the Packers' main return player "as of today".
"What makes him special as a wide receiver – he has a talent," said special team coordinator Ron Zook about Cobb's effectiveness as a return. "He has excellent vision, great speed, great acceleration. Just like as a wide receiver, he has all the tools. That's why we use it more in the backfield, coming out of the backfield and taking the ball in his hands. He can do special things when the ball is in his hands.
Cobb sees himself as the big brother of the Packers receivers' room, a feeling rookie Marquez Valdes-Scantling repeated in the locker room this week when he declared he wanted to become Cobb when he grew up.
For Green Bay, there are heavy implications when a healthy Cobb is featured in the offense. To this day, he is one of Rodgers' most trusted targets and a constant threat to bleed defenses after the shots.
The Packers have a new backpack after rewriting their game book and adding Graham to this dead season, but Cobb also remains a stable and balanced presence in the heart of the passing game.
"It just shows you not only his versatility, but also his primary ability," McCarthy said. "I think every time you have a player who has 10 targets and nine receptions, it says a lot about his abilities, the expertise of the course and what he is doing on the other side of completion."
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