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Game notes: Davante Adams forecasted career-best performance Sunday

De’Vondre Campbell keeps making plays in heart of Packers’ defense

WR Davante Adams
WR Davante Adams

Davante Adams could feel it.

It didn't matter how much attention the Cincinnati Bengals paid to the Packers' All-Pro receiver on Sunday afternoon. The ball was going to find its way to No. 17.

"I put it on my daughter, I told at least three people outside the building, talking to family, one of my cousins, talking to my wife, I told her, 'I feel like this could be my career high this game,'" Adams said.

"So, either I'm clairvoyant or I know what I'm talking about."

Sure enough, Adams had a game for the ages during Green Bay's 25-22 win over the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium, catching 11 passes for a career-high 206 yards and a touchdown.

It bested Adams' previous career high of 196 yards last year against Houston, while it also marked the 16th time in Adams' career that he's had at least 10 receptions in a game.

Sterling Sharpe and Donald Driver are tied for next on that list…with seven each.

The Bengals did a little of everything to defend Adams, whether it was having veteran Chidobe Awuzie spell him for a time, rolling a safety in his direction or just flat-out double-teaming.

And it largely didn't matter. On his longest catch of the day, Adams had three Bengals defensive backs trailing when he pulled down a season-long 59-yard pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the start of the fourth quarter.

"I could feel (his energy) early and I could tell," said Head Coach Matt LaFleur of Adams' performance. "He's a guy who's hungry for the football and he shows good reason why. He's got people draped all over him and it doesn't matter. He finds a way to do it every time. There's a reason he's got that '99' rating in Madden.

"He is a baller. I don't think there's anybody better than him."

Adams and the Packers' offense got off to a slow start, having to punt on their opening possession before Awuzie picked off Rodgers on a deep ball intended for Adams.

At the end of the first quarter, however, Rodgers hit Adams across the middle for a 17-yard gain that appeared to give the offense a jolt. It was one of six passes Adams caught that fall into the "explosive" plays category for Packers receivers.

The four-time Pro Bowler ignited in the second quarter, catching five passes for 100 yards – three of which converted third downs – and a 5-yard touchdown off an end-zone fade from Rodgers.

"Obviously, we had a pretty productive day clicking up with each other," Adams said. "(We) got some good 1-on-1 opps. I was doubled a decent amount of the day again but I feel like it's a credit to Matt and '12' for coming up with some plays to still get me some opportunities down the field."

Adams came through in the fourth quarter, as well. His 59-yard catch set up a Mason Crosby 22-yard field goal that gave Green Bay a 22-14 lead at the time.

The eighth-year veteran also pulled down a 20-yard catch from Rodgers in the final seconds of regulation that set up a game-winning field-goal try from 51 yards out and looked eerily similar to the play he made against San Francisco two weeks earlier.

Adams' 42 catches through the first five games broke his own franchise record of 37 from the 2018 season. Robert Brooks is the only other player with 35 or more in franchise history after five contests.

"Two hundred yards…that's a dream day," said running back Aaron Jones of Adams. "He's just a problem out there. It's going to be hard to stop him with one man or two people just the way he works, the way he gets open; his understanding of the game and how him and A-Rod are on point, on key 24/7, that's going to be tough."

The Green Bay Packers faced the Cincinnati Bengals in a Week 5 matchup on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021.

Campbell in the clutch: While Adams' 20-yard reception at the end of regulation gave the Packers their first shot at a game-ending field goal, De'Vondre Campbell was responsible for the second.

Roaming in the middle of the field, the Packers' sixth-year linebacker picked off Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow when there was a mixup between Burrow and his receiver. Campbell then ran it back to the Cincinnati 18.

It was Campbell's third takeaway in four games after he intercepted Detroit quarterback Jared Goff in Week 2 and recovered a fumble against San Francisco the following week.

"I was basically just reading the quarterback, and I honestly think Burrow and the wide receiver had a miscommunication, and he wanted the receiver to come inside and I think he turned out if I'm not mistaken," Campbell said. "I was just reading the quarterback and he kind of threw it right to me, honestly."

Despite leaving momentarily with a shoulder injury in the first half, Campbell tied safety Adrian Amos with a team-high eight tackles. Coincidentally, Amos had the defense's other interception off Burrow (in the third quarter).

Sunday marked the fourth straight week the Packers' defense has generated a takeaway, its longest streak since a four-game run in 2017 (Weeks 4-7).

Two-headed monster: The one-two backfield punch of Jones and AJ Dillon continues to pay dividends for the Packers' offense.

A week after the two running backs combined for 196 total yards against Pittsburgh, Jones and Dillon totaled 188 yards on 30 touches against the Bengals.

Through the air, Dillon caught four passes for a career-high 49 yards – including a 12-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers in the second quarter.

On the ground, Jones broke his longest run of the season near the end of the fourth quarter, making collapsing safety Vonn Bell miss near the line of scrimmage and breaking a 57-yard run down the sideline to the Bengals' 18.

"I feel like you just never can get a bead when we're rotating in and out so much," said Jones of the duo's production. "We're both very versatile, bring a lot to the table. I feel like AJ is getting more and more comfortable every day and it's showing out there."

The Packers made a little history thanks in part to Jones. Sunday was the first time in franchise history the Packers had a 300-yard passer (Rodgers), 200-yard receiver (Adams) and 100-yard rusher (Jones) in the same game.

Elite company: With Sunday's win over Cincinnati, LaFleur tied former Bengals coach Paul Brown for the third-fastest head coach to 30 regular-season wins. Only Guy Chamberlin (35 games) and George Seifert (36) did it faster than the 37 it took LaFleur and Brown to reach that milestone.

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