GREEN BAY – There was plenty of good for Dontayvion Wicks to point towards coming out of his two-touchdown performance on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
But that's not how you improve.
Instead, the Packers' second-year receiver spent the week diving into the film to address the passes he didn't come down with during the 31-29 loss to the Vikings, including a potential touchdown on a fourth-and-8 deep ball in the third quarter.
"The good (will) always make you feel good but you gotta critique the bad things if you want to execute to the fullest and be your best," Wicks said.
"Most of my mistakes were taking my eyes off the ball, dropping the ball, just thinking about the bad things. The good, they're going to come. But when you critique the things that you didn't do well, that's what makes you a better player."
To Wicks' credit, he kept battling with all five of his receptions for 78 yards coming in the final two quarters. His two touchdowns keyed a 22-point fourth quarter for Green Bay.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur acknowledged the highs and lows of Wicks' day but praised the 23-year-old wideout's resiliency and how he utilized his movement skills to extend a bubble screen off motion for a 13-yard pickup.
Wicks played a season-high 58 snaps, which was critical after Christian Watson exited in the first quarter with an ankle injury and didn't return.
As a 2023 fifth-round pick out of Virginia, Wicks made a name while playing mostly in Watson's stead last season. The 6-foot-1, 206-pound wideout caught 39 passes for 581 yards (14.9 avg.) and four touchdowns.
Wicks led Green Bay with a team-high 18 explosive catches (16-plus yards), the most by a Packers rookie dating back to 2000 and tied for No. 4 among NFL rookies last season.
He added two more during Green Bay's final offensive series against the Vikings with his 36-yard leap setting up an eventual 17-yard touchdown with 1 minute, 2 seconds left in regulation.
"I'm excited about him and what he can become because we all see the talent," LaFleur said. "He is tough to guard on the line of scrimmage, and I know what he's capable of doing, we just have to get it out on a consistent basis."
Consistency is where both the Packers and Wicks want to see improvement from the 23-year-old wideout. He was targeted six times before catching his first pass against the Vikings.
At the same time, few receivers have been better at getting open than Wicks since entering the league. According to Pro Football Focus, Wicks currently leads all NFL receivers with at least 25 targets in separation percentage (82.14%).
His two big completions in the fourth quarter also helped push Green Bay's explosive plays (16-plus receiving yards and 12-plus rushing yards) to a league-high 40 through the first month of the year.
Maintaining the utmost confidence in Wicks, LaFleur recalled in a game earlier this month pulling aside the young wide to remind him after a drop that "we're going to come right back to you." Wicks has appreciated the gesture.
"It's a good feeling when Coach comes back to you, when you know Coach believes in you and he's coming back to you," Wicks said. "It felt great to help the team and give us a chance with two touchdowns in the end. But you ain't come out with the win, so it's really…"
Wicks' voice tails off, but he acknowledges he has a chance to do something about that disappointment this Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
While Green Bay hopes it avoided a significant ankle injury with Watson, the third-year wideout didn't practice Wednesday. Despite Watson's injury, receiver remains one of the deepest positions on Green Bay's roster with Wicks, Bo Melton and Malik Heath having all played major minutes over the past year.
If needed in LA, Wicks is eager to keep making plays.
"I'm always ready," Wicks said. "When '9' went down, it happened last year, too. It's just time to step up, step into a bigger role until he gets back. Just gotta capitalize on my opportunities. I'm living, keep stacking. Keep stacking days."
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