{"id":2945,"date":"2024-11-15T12:04:42","date_gmt":"2024-11-15T12:04:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=2945"},"modified":"2024-11-15T12:04:42","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T12:04:42","slug":"dontayvion-wicks-believes-jordan-loves-return-to-practice-will-bring-back-their-chemistry-eliminate-drops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=2945","title":{"rendered":"Dontayvion Wicks believes Jordan Love\u2019s return to practice will bring back their chemistry, eliminate drops"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Packers<\/p>\n

GREEN BAY \u2014 Dontayvion Wicks hasn\u2019t lost his touch when it comes to getting open, and he hasn\u2019t lost any confidence, either.<\/p>\n

But the Green Bay Packers wide receiver has lost the handle on a team-high seven passes, and as he heads into the second half of his second season, he\u2019s expecting that to change \u2014 starting with Sunday\u2019s matchup against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy confidence ain\u2019t going nowhere,\u201d Wicks said as the Packers (6-3) prepared for their first game following their bye week, a rivalry game against the reeling Bears (4-5). \u201cI\u2019m still confident in my hands, I know what I can do. It\u2019s just, it\u2019s going to turn. I\u2019m just waiting on my time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wicks\u2019 seven drops haven\u2019t all been the same, but they have all come in only three games: Three in a Sept. 29 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, two in an Oct. 6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and two in the Packers\u2019 Nov. 3 pre-bye loss to the Detroit Lions.<\/p>\n

He enters Sunday\u2019s matchup with the Bears with 16 catches for 192 yards and a team-best four touchdowns on 43 targets.<\/p>\n

Only Jayden Reed (36 receptions for 620 yards and three TDs on 47 targets) and Romeo Doubs (30 receptions for 412 yards and two TDs on 45 targets) have had the ball thrown their way more often than Wicks.<\/p>\n

But Wicks\u2019 catch percentage (37.2%) ranks last in the NFL among players with at least 25 targets, and his seven drops are tied for the second-most in the league this season, behind only Cleveland Browns-turned-Buffalo Bills wideout Amari Cooper (11).<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got some really good hands, for sure,\u201d offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich insisted after practice Thursday. \u201cSo you go back and are like, \u2018All right, what\u2019s your weekly process with how you warm up? How do you train your hands? What are you doing?\u2019 And you\u2019ve just got to make tweaks. And we\u2019ve done that.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully, we see the results from that moving forward. But I have a ton of confidence in Tay, and I know whatever issues we have with the catching, we\u2019ll get those resolved. And I\u2019m excited about that.\u201d<\/p>\n

At least some of the challenge for Wicks has been quarterback Jordan Love\u2019s inaccuracy as he\u2019s missed extended playing time because of the knee and groin injuries he sustained during the first half of the season.<\/p>\n

One of Wicks\u2019 drops against the Vikings was on a very low throw from Love, and at least three others have been on balls thrown behind him.<\/p>\n

Coming off the bye, Love has been a full participant in both practices this week, which should allow the two to rekindle their chemistry.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s just up to me and J-Love to fix. J-Love, he\u2019s going to own up to his (mistakes), I\u2019m going to own up to mine,\u201d Wicks said. \u201cThere\u2019s plays out there to be made. I just have to come down with them, no matter where he throws it. That\u2019s how you become great. I\u2019m just working on every catch, every angle. That\u2019s what\u2019s going to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to spending extra time with Love, Wicks has also done extra work catching balls from the JUGS machine. But the most important work will be during 11-on-11 periods in practice, where head coach Matt LaFleur has upped the number of No. 1 offense-versus-No. 1 defense sessions to make the practices more competitive.<\/p>\n

Those are the kinds of plays Wicks wasn\u2019t getting with Love while Love worked through his injuries.<\/p>\n

\u201cPractice matters, for sure. Because you work on the stuff you\u2019re going to do in the game,\u201d Wicks said. \u201cIt helps you be more comfortable and confident, and it helps you play faster, too. But he\u2019s had a little time out of practice. We\u2019re going to get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that, Wicks believes, starts Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just going to continue getting open, giving him somewhere to throw,\u201d Wicks said. \u201cMost of the time I\u2019m out there, I feel like I\u2019m open. I\u2019ve got confidence in my routes, what I can do. I\u2019ve got confidence in my catching.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just ain\u2019t working how we want it right now, and that happens. So we\u2019ll just keep working, outwork what\u2019s going on right now. And I feel like I\u2019ll see the light at the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

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