Everybody in Green Bay loves the Packers and everybody likes action movies. So what would happen if you took one of the more interesting groups of players on the Packers, the wide receivers, and placed them into cliché roles you see in every action movie? Well you don’t have to think about it because I already did it.
The Leader – Greg Jennings
Key skill: Leadership
The Leader is the face of the group in every aspect. He is the number one target for the boss (quarterback), and he is the number one target for the enemy. Everybody knows his name and what he can do and thus fear and respect him. The others look to him for guidance, and he provides it. Even when out of picture, he is leading the others and everybody knows that when he returns, he will be back with a vengeance.
Jordy doing what he does best, streaking down the field for a touchdown (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps
The Sidekick – Jordy Nelson
Key skill: Flying under the radar
The Sidekick is always there to backup the leader. This term should not be viewed negatively; the Sidekick’s skills are much needed. While opponents focus on the leader, the Sidekick is sprinting down the field unnoticed and thus is wide open for the touchdown pass. The Sidekick’s skills are also good enough for him to take over if the leader is to ever go down. Nelson has shown this year that he can be the number one and is a great receiver no matter what his role.
The Wildcard – Randall Cobb
Key skill: Good at everything
The Wildcard does a little bit of everything. He can catch passes, run screen plays, take handoffs, and run back punts and kickoffs. Opponents are constantly on edge because they don’t know what he will do next. His greatest bits of “wildcardness” come during kickoffs, where only he knows if he will try to return it, but the defense is always aware of the power he holds. They only need to watch this to know.
The Clumsy One – Jermichael Finley
Key skill: Dropping the ball
The clumsy one is usually there for comedic relief as he does something dumb or drops something for laughs during a tense situation. In this case though, Finley’s clumsiness leads to fan anger. You see the pain in his face each time he drops a ball, but you aren’t at all surprised when he drops it. Fans moan and say things like, “typical” or “that’s not a surprise.” In films, the clumsy one of the group usually gets annoying by the end; you could say the same for Finley.
The Veteran – Donald Driver
Key skill: Experience
The Veteran has been a part of the group for a long time. At one time he was the leader but as father time has caught up with him, his role is smaller than ever but he still puts in the same amount of effort each week. You can see he still has love for the game by his constant smile and feel-good attitude. When the veteran gets action in the game, the crowd goes nuts and you know he is still loved by all.
The Rookie – Jarrett Boykin
Skill: Patience
The Rookie is always behind the scenes and doesn’t often get his chance to shine. But he continues to wait and learn from everybody else on how he can contribute and better the squad. While he doesn’t get much action now (Boykin has only one catch all year), he knows that one day his chance will come – his chance to be the hero.
Mere mortals can’t stop The Muscle
The Muscle – John Kuhn
Key skill: Brawn
(Authors note: I know Kuhn isn’t a receiver, but he regularly catches the ball and totally fits within an action movie stereotype, so I’m keeping him in here).
The Muscle’s name says it all. He loves to get the ball and seek out contact. Keen to big explosions (see: big hits), The Muscle isn’t afraid to run right at opponents and force them to face him head on: a terrifying prospect. The Muscle is also a fan favorite; every time he touches the ball, the crowd sings his name in preparation of some act of strength he is about to perform.
So there you have it, the Green Bay Packers Action Squad (name still a work in progress), heading towards a TV screen near you.
The Green Bay Packers Action Squad, saving your Sunday’s one week at a time.
About Jacob Daczyk