Packers’ Davante Adams producing at high rate in breakout season

Maybe it was just a sophomore slump for Davante Adams.

Whatever the case, the former Fresno State star has put a forgettable 2015 season behind him en route to a breakout 2016 campaign in his third season with the Green Bay Packers.

Adams, though limited to one catch Sunday vs.Houston, has 59 receptions for 793 yards and eight touchdowns – a considerable improvement from a year ago, when he finished with 50 catches for 483 receiving yards and one TD.

“I don’t even really think about it” as a breakout, Adams was quoted at Packers.com, after last week’s two-touchdown game in a 27-13 win on Monday Night Football vs. Philadelphia. “I just keep my head down and just keep trucking through the rest of the season.

“People show love and things like that and I appreciate all of it, but you’re only as good as that week so you’ve got to make sure that you continue to spoil the fans and the rest of the people out there in the world.”

Injuries were a factor in 2015. Adams hurt an ankle early in the season, then a knee in the wild-card game. He missed the divisional round.

“It gets frustrating but you’ve just got to be mature and look at it as a process. Just be patient,” said Adams, who twice this season has topped 100 yards receiving with two touchdowns. “It’s kind of hard to do when nobody really cares about what’s going on with the body, they just want to see you out there catching balls and running routes full speed.

“You’ve got to be patient, and it pays off once you’re healthy and you’re able to run around.”

Carr leads another comeback – Down 24-9 in the third quarter, it seemed the Raiders had been caught looking ahead to a Thursday showdown vs. AFC West rival Kansas City.

Never fear, ex-Fresno State star Derek Carr engineered his AFC-leading sixth comeback this season, leading Oakland to a 38-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

Carr’s 37-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper early in the fourth quarter gave Oakland the lead. He finished 19 of 35 for 260 yards and two touchdowns. He did not throw an interception while compiling a passer rating of 97.3, just off his 100.3 mark for the season.

Carr became the fourth player in NFL history with 300 completions in each of his first three seasons, joining Andy Dalton, Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning.

Heading into the game against the Chiefs, Carr has 3,375 passing yards and 24 touchdowns against five interceptions.

Carr, who needs two completions for 1,000 in his career, is the only quarterback in franchise history to open with three consecutive 3,000-plus passing yard seasons.

Et cetera – Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson (College of the Sequoias) had six tackles and a pass deflection in a 29-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

▪ Indianapolis Colts linebacker Chris Carter (Fresno State) had two special-team tackles in a 41-10 victory over the New York Jets.

▪ Los Angeles Rams safety T.J. McDonald (Edison) finished with five tackles, a quarterback hit and a pass defensed in a 26-10 loss to the New England Patriots. Rams’ right guard Cody Wichmann (Fresno State) made his 11th career start.

▪ Minnesota middle linebacker Eric Kendricks (Hoover) had six tackles and a fumble recovery as the Vikings fell to the Dallas Cowboys 17-15.

▪ New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Tyler Davison (Fresno State) started his 16th game, a 28-13 loss to the Detroit Lions.

▪ Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks (Hoover) had a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter of a 32-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

▪ San Diego’s Isaiah Burse (Fresno State) had a punt return for 12 yards in the Chargers’ 28-21 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

▪ Denver Broncos tight end Virgil Green (Tulare) was nominated by his team for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. It recognizes players for excellence on and off the field, and is among the league’s most prestigious awards.

This story was originally published December 7, 2016 at 5:15 PM with the headline "Packers’ Davante Adams producing at high rate in breakout season."