Randall Cobb led the Green Bay Packers in receptions and receiving yards in 2012.
Cobb had 80 catches for 954 yards last season. That’s almost twice as many catches as Jordy Nelson and more than 200 more yards. Greg Jennings and Donald Driver didn’t even come close to that production… combined. James Jones was closest to matching Cobb, with 64 for 784.
Still, next to Aaron Rodgers, Cobb was the Packers best player in 2012.
Well, you haven’t seen anything yet, apparently. Cobb is looking to take his game to another level in 2013.
“I really don’t think I’ve peaked yet,” Cobb said. “I’m 22 years old. I’ve got a lot of learning still to do. I have a long way to go and I just hope I continue to get better over the next years.”
If 2012 was any indication, that’s bad news for Packers opponents.
With Driver retired and Jennings signing with some joke of a team whose name I forget, Cobb should see more targets this season. So will Nelson and Jones, but the stats tell us neither are as important to the Packers’ success as Cobb.
In the Packers’ wins in 2012, Cobb caught 62 for 757. In the losses, he only caught 18 for 197. No other receiver on the Packers had such a wide statistical disparity between wins and losses, which tells us this.
When the Packers are able to get Cobb the ball throughout the game, they win. The guy is a game changer, which probably isn’t news to you. If he’s taken off special teams and is able to focus solely on offense, as expected, Cobb may just start putting up Wes Welker numbers.
The scary thing is, at 22, Cobb is still a few years away from his prime. If he stays healthy, Donald Driver‘s franchise receiving records will probably be toast.