Can Jarrett Boykin Step Up in Randall Cobb's Absence?

The Green Bay Packers have been hit hard by the injury bug this season. It started during training camp when offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga was lost for the season and reached a ridiculous point when Randall Cobb fractured his fibula this past week.

While Bulaga's injury and others along the way have certainly hurt, none of them can compare to the loss of Cobb. This is a player who quarterback Aaron Rodgers thought could catch over 100 balls this year, according to Mike Spofford of Packers.com. His playmaking ability and versatility are unmatched on the Packers depth chart.

When Cobb left Sunday's game late in the first half, Green Bay's only option to replace him alongside Jordy Nelson was second-year receiver Jarrett Boykin. Today we're going to look at Boykin's performance last week and see whether or not he can step up in Cobb's absence.

What the Statistics Say

Let's start by saying that the statistics aren't too kind to Boykin. Before Sunday's game, Boykin only played nine total snaps in three games. In Week 6, Boykin was in on 58 of the Packers' 69 offensive snaps.

As you can see in the chart above, Boykin wasn't particularly productive in those 58 snaps, either. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he only had one reception in five targets to go along with his two drops on the day.

While his lone reception was impressive, going for 43 yards and causing three missed tackles, this type of hit-or-miss production isn't going to be enough for Green Bay. 

What the Film Says

When looking over the film of Boykin's game on Sunday, it's a combination of missed opportunities, missed connections with Aaron Rodgers and one lone good play. That good play was the screen pass that Boykin took 43 yards. On that play it was clear to see the playmaking abilities that Boykin possesses in open space.

However, the bad from Boykin that we'll look at outweighs the one good play. 

As you can see in the picture above, Boykin is going to run a simple comeback. This is a play that Rodgers and his receivers can make with their eyes closed.

Unfortunately, Boykin doesn't have the timing needed to make this play. He runs deeper than Rodgers expected, and despite the throw being right where it needs to be, the pass is incomplete due to Boykin overrunning his route.

On the next play, Boykin once again makes a mental error on a simple slant. 

As you can see, there is not a single Ravens defender near Boykin on this play. The worst part of this incompletion was the fact that Rodgers extended this play beautifully. He felt the pressure, stepped up in the pocket and made a beautiful pass to Boykin.

The problem is that Boykin lets the ball go straight through his hands. This incomplete pass forced the Packers to punt from their own 1-yard line, giving Baltimore great field position late in the half.

Had Boykin not made mental errors on both of these plays, it could have possibly given the Packers some momentum to score before the end of the first half. However, the drive stalled on two plays that any NFL receiver should be able to make.

Final Verdict

On one hand, it's easy to dismiss Boykin's mental errors with the fact that he's hardly seen the field this year. While that is certainly a possibility, it isn't a good excuse for Boykin or the Packers.

With Cobb sidelined for the foreseeable future, Boykin not only needs to be able to make both those plays that he missed in Week 6, but he'll need to do much more than that.

Unless something drastically changes during this week, all signs from game film and statistics point to the fact that Boykin is not going to be able to step up in Cobb's absence.