GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Praise for Dontayvion Wicks came from all corners after his performance in the Green Bay Packers' win Thursday over the Detroit Lions, including an unusual source: the NFL's replay official.
Wicks caught a pair of touchdowns in the 31-24 victory on Thanksgiving. The first one came under scrutiny, when it appeared the third-year wide receiver might not have controlled the ball and kept the requisite two feet down in bounds.
Just like every NFL scoring play, this one was reviewed. It did not take long to confirm it, although many at Ford Field voiced their displeasure.
"These receivers are that good," NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth said in a post-game pool report. "He controls the ball with his hand, but with his hands or arm above his body, while pulling it down, by rule, he can actually pull that ball into his body as he completes the process of a catch.
"We saw control with his right foot down and his left down in the end zone and then a third step out of the end zone."
That those words were spoken about the player who led the NFL in dropped passes last season illustrated just how different Wicks looked on Thursday and, when he has been healthy, for most of this season.
Wicks narrowly missed his first career 100-yard game with six catches for 94 yards against the Lions, including the clinching fourth-down grab that allowed the Packers to run out the clock, and he recorded his third career two-touchdown game. That included the 22-yard, toe-dragging, fourth-down score that officials received questions about after the game.
"I know a lot of great receivers that have struggled with drops and then overcame that," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. "He's got great hands. He's a natural plucker of the football, and so it's never like a lack of confidence in him. I've never wavered. I can say, [speaking] for myself and our staff, we've never wavered on his ability.
"He's so talented, and you just got to keep on approaching it the same way -- the way that he has -- and I think games like this are going to happen for him."
Wicks added a 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter, but it was his final catch -- a 16-yard snag on fourth-and-3 from the Lions' 45-yard line that he made despite losing his right shoe -- that may have been the most impressive. It came one play after Christian Watson dropped what would've been a first-down pass.
"It was huge," Watson said. "Shoot, we don't win the game without him. Shoot, he made me right on that third down. I got to find a way to come down with it. But shoot, he came out the next play and got it done. He was a big part of this win today."
Wicks didn't realize he'd lost his shoe until he saw left tackle Rasheed Walker holding it after the play. It put an exclamation point on Wicks' performance and rewarded LaFleur and quarterback Jordan Love for their faith in him.
"I'd been having a good game and I just wanted to end it -- and I knew I was going to have a chance to, being that I was on the inside running the crossing route," Wicks said. "I just had to beat man [coverage]."
The Packers have reason to think it won't be a one-time performance. Despite a league-leading 10 drops and the second-highest drop rate (13.2%) in the NFL last season, he has been productive at times during his first two seasons. He caught 39 passes as a rookie and the same number again last season. He caught nine touchdowns in those two seasons.
In 10 games this season, Wicks has 26 catches for 307 yards and the two touchdowns from Thursday.
His numbers -- and his role -- might have been greater this season had he not missed a pair of games because of a calf injury. That same injury kept him out for a good portion of training camp, too.
Wicks also stated his case to remain in the rotation even when receivers Matthew Golden (wrist), Savion Williams (foot) and Jayden Reed (foot, collarbone) return from their injuries. Reed hasn't played since Week 2 but could make his return this Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
"It's all about the work," Love said. "I think he, obviously, was challenged to come in and to be able to make these plays that he's making this year is amazing.
"I'm happy for him, very proud of him, but it's all the work he's put in. He's kept his head down. Kept grinding and I think everything is paying off for him."
While Wicks became a regular target for angry fans because of his drops last season, the reality is that his drastic improvement in that area began before 2024 ended. He had only one drop over his final five games last season. So far this season, he has had just two.
"I know what I can do, and the people around here know what I can do," Wicks said. "So that's really all I'm worried about."
That doesn't mean he wasn't hard on himself, perhaps at times even too hard on himself to the point where he let his frustrations become visible.
"I'm still that way," Wicks said. "I really think that helped me because I worked on gaining that next-play mentality, so being hard on yourself is a good thing because you know that you can do that. You have that confidence in yourself to make them plays so when you don't, it's just an like an opportunity missed."
