CHARLOTTE – With the Packers' season possibly on the line, Romeo Doubs pulled Aaron Jones aside in the offensive huddle, gave his running back a quick hug and issued a challenge.
"Me and you," the second-year receiver told Jones. "We gotta go make a play."
Three plays later, Doubs did just that.
In what turned into a second-half shootout against Carolina, Doubs hauled in a 36-yard reception from quarterback Jordan Love on third-and-4 in a tied game with just over two minutes remaining.
It was the jolt Green Bay's offense needed to march down the field and set up Anders Carlson for a game-winning 32-yard field goal that propelled the Packers to a 33-30 win over the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium.
Doubs made several big plays in Sunday's win, including a 5-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, but his late-game heroics showed the leadership role the 23-year-old wideout has taken on at such an early age.
It wasn't without a little drama. Panthers interim head coach Chris Tabor challenged whether Doubs completed the catch, but the ruling stood upon further review since his body landed in bounds. The 36-yard catch is the longest in Doubs' young NFL career and nobody was more excited than Jones.
"Third down we throw it to him (and) he catches it. I said, 'This is a bad man,'" Jones recalling the play. "That's exactly what we just talked about. One of us had to make a play. He goes down there and makes a spectacular catch. That speaks volumes."
Check out photos from the Week 16 matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.