PAINFUL: Undrafted Wide Receiver Malik Heath, becoming a total down fall to green bay packers says coach.

The Green Bay Packers entered their Thanksgiving matchup with a slew of injuries on both sides of the ball. On the offensive side, tight end Luke Musgrave was placed on injured reserve after suffering a lacerated kidney in the Packers’ win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Additionally, wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks was sidelined with a concussion.

The two injuries appeared to be detrimental to the Packers’ offense going into the game. Both Musgrave and Wicks had become integral parts of the offense and two of Jordan Love’s most trusted targets. In the game against Los Angeles, Musgrave had four receptions for 28 yards, and Wicks had three receptions for 91 yards.

Musgrave, too, is just 23 yards away from breaking Bubba Franks’ franchise record for receiving yards by a rookie tight end. Before his injury, he was also on pace to challenge Sterling Sharpe’s record for receptions by a rookie.

After a slow start to the season, Wicks had come on strong in the last four games he played. Including the Chargers’ game, he had recorded 219 receiving yards in those contests.

With the two of them out, undrafted rookie wide receiver Malik Heath was active for the game and received more playing time than he had seen all season. He rewarded the Packers’ with solid production and one of the highest PFF grades possible.

In the Thanksgiving win over the Lions, Heath had four receptions (on four targets) for 46 yards. He only played 11 snaps, but he made the absolute most of them.

According to PFF, Heath had the highest grade of any offensive player on the team with a 94.5 overall grade. He had a 90.6 receiving grade and an incredible 95.6 run blocking grade.

That level of production, four catches for 46 yards, may not stand out on a stat sheet like Christian Watson’s five receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown (and 87.7 PFF grade), but his catches kept the chains moving.

On the season, Heath now has five receptions for 53 yards, which already gives him a better rookie season than the following former Packers wide receivers: