While the Green Bay Packers locked up the No. 1 seed in the NFC and home field throughout the playoffs up until the Super Bowl, there will be stiff competition coming to Lambeau Field. Any combination of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, or Los Angeles Rams will be difficult to beat. Even with Aaron Rodgers leading the way, the Packers will need other players to step up.
Obviously, the majority of attention will be focused on Davante Adams, A.J. Dillon, and Aaron Jones on the offensive side of the ball alongside Rodgers. Defensively, the Packers have played well, but need to be consistent. However, there is one massive offensive X-Factor that the Packers need to step up.
That X-Factor would be wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. He is the Packers’ one massive deep threat specialist, which will need to play a factor against top-notch Super Bowl contending teams.
Valdes-Scantling has had a very inconsistent 2021 season. That has become the normal term used for him, but the Packers know how good he is capable of being. Rodgers has been adamant about getting Valdes-Scantling involved and has talked openly about how important he is to the offense.
Throughout the regular season, Valdes-Scantling ended up catching 26 passes for 430 yards and three touchdowns. They weren’t horrible numbers, but the Packers and Valdes-Scantling were hoping for more. Now, in the playoffs, he can provide them with the production that they need.
Every single opposing defense that the Packers face will be focused on slowing down Adams. That should pave the way for Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard to put up big production. If they are capable of doing that, the Packers will be extremely difficult to beat.
To show how good Valdes-Scantling is capable of being, he had a game just a few weeks ago against the Baltimore Ravens that saw him catch five passes for 98 yards and a touchdown. However, in the two weeks since that huge performance, he has caught just one pass for three yards.
If the Packers are going to make a run to the Super Bowl, they will need the good version of Marquez Valdes-Scantling. He is capable of breaking off a 40-to-75-yard touchdown anytime he’s on the field. Unfortunately, he has not done that very often.
Expect to see Rodgers and the Packers look to get Valdes-Scantling involved early and often this postseason. With Adams likely facing many double teams, the other receivers have to make plays. Lazard has proven himself capable of doing that and now it’s Valdes-Scantling’s time to do that as well.
