One word that could describe the season of Marquez Valdes-Scantling through eight weeks would be “struggle.” He struggled to find separation, struggled to have confidence and, most of all, struggled to complete catches. The Week 9 Thursday Night Football game between the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers brought more success than struggles for MVS. Aaron Rodgers and Packer fans alike hope this helps the athletic wide receiver turn a corner.
MVS Thrives on TNF
Valdes-Scantling’s night began with a horrendous drop, which led to glares from his quarterback. Whether it was due to confidence in his receiver or the lack of weapons outside of Davante Adams, Rodgers looked the way of MVS again soon after.
With less than two minutes left of the first half, the Packers were hoping they could find more points before they went to the locker room. It’s clear Rodgers and Matt LaFleur were thinking touchdown. Rodgers went deep to MVS, connecting on a beautiful 52-yard touchdown that had Packer fans holding their breaths, as the ball seemed to hang in the air forever.
Rodgers found MVS in the end zone again during the third quarter, with MVS getting open and completing the catch, despite the no-call facemask on the Niners. The big 52-yard touchdown is nice, but these are the plays that truly build confidence.
Packers Receivers Going Forward
MVS looked good on Thursday Night Football, playing a big part in the Packers’ 34-17 win over the 49ers. So, what does this mean going forward?
With the Packers not making any moves at the trade deadline, they stick with the same receiving corps going forward. Allen Lazard looked close to playing this week. We can optimistically predict he returns for Week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. This, again, moves MVS to the third receiver role, which could really help him thrive.
Clearly, he is not the greatest route runner. Drawing less talented coverage could be huge in the success for MVS late this season, especially if weaker coverage comes with less athletic players. You can’t teach speed, and clearly MVS has it. So, hopefully he can be a field-stretcher and a lethal deep shot on play action, as the Packers hope to make a deep playoff run yet again.
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