NFCCG Performance Hopefully Vaults MVS to New Level in 2021
Forgotten about in Sunday's loss was a fantastic performance from Marquez Valdes-Scantling that hopefully vaults him to a new level in 2021.
By Paul_Bretl
Lost in the mayhem of another disappointing NFC Championship Game loss was the play of Marquez Valdes-Scantling. From the opening snap until the clock hit zero in the fourth quarter, MVS came to play, and he played very well.
Before the game even began, Aaron Rodgers let Valdes-Scantling know that he was going to need him to come up big on Sunday, and he certainly provided a few "big ones":
"I told him before the game, 'I was going to need some plays,'" Rodgers told reporters after the game. "'I was going to need at least two big ones.' He made many, many, many plays for us."
When it was all said and done, Valdes-Scantling hauled in four receptions on six targets for 115 yards, which equals out to a ridiculous 28.8 yards per catch, including a great contested catch on a 50-yard touchdown completion.
Valdes-Scantling added another deep completion with a 29 yard gain, but he also had two receptions on intermediate routes during scoring drives that totaled another 36 yards.
Without a doubt, given the circumstances, this was MVS' best performance of his young career. And this is the kind of performance in a big moment that can vault a player to a new level.
There's no question that this was an up and down year for Valdes-Scantling, to say the least, and it's been this way since his rookie season.
In 2018, there was a four-game stretch where he had a pair of touchdowns, hauled in 317 yards at over 21 yards per catch, which included two 100 yard performances. He then followed that up with eight games to end the season, where he caught just over 50 percent of his targets for 10.6 yards per catch.
Then in 2019, MVS came out of the gates hot, making 21 catches over the first seven games and averaging 20 yards per catch with two touchdowns. This included a 133 yard game against Oakland and a 99 yard game against Denver, along with a 47 yard catch against Chicago that resulted in Green Bay's only touchdown. However, once again, he then went quiet for much of the year.
This season we saw more ups and downs, although admittedly, they weren't quite to the same extent as past seasons. In fact, overall, Valdes-Scantling put up impressive numbers. During the regular season, Valdes-Scantling finished the year with 33 receptions for 690 yards at 20.9 yards per catch with six touchdowns.
His 374 deep ball yards -- which are competitions that travel at least 20 yards in the air -- were the eighth-most in football, and his four touchdowns were the fourth-most, according to Pro Football Focus ($).
We also saw growth from Valdes-Scanting as a receiver. While the deep ball will always be his bread and butter with that speed that he possesses, with an expanded route tree, he was much more effective on short and intermediate routes this season. MVS had 32 receptions in 2020 compared to 22 the year before, and he averaged 12 yards per catch compared to 10.9 in 2019, along with two touchdowns.
Yes, there were the maddening drops. In fact, Valdes-Scantling finished the year with seven, according to PFF, which was tied for the ninth-most in football. And who could forget the fumble against Indianapolis in overtime?
But the great moments by far outweighed the negative ones, and perhaps most importantly, we've seen MVS get better each season. Not to mention that 700 yard seasons don't happen by accident.
We know that confidence is a key contributor to Valdes-Scantling's success. Matt LaFleur discussed it over the summer, as did Rodgers:
“He’s a very talented young kid. He’s explosive, he’s an improved route runner, and he can do things after the catch. It’s just about that consistency and trusting himself,” Rodgers said via the Wisconsin State Journal. “I think some of it comes down to confidence, you know? I think he just needs to trust himself, first and foremost. And the more he does that …
“You might say, ‘Oh, that’s a little thing,’ or, ‘That’s a cliché’ or something, but there’s a big difference when you trust yourself completely to where you have that tinge of fear of constant failure all the time, it might inhibit you from practicing to your full potential all the time. But (the signs in camp) were very encouraging, and like I said, that needs to be the standard for him.”
Well, with the ups and downs that took place this season, once again, Valdes-Scantling's confidence could have been put to the test. But if you go back and look above at how the previous two seasons went for him, he had strong moments, but when the adversity hit, his performance tapered for the remainder of the year.
That didn't happen in 2020. Instead, over the last three games -- two of which were in the playoffs -- he caught ten passes for 235 yards with two touchdowns. Of course, this including the best performance of his career, as I highlighted above, in Green Bay's biggest game of the season.
Valdes-Scantling plays a very important role in this offense that loves to take shots downfield with Rodgers under center. No one else on the team possesses that 4.37 speed and can take the tops off defenses like he can.
If MVS can continue to find more consistency and continue becoming more effective on those short and intermediate routes, he's only going to become a bigger weapon. And with his performance this past Sunday, that could be the perfect jumping-off point to reaching a new level in 2021.
"I'm just really proud of him," Rodgers said after the game. "He's had such an interesting year. I think it's been a good year of growth for him as a person. That's what I'm most excited about for him as a friend."
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__________________________
Born and raised in Green Bay, WI and I still call it home. After my family, watching the Packers, sharing my opinions on the team through my writing and interacting with other fans is my greatest passion. You can find me on Twitter at @Paul_Bretl.
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Comments (13)
Bearmeat
January 29, 2021 at 11:05 am
MVS was inconsistent but undoubtedly made huge strides this season. He has already ascended to WR3 status and his value as scary deep threat is real. If he can clean up his hands, he can be a true 2nd WR next year. He has already blown away his draft status.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
January 29, 2021 at 11:54 am
Loving what I am seeing from MVS. He is entering into his last year of contract. Believe they should sign before next season. Guy is steadily improving. Let's lock him up!
CheesyTex
January 29, 2021 at 12:14 pm
MVS is so fortunate #12 took him under his wing. Tonyan and Lazard, too. Future looks bright for each of them.
So tired of "star" athletes crying for elite players to be added to their teams or changing teams to make them look better. IMO #12 did it the right way, by making those around him better and carried them to the brink.
Perhaps I'm a dinosaur in my thinking, but the Packers exceeded my expectations in each of the last two seasons and the fact that they didn't win it all does not diminish what they did accomplish.
TarynsEyes
January 29, 2021 at 01:09 pm
I offer no statistic to back this up, but IMO the success rate of a 'star' player leaving one team to join another under the hyped guise of making that team a success, which IMO again is the winning of an SB, and appears to be the lowest success rate of stats.
This doesn't ignore that it makes a team better and increases the odds of making it to the SB, but again IMO, it's more an anomaly than a norm, and if that success doesn't come quick, 1-3 years, you have more likely decreased the odds longer term by being salary cap restrained, and increasing the loss of lesser talent though viably needed to make the 'star' player worth the cost.
The other issue is the failure for young players to make the necessary jumps in time for them to be advantageous to the drafting team, where the second contract is either from another team or the origin team over pays on hope of a growth that shouldn't need that time.
Teams can no longer wait 3-4 years for players to grow when it appears that QBs are now ready to go year one. You can't waste the first 5 years of an above average starter on other talent to grow, hopefully. Schemes and coaching up players on both sides of the ball will need to be changed/created to make faster use of players day one. Perhaps then a 'star' player will be the impact player that is the piece to get that team the SB they play to get.
In closing, most 'star' players that move around do nothing more than create something to talk about and which is more about how dysfunctional the team is or became, and not the real success that was to come with obtaining him.
FA is more a curse than a Genie in a bottle, and even the Genie finds it hard to make success of the wish.
Guam
January 29, 2021 at 05:42 pm
Good post Taryn, good points and well said.
CheesyTex
January 29, 2021 at 09:39 pm
Taryn,
Ditto to Guam's response.
My concern is that the NFL is going the way of the NBA. Think of the Michael Jordan - LeBron James comparison. James is a tremendous player, but was never able to reach the top by leading the talent around him -- always had to bring in his hand chosen talent, bolt to another team, or both to make it. Jordan just made those around him better.
Ah for the good old days!
ricky
January 29, 2021 at 12:24 pm
As always, different players develop at different rates. How many were calling Rashan Gary a bust last year? Or MVS? Or, going back again, thought that Adams should have been cut after a lackluster second season? But, to temper this enthusiasm, remember that Jermichael Finley had a great playoff game against the Cardinals, but couldn't follow that up with consistently getting better. This is on MVS. If he will commit fully to getting better, his ceiling is extremely high. If not, or if he becomes complacent with a big contract, then the Packers will have to replace him. I hope he grasps this opportunity and (: runs with it.
gkarl
January 29, 2021 at 12:44 pm
Seems the NFL draft is little like the stock market if you get in at the right price you're much better holding and waiting for the return/results. If you day trade you may give up on a play to soon.
PhantomII
January 29, 2021 at 02:03 pm
MVS stepped it up big time in this game. One of a few bright spots. He cares about his craft and is working hard at improving.
Swisch
January 29, 2021 at 03:09 pm
One thing that may go largely overlooked is how well a corps of wide receivers blends together.
We're fortunate, it seems, in that Davante is not a diva for all his greatness; but I do sense that he wants to get the ball on just about every play.
It appears MVS and Lazard have been very good in deferring to Davante but still trying to be ready when the ball comes their way.
Plus, they seem excellent blockers for wide receivers.
In different ways, I think both MVS and Lazard are going to keep improving; and I'm hopeful that as they get more receptions, Davante will gladly yield to them more in the interest of a more potent corps of receivers overall.
What I think we all began to notice with MVS late in the season is how well he can catch with his hands; and when he grabs a pass out of the air on an intermediate route, he's shown flashes of being able to make effective and exciting gains running the ball. (Is it RAC as in run after catch, or YAC as in yards after catch?).
If MVS is as good of a person as he seems as far as putting in the work and being a good teammate, let's sign him this offseason if possible.
Then we can take a look at Lazard, whom I like a lot, after next season, while also hoping for big gains from others such as ESB.
With our tight ends and running backs added in, I'm liking our entire air force of pass catchers going into next season as a dynamic array of weapons.
Finally, perhaps what we can look for in the draft or free agency is a quick slot guy like Cole Beasley, or formerly Randall Cobb. That could be something new that makes what is already one of the NFL's best passing offenses downright scary.
TarynsEyes
January 29, 2021 at 03:20 pm
The Packers have certainly been lucky with Adams being a silent diva, but a rise in trust from Rodgers to others may bring out a discontent Adams who finds himself competing for targets. Even the most quiet get loud when their toes start to get stepped upon.
Dragon5
January 29, 2021 at 06:45 pm
7 life path WRs...Fuller, MVS, Ross also in personal 7 years for 2021 adding further risk. You'll recognize a lot of these names frequent injury reports and injured reserve.
FULLER, WILL
VALDES-SCANTLING, MARQUES
ROSS, JOHN
METCALF, DK
HARMON, KELVIN
KUPP, COOPER
SHEPARD, STERLING
HUMPHRIES, ADAM
HILTON, TY
SMITH, DEVONTA
MOORE, J'MON
HAMLER, KJ
BROWN, ANTONIO
ALLEN, KEENAN
PARKER, DEVANTE
GRANT, JAKEEM
HARRIS, MAURICE
JONES, MARVIN
HURNS, ALLEN
HankScorpio
February 02, 2021 at 07:42 pm
They still need a solid #2. In the 4th, with a SB on the line, the offense didn't move the ball very well at all. That moment was why they needed WR help after 2019 and why they still need it after 2020. I don't give a happy rip about where they ranked offensively or how many points they scored on the Lions and Panthers and Bears. I care about that moment. They were not good enough in 2020 and need to get better in 2021.
On MVS, it's been three years. That's time to judge. He's a great 5th round pick and a solid backup. But he's not the guy that can step up in that moment. I'll be thrilled if MVS develops into that solid #2 and delivers in that moment next year. I think it is foolish to count on that. I hope Gute sees it the same way. After 2019, he said he did. And then did nothing about it.