Getty Aaron Rodgers #12 and Marquez Valdes-Scantling #83 of the Green Bay Packers react on the sidelines trailing 12-0 to the Los Angeles Charges during a 26-11 Chargers win at Dignity Health Sports Park on November 03, 2019 in Carson, California.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling has disappeared so much inside the Green Bay Packers offense that former Super Bowl champions are starting to wonder what happened to cause the second-year wide receiver to drop off so tremendously.
Former starting wide receiver and current NFL Network analyst James Jones, who helped the Packers win their most recent Super Bowl title during the 2010 season, seemed bewildered Sunday afternoon that Valdes-Scantling was uninvolved with the offense with star Davante Adams and Allen Lazard the only two wideouts getting regular targets.
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Valdes-Scantling caught zero passes for the fourth time in his last five games for the Packers, continuing a slump that has seen him catch just two passes for 11 yards since putting up a career-high 133 yards during Week 7’s win over the Oakland Raiders. The young receiver who emerged from training camp as the Packers’ No. 2 wideout did sustain injuries to his knee and ankles against during that big performance, but he hasn’t been on the injury report in weeks.
Jones saw plenty of good receivers during his eight seasons with the Packers, working alongside names such as Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb while also putting him notable numbers himself. He caught a touchdown passes in two playoff games during the Packers’ Super Bowl campaign in 2010, making five catches for 50 yards in the title game itself. He finished his Packers career averaging 14.4 yards on 360 career receptions.
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Adams Regains Priority in X Position
Earlier this week, Packers coach Matt LaFleur discussed moving the now-healthy Adams back to the X position among the receivers, a spot where Valdes-Scantling’s speed was considered to be a threat, but Lazard and a bevy of tight ends were given preference in terms of reps.
The Packers offense didn’t exactly get into a terrific rhythm in Sunday’s 20-15 win over the Redskins, but Lazard continued to look sturdy as a secondary option to Adams. He gained 19 yards on two catches, while star rusher Aaron Jones returned to the fold in the passing game to lead the way with six catches for 58 yards.
“We’re always searching for ways to get all of those guys on the field,” LaFleur said last week. I don’t think it’s necessarily anything Marquez has done. I think he’s done a nice job. Especially in practice, his urgency and intensity level has definitely picked up.”
Geronimo Allison’s One Catch Nearly Ended in Disaster
While Valdes-Scantling’s development has been among the most disappointing, he hasn’t been the only option at wide receiver who has underachieved in 2019.
Fourth-year slot receiver Geronimo Allison was also expected to have a bigger year after packing great production into only a handful of games during the 2018 season, a campaign that was cut short after he suffered a season-ending injury. But healthy, Allison hasn’t come close to wowing during a contract season.
Sunday’s home game also almost saw his only play end in a turnover when, after getting up from making a reception, he fumbled the ball into the hands of the Redskins defense. Fortunately for the Packers, the officials ruled him down earlier in the play when he thought he’d evaded a tackle and awarded him with an 11-yard gain instead.
Allison showed his best signs of life earlier in the season when he caught three passes for 52 yard and a touchdown in a Week 5 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but his numbers on the season — 29 catches for 251 yards and two touchdowns — are largely unimpressive and could spell doom for his future with the team.
The former University of Illinois standout was given a one-year, $2.8 million deal in the offseason that was likely the result of his 303 yards in five games in 2018. With the promise of those numbers undelivered, though, Allison seems a strong candidate to be allowed to slip away as an unrestricted free agent in 2020.
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