Packers: Top five performers vs. Giants in Week 13 win
By Jesse Fry
2. Allen Lazard
Despite the weather, the Packers game plan seemed to center around being aggressive down the field. Aaron Rodgers went deep early and often against the Giants. If that was the plan, the Packers would need more than Davante Adams. Enter Allen Lazard.
Lazard finished the game with three catches for 103 yards and a touchdown. Averaging over 34 yards per catch, Lazard proved to be a dangerous player down the field. It started on the first drive with Lazard making a wonderful diving catch for 43 yards and continued when he hauled in a 34-yard touchdown on the second.
Lazard has been a pleasant surprise for the Packers. Marquez Valdes-Scantling was thought to be the one to fill the role currently occupied by Lazard. But MVS has hit a snag in his development and was targeted only twice in the game. If not for the emergence of Lazard, the slow development of Valdes-Scantling might have put the Packers offense in a bad place. MVS has only one catch in the last four games and only 23 on the season.
By comparison, Lazard has one less catch (Lazard 22, MVS 23) on about half as many snaps (Lazard 239, MVS 477) according to Pro Football Reference.
He has clearly become the Packers’ second best receiving weapon. There is still plenty of time for MVS to come around and contribute. In the meantime, Lazard has taken and ran with his opportunity.