Packers offense needs to adjust without Marquez Valdes-Scantling
The Packers will be without Marquez Valdes-Scantling for at least three games.
The Green Bay Packers‘ offense has got back to its high-flying best over the past couple of weeks, scoring 30 or more points against both the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers.
That’s despite being without All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari, and Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins missed the trip to San Francisco.
Green Bay will be without another key player on offense in the short term. The team announced this weekend that wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been placed on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury. It means he has to miss at least three games.
MVS had made a relatively quiet start to the year with just six catches over three games, but he caught his first touchdown of the season last Sunday night against the Niners. Prior to that, he had a few opportunities missed after Aaron Rodgers failed to find him despite MVS being wide open.
It’s difficult for the Packers to replace what MVS brings to the offense. He’s a field-stretcher who forces defenses to always worry about him getting open deep. The Packers still have receivers capable of attacking defenses vertically — Davante Adams and Allen Lazard have done it on many occasion — but it’s tough to replace MVS’ skill set.
Matt LaFleur will need to find ways to adjust. Maybe that means Randall Cobb gets more opportunities. He’s a different player to MVS but he’s a trusted target for Rodgers when the Packers need a play. He’s also averaging 14.5 yards per reception this season and has looked good on limited opportunities.
Cobb can be an effective part of this offense in the slot with his ability after the catch.
Maybe rookie Amari Rodgers gets more opportunities and the Packers use more motion and jet sweeps, much like we saw when Tyler Ervin was in Green Bay.
The Packers will miss Valdes-Scantling, and no other receiver on the roster can replace what he brings to this offense. But LaFleur still has plenty of firepower to work with. He’ll just need to adjust for the time being.