Film breakdown of Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s game against Lions

A closer look at the big game from Packers WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling against the Lions.

Even after all the drops and the game-changing fumble against the Indianapolis Colts, wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s confidence has been unwavering. Whether it be from his head coach or MVP-caliber quarterback, Valdes-Scantling has had plenty of people inside 1265 Lombardi to reassure him of his abilities and role on this team. And it’s paid off.

The Green Bay Packers have been through a whirlwind this year and the first two seasons of Valdes-Scantling’s career. The receiver is one of the most volatile players the Packers have seen in recent memory. One second, he is taking the top off the defense, and the next, he is ripping your heart out with a dropped pass.

However, 2020 has been Valdes-Scantling’s most consistent and best season of his career, and the peaks have surely overshadowed the valleys. He’s already had four games with at least four receptions after a total of five games with four receptions in 2018 and 2019 combined. With three games left in the season, Valdes-Scantling also has career-highs in yards, touchdowns, and first downs. At this rate, he will also break his single-season reception record and post a new career-high in yards per reception. In fact, his 19.5 yards per reception leads the NFL.

All things considered, Valdes-Scantling is having a pretty good season. In his latest performance against the Detroit Lions, he caught all six of his targets for 85 yards and a touchdown. The film doesn’t lie when it shows that Valdes-Scantling is starting to put it all together.

Aaron Rodgers has a highlight reel of back-shoulder throws, but not many have gone to Valdes-Scantling. It’s a tough ball to throw and catch because it requires great trust between the quarterback and receiver and a pinpoint pass. When the two were together, Rodgers and Jordy Nelson were on another level when it came to these types of plays. That trend has since carried over to Davante Adams, and now Valdes-Scantling is getting in on the action.

Against press coverage, Valdes-Scantling implements a quick hesitation move to get an outside release. It appears this ball was going his way the whole time. Rodgers puts this one in there beautifully, but Valdes-Scantling shows good body control and play strength to adjust for the ball and make a contested catch. Great job all-around.

Matt LaFleur likes to talk about the little things Valdes-Scantling does, and the play above is a perfect example. Valdes-Scantling is starting to make a name for himself as a blocker, which is always great to have from wide receivers. This one wasn’t quite as noteworthy as his effort on Aaron Jones’ 77-yard touchdown run against the Philadelphia Eagles, however, it still demonstrates his ability to show up on all types of plays. He does a nice job engaging with the slot corner so Tavon Austin can get up the field for the first down. It doesn’t go down in the stat sheet, but this is an influential play made by Valdes-Scantling.

Detroit is in press coverage here. Valdes-Scantling gets the inside release and does a nice job leaning into the corner before breaking inside. He gets clean separation with a subtle push off, and if Rodgers has more time, he probably would have been targeted. Valdes-Scantling’s progress as a route runner is becoming more and more tangible with the attention to detail in his routes.

Green Bay relies on Valdes-Scantling as their deep threat, and this is why. No receiver can match his speed when it comes to these vertical routes. He crosses the corner’s face and then does a nice job getting over top of the corner to stack him. Now, the corner has to grab him to prevent a catch. Sometimes, speed is the name of the game, and Valdes-Scantling is very good at it.

We’ve pointed out before how good Valdes-Scantling is at running crossers. The play above is another example, and the result is a 14-yard gain for a first down. The corner tries to gain control of him by putting his hand on Valdes-Scantling’s shoulder, but he is able to push off without a penalty for an easy catch.

A month ago, we highlighted Valdes-Scantling doing a nice job working against zone coverage. The Lions are in zone here, and Valdes-Scantling shows good awareness yet again. He settles in nicely behind the safety and then does a great job working back to the ball while it’s in the air. By attacking the ball, he actually helps himself pick up a few more yards. Valdes-Scantling shows great concentration to make a difficult catch and his athleticism to stay on his feet.

This was his final catch of the game. The Lions are in off man, and Valdes-Scantling is running a 10-yard hitch. The corner has to respect his speed, and he’s already expecting something over the top with the way Valdes-Scantling is accelerating.  However, Valdes-Scantling stops on a dime and receives a perfect throw right at the sticks. This play shows Valdes-Scantling weaponizing his speed on something other than a go route.

As long as he can continue to use his speed to his advantage and continue to improve his short and intermediate route running, Valdes-Scantling will be well on his way to becoming a more complete player. In Year 3, the Packers are seeing that there are other ways to get him involved.

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