5 X-Factors for a Green Bay Packers Super Bowl Run

Green Bay Packers Playoff X-Factor: Josiah Deguara

When Robert Tonyan’s season ended due to an ACL tear, it took a few weeks for the other Green Bay Packers’ tight ends to find their stride within the offense–specifically the passing game.

But around Week 11, we saw Matt LaFleur and Nathaniel Hackett incorporating Josiah Deguara, Marcedes Lewis, and even Tyler Davis into the passing game more. I also don’t believe it’s a coincidence that it was at this time that the offense as a whole really started to click. Since that same Week 11 game in Minnesota, Aaron Rodgers has completed 72 percent of his passes with 20 touchdowns to zero interceptions along with a passer rating of 124.4.

As Deguara’s role has expanded, he’s had a few miscues, including the red zone drop against Minnesota in Week 17 on the opening drive. However, he’s been reliable for the most part. Over Green Bay’s final seven games, Deguara would catch 17 of his 23 targets for 192 yards — this includes a 62-yard catch and run against Detroit — and two total touchdowns per PFF.

In addition to what he adds to this offense as a pass-catcher, Deguara’s versatility, which allows him to line up in the backfield, in-line, in the slot, or even out wide, helps LaFleur achieve the illusion of complexity that he has talked about.

Essentially this is a way to keep the defense guessing by running plays that begin similarly but end differently or by running the same play from a variety of formations–and to truly encapsulate the illusion of complexity, versatility, both in where a player lines up but also in their ability to be a pass-catcher as well as a blocker, is key.

If Deguara is playing well and has the attention of the opposing defense, he can affect the game both with the ball in his hands but also just by where he lines up on the field and what his responsibility is that play.