Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s touchdown illustrated…

Moments after the Packers clinched their third consecutive NFC North championship on Sunday, Aaron Rodgers made it a point to find Marquez Valdes-Scantling inside the visitors’ locker room at M&T Bank Stadium.

Once Rodgers did, the NFL’s reigning MVP had a short, but to the point, message for his fourth-year receiver, whose five catches for 98 yards and a touchdown went a long way in Green Bay securing a hard-fought 31-30 win over the Baltimore Ravens…and the divisional title that came with it.

“I said, ‘That’s the Marquez I know,'” Rodgers recalled in his post-game Zoom. “I’m very, very proud of him.”

It has been a challenging year for Valdes-Scantling, who missed five games earlier this season due to a hamstring injury. He also had been limited in practice the past few weeks with hip and back injuries.

Since returning from the hamstring, the 6-foot-4, 206-pound receiver has had big moments like his four-catch, 123-yard day against Minnesota last month. There also have been a few games, like last week against Chicago, where Valdes-Scantling played more of a complementary role to other skill-position players in Green Bay’s multi-faceted offense.

But with the Ravens shading heavy coverage the way of All-Pro receiver Davante Adams on Sunday, it allowed Valdes-Scantling more one-on-one opportunities and he responded in a big way.