Cheesehead
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- Mar 19, 2019
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GREEN BAY – The Packers have seven Pro Bowlers, six All-Pros, an NFL Offensive Player of the Year contender and the frontrunner to win NFL MVP.
Yet, Aaron Rodgers will be the first to point out how there comes a point in every NFL postseason where it's not the stars and the household names who decide the outcome of a game.
It's James Starks coming out of nowhere to rush for 123 yards in a wild-card win over Philadelphia, Jarrett Bush grabbing a key interception in Super Bowl XLV and even a young Jordy Nelson jolting the offense that day with 140 receiving yards and a TD.
As the Packers get ready to embark on yet another playoff run – the 10th in Rodgers' 13 seasons as Green Bay's starting QB – it's likely another unsung hero or emerging prospect will come through in the clutch.
"There's so many guys who haven't been in that (Super Bowl) mix before," Rodgers said. "The Super Bowl is obviously a big part of the way that quarterbacks are judged and teams in general are judged. It has always and will always take a team to do it. Hopefully, this is the team to do it this year."
The Packers, sitting at 13-3, are battle-tested with a plethora of young players who have emerged this season to propel the Packers to a second consecutive 13-win regular season and the top seed in the NFC playoffs.
Some, such as Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander or 2019 All-Rookie performers Elgton Jenkins and Darnell Savage, made an early name for themselves, while others have stepped their game up during perhaps the most unique season in NFL history.
Here's a look at a few young players who emerged in Green Bay's lineup this season:
LB Krys Barnes, rookie
The UCLA linebacker was the lone college free agent to open the 2020 season on the Packers' 53-man roster, marking the 15th consecutive year Green Bay has carried at least one undrafted rookie in Week 1.
Despite not having a physical offseason program, Barnes quickly commandeered the defensive communication headset on his way to an 80-tackle campaign. He started 10 of the 13 games in which he appeared, playing 421 snaps.
The 6-foot-1, 235-pound linebacker also had five tackles for loss, one sack and a forced fumble of Carolina quarterback Teddy Bridgewater on the goal line in Week 15 that was a pivotal play in the Packers' 24-16 win over the Panthers.
As the every-down "Mike" linebacker down the stretch, Barnes registered a career-high 14 tackles in Green Bay's regular-season finale in Chicago.
"He's done his job and he's really good as far as the demeanor, getting guys lined up. It's not chaotic in there," defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said. "He can go ahead and make a decision and whatever check or the front, if that's involved, he gets it done and he makes plays."