One of the key players in this weekend’s game between the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons is a player that a lot of fans outside of Green Bay rarely talk about. Ty Montgomery opened the 2016 NFL season as a wide receiver in Green Bay. Thanks to lackluster play by Eddie Lacy, the Packers tried something new and moved Montgomery to running back to see how he could play there. Now, in 2017, Montgomery is the leading tailback for the Packers and might be the biggest weapon they have against the Atlanta Falcons.
The James White story
This week, as reporters spoke to players in the locker room, they started to talk about Ty Montgomery.
It seemed strange since Montgomery had a quiet opening game in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. However, reporters saw a similarity between Montgomery and a New England Patriots running back James White. Martellus Bennett, who won a Super Bowl ring when the Patriots beat the Atlanta Falcons last season, sees the reason the reporters seem interested.
“James is a unique player with his style of play and the things that he’s capable of doing,” said Bennett, who is now starting for the Green Bay Packers. “I think he had the best matchup throughout the whole game.”
That is interesting because this weekend, Ty Montgomery might step right into the same shoes and one wonders if Aaron Rodgers will pick up on that.
Against the Falcons, White – a running back – caught a game-high 14 receptions against the Atlanta Falcons, ran for two touchdowns on the ground, and even converted a two-point conversion. In the regular season, White ran for 166 yards and added 551 yards through the air. In the Super Bowl, he had 166 total yards.
Ty Montgomery as the lead workhorse
Much like James White, Ty Montgomery can catch the ball and run well after the catch. He never played running back in the NFL or college and picked it up well last season. In the opening game this season, Montgomery ran for 54 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 39 yards. That was a nice start against a very strong Seattle Seahawks defense and now he will try to do what White did last year and ruin the Atlanta Falcons day.
Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett told ESPN that Ty Mongomery could be a nightmare for just about any team because of his ability to catch the ball. WIth James White showing how vulnerable the Atlanta Falcons are to the short passing game, this could be a huge opportunity for the new Packers' lead running back.
