Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jeff Janis reflected on his big game in the NFC Divisional playoffs against the Arizona Cardinals and simply stated that, "it shows me that I can play," following the game.
Janis hadn't played much all season long but was thrown into the action due to the injuries that Davante Adams and Randall Cobb were dealing with. He joined Jared Abbrederis as the receivers that no one expected to have an impact in the game that were forced onto a big stage. Green Bay has to feel very good about the young Janis following that performance.
Not getting playing time can force a player to doubt himself, but that kind of a breakout game will regain the confidence quickly. Whether he gets the chance to play moving forward with the Packers or not, Janis will see his career take off following that game.
Mike Greenberg took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the game that Janis had and it shows just how much of a coming out party it was for the second-year receiver.
Raise your hand if you knew #Packers had a receiver named Jeff Janis before kick. He had 7 catches 145 yards 2 scores. #CraziestGameEver
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) January 17, 2016
Janis also talked about the confidence that coming through with that kind of a game brings to him.
"I think the biggest thing is it tells me, to myself, that I can play," Janis said. "When you have a confident player, I think that helps. You see some of the premier receivers in the league, they're confident guys because they know that they're good. There's a difference between cocky and confidence. To be able to have that confidence and know that you can make plays, it's big."
Looking ahead at the next few seasons, the Packers would be wise to keep Janis around. Abbrederis is a favorite of superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but his injury issues should make him take a back seat long-term to Janis. There is no doubt that Janis has the potential to be a deep threat and that is exactly what the Packers need behind Jordy Nelson.
Standing in at 6-foot-3 with the speed and athleticism that Janis has shown, there aren't going to be many defensive backs that can stick with him if he continues developing his game.
After being drafted in the seventh round by the Packers in the 2014 NFL Draft, Janis has accepted his lack of playing time and been a true professional about it. Even when injuries occurred this year, the Packers still didn't give him much of a chance. He remained ready through that situation and has come out on top in the end.
That kind of maturity and work ethic is hard to come by and is certainly worth holding onto.
Green Bay has some hard decisions to make this coming offseason. If they don't plan to play Janis in the 2016 NFL season, they need to let him go elsewhere so he can take advantage of the big game that he had against the Cardinals. Janis would likely prefer to stay with the Packers, but he needs playing time.
Expect to see Janis back with Green Bay next season and to be given playing time throughout the season.
