Green Bay Packers tight end Richard Rodgers saved his best for last. That is, he saved his best game of the year for the last game of the regular season.

With the NFC North division championship on the line and a bye in the NFL playoffs at stake, Rodgers had the finest outing of his young career.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers placed his trust in the tight end with whom he shares a last name in Week 17. The rookie had a career-high five receptions for 40 yards, each catch converted into a first down, albeit one aided by penalty.

"I think it's very important to have the trust of your quarterback," said Rodgers. "I don't know if it's necessarily 'If he trusts us, he goes to us on third down.' I think that's just an opportunity we have when we're in the game. Anyone could have been in that situation, and I feel he trusts all of us to make that play."

Maybe anyone could have been in that situation but few were. What gave Rodgers' performance all the more magnitude was that he emerged as a third target behind Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb when others did not.

Fellow rookie Davante Adams looked like he would be that third option—and he has at various times—but he's struggling through a rough patch, losing confidence in both himself and from the quarterback. Adams arguably had two drops in the Packers' penultimate regular-season game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then followed it up with zero targets in the Lions game.

Wide receiver Jarrett Boykin, who had 49 receptions in 2013, saw his production drop to just three catches in 2014.

Even tight end Andrew Quarless, the five-year veteran and Super Bowl ring owner, saw a lone target against the Lions, one he couldn't grab. As a result, Rodgers was just one of four Packers players that had a catch against the Lions this past Sunday.

For as important as the regular-season finale was, the Packers could use some more good performances from Rodgers down the strech in games that hold even more significance.

"Richard's important just like everybody's important," said head coach Mike McCarthy. "We need everybody here to the playoff success. I know people always talk about your big-time players have to play in big games; everybody has to play in these games. That what it's all about. It's the most competitive time of year."

Thankfully for the Packers, Rodgers hasn't hit the proverbial rookie wall and only progressed the deeper into the season he got. He finished the year with 20 catches for 225 yards and two touchdowns.

"Richard has continued to improve throughout the year and that's what you look for in your younger players," said McCarthy. "And I think he's improved in every aspect of his game. I think his in-line blocking has gotten much better. I think he's more comfortable now in all the different things we've asked him to do. He's on the same page as the quarterback, and that's a big step for any young receiver."

After a bye in the wildcard round, the Packers find out their divisional-round opponent on Sunday after the Dallas Cowboys take on the Detroit Lions.

If the Cowboys win, Dallas will travel to Green Bay. If the Lions win, the Packers will take on the Carolina Panthers, winners of Saturday's game against the Arizona Cardinals, 27-16.

Perhaps even more interestingly, if the Panthers end up coming to Titletown, Rodgers will be facing the team for whom his father is employed. Richard Rodgers Sr. is the special teams coach of the Panthers.

Regardless of the opponent, Rodgers seems to have grasped the gravity of the situation despite it being just his first season in professional football.

"I think we're a little more focused," said Rodgers. "We've been focused all season, and we know our main goal is to win the Super Bowl. That's what we're focused on right now, and that's what we're trying to do."

Brian Carriveau is the author of the book "It's Just a Game: Big League Drama in Small Town America," and editor at Cheesehead TV and its "Pro Football Draft Preview." To contact Brian, email [email protected].