The Green Bay Packers running game has been the foundation of the offense this season. While quarterback Jordan Love has been a key part of the team’s success, the offense works best when Josh Jacobs and the running game are the centerpiece of the attack. Last week against the Lions, head coach Matt LaFleur got away from the running game early and it cost them. But he is determined not to repeat that mistake this Sunday night in Seattle. The Packers need to commit to Josh Jacobs and the running game Sunday night against the Seahawks.
Packers Running Game Needs to Be Top Priority Against the Seahawks: The Season Thus Far
The Packers running game has been the team’s most consistent component. They presently rank 5th in the NFL, averaging 144.7-yards per game. They are also averaging a healthy 4.8 yards per carry. That ranks them seventh in the league.
Jacobs leads the way for the running game. The former Raiders star has already surpassed the thousand-yard mark this season, gaining 1,053 yards on 239 carries. He’s also run for 11 touchdowns with eight of them coming in the last four games.
Jacobs has gained 100 or more yards in three games this season. The Packers have won all three. In the Packers nine wins, Jacobs averages 20.3 carries per game. In the team’s four losses, he averages just 14.
When the Packers run the ball often and effectively, they usually win. When they can’t run the ball well, they usually struggle to beat their opponents.
Last Week vs Detroit
Last week in Detroit, the Packers offense got away from the running game early, and the offense struggled as a result.
Essentially, LaFleur admitted after the game that the Lions defense at the start of the game was designed to take away the run. The Packers tried to take advantage but couldn’t execute the passing game well enough to move the ball.
“They were inviting you to throw the football,” LaFleur explained. “We didn’t want to get into a game, we knew it was important that we continue to run the ball. There just wasn’t a lot of runs that draw up very nicely against that configuration. That’s part of the reason I would say we were trying to go more bigger people, 12 personnel…Some of those looks were really, really difficult to run the football into. Credit to them, they wanted us to do that. They were basically begging us to throw the ball.”
On the Packers first three offensive drives, the Packers ran the ball only twice while throwing seven passes. That doesn’t include two plays where Love was pressured and had to scramble for short gains. On those three drives, they picked up only one first down and that came on a penalty.
On the next drive, the Packers went back to the run, but they were already trailing 10-0 by that point. The offense took off and scored 30 points once they rededicated themselves to running the football.
Packers Running Game Needs to Be Top Priority Against the Seahawks: Looking Ahead
The Packers should have an ideal opportunity to run the football on Sunday night in Seattle. Jacobs excels most when he runs between the tackles. The Packers offensive line does a good job of double teaming one lineman, who they try to move to create a hole for the running back. Jacobs also makes potential tacklers miss in close quarters which helps turn two-yard runs into five or six-yard efforts.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks have a weakness defending the run up the middle. According to Next Gen Stats, Seattle gives up 5.0-yards per rush between the tackles. That ranks 31st out of 32 teams in the NFL.
The Green Bay offense should come out and set the tone by running the football directly at the Seahawks Sunday night.
We’ll see if LaFleur sets the game plan accordingly. If they do, they will have a chance to re-establish what they do best and build the passing game off the rushing attack.
Re-establishing the ground game will be key for the Packers down the stretch and in the playoffs. As the weather gets colder and the opponents get tougher, running the football will be critical to the team’s chances of making a strong playoff run.
Follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers
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