There is no doubt that the Green Bay Packers running game will look different this season. The team now knows they will be without starter Josh Jacobs for several games this season, although they don’t know for how long. The NFL placed Jacobs on the commissioner’s exempt list on Sunday. While GM Brian Gutekunst indicated he expects Jacobs to play for the Packers at some point this season, he will likely miss at least six games once the NFL decides how long a suspension they will give him. Today we examine what the Packers running game will look like without Josh Jacobs and the impact his absence will have on the absence.

What the Packers Running Game Will Look Like Without Josh Jacobs: The Starter

With Jacobs unavailable, MarShawn Lloyd will take over as the starter. This will be a critical opportunity for the former USC star who only appeared in one game in his first two NFL seasons due to assorted soft tissue injuries. Now, Lloyd is finally healthy, and he will get a chance to be the team’s top runner.

Lloyd is an elusive, one-cut runner with breakaway speed. He has also been a good receiver out of the backfield. However, at 5’9”, Lloyd is not built to be a bell cow back who can get 20-25 touches per game. Even in college, he was more of a 10-15 touch per game runner.

Because he has not seen the field much in the last two seasons, Lloyd appeared rusty during the preseason. He has not been anticipating as well as he typically did and had more difficulty eluding defenders than he had in the past. This should be fixed once he gets more carries and gets back into the groove of playing football regularly.

Matt LaFleur and the coaching staff will try to balance keeping Lloyd healthy and keeping him productive.

The Backups

The Packers traded for Kaleb Johnson from the Steelers. Johnson has a very different running style than Lloyd. Johnson gives the Packers a power runner who excels between the tackles. While he’s not as elusive as Jacobs, at 6’1” and 224 pounds, Johnson is capable of carrying the football 20-25 times per game. In his final season at Iowa, he carried the ball 240 times for 1,537 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns in 12 games. He also caught 22 passes for 188 yards and two more scores.

Johnson will likely be the number two back, but he could end up with at least the same number of carries as Lloyd if he’s consistently productive. He will also likely get more carries in short yardage and goal line situations.

Chris Brooks returns as the third back. He will be on the field on obvious passing downs as he is the team’s best pass blocker. Brooks does a very good job of recognizing and picking up stunts and blitzes. He provides steady but unspectacular skill as a runner and receiver.

Pierre Strong returns on the practice squad and could be elevated for a few games. He gives the Packers experienced depth.

What the Packers Running Game Will Look Like Without Josh Jacobs: The Impact on the Offense

The Packers offense will certainly have to adjust their approach. LaFleur’s passing game relies on play action to make it go. That means a willingness to run the football enough to keep defenses honest. But without Jacobs in the lineup, the Packers don’t have a proven number one running back. They will probably run the ball less frequently than they did a year ago unless one of the other backs steps up and shows they can handle the load. Initially, without a bell cow back, expect a rotation early in the season. Lloyd and Johnson will alternate on early downs and Brooks will come in for obvious passing situations.

That means it will be up to Jordan Love and the passing game to make the offense go. The pass will set up the run more than the other way around. This is also true because the Green Bay offensive line does a better job of pass blocking than opening up holes for the running game.

We will also likely see more plays where non-running backs line up in the backfield. Jayden Reed, Skyy Moore, and tight end Jonnu Smith could all fill that role to run jet sweeps and end arounds. When he returns from the IR, Savion Williams could also line up in the backfield and run the ball on occasion.

The good news for the Packers is LaFleur and Love seem well equipped to call plays designed to take advantage of the players the team has available. Their ability to do that will be critical.

We still don’t know how long the Packers will be without Jacobs, but the team certainly faces a challenge of making the offense go until he returns.

 

 

 

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