The Green Bay Packers have three games remaining on their schedule. At this time, they are in position to become the first team in NFL history to fail to reach a basic NFL accomplishment. Time is running out to avoid this dubious honor.
Since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978, no team has gone an entire season without having either a player gain 100 or more yards rushing or 100 or more yards passing in a game. Right now, the Packers and New England Patriots have neither.
The Packers Rushing Performances and the NFL Record
The Packers have yet to have a 100-yard rusher in any of their 14 games so far this season. The biggest reason for this is the injuries and limited availability of Aaron Jones.
The UTEP alum played in just eight games thus far and has been limited in almost all of them. His season high rushing yardage in a game is 73 which he picked up in the Packers win over the Rams.
In 2022, Jones played in all 17 games and gained 100 or more yards in a game five times. He also had five games of 15 or more carries. This season, he has just one game with 15 or more carries.
A.J. Dillon carried the ball the most in Jones’ absence. He has five games with 15-or-more carries. Dillon’s single-game high performance was a 76-yard effort against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Dillon lacks the evasiveness of Jones and is less likely to break long runs. He got off to a slow start but played better in the second half of the season before breaking his thumb in the loss to the Giants.
Another reason for the Packers lack of a 100-yard rusher has been the inconsistent run blocking of the offensive line. That was also a bigger issue earlier in the season.
The Packers Receiving Performances and the NFL Record
Last season, rookie wideout Christian Watson had three games with 100-or-more receiving yards while veteran Allen Lazard had one.
The Packers have one of the youngest receiving and tight end corps in the NFL. No players have more than one previous year of NFL experience.
While Jordan Love has thrown for more yards-per-game thus far this season than Aaron Rodgers did in 2022, no Packers receiver has a 100-yard game.
The closest any player has come was the 97-yard effort by rookie Dontayvion Wicks against the Bucs last Sunday.
In addition to the inexperience at the skill positions, injuries have also played a role in the lack of a 100-yard receiver. Watson is the team’s best deep threat. He has played only nine games this season and was on a play count in most of them. He has two games over 90 yards but 94 yards against Detroit on Thanksgiving is his present season high.
The fact that the Packers have spread the ball around to more receivers has also hindered the goal of a 100-yard receiver.
The Last Time for the Packers
The last time the Packers failed to have a 100-yard rusher was 2012. The best individual rushing game by a single player that year was Cedric Benson with 84. It’s been 11 years now since the Packers failed to have a 100-yard rusher.
It’s been much longer since the team failed to have at least one receiver go over 100 yards in a game. That goes all the way back to 1974 when Jerry Tagge and John Hadl were the quarterbacks, and the highest receiving game was a 99-yard effort by tight end Rich McGeorge. They also only played 14 games that season.
The last time the Packers didn’t have either a 100-yard rushing game or a 100-yard receiving effort in the same season goes back to 1946, the year after the great Don Hutson retired. The Packers played just 11 games that season.
Three More Chances for the Packers to Avoid this NFL Record
The Packers have three games left on their schedule to avoid this distinction. They face the Carolina Panthers who are ranked 3rd in the NFL in yards allowed per game despite their 2-12 record. Then they play the Minnesota Vikings who are 13th in yards allowed per game. The season finale is against the Chicago Bears who are 14th in yards permitted per game although their pass defense ranks 26th in the league.
Will Jones, Dillon, or Watson be healthy enough to end this 100-yard game streak? Could Wicks or Jayden Reed or Romeo Doubs step up in the receiving game?
We shall soon see if the Packers can avoid this dubious distinction.
Follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers
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