29 carries 134 yards
28 carries 84 yards
25 carries 81 yards
The totals above were from Packer running backs and fullbacks during the 2010 playoffs. That is an average of 27 carries and 100 yards per game. I'd say that although not a great attack a credible enough running game which adds balance to A-Rods aerial assault. Below you will find this season so far.
19 carries 92 yards Colts
19 carries 89 yards Saints
18 carries 47 yards Seahawks Cobb had one carry for 20 yards
24 carries 84 yards Bears Cobb had one carry for 28 yards
9 carries 18 yards 49ers
First off I would like to say that anyone who compares this running game to last years D is wrong for the simple reason that our ENTIRE D was awful last year. Only our run game is poor this year our pass game is still fine when healthy. Our run game is only a PART of our ENTIRE OFFENSE.
Now maybe I am being too optimistic but I am going under the assumption of Cedric Benson coming back at the end of this season. I don't think MM would waste that IR spot if he had enough doubt that Cedric could not make it back. So all I want of the run game until Cedric comes back is just do enough to give us a good enough record to make the playoffs. If every win is like yesterdays that is fine because the team is not full strength. While Benson was healthy the site was raving over how "we finally have a legitimate run game for the first time since Grant in 2009." Look at the numbers I compared the games with Benson to the 2010 playoff games. The most common factor is ypc. 3.66 ypc is basically the same as 3.7 ypc, the only difference I see is a lower number of attempts which in turn would lead to more rushing yards. Now if I got rid of what is the definition of an outlier in that 9 attempts for 18 yards that was the 49ers game the attempts changes to 20 attempts for 78 yards for an average of 3.9 ypc.To me this indicates not that we need a new RB but that we need to run the ball more, to become less predictable, if we expect our offense to look like it did in the 2010 playoffs.
As for the Seahawks game point someone made I would say that you shot yourself in the foot by stating that there were only 3 rushes in the first half when Rodgers was sacked 8 times and the offense look pathetic. To me that only further proves that attempts and how our offense runs are related not an "effective run game" and our offense.
18 rushing attempts for 66 yards 3.66 ypc (2012 with Benson)
20 rushing attempts for 78 yards 3.9 ypc (2012 with Benson -49ers game)
27 rushing attempts for 100 yards 3.70 ypc (2010 playoffs)
So finally to my ultimate point, we are winning right now. Hell we are in the playoffs right now, so if we are getting Benson back (again no guarantee but to me all signs are point to him returning; if he is not able to then I am completely incorrect, my whole point lies on that happening) with a record that has us in the playoffs (which as of right now there are no indications we won't be, especially if we get Nelson, Shields, and Perry back in the upcoming weeks) why do we need 2 old, very similar running backs during the playoffs? Keep the attempts up so our passing game and improved D will be able to win us the upcoming games on our schedule (no matter how ugly). Then when Benson comes back our run game should get the spark it needs just like Starks provided when he got healthy for the wild card round during the 2010 playoffs.
Again my point lies upon Benson being able to come back and us still having a good enough record to make the playoffs if one of those cannot happen I'm more likely to agree with a trade for Jackson, but the price must be right. Right now I would rather have a third round pick than Jackson.