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Running back Ryan Grant may have missed a cut-back opportunity or two, but for the Green Bay Packers’ running game to become more productive, the improvement will have to come from up front.
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That was the view of the coaching staff on Monday after watching film from Sunday’s win over Seattle. The Packers ran a season-high 39 times (including 33 carries for Grant) but managed a modest 113 yards. That’s 2.9 yards per carry.
Grant gained 90 yards for an average of 2.7 yards per carry. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers got the other 23 yards on six attempts, including a 1-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown in the second quarter.
“We’ve got the attempts where we want them,” offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. “Now we’ve got to get the yards per carry to where it needs to be.”
Coach Mike McCarthy said Grant got a passing grade on his decision-making, meaning the coaches believe he came close to maximizing his yardage based on the holes that were there. That puts the onus on the blocking unit.
“The biggest thing we told our guys in the meeting is that we have to finish plays better in the running game,” Philbin said. “There’s too many pictures of guys not finishing the block (and) a guy slipping off. It’s not one position. There were times where we thought our fullback had to finish better, times where it was an offensive lineman, a tight end, and there were times when you’ve got the ball in your hands (and) you’ve got to break a tackle. It’s never one guy, but we do have to finish better.”
The Packers lacked a change-of-pace back on Sunday because backup Brandon Jackson did not play because of an illness. They activated DeShawn Wynn from the practice squad, but he played only in third down passing situations and did not get a carry.
“From a production standpoint, we expect more,” running backs coach Edgar Bennett said. “Certainly the opportunities were there, and we have to continue to get the maximum out of those opportunities.”
Promising rookie Kregg Lumpkin, who had one carry for 19 yards this season, won’t get any more opportunities to help the running game. He was placed on injured reserve Saturday after he re-injured his hamstring in practice last Thursday. Having already missed two games, the latest setback would have kept him out for another six to eight weeks.
Advertisement
Quantcast
That was the view of the coaching staff on Monday after watching film from Sunday’s win over Seattle. The Packers ran a season-high 39 times (including 33 carries for Grant) but managed a modest 113 yards. That’s 2.9 yards per carry.
Grant gained 90 yards for an average of 2.7 yards per carry. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers got the other 23 yards on six attempts, including a 1-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown in the second quarter.
“We’ve got the attempts where we want them,” offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. “Now we’ve got to get the yards per carry to where it needs to be.”
Coach Mike McCarthy said Grant got a passing grade on his decision-making, meaning the coaches believe he came close to maximizing his yardage based on the holes that were there. That puts the onus on the blocking unit.
“The biggest thing we told our guys in the meeting is that we have to finish plays better in the running game,” Philbin said. “There’s too many pictures of guys not finishing the block (and) a guy slipping off. It’s not one position. There were times where we thought our fullback had to finish better, times where it was an offensive lineman, a tight end, and there were times when you’ve got the ball in your hands (and) you’ve got to break a tackle. It’s never one guy, but we do have to finish better.”
The Packers lacked a change-of-pace back on Sunday because backup Brandon Jackson did not play because of an illness. They activated DeShawn Wynn from the practice squad, but he played only in third down passing situations and did not get a carry.
“From a production standpoint, we expect more,” running backs coach Edgar Bennett said. “Certainly the opportunities were there, and we have to continue to get the maximum out of those opportunities.”
Promising rookie Kregg Lumpkin, who had one carry for 19 yards this season, won’t get any more opportunities to help the running game. He was placed on injured reserve Saturday after he re-injured his hamstring in practice last Thursday. Having already missed two games, the latest setback would have kept him out for another six to eight weeks.
