James Starks and Eddie Lacy look to coexist in Packers' backfield

[News Bot]

Eddie Lacy and James Starks will be healthy in the same game for just the second time this season when the Packers play Minnesota.

Source: JSOnline.com

 

[longtimefan]

Were the Packers not running so much no-huddle, Starks could come in on third downs. Lacy, however, has been told that he won't play in the no-huddle if he can't do all the things that are asked of a third-down back, most notably protect the quarterback.

 

[Vrill]

I thought Lacy has been doing "ok" in pass protection?

 

[gatorpack]

Yeah I didn't notice Lacy having a problem on 3rd down. Hell we need him on 3rd down. If its 3rd and short lacy should be in imo.

 

[bubba]

Heres a thought. Might the Packers try to showcase Starks tonight in a possible trade scenario. Most suredly he wont be with the team next year. A lot of teams looking for a Quality running back right now.

 

[easyk83]

This will make Kitten's day.

 

[TJV]

I don’t think the Packers would showcase Starks; there’s plenty of tape on him already for anyone interested. If a team is interested the only question would be Starks’ health and passing a physical would no doubt be a condition of a trade. Also my guess is the Packers want to have both Starks and Lacy available throughout the playoffs; they’re similar in style and either can ‘carry the load’. Franklin is a different kind of back – in spite of his one great game I don’t think they look at him as being capable of carrying the load. If they traded Starks, they’d probably have to promote Michael Hill, a rookie and where would they be if Lacy got hurt?

Lacy was the guest this week on McCarthy’s TV show and during the chalk talk segment Larry McCarren showed a play in which Lacy not only picked up a blitz but put the LB on the turf. Lacy admitted he had screwed up some blitz pickups in earlier games but he’s definitely getting better at it, as McCarren noted.

In addition to the quote posted by LTF from that story are these:

Van Pelt made it clear that Lacy is the starter and the main man in the running game, but he hasn't forgotten about Starks rushing 20 times for 132 yards and a touchdown against Washington and 14 times for 55 yards against the Bengals. And so Lacy will get the majority of plays, but Starks and rookie Johnathan Franklin will spell him when the time is right. Usually, it has to be for an entire series because the offense doesn't make substitutions when running the no-huddle offense, which is most of the time.

So Lacy is the “main man” and will get the “majority of the plays” even though they will run the no-huddle most of the time.

"Eddie is running the ball well right now," Van Pelt said. "I'm just trying to take some of the load off of Eddie and split up the remaining reps between Jonathan and James, because James and Johnathan still bring some unique abilities to the run game…. Offensive coordinator Tom Clements said Starks would be eased into action and wouldn't be asked to carry the ball 20 times given his lengthy absence. Were the Packers not running so much no-huddle, Starks could come in on third downs.

 

[13 Times Champs]

I'm ok with Starks taking some snaps. It would keep Lacy fresher. They are both physical runners and can take turns banging on a defense .