Packers' Nance awaits his turn - JSOnline
I said it before, he doesnt have the playbook down yet...And one bolded part confirms what I said
Green Bay ? Green Bay Packers running back Dimitri Nance was about a foot or two from making a big name for himself Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
Nance, getting his first dose of snaps from scrimmage since early in the season, came out of the backfield as a receiver on an early first-and-10 play at the Vikings 12. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers' screen pass, however, was snatched out of the air by defensive end Jared Allen.
Had Nance caught the ball, it would have been hard to keep him out of the end zone with the blockers he had in front of him and the determination he had to establish himself as a worthy option for the Packers.
"That's how it felt on the field," Nance said of a possible touchdown. "Then I went back and took a look at it on film and I thought maybe I could have scored. I thought I could do a pretty job with it."
Rather than pound Nance between the tackles, which is the 5-foot-10, 219-pound back's strength, the coaching staff devised some plays for him in the passing game. On back-to-back plays in the second quarter, Nance motioned out of the backfield to receiver positions.
He didn't get the ball on either play, but the Packers feel he's more than just a decoy.
"He has excellent hands," running backs coach Edgar Bennett said. "He has good instincts. You're talking about a guy with quick feet, good balance, good change of direction. He has the attributes you want in a runner.
"But the first time he came out on the practice field, the first thing you could tell is that the kid has good hands."
Nance, who was signed off Atlanta's practice squad after Ryan Grant was lost for the season, hadn't been in the mix much in the backfield the past month. The coaches wanted to establish Brandon Jackson as the lead runner and the move has paid off over the past three weeks.
The task ahead is to balance the number of snaps Jackson gets on running downs with the ones he gets as the third-down back. Jackson is such a good blocker, and an improving receiver, that they hate to take him
off the field.
Nance may get a few carries in the weeks ahead provided he has all the plays down. It's been a process for him to transfer from Atlanta's system to Green Bay's and to date the most the coaches have given him is a small package of plays.
He said he's ready for the full volume.
"I'm pretty much comfortable," Nance said. "Every week they've been saying I'm going to get a chance, but the games have been so close I really never got a chance to go in so I'm just continuing to practice hard and stay with it. When my name is called I'll be prepared and hopefully be able to do what they want me to do."
I said it before, he doesnt have the playbook down yet...And one bolded part confirms what I said
