What did Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy have to say about starting James Starks at running back over Eddie Lacy?
Essentially, that Starks earned the opportunity.
“It’s really always been the mindset, this isn’t really something new. It’s kind the way the numbers worked out. There’s stretches last year we did this too. We didn’t talk about it. Frankly, with James being out there on the first series was a product of the way he’s playing. I thought he played extremely well in San Francisco and he’s done some big things,” McCarthy said.
It wasn’t just Starks being the first guy on the field. He touched the ball 11 times to Lacy’s six.
That’s not much of a workload for either guy, but Lacy was an afterthought in the game plan.
There has been speculation that he’s out of shape. McCarthy said no.
“I mean Eddie, Eddie is pretty much like our whole football team. He’s beat up, this week will help him. I don’t see conditioning as an issue. I think you have to look at this no differently really than how we play on offense. James Starks is an outstanding running back, so we want to be a one-two punch. At this point, I’m not really interested in running one of my running backs 20-25 times in a game, I don’t think that’s the best thing for us. Right now, it’s not the best thing for them. The running back position is an extremely punishing position that can take a lot of hits. I think you have be conscientious of that, and Eddie has a bruising running style. You look at the numbers early last year. I forget who had him in fantasy football was beside himself every week because he wasn’t getting enough carries, but it worked out at the end of the year pretty good. Yeah, I’m not concerned there. Just really I like the one-two punch, and frankly if one of them gets hot in a game, then hey he may carry it 20 times. that’s how we talk as a staff.”
I think what’s important to note here is that Lacy has never started the season fast. He’s also never been asked to carry the load early.
Lacy had only one 90-plus-yard game in the first half last season. He didn’t carry more than 20 times in a contest until the 11th game.
And if you recall, Lacy was a boss down the stretch.
A big reason for that is because he didn’t get a lot of mileage in the first half. The plan appears to be exactly the same this year.
Just because Lacy doesn’t put up huge numbers for a few games all of a sudden the butt hurt fantasy football fags start calling him fat and saying he’s not gonna get a second contract. Then when he starts trucking fools and tearing it up later in the season those knee jerk assclowns will jump right back on the bandwagon. If I was a coach I would do this shit on purpose to piss off the fantasy douchebags.
For sure. Being “fat” (read: “built like a fucking tank”) is what makes him the dominant, punishing running back he is. It seemed pretty obvious to me that Eddie has been avoiding any hard cuts or truck-sticks for the last two weeks because of his ankle. All these people calling him fat can suck a duck. He’s been “fat” (read: “more in shape than you’ve ever been or will ever be”) for his whole career and he uses his build to run like a beast. This ain’t a Hollywood beauty pageant, it’s the NFL, and Eddie has the perfect body type for an NFL back in my opinion! Rest up Eddie! I can’t wait to see you running healthy and making D-backs cower again!
I wish Lacy was truckin over people (3.5YPC) at the NFCCG in the red zone. Marshawn lynch was truckin over people (6.3YPC). So if that is saving him for the important games, it didn’t work.
I have fairly reliable information about Lacys weight problems, and how the Packers have dealt with it in the past, and now. But i’ll save it for another day.
Fantasy is just fantasy, its not real! Running the ball to get one yard and move the chains is real. Six and zero is real. Too many know it alls that arent old enough to remember the 70’s and 80’s dont have a clue to know what its like to be a real fan, thick or thin.
Damn straight young man….
You never heard coaches like Lombardi, Gregg, Starr, Devine even use the word “fantasy” in a press conference….
Not that I miss the Moldy Cheese Age, when a successful season equated to beating Ditkas Bears once….
Liking the plan to save lacy for the hone stretch, with Starks playing well it makes sense….
Respected Packers beat writer Bob McGinn says Lacy is up to 260 pounds.
Now that is fat . . . I do believe that it is affecting his cuts though. Rest will take care of that. Starks is playing well. Let Lacy rest and eat more, he should be up to 270 by the time his ankle heals up. Then he will be able to cut on that extra weight he seems to be adding on.
He also insists that the photographic evidence repudiating the Fail Mary call does not mean its a bad call. He also wrote that jinxing article in 13 insisting the Packers would be a Super Bowl caliber team without Rodgers. The guy is an overrated hack.
As for Lacy, it is pretty obvious his ankle is affecting them. Should have just held him out and let him get back to full strength.
I think lacy will be a beast again in the second half. Right now he is still affected by the ankle and starks is doing so well (he would be a starter on many other teams). I think the offense overall is lacking in gb due to reaching the limits of our depth charts. We need one or two of the pieces to come back to be a more credible threat. Luckily the defense is still playing to a level where we do not need 30+ points a game to win. Personally I do not care if an elite qb like rivers throws for 10k yards if we hold him to 2 tds. The redzone defense came up big when it mattered which is akin to all the stupid fans in dallas talking about tony romo’s come from behind wins. Our defense screwed up at first but succeed in the end.
A healthy cobb or adams will help. More trust between arodge and janis would as well. I do wonder if all that we are seeing is simply a result of Mike McCarthy not calling the offensive plays and caring for the first time in the least about defense. We were starting to look like Detroit with the 11 running play selection for an entire game.
Will about ways take 6-0 over anything else. Bring on Denver and carolina. These two games are going to reveal a lot about just how good these 3 teams are. I think all of the undefeated teams have a lot to prove yet as the season is young.
Lacy sucks should be benched! come on he has not done jack, cement shoes, who needs him anyway with the passing game in top form.
This is just one more reason why I don’t play fantasy football.
but Starks can’t do spin moves! LOL
Starks has his moments but he just looks awkward catching the ball and sometimes miss a good running lane.
Sprain ankle lingers so I don’t expect Lacy to be back until he’s really 100%. The way he injured it looked bad.
I still like Lacy for vision, ball security, catching and blocking better. When the weather turns bad, I get nervous with Starks fumbling and dropping easy passes. Lacy needs to really get % for run in december.
Unless you’re a once in a generation RB like Peterson, you are replaceable. They should get his numbers up at the end of the year and trade his ass…..both of them, and his chins. Get Beasley and a draft pick from Dallas. Can never have enough quality across the middle guys on a team built like the Pack. Think of the food savings. Could feed all of Green Bay and buy Beasley’s mom a new trailer. BOOOOM!!! lol