We pretty much already knew this, but Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy made it official on Wednesday. James Starks is the team’s No. 1 running back.
“I would say he’s our No. 1 back right now. He played well and deserves that opportunity,” McCarthy said. “I’ve not big believer in riding one back. We’ll go with a one-two punch.”
Starks has outgained Eddie Lacy this season 334 yards to 308 yards. He’s also averaging 4.3 yards per carry to Lacy’s 3.7.
Everyone has been wondering what’s wrong with Lacy, but it’s more a symptom of what’s wrong with the play calling. As we detailed on Tuesday, the Packers haven’t called more than 19 designed runs in a game since week 4.
Not coincidentally, Lacy had his best game of the season that same week, with 90 yards on 18 carries.
Frankly, we really don’t care who the No. 1 back is. Both guys are capable.
What we care about is that the Packers show some commitment to the run and running fewer than 20 times a game isn’t going to get any running back going.
Thankfully, we’re not the only ones who’ve noticed that.
“We have a new plan this week. I’ve rarely been around a team that’s been able to run with such few attempts. The number of opportunities is important,” McCarthy said.
No shit.