We’ve talked about the Green Bay Packers’ lack of a running game through the early part of the season multiple times. Prior to the season, Packers coach Mike McCarthy kept telling us he was going to run the football more. The season started and he’s hardly run the football at all.
Through two games, Eddie Lacy has just 26 carries and 111 yards. Frankly, when Lacy is at his best, that’s what his stat line will look like for a single game. More importantly, running the football takes the pressure off the passing game, which could clearly use some help.
But you can’t establish a running game if you refuse to run the football. McCarthy appears to be just now getting wise to this fact.
“The analysis of our offense after two games, the running backs have not been given enough opportunities, so that’s something that I need to focus on,” McCarthy said. “Our perimeter players, we need to get them more opportunities too. We’re not getting the ball (for enough plays), and it really goes back to the efficiency, execution and flow of our offense.
“We’ve got to convert first downs. Frankly, our problem in the first half was we didn’t generate enough first downs. And the production reflected it. So I thought the second half we played more like we want to play.”
So there you go. The Packers are finally going to start running the football as promised.
Of course, we’ll believe it when we see it.