Published: Dec. 15, 2015
Packers’ banged up O-line steps up
Green Bay stays hot in December
By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
Daily News
GREEN BAY — Since Mike McCarthy took over as head coach of
the Green Bay Packers in 2006, winning in December has been commonplace.
Sunday’s 28-7 victory over the visiting Dallas Cowboys at
Lambeau Field was the Packers’ fifth win in their last six December games,
dating back to 2014. Green Bay is 18-3 at home in December under McCarthy,
including winning 14 of the last 15.
The secret is simple: run the ball, especially at Lambeau.
That’s what the Packers did, gashing the Cowboys defense, which ranked 15th in
the NFL against the run going into the game, for a season-high 230 yards, the
most by the Packers in a game in 11 years.
“That’s the way we need to play here at Lambeau Field and
particularly that’s the way you have to play in December,” McCarthy said after
Sunday’s victory.
In their last 20 games in December, the Packers are 16-4 and
averaging 135.8 yards rushing per game. Plus, in three of the last five years,
the Packers’ best output in the run game happened in a December game.
In 2014, the Packers averaged more than 190 yards rushing in
four December games. This season, they’re averaging 148.5 in two games.
The surge shown in Sunday’s game is just what the Packers
needed, especially with an offensive line that’s been banged up seemingly since
training camp.
“The line blocked great,” Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers
said Sunday. “They’re battling through injuries, all those guys, everybody who
played tonight. I’m proud of those guys.”
On Sunday, starting center Corey Linsley was inactive. JC
Tretter played in his place. On Friday’s injury report, each of the Packers’
offensive line starters — Linsley, David Bakhtiari, Bryan Bulaga, TJ Lang and
Josh Sitton — were listed, with Bulaga, Lang and Sitton having limited
participation in practice all week. Linsley didn’t practice at all.
“Those guys, they care about it,” Rodgers said. “They put a
lot of time in, and it was a good job by them tonight.”
With the line playing well, running backs Eddie Lacy and
James Starks shined.
A week after rushing for 4 yards on five carries Dec. 3
against Detroit, Lacy had his best game of the season. He rushed for a
season-high 124 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. His previous high this
season was 105 against Chicago on Thanksgiving. It was the third time in four
games Lacy had at least 100 yards rushing in a game, the first time he’s done
that in his career.
“I’ve always believed in Eddie,” McCarthy said. “I mean, we
all make a couple bad decisions along the way. That doesn’t change my opinion
on any player. He needed to refocus and he did that. You could see that from
when we stepped on the field in the early week practice, Tuesday.”
Lacy’s bounce-back performance was popular amongst his
teammates.
“Eddie’s extremely well liked,” Tretter said. “He’s a great
guy. He’s a great teammate. So when he does something like this, you’re excited
for him. ... It’s a great day for him.”
Starks also had arguably his best game of the season against
the Cowboys. The 2010 sixth-round draft pick rushed for 71 yards on 11 attempts
with a touchdown, and caught four passes for 32 yards and a touchdown.
Lacy and Starks combined for 251 of Green Bay’s 435 yards of
offense against the Cowboys and scored three of the four touchdowns.
“We want to be a one-two punch and we want to go after teams
aggressively like that,” McCarthy said.
Starks is also in the middle of the best season of his
career.
He has 515 yards rushing on 128 carries (4.0 per carry). His
career best is 578 yards on 133 carries in 2011, a year after he burst onto the
scene for the Packers during the team’s run to the Super Bowl XLV title when he
rushed for 315 yards in four playoff games.
And Starks has been good in the pass game this season.
He has career highs in receptions (39), receiving yards
(369), total yards (884) and touchdowns (three).
“He’s a weapon for us,” Rodgers said.
Is Green Bay’s run game back and thriving? The Packers hope
so.
“That’s what you need in the winter time, so we’ve got to
keep doing that,” Rodgers said. “We’ve got to get Eddie his touches. Every time
he’s had over 20 touches, he’s gone over 100 yards. (Then) you put James in
there and you’ve got a great 1-2 punch, so we’ve got to keep finding ways to
get them the ball and then have some good playaction stuff off of it.”
The Packers are on the road for the next two games against
Oakland and Arizona before returning home to host Minnesota to finish the
regular season. At 9-4, the Packers are on the doorstep of a fifth-straight NFC
North title and a seventh-straight trip to the playoffs, which seemed almost
unlikely when they lost four of five games after a 6-0 start.
“We’re putting ourselves in a position to get in the
playoffs,” Rodgers said.
No comments:
Post a Comment