Eddie Lacy Looks To Take Another Step Forward

By: Nick Kapetan ( @KapN93)

For years, the high powered Green Bay Packers offense has been synonymous with an elite quarterback coupled with an array of receivers that rack up touchdowns.

In the years since Brett Favre’s departure, Aaron Rodgers has continued to carry the torch as the head of the Packers attack, with the help of various wideouts he has had at his disposal. It seems like every year Green Bay is penciled in as the favorite to win the NFC North thanks to their offense, despite the lack of consistency on the defensive side of the ball.

A top three quarterback in the league plus three or four pass catching playmakers equals a unit that can win a shootout against any offense. That has been the equation the Packers have relied on for years. Now in 2014, there may be another piece added to the mix that will tinker with how the Packers run their offense and make it less one-dimensional.

Last season the Packers drafted running back Eddie Lacy out of the University of Alabama in the second round. In the midst of an era when the running back position is being increasingly undervalued, Lacy’s stock dropped substantially. Without any viable options in the backfield, the Packers saw the broozer as a substantial upgrade over what they had on their roster at the time.

For years the running back position has been the biggest hole on the Packers’ offense. While some seasons the lack of a sturdy offensive line caused a number of problems for ball carriers, that was no excuse for the overall lack of consistent production coming from the various players plugged into the backfield.

In his first two games of professional football, Lacy racked up 51 yards on 15 carries. Then, against the Detroit Lions in the first week of October, Lacy went off.

During his coming out party, Lacy fell one yard short of his first career 100 yard game on the ground. He ran with such explosiveness and pure force, that he was knocking over Lions’ defenders like they were bowling pins. People started to notice how Lacy’s north to south style of running was effective.

In the modern day NFL, most elite running backs make their bread and butter running east to west. They rather run sideline to sideline in order to create more in space, and preserve their body over the long haul. Lacy instead lowers his shoulder and absorbs contact as he has made a habit of gaining yards after contact.

After that game against the Lions, Lacy had four 100 yard games, amassing 1,000 yards (1,178) in his rookie season. His 4.1 yards per rush is an unprecedented average for a guy that runs straight into contact and relies heavily on his upper body strength to fight for those extra yards after barreling into a would-be tackler. Lacy showed that the Packers finally had a worthwhile back in their offense.

Throughout the rest of the 2013 season, Lacy did struggle with consistency, as most rookies do, especially when they are quickly thrown into a starting role. While Lacy did have three total games with less than thirty yards, he bounced back from every lackluster performance.

What was also encouraging about Lacy’s season was that his numbers did not drop off late into the year.

In his final three regular season games, Lacy ran for 141, 84, and 66 yards respectively. Even in his first taste of the playoffs, a man who is not new to the big stage, amassed 81 yards against the San Francisco 49ers.

Entering the 2014, head coach Mike McCarthy stated that the Packers’ offense will have a different feel moving forward. Citing the success of the Philadelphia Eagles offense in 2013, McCarthy explained how his team’s offense will be more up-tempo.

Watching the Packers take down the Oakland Raiders rather easily in week three of the preseason, it is becoming clear what this new fast-paced offense will entail.

Instead of relying heavily on deep passes, Rodgers meticulously relied on short throws to an array of receivers. This allowed the offense to run more plays on its journey down the field, while setting up the long pass during the drive. The rapid offensive attack also featured a large portion of handoffs to Lacy. An offense that once would do everything in its power to beat opponents with the deep ball, is now focusing on a more conservative approach on drives that will hopefully end in touchdowns.

In Lacy’s second season in the NFL, the Packers will clearly ask their second round steal to take a gigantic step forward in his development. In a revamped offense, it will be Lacy’s job to keep defenses on their toes by displaying that Green Bay can beat them through the air and on the ground. If last year was any indication, he will not have any problem with that.

What do you think Eddie Lacy will do in his second season in the NFL? Let us know your thoughts.
 
Nick Kapetan hosts The Sports ReKap with his co-host DJ Vogt. The show will begin airing again in September on MarquetteWire.org.

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