RB situation

[Tony Oday]

I wasnt actually saying sign those guys but examples...yeah they are washed up but still they are better than B Jack!

[mmmdk]

So Starks is supposed to save our running game? Yeah right! It would be a better idea if Edgar Bennett would beat BJ very, very hard and often with a stick everytime he dances on field. That actually could work; beat'im hard, Edgar.

[Pugger]

Our O line can't run block to save their souls. I thought I saw when Jackson actually got a couple of positive yards on a couple of carries Crabtree was in there blocking...

[pbmax]

I'm not sure there's anything that can be done at this point... they don't have the personel; and M3 doesn't seem concerned enough to get creative with it - ala Belichick. I mean really, is Danny "I'm a just hitting puberty" Woodhead tougher, or a better runner than Brandon Jackson???

Attempting 50+ passes per game is all fun and games in Madden, or when you're playing Buffalo, but when you go up against a playoff calibur team for real - you'll get beat more often than not.

Tougher runner? No. But more decisive and quicker into and out of a cut.

[HarveyWallbangers]

There wasn't a ton of blocking, but when there was, Jackson blew it. I remember him getting a 4 yard run near the goalline and thinking that if it were Ryan Grant, it would have been a TD. He's back to his dancing self. Several plays where he could have gotten positive yardage and he danced around. Add to it the 7 yard loss when he should have settled for no gain and put us in third and short--rather than 3rd and 7.

[digitaldean]

It's losses like these that can keep us from even making the playoffs.

Heck, even using Kuhn would have been better than Jackson dancing around like he did today. Line had a subpar game overall.

Doubtful Starks will help much. Then again, it can't be much worse than the anemic effort we're getting now.

One thing's for sure. NO MORE QB SNEAKS.

The Bears are playing sound defense and aren't imploding on offense. If we lose one game, it has to be the Patriots game. We can't have any margin for error re: conference losses.

[packrulz]

I don't think the Packers work on run blocking enough in practice, although Atlanta has a really stout defensive line. I just don't think M3 is very committed to the run. BJack is a mediocre RB, Nance to me is more of a goal line back,and I hope Starks has more break away speed, they need to work him in there. I also wonder why they don't run more behind Sitton/Bulaga, Clifton will never be a good run blocker.

[Patler]

There wasn't a ton of blocking, but when there was, Jackson blew it. I remember him getting a 4 yard run near the goalline and thinking that if it were Ryan Grant, it would have been a TD. He's back to his dancing self. Several plays where he could have gotten positive yardage and he danced around. Add to it the 7 yard loss when he should have settled for no gain and put us in third and short--rather than 3rd and 7.

Yup, Jackson was mostly awful yesterday. When he saw a defender, his first instinct yesterday seemed to be to give ground and run wide. He did it time and time again, no matter where the defender was. Even when blockers were engaged with the defender outside of the blocker, Jackson went outside. He seemed to be trying to avoid any contact, rather than taking what was available.

Why have they quit using Kuhn on short yeardage? One thing the guy did consistently was move forward after first contact, often by quite a bit.

[sheepshead]

We might need to face facts that we're not going to be able to overcome these injuries this year. Just sayin'

[bobblehead]

I'm not sure there's anything that can be done at this point... they don't have the personel; and M3 doesn't seem concerned enough to get creative with it - ala Belichick. I mean really, is Danny "I'm a just hitting puberty" Woodhead tougher, or a better runner than Brandon Jackson???

Attempting 50+ passes per game is all fun and games in Madden, or when you're playing Buffalo, but when you go up against a playoff calibur team for real - you'll get beat more often than not.

Truth...you must be able to run the ball effectively to win consistently.

[bobblehead]

I wasnt actually saying sign those guys but examples...yeah they are washed up but still they are better than B Jack!

Do they pick up the blitz? Can they still run a screen? Can they avg. 4 ypc behind our OL? I doubt it.

[pbmax]

Yup, Jackson was mostly awful yesterday. When he saw a defender, his first instinct yesterday seemed to be to give ground and run wide. He did it time and time again, no matter where the defender was. Even when blockers were engaged with the defender outside of the blocker, Jackson went outside. He seemed to be trying to avoid any contact, rather than taking what was available.

Why have they quit using Kuhn on short yeardage? One thing the guy did consistently was move forward after first contact, often by quite a bit.

Jackson is just is not an inside runner. No instinct to drive through a gap, he is truly looking for a hole. He also doesn't seem to trust his reads about when to cut back. He operates well in space and is average at best elsewhere.

I think Kuhn got fewer reps in short yardage when the fullback dive started to get stuffed as at the same time he was getting more regular carries as part of the time share with Jackson after Grant went down. Then those carries went away when they brought Nance into the games. Now after Nance was concussed, I am not sure why Kuhn made an appearance only for the screen. Its possible the game plan had a package for Nance at TB and not for Kuhn and they are not interchangeable.

[pbmax]

Truth...you must be able to run the ball effectively to win consistently.

No you don't. Poor to average running teams have won most of the Super Bowls this decade. You need to be able to make first downs.

How many touchdowns did Favre throw when Holmgren was coach from close to the goal line? People actually used to claim Favre's TD number was inflated because he would throw TDs rather than run a running play from in close.

The problem is McCarthy's red zone package ran 4 running plays in close, scored just 10 points and had a turnover. I don't like criticizing play calling as its often impossible to tell (esp. with a pass) what was supposed to happen (and what the defense did in response). But in those instances, Rodgers made a bad checkdown and two other runs were abortive.

[bobblehead]

No you don't. Poor to average running teams have won most of the Super Bowls this decade. You need to be able to make first downs.

How many touchdowns did Favre throw when Holmgren was coach from close to the goal line? People actually used to claim Favre's TD number was inflated because he would throw TDs rather than run a running play from in close.

The problem is McCarthy's red zone package ran 4 running plays in close, scored just 10 points and had a turnover. I don't like criticizing play calling as its often impossible to tell (esp. with a pass) what was supposed to happen (and what the defense did in response). But in those instances, Rodgers made a bad checkdown and two other runs were abortive.

I simply disagree with you on this PB. I'm not saying you can't be pass first, and I'm not saying you must run 30+ times a game; However, if you can't run effectively 20 times a game its very hard to win in the playoffs...just ask the greatest pocket passer ever. I'm still in a cast til friday, but I promise to pick this debate up again when it comes off with some stats. I value your opinion as much as anyones I talk football with, but I still think your wrong on this.

[Patler]

Jackson is just is not an inside runner. No instinct to drive through a gap, he is truly looking for a hole. He also doesn't seem to trust his reads about when to cut back. He operates well in space and is average at best elsewhere.

I'm not that generous in his evaluation. I would say he operates average in space and is below average at best everywhere else. Even in space he seems to make few people miss, and powers through no one. He does have some quickness that is useful in space, but that's about all.
The guy can pick-up a blitzer very well, and has decent hands. However, this year shows that the Packers should never rely on him as the backup running back again. His value to the team is not much different than Tony Fisher. Same assets, nothing more.

I think Kuhn got fewer reps in short yardage when the fullback dive started to get stuffed as at the same time he was getting more regular carries as part of the time share with Jackson after Grant went down. Then those carries went away when they brought Nance into the games. Now after Nance was concussed, I am not sure why Kuhn made an appearance only for the screen. Its possible the game plan had a package for Nance at TB and not for Kuhn and they are not interchangeable.

Nance can't have changed what was in their game plan that much. With Jackson doing nothing inside there had to have been something available for Kuhn to run. I can't believe there were running plays for only two backs. Kuhn had to have been ready for at least something from the RB slot.