Eddie Lacy is on the comeback. The running back has not had the most ideal season in 2015 as he struggled with weight, injuries and off-the-field issues. At one point he even lost his starting spot to James Starks as head coach Mike McCarthy tried to send a message. It certainly got through to Lacy who saw a bounce-back game in Week 14 as Aaron Rodgers is making it clear the team believes in the running back.
Lacy was a big reason the Packers got the win over the Dallas Cowboys as the running back put up 124 yards on 24 carries along with a touchdown. That came a week after his time on the field was cut due to missing team curfew. Now on the comeback trail, Rodgers is expressing just how critical Lacy is to the offense.
"I think Eddie (Lacy) is a great football player and he cares about it," Rodgers said, via Mad Dog Sports Radio. "Every now and then, we need to hold each other accountable and he did a good job of stepping up and taking ownership of that where he misstepped. We all make mistakes. My message last week was that he's our guy. We need him. We need him to compete for us and play well and we need him in these winter months as we're trying to make a run. He responded really well and I'm proud of that."
McCarthy had a big role in Lacy's big game in Week 14. The head coach took over play calling in the game and focused more on running the football with the passing game inconsistent due to injuries. That is likely to continue as Lacy will get the start in Week 15 while Starks also sees a good amount of work too. When Lacy is running well, the Packers offense is more efficient as they continue to fight for the NFC North title. It could be one on the ground.
"I've always believed in Eddie," McCarthy said, via NFL.com. "We all make a couple bad decisions along the way, and that doesn't change my opinion of Eddie, any player. So he needed to refocus, and he did that, and you could see it from when we stepped on the field."
The Packers now need the passing game to follow through with the run game. Randall Cobb played better in Week 14 while James Jones and Davante Adams saw their targets decrease. If Rodgers can get them more involved, Green Bay should have no issues getting the division title. McCarthy will continue calling the plays, but Rodgers told the media that if the team cannot execute, it will not matter.
"I will say that it's not been about the play calling. It's been about the execution. We haven't executed very well," Rodgers said, via ESPN.com. "Today was a little better -- better on third downs, better in the red zone. Obviously that gave us some opportunities."