Eddie Lacy has been the center piece of the Green Bay Packers offense the last two weeks. As the wide receiver corps struggles with injuries and inconsistencies, Lacy is proving to be every bit the quality draft pick the Packers were hoping to be getting. The rookie is a one-two punch back, productive on both ground plays and pass plays, but as the Packers look destined for the playoffs, the coaching staff is looking to limit his carries to avoid injuries.
In the last four weeks, Lacy has averaged around 24 carries per game. In Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns he carries the ball 27 times. Against the Minnesota Vikings he put up 33 carries. The Packers certainly love the big factor the rookie has become for the team, but they are also aware that Lacy will be crucial for late-season momentum.
"We had an extra day (to recover) this week with the Monday night game, that plays into it too," running backs coach Alex Van Pelt said, per the Green Bay Press Gazette. "But we're definitely monitoring the carries for him, try to get him back down to around 20."
Lacy is a contract-thriving running back. He looks to take hits more than he looks to avoid them. Lacy is the type of running back that is not afraid to lower a shoulder on a defender in order to get a few extra yards on the play. That type of style can be very punishing on the body. Lacy has already missed a game for a concussion suffered against the Washington Redskins. In order to let Lacy be a big factor in January during the postseason, the team hopes to keep his carries in check.
As Lacy gets limited, backup James Starks will continue to run free in order to lighten the load. Against Minnesota, Starks put up a mere 57 yards on seven carries, but the team is very satisfied in his abilities to provide quality relief during games.
"Loved him, God I loved him," Van Pelt said. "He ran hard, fast. Brought a different element to the run game with his speed through the hole. Broke tackles, it was a different style of runner. Both (he and Lacy are) big guys, both can run through arm tackles, but James was hitting the hole so hard and fast. The touchdown run there were two guys in the hole and they were kind of clean, and he split them with just his speed. Looked good."
Fantasy owners should keep an eye on the situation throughout the remainder of the regular season. Lacy will remain the starting back no matter what and will still get his share of production, but it appears that Starks will begin stepping in more than usual.
