Josh Jacobs absolutely owned the Green Bay backfield snaps in their Week 8 win against the Carolina Panthers, taking a massive 70 percent of the offense’s plays. That’s a huge jump from just 52 percent a week ago, when MarShawn Lloyd was way closer to Jacobs in snap count.
The Jacobs Show Is On, But Where’s the Production?
Yeah, you heard that right, Jacobs was practically an every-down back, clocking in at 47 snaps compared to Lloyd’s 11 and Pierre Strong Jr.’s 9. Last week, Jacobs had 35 snaps to Lloyd’s 24 and Strong’s 8, so the shift is real. It definitely looks like the coaching staff is making it the Jacobs show in that backfield moving forward, scratching Kaleb Johnson entirely. Here’s the kicker though: despite Jacobs dominating the workload, none of the backs had a great night running the ball against Carolina. The three of them combined for a paltry 1.9 yards per carry. That’s just brutal! Quarterback Jordan Love was out there for all 67 offensive snaps, with Tyrod Taylor getting zero, so the struggles weren’t on a backup QB.
Injury and Strategy Rock the Packers’ Depth
The Packers’ tight end room took a massive hit this week, and it started before the game even kicked off. In a totally unexpected move, Jonnu Smith was a healthy scratch for the first time all year in 2026. This allowed them to call up practice squad edge defender Arron Mosby. But man, talk about terrible timing! Josh Whyle left the game early with a concussion, making him the only player who didn’t return against the Panthers. Suddenly, a team that usually rolls with four active tight ends was down to just Tucker Kraft, who played 59 snaps, and Mark Redman, who got 27. Whyle only managed 3 snaps before he was out. That’s a huge problem for depth.
Over on the offensive line, there were some head-scratching decisions too. John Williams, Laken Tomlinson, Anthony Belton, Aaron Banks, and Jordan Morgan all played the full 67 snaps. Everyone expected Kevin Zeitler to roll out at right guard, especially with Travis Glover and Sean Rhyan both scratched due to injury. Instead, Green Bay pushed Tomlinson over from the left side, bringing Aaron Banks off the bench to start at left guard. Head coach Matt LaFleur basically said Tomlinson was playing too well to be benched, so Zeitler saw zero snaps. Mekhi Becton, who was just brought up from the practice squad this week, even got a healthy nod over Donovan Jennings, who was a full scratch. Meanwhile, Christian Watson had a wild night himself. He left the game in an ambulance after breaking a rib and spitting up blood, getting tests at a local hospital before returning to Lambeau Field. He still managed a 100-yard game, but his 33 snaps were out-snapped by Savion Williams, who played 36 snaps and previously held the slot receiver role, all due to Watson’s scary exit. Matthew Golden led the receivers with 58 snaps, followed by Williams, Watson, J. Michael Sturdivant (28), and Bo Melton (24).
What’s Next for Green Bay?
With Jacobs taking over the backfield, you gotta wonder if the ground game production will follow. The team clearly wants him to be the guy, but 1.9 yards per carry combined just isn’t cutting it. And the tight end situation is now razor thin after Smith’s scratch and Whyle’s concussion. Moving forward, the Packers need to figure out how to get more out of their run game with Jacobs leading the charge, and hope they don’t face any more injuries at a position that’s already seen a lot of turnover and bad luck.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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