The Green Bay Packers’ ground game is in serious trouble, and Sunday’s stats against the Lions scream it. Josh Jacobs, back from his “not-suspension,” managed a measly 36 yards on 11 attempts. Want to know how bad it was? Ten of those yards came on a single carry, meaning he averaged a paltry 2.6 yards per attempt on his other runs.
Can’t Get Out Of First Gear
This isn’t just about Jacobs, though. The Packers just can’t get anything going on the ground, period. It doesn’t matter if they hand the ball to MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks, or Pierre Strong. They can’t run with Kaleb Johnson either, who was a healthy scratch this week despite the team giving up a draft pick for him. The question everyone’s asking is, will it ever get better? Right now, all signs are pointing to no, even though this 2026 season has been anything but predictable for them. They’ve figured out some issues on the fly, but this one’s different.
A Miracle Needed? Seriously.
It feels like a true miracle would be needed for this ground game to turn around. Maybe Kevin Zeitler finally gets into the lineup and sparks something. Maybe Josh Jacobs finds some magic fountain of youth. Or maybe MarShawn Lloyd figures out how to stop getting lost between the backfield position and the line of scrimmage. Heck, they’re even hoping Jordan Love suddenly becomes a dual-threat savant. But here’s the cold, hard truth: the Packers have struggled to get it going even when facing some of the league’s absolute worst run defenses. They peaked at 86 rushing yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but even that included a chunk of 58 yards on just two carries from Kaleb Johnson and Chris Brooks.
It’s tough to see a big rushing output coming down the pipeline this year. Unless they can somehow rip off a couple of massive runs, or literally fall into one by accident, the outlook isn’t great. The Cowboys, who were formerly the NFL’s worst run defense, actually *improved* after playing Green Bay. Think about that for a second. It really makes you wonder if the “real” ground game for the Packers is still out there, just waiting to be discovered. Don’t hold your breath, though.
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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