It is officially the regular season! The Packers are 8 days away from the seasoner opener in Brazil. Green Bay finalized their 53 man roster earlier this week. The focus has now shifted to the Philadelphia Eagles. One of the key chess pieces for Green Bay is new RB Josh Jacobs. The Packers certainly believe in Jacobs. With all of the uncertainties in the running back room behind Josh Jacobs, it is time for him to shine.
Green Bay placed RB AJ Dillon on IR Tuesday. Dillon was not given a designated to return status so Dillon is out for the season. On Wednesday, Matt LaFleur expressed his sadness regarding Dillon’s injury. LaFleur mentioned that the Packers had a plan for Dillon. He was excited to use his versatility. On top of that, the status for rookie RB MarShawn Lloyd is still unknown. The Packers did not place Lloyd on IR which is a good sign. However, Lloyd did not practice on Wednesday.
The Packers currently have two healthy runnings back on the 53 man roster, Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson. Wilson has minimal real game experience. In 2023, he had 14 carries for 85 yards. Even if Lloyd can play in Brazil, the Packers second option lacks legitimate NFL game experience. LaFleur has boasted about what Jacobs brings to the table. Expect Jacobs versatility to be on full display against the Eagles.
Capitalize on Josh Jacobs Versatility
Earlier in the offseason Josh Jacobs mentioned he was attracted to Green Bay because of the stability and the plan the Packers had in place. Green Bay plans to use Jacobs in both the running game and the passing game. In 2022, when Jacobs led the NFL in all purpose yards, Jacobs posted 400 receiving yards. LaFleur is a fan of the screen game plus with Jordan Love’s willingness to check it down when there is nothing open down field, Jacobs should register a solid number of receptions.
In 2022, Jacobs’ career year, he averaged 2.4 yards after contact. This ranked third behind Tony Pollard and Khalil Herbert. That number did drop to 1.3 YAC/ATT in 2023 but the Raiders offensive line did Jacobs no favors. For example, Jacobs ranked 37th in the NFL averaging 1.9 yards before contact in 2023. Packers RB Aaron Jones averaged 2.4 YBC/ATT in 2023. The Packers expect Jacobs to bounce back running behind a better offensive line in Green Bay.
Without AJ Dillon, the Packers enter the Week 1 contest with one returning running back, Emanuel Wilson. As previously mentioned, Wilson saw very limited playing time in 2023. MarShawn Lloyd is a pretty significant question mark as well. At the moment, his health status is unknown and he has missed the majority of camp thanks to two separate injuries. Early on in 2024, the Packers cannot afford for Josh Jacobs to start slow. Green Bay needs Jacobs to come out of the gate hot. If the Packers can effectively run the ball, it will open up the passing attack. The time is now for Josh Jacobs. It is his time to shine.
