The Green Bay Packers have a top-10 rushing offense in 2024. Josh Jacobs is a top-10 back in total rushing yards, yards after contact, and missed tackles forced. He’s also a top-seven back in rushing yards over expected, per Next Gen Stats. Furthermore, Emanuel Wilson has been effective as Green Bay’s second-option back, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt. He also holds a top-five rushing grade among 18 qualified ball carriers from the 2023 draft class in 2024.
However, Green Bay has struggled to run effectively outside the tackle box. Against the Jacksonville Jaguars, they averaged 3.7 yards per carry when attacking the right C and D gaps. Against the Houston Texans, this dropped to 2.7 yards in the same area.
Matt LaFleur has been using end-arounds and jet sweeps to leverage the speed of Green Bay’s receivers. However, defenses now have the tape to counter these plays. Against the Houston Texans, end-arounds to Jayden Reed and Bo Melton combined for minus-one yard on two attempts, leading to punts on both possessions.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly while expecting different results. Green Bay’s horizontal plays have stagnated. It’s time for them to attack the line of scrimmage vertically more often.
Green Bay found success running through the A gap. Against the Jaguars, they gained 47 rushing yards and three first downs that way. A week earlier against Houston, the Packers averaged five yards per carry and gained 22 yards after contact when attacking the left-side A gap. The Texans didn’t have Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o, so LaFleur aimed for a more horizontal approach to exploit their absence and disrupt Houston’s linebackers in coverage.
In Week 6, against the Arizona Cardinals, the Packers gained over 100 rushing yards by attacking the A and C gaps. They averaged 4.5 yards per carry, secured three first downs, had three runs of 10-plus yards, and totaled 81 yards after contact.
Defenses are now keyed into the horizontal tendencies of Green Bay’s offense. As a result, the Packers’ run game has struggled on the edges. That adjustment has opened up more efficient opportunities between the tackles, and there’s no reason the Packers shouldn’t exploit it to their advantage.
When the Packers attempt to run outside, nothing positive happens. Since Jacobs is not the fastest back, it makes more sense for Green Bay to utilize Wilson in those situations. Running inside makes defenses respect the ground attack and prevents them from playing horizontally too often.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jacobs is the best running back in the NFL at breaking tackles and the third-best in yards after contact per attempt among backs with at least 100 rushing attempts. The Packers must leverage his strength to beat defenders rather than relying on speed.
Football is a complex game, but not everything needs to be overcomplicated. Sometimes, running right up the gut is the easier and smarter way to move the football. For the Packers, this approach has proven to be successful.