Is this the week that the Green Bay Packers run game can finally find some traction? They’ll have the opportunity to do so against a below-average Las Vegas Raiders run defense.
Through four games, the Green Bay rushing attack has been almost non-existent. The Packers currently rank 29th in yards per carry this season, averaging only 3.3–and even that number is bolstered a bit by contributions from scrambles and runs by Jordan Love.
Between their issues on the ground and falling behind in games so quickly, Green Bay also hasn’t given themselves the opportunity to truly get the run game going in many instances, ranking 25th in rush attempts per game.
Many of the issues that the overall offense is experiencing begins here. I recently detailed the vicious cycle that the offense continually finds itself in, but in short, the inability to move the ball on early downs – oftentimes via the run game – puts the offense in obvious passing situations where the defense has the advantage, both from a pass rush and matchup standpoint.
However, the passing game isn’t consistent enough at this time to shoulder that workload, which leads to short drives, and the cycle continues to repeat itself and is magnified as the Packers fall behind on the scoreboard.
When it comes to remedying this important issue, Matt LaFleur continues to reiterate that the Packers’ lack of success in the run game does not only fall on the offensive line or the running backs, but the play of all 11 players has to improve, along with what he is asking of his offense from a schematic standpoint.
“It’s all the above,” said Matt LaFleur on Friday. “There’s certain schemes, I know this, well shoot, Week 1 versus Chicago we ran a toss play versus a wide-nine technique, and AJ (Dillon) loses four yards. Is that on the offensive line? Is that on the tight end? No, that’s on me. There’s always schematics that play into it in terms of what you’re asking your guys to do. I had a call last week versus Detroit where Aaron Jones kind of got blown up on that option play, and they put base defense out there, and I shouldn’t have called the play.”
Outside of edge rusher Maxx Crosby, someone who has the ability to wreck any game, this is a Raiders defense that has struggled this season. Basically, pick a key defensive category – points per game, red zone efficiency, third downs – and there’s a good chance the Raiders rank near the bottom of the NFL or at least in the bottom half.
Against the run, the Raiders are allowing just over 134 rushing yards per game, which ranks 26th through four games. The 4.3 yards per rush attempt they are allowing ranks 19th. The 14 rushes of 10-plus yards that the Raiders have surrendered are currently the sixth-most.
Statistically, this will be the worst rushing defense the Packers have faced this season. Three of their first four opponents all rank in the top 12, including two in the top 10, in yards per carry given up.
Aaron Jones returned for the Detroit game, and although he was on a pitch count, it’s difficult to justify why he didn’t get his first touch until the second quarter of the game. In part, things spiraled out of control quickly for the Packers, having run only 11 plays on offense by the time they were trailing 24-3. With the run game struggling and the strength of the Detroit defense being the defensive front, the Packers opted to attack the Lions’ secondary early, but that gameplan never stood much of a chance with the offensive line being pushed around.
With that said, LaFleur did say following that game that they have to do a better job of getting the ball into the hands of their playmakers, even if those touches have to be manufactured. I would look for the pendulum to swing back in the other direction a bit this week, with there being an added emphasis on getting both Jones and the run game going early.
“As a play caller, you take responsibility for that,” said LaFleur about the run game’s struggles. “You own that, and you got to make sure if they surprise you and give you a different look or give you a different personnel that you have something right away that you can get to that puts your guys in a much more optimal position for them to go out there and succeed.”