Clearly, the coaching staff takes this issue very seriously, and all things considered, Lacy got off somewhat easy.
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This one just felt a little less fluky.
The Packers trailed 20-0 in the third quarter on Thursday night, but came back to beat the Lions on a 61-yard pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to tight end Richard Rodgers on the final play of the game.
At his press conference on Friday, Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy was asked about Lacy’s sudden reduction in playing time and CBS television analyst Phil Simms’ comment that “something happened” with Lacy.
On Thursday against the Lions, they took away his starting job at time when he was at his most productive stage of the season. There was no insane bounce, no pile of players fighting over the ball while falling to the ground.
The Packers were fortunate to even have the chance to attempt the toss, which they were afforded on an untimed play after Detroit committed a face-mask penalty on a lateral-heavy last ditch effort as time expired on the previous down.
FiveThirtyEight, which tracks playoff odds for every team, had the Vikings as slight favorites in the division – 50 percent vs. 46 percent for Green Bay – going into this week.
Lacy, a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie in 2013 who rushed for 1,100 yards his first two seasons, has only 517 yards on the ground in Green Bay’s first 12 games this season.
At the snap the three receivers to the right run straight go routes towards the end zone. The limited pass rush allowed that. But those things we don’t discuss in here anyway. We know this was going to be the trials of our schedule. He’s put up some yards in the prior games, but he can be better. Detroit had plenty of people in the end zone, but the Lions may have misjudged the high throw. Right tackle has to be at the top of the Lions’ offseason to-do list.
“We weren’t in a position to get our hands on it”, Caldwell lamented. That left a situation in which five receivers were battling six defensive backs when it could’ve been five-on-eight.
With 4:06 left in the third, Rodgers found Devante Adams streaking in the end zone.
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Rapoport said the Packers worked out former Denver running back Montee Ball on Friday. For his 21st career rushing touchdown, Rodgers scored from 17 yards out with 3:04 to play in the game. “You’ve got to have somebody go up and you don’t want to get out-jumped for the ball, then you never really get a shot at it, but at the same time you want to be able to box out or keep the other players who don’t go up and jump for it from coming down with the rebound”, Belichick said. If Richard Rodgers Jr. didn’t catch the ball, his teammate Devante Adams was in the second best position to catch the ball. Once they reach the ten yard line, the inside receiver begins heading toward the group of players while the outside receiver continues his slight angle closer toward the center of the end zone.
