Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy still might have a chance to claw his way out of coach Mike McCarthy’s doghouse before the season ends.
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“You can inspire guys, but motivation comes from within, like I’ve said many times, and Eddie has great motivation”, Rodgers said.
“I know as an offense, we need to start clicking here in the last quarter of the season”, said right tackle Bryan Bulaga, who sat out last week’s game. The division title and a home playoff game could be at stake in the season finale against Minnesota on January 3 at Lambeau Field if both teams have the same record. The game plan is not to put too much pressure on Cassel to win the game. Lacy was a second round pick by the Packers in 2013 and is likely to get plenty of touches on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. “What’s nice about coming off the break is you now have a pretty healthy team”. “Everybody’s playing for something”.
Green Bay (8-4) advanced to the NFC championship last season by beating Dallas 26-21 behind two second-half touchdown passes from Aaron Rodgers.
Lacy didnt play much in the 27-23 win on Thursday night over Detroit.
There has been a Jeff Janis sprinkled here and a Jared Abbrederis sprinkled there, but for the most part McCarthy has given quarterback Aaron Rodgers the option of throwing to James Jones, Davante Adams, Randall Cobb or Richard Rodgers. The offense needs the running game muscle now that the final month has arrived. McCarthy would not get into specifics about Lacy’s missed curfew and did not say whether it has been a consistent problem.
“Everything Eddie wants to accomplish is right there in front of him”, McCarthy said before practice Tuesday. Asked what he took away from the mistake, Lacy said, “Just be aware of the time, honestly. It’s a lesson learned, and then it’s something that you move forward from”. During that span, Aaron Rodgers hasn’t even posted one passer rating of 97.0 or higher, which is something that he did five times in the first six games. But his bullish running style seems perfectly suited for cold-weather games in December.
There’s a chance McCarthy will stick primarily with his current skill group, believing the Lions game will restore Aaron Rodgers’ confidence in his receivers and lead to improvements. Richard Rodgers finished with eight catches for 146 yards, by far the best game of his career.
As for the team’s lead dog in the backfield the previous two seasons with 1,100-plus rushing yards in each of those, McCarthy sounds ready to extend the leash again if Lacy lives up to his end of their conversation. The Packers went undefeated in the first phase, and lost four of six in the second phase. “We’re anxious about what’s in front of us”, McCarthy said.
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NOTES: LG Josh Sitton (back) and RG T.J. Lang (shoulder) were limited in practice, while C Corey Linsley was the only player on the team who did not go…. The last time all five preferred starters on the offensive line practiced together as full participants for a week was September.
