Breaking Down Eddie Lacy's Season-High Day on the Ground vs. Minnesota
In a 24-21 victory against the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy set a season high in both carries and yardage. Also netting two total scores on the day, he was more than the deciding factor of the game.
When taking a look at the coaches' film, the eye in the sky reflected his statistical effort: Lacy put the team on his back for sections of the game.
Play 1:
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On this play, Green Bay was in their 11 personnel, with one tight end, Andrew Quarless, and one running back in Lacy. This will be something you see a lot if you watch the Packers play.
The team motioned receiver Randall Cobb, who was playing the Y-slot position, behind the right tackle. In the box, Minnesota had seven players, and all but one—the corner who followed Cobb—was accounted for by a blocking assignment. The Packers were going to force the cornerback to make a play.
The offensive line played man-on-man other than the tandem on the right of the center, who together worked the defensive tackle on a double-team. Quarless, the H, kicked out the inside linebacker on the play. This, should have opened up a running lane on the right A-gap, just off the hip of the center.
As one can see, the lane was apparent, but Quarless had yet to reach his man when Lacy first touched the ball. If Quarless didn't land his block soon, Lacy would have to change course.
He did just that, slanting to the right, when he saw Corey Linsley, the rookie center, lose control of his man in the initial running lane. In one move, Lacy redirected from going to the right hip of the center, across the tight end and right guard, to the outside hip of the right tackle.
After scampering for 12 yards, he was brought down.
Play 2:
This play was simple but significant. One yard out, there wasn't room for many statistical additions to Lacy's day other than a score.
Vaulting himself over a pile of linemen, Lacy earned six points on a leap similar to Bo Jackson's in the Iron Bowl.
Play 3:
On one of the most interestingly designed plays of the day, Lacy was able to notch impressive production. On this play, the right guard, T.J. Lang, and the two H-backs in the full-house formation, Quarless and rookie Richard Rodgers, would all kick out the play-side B-gap off the outside hip of the left guard, Josh Sitton.
When watching the play, it looks like a wave of bodies all attacking one spot. Everyone in the box was accounted for. This was a power-on-power blocking play in which Lacy was supposed to hit the hole hard, through contact, and hopefully get to the secondary.
Rodgers, though, took some time to get to his man, who was shielding himself behind a teammate. There was a running lane available for Lacy, but someone was waiting on the other side of it ready to make the tackle.
Waiting for Rodgers to lay a body on his man, Lacy was patient enough to wait for another gap to open up, and he redirected himself to the back-side of the design of the play.
Unfortunately for him, his offensive line didn't sustain their blocks long enough to hit the hole cleanly. He was forced into contact before he saw green grass.
Continuing through contact, though, he eventually found the space he was looking for.
After running through a couple of defenders, he was finally brought down for a 24-yard gain.
Receiver Jordy Nelson was called for holding on the play, so, officially, the play didn't go down in his stat sheet, but this was a great example of just how much control Lacy had during the match.
Play 4:
This was another power play by the Packers. There was no full-house formation or triple kick out blocks, though, just a simple G-power concept with Josh Sitton slated to target rookie first-round linebacker Anthony Barr on the play-side.
On the back-side, Green Bay allowed a free man, not accounting the defensive end with a blocker. Other than Sitton and Lang, who was assisting Linsley on a double-team of the nose tackle, the rest of the blockers were going at the men in front of them.
Unable to get to Barr, who was shielding himself from a block behind a teammate, just as the linebacker in the previously highlighted play did, Sitton assisted his tight end. Lacy, determined, still hit the hole, despite the fact that it was essentially closed, and he had a tackler waiting on the other end.
Barr, out of position, missed the running back, who hit free space with a head of steam.
With half the team draped over him, Lacy was finally brought down for a gain of 15 yards, all due to his effort and will.
Play 5:
This was the final "real" play the Packers ran on Sunday. Effectively, this was the dagger which ended Minnesota's hopes.
Off a zone concept, fullback John Kuhn had a kick out block on the right side of the play, signifying where the play was designed, but Lacy had other plans.
After seeing a muddled offensive line, Lacy put his foot in the ground and took the cutback lane, just as a zone back should. Minnesota had a free linebacker and a cornerback near the line of scrimmage on the play but neither were in position to make a play on the ball-carrier.
The linebacker had over-pursued, meaning he was lost when Lacy took the back lane. The corner had made a mistake, too, taking too much depth into the backfield, ending up having to chase the back from behind when he did end up on his side of the field.
After throwing his body through a cycle of defenders, Lacy had earned the first down. The Packers had earned a win, the back earned 10 yards and quarterback Aaron Rodgers celebrated on camera.
Final thoughts
Whenever a running back runs for 125 yards in a close victory, he's having a good game in today's NFL. Eddie Lacy's effort is what put Green Bay's offense on top of the Vikings last Sunday, putting them atop the NFC North.
Flexing his ability against Minnesota, the Packers will need to ask Lacy to show some of the same flashes this week against New England, who rank sixth in the league in opposing quarterback rating, per ESPN. If Green Bay is unable to lean completely on quarterback Aaron Rodgers, they can at least confidently trust their ground game now.
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