Packers' Ground Game Hits Wall vs. Bears: So What Needs To be Changed?

The week one matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers didn’t show itself to be the high scoring affair most of us thought it was going to be.

As we take an analytical look at the Packers, there is one glaring issue that has seemed to rear its ugly head for the past three years. If it’s one philosophy the NFL teaches, it’s the importance of the ground game.

Without a competent rushing attack, teams are forced to throw more than they should, which leaves the door wide open for turnovers.

You don’t need an Adrian Peterson to utilize the ground game—although it does help—in a way that produces positive results. Without it, there is no play action setup to draw the safeties in, there is little room for proper clock management, and the overall offensive becomes one-dimensional.

For the past three years, the Packers have averaged only 19.5 carries a game; a number that's more anemic than it is stout. Last night's opening game was no different, with Ryan Grant rushing only 16 times.

The Chicago defense made good in containing Grant, but it wasn’t as if there weren't just as many holes for him to exploit—he just simply didn't get enough touches.

The Bears showed that, if you can stuff the Packers ground game in the early goings, they are more reluctant to abandon it later on; something that needs to be addressed now, before Cincinnati comes rolling into town.

The X’s and O’s

The Packers didn’t have too many problems opening up the gaps for Grant, but Grant seemed, at times, hesitant. When the Packers ran off-tackle they had better success, especially when sealing the outside block.

The Bengals—Green Bay's next opponent—did a pretty good job shutting down Denver's ground game, but the Bronco rushing attack is vastly different from the Packers. So, the Bengals will have their hands full with a more talented backfield than Denver had to offer.

But all of this will be a moot point if Green Bay doesn’t run more than 16 times.

Tweaks and Adjustments

Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, and running backs coach Edgar Bennett must get Grant more inclined to finish through his runs. If you look at the "tape", there were a few runs where Grant just seemed to stop; something he does often.

Grant must learn to "run through the run" so to speak, and simply finish the job if the Packers are to have a good rushing campaign this season. The offensive line did a good job opening up the primary gaps, but that's not where you want to hit the Cincinnati defense.

Dhani Jones is a good run stuffer capable of making life miserable for anyone coming through the middle, so a north-south approach may not be favorable. Keith Rivers and Rey Maualuga work well at the point of attack, but can be exploited at the line of scrimmage.

The Bengals are a jumpy team. They are a respectable group of players, but tend to be in places where they are not supposed to be—the perfect situation for off-tackle running.

The Packers showed they can get the blocks down to open up the outside road for Grant, and Grant showed last night he is not only healthy, but deceptively fast. Mixing in Wynn, is a great third down option as well, so don’t expect the Packers to change that part too much.

The Packers have a golden opportunity to get Grant’s motor running now, before it's too late.

If Aaron Rodgers can pass early with success, and the O-Line can block a little better (I’m talking to you Allen Barbre), then Grant can be utilized better, allowing the Packers to control the game and establish the run.

The Future of Ryan Grant

Provided Grant remains healthy, there is no reason to think he won’t eclipse 1,500 yards on the ground, and that's allowing for many games under 100 yards.

Ultimately the more they run, the easier it will be for Grant to achieve such numbers.

In the end, I would like to see Grant with at least 400 carries for the year (a 25 per-game-average), but as history has shown, it will be significantly less than that; a projection I hope I am not correct.

Grant Projections: 350 carries for 1,426 yards and seven TD's—a 4.0 YPC average compared to last year's 3.8.

For fantasy breakdown of week one's matchup and a weekly look at the NFC East matchups click here.