Green Bay Packers: Don't Write off Eddie Lacy Just Yet

When the Green Bay Packers take the field against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14, halfback Eddie Lacy—who has been struggling with everything from injuries to losing the starting job in 2015—will likely start the game in the Packers backfield. 

The Packers made a statement when they pulled Lacy after just five carries in Week 13 against the Detroit Lions and went with a shared backfield with James Starks and newly promoted former practice squad player John Crockett. 

Lacy had missed curfew the Wednesday preceding the game, as ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reported, and his coaches made their displeasure about that fact more than clear. 

It wasn't the first time this season that Lacy was shown the bench by the coaching staff. He lost his role as the starter to Starks in Week 11 against Minnesota. 

However, it was also in that game that Lacy finally began to turn the corner this season, and he could have kept it going against Detroit had he not been warming the bench.

Lacy has historically performed much better in the second half of the season, and the same pattern appeared to be forming prior to his misstep. 

	Before Week 7 Bye	After Week 7 Bye
Avg. Carries/Game	11	12
Yards/Attempt	4.5	3.4
Avg. Yards/Game	43	51
Touchdowns	1	1

What the table above doesn't show, partially due to Lacy's limited carries in Week 13, is that his only 100-plus yard games of the season so far have both come in the second half and were consecutive: Week 11 and Week 12.

But Lacy's poor judgment brought all that to a halt, with some speculating that, due to the combination of his rising weight, lack of production and lapse in judgment, his days in Green Bay may be numbered.

Not so fast.

From comments made in the week leading up to the matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, it appears that the Packers are ready to give Lacy the chance to prove he can carry this team into the playoffs.

While head coach Mike McCarthy did not confirm that Lacy will receive the start over Starks or even Crockett Sunday, he did indicate that Lacy controls how many opportunities the team will give him.

"Everything Eddie wants to accomplish is right there in front of him," McCarthy said Thursday, per Demovsky. "Everything is in front of him. If Eddie or any other player wants to jump up and grab that opportunity, it's right in front of them." 

Lacy knows that even if he may be the best player in the backfield for the Packers, nothing will be handed to him. 

"Talking only does so much," Lacy said about his conversation with McCarthy. "It's about action as well. So just proving that I could back up what we discussed and I'm trustworthy."

A solid run game will be an essential component of Green Bay's offense over the next four games as the Packers attempt to keep their spot atop the NFC North and head into the playoffs as a higher seed. 

Opponents have been able to exploit Green Bay's young, inexperienced passing corps all season, and defenders are all but guaranteed to come into a game prepared to take away the run, knowing that man coverage can get the job done in the passing game. 

The Packers have to power past the stacked boxes, something Lacy at his best does so well. 

For his part, quarterback Aaron Rodgers understands the importance of a strong run game to this team's potential playoff run, and he appears to be throwing his support behind Lacy. 

"He’s a tough guy to tackle," Rodgers said, per Demovsky. "He’s a bowling ball out there. He’s a smart guy. He’s a good runner. He’s very agile for a guy his size, and we’re going to need him to play for us and be consistent."

Rodgers' word goes a long way with the coaching staff, and the Packers seem ready to give Lacy a chance to start for them in this final stretch of the regular season. 

But the pressure couldn't be higher for him to not only increase his production, but prove he can be Green Bay's feature back in 2016 and beyond.