Getty Patrick Taylor celebrates a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings last season.
The Green Bay Packers have added another running back to their roster heading into their Week 2 matchup against the rival Chicago Bears.
The Packers have elevated RB Patrick Taylor to their 53-man roster after going with just two backs (Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon) in their Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Dillon and Jones combined for 15 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown last week, with Jones averaging 9.8 yards per carry and Dillon averaging 4.5 yards each time he toted the rock.
Despite tearing it up when he got the ball against Minnesota, Jones had just eight touches all game (five rushes, three receptions). Packers coach Matt LaFleur admitted he’s planning on utilizing the running game — and Jones — quite a bit more moving forward.
“We need to get them the ball more, especially in the run game,” LaFleur said on September 12. “I thought we were running the ball pretty efficiently. We had a couple of explosive runs. I thought our backs, I really love how they competed. I mean, they were fighting for every inch out there.”
Taylor Could See Action vs. Bears
An undrafted free agent out of Memphis, Taylor appeared in nine games for Green Bay last season, carrying the ball 23 times for 89 yards (3.9 yards per carry) and a score. In his 45 collegiate games with the Tigers, Taylor amassed 2,884 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns on 536 carries.
At 6’2″ and 217 pounds, Taylor isn’t a speedster, but he’s a big-bodied back who could be a nice plug-and-play option when Dillon sits.
Taylor had over 3.0 yards after contact per rush last year according to Pro Football Focus, and he had two explosive runs of 20 yards or more in his 23 carries, so he showed flashes in limited opportunities.
It’s also not likely that the Bears will have prepared much for him, as their focus heading into the game will have been mostly on Dillon and Jones. Thus, Patrick could have a few chances to make plays against a Bears defense that allowed 176 yards rushing to the San Francisco 49ers Week 1.
Packers & Bears Continue Prime Time Tradition
This will be the 17th straight year the longtime NFC North rivals will play each other in prime time. Eleven out of the last 12 of those games have been played on the Frozen Tundra. LaFleur is 6-0 against Chicago, while reigning two-time MVP Aaron Rodgers is 23-5 in his career against the Bears.
“Oh yeah, it’s going to be electric,” Packers defensive lineman Kenny Clark said, via the team’s official website. “I love this game, I love everything it brings to me. I take nothing for granted. Any time I get a chance to run out of that tunnel, especially a division rival, the Bears, and it’s the first home game of the season, it’s a dream.”
The Packers were the lone team in the league to go undefeated at home during the regular season last year, going 9-0 at Lambeau. They’ll need a win over the NFC North rival Bears in order to avoid sliding to 0-2, which they haven’t done since the 2006 season.