The Green Bay Packers have simply been unable to run the football without starter Josh Jacobs behind a banged up offensive line, but quarterback Jordan Love — while honest and at points critical of the rushing attack — believes it’s something the offense can fix.
Love spoke with media members about the team’s woes in the run game after the Packers produced just 63 yards on 18 attempts (3.5 yards per carry) against the New York Jets in Week 2, and he didn’t let the offensive line or the team’s stable of rushers off the hook.
It’s all about us identifying who we’re blocking in the run game, being on the same page. And then when the backs get the ball, trusting their aiming points, what their read is on the run game. So it takes everybody really being on the same page and doing their job.
There’s too many times during the game where we’ve got some unblocked guys, or we’re just not taking the right reads. So I think there’s stuff that — it’s all fixable. It’s all stuff we can clean up and get better at. So I think that’s the mindset.
Packers Have Not Scored Rushing TD in First 2 Games of Season
Green Bay also struggled to move the football on the ground in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, tallying just 66 yards on 21 carries (3.1 yards per rush).
The Packers’ trio of running backs — MarShawn Lloyd, Kaleb Johnson and Chris Brooks — still don’t have a rushing touchdown between them.
But despite the numbers, Love contended that his team’s run attack is not “terrible.”
“It’s not like we have this terrible running game. I think it’s just us going out and executing and doing our job,” Love continued. “Not having Josh out there, we know that. It is what it is. It sucks. But I’ve got confidence in those guys. I think there’s a lot of stuff we can clean up and have some better runs.”
Injury Issues Stacking Up on Packers’ Offensive Line
Things are liable to get even more difficult for Green Bay’s run game before they get better, as right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele suffered a season-ending injury against the Jets on Sunday.
“He’s getting surgery on Thursday and faces a nine-month recovery,” Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reported via X on Tuesday. “Same knee as the one he partially tore the patellar tendon in last December. [He] didn’t blame it on coming back too soon. Did say [the] turf didn’t help.”
Starting offensive guard Aaron Banks also left the game against New York with a toe injury after missing the season-opener with knee tendonitis.
Jacobs, who remains on the Commissioner’s Exempt List following off-field legal issues, is awaiting a ruling from the NFL on whether he will face any punishment for violating the code of conduct policy.
There has been no indication yet as to what type of suspension Jacobs might face, but based on the details of his case and historical precedent, he is unlikely to rejoin the Packers before their Week 7 matchup against the Detroit Lions on October 25.
Green Bay will play their third game of the season against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football.
Packers’ Jordan Love Doesn’t Hold Back on Teammates Amid Run-Game Woes