Packers: Mike McCarthy should lean on run game more often

The Green Bay Packers need to turn to the run game more often.

After what turned out to be a disappointing tie this past Sunday, the Green Bay Packers look back on what could have been against the Minnesota Vikings.

It was very clear that Aaron Rodgers‘ knee was causing him some pain as his mobility was limited but as per usual, Rodgers was able to put up great numbers and carry this team.

Rodgers completed 30 of his 42 passes for 281 yards, a touchdown and a passer rating of 97.4. Another amazing performance given his knee injury.

However, the Green Bay offense sputtered a number of times and struggled to find the end zone. They relied on five Mason Crosby field goals to keep them ahead of Minnesota, where a touchdown or two would have won the game.

Run game against the Vikings

Offensively, Green Bay became very predictable with the play calling from head coach Mike McCarthy. With an injured Rodgers, they relied too heavily on him in the passing game when the running game was working well and would have added more balance.

Between Jamaal Williams and Ty Montgomery, they combined for just 21 rushing attempts against the Vikings. Both were effective when rushing the ball, totaling 90 yards between the two and averaging 4.3 yards per carry.

The Packers offensive line had a nice game against the Minnesota pass rush. On Rodgers’ dropbacks, he had a clean pocket to throw from on many of his attempts, while Williams and Montgomery were able to find gaps in the Vikings defense created by the offensive line.

Why Green Bay should have ran more

It is well known that the Packers rely on the arm of Aaron Rodgers to carry this team to victory, but given his current health, he needs some additional help.

By running the ball more, it will limit the amount of dropbacks for Rodgers, reducing the number of hits he will take. Rodgers was sacked four times Sunday, and rarely left the pocket, it is clear that his mobility is severely reduced.

More rushing attempts would have eaten up more clock. Six of Rodgers 12 incompletions came in the fourth quarter, stopping the clock every time. Had McCarthy called a more balanced game and kept the clock moving, the Vikings may not have had enough time to tie the game at the end.

The Packers offensive line was able to win many of their one-on-one battles Sunday, and the running game production reflected that. Green Bay should have continued to pound the ball against this Vikings defensive line rather than challenging their talented secondary.

Moving forward

The Packers have been able to rely on Rodgers leading them to victory for a number of years, but he’s clearly not 100 percent, and when the running game is working as well as it was yesterday, McCarthy needs to stick with it.

Montgomery is a dynamic player when he has the ball in his hands, and averaged 6.2 yards per carry against the Vikings. And with the return of Aaron Jones this week, the Packers will have some great options out of the backfield, but they need to get them the ball.

The running game isn’t going to be working as well as it did Sunday every week, but when it is, the Packers need to utilize it.

With a hobbled Rodgers and the offensive line getting a great push, I’d like to see the Packers’ running backs get 30-plus touches a game.