It's certainly no secret that the NFL has been more of a passing league than a running league for quite some time now.
But even in what we'll just go ahead and call the air-it-out era because it's just fun to say, having a strong rushing attack is still vital to a team's overall success, as gaining those yards on the ground naturally forces defenses to stay honest in the trenches, which, in turn, opens up the passing lanes.
All that said, however, the Green Bay Packers have the absolute worst ground game in the NFL through the first six weeks of this 2026 regular season, averaging an abysmal 59.8 rushing yards per game. And yet, after picking up an easy 23-13 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, a win during which they gained just 57 yards on the ground, the Green & Gold find themselves at 4-2 on the year.
And here's where things get really fun. With Pierre Strong Jr. leading Green Bay with 28 rushing yards against America's Team, the Green & Gold still haven't had a single player hit the 50-yard threshold this season. As such, according to Opta Sports, this is the first time in 75 years a team has had a winning record through six games without having any player reach that 50-yard mark in one of those outings.
And here's where things get even more entertaining, as this rare feat has been achieved only three times in NFL history. The last time this happened was in 1941, and the team to do it was none other than the Green Bay Packers. And the first time this happened was in 1935, and the team to do it was— yep, you guessed it — the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers are the only team in NFL history to have a winning record through six games without having a 50-yard rusher
Just for kicks, let's have a quick look at this wild history.
1935
Through the first six games of the 1935 campaign, Green Bay, as they are now, was 4-2, with George Sauer Jr. coming the closest to the 50-yard mark, literally falling just a single yard shy with 49 against the New York Giants in Week 3.
The Packers ultimately ended the year at 8-4 to take second in the Western Division behind the Detroit Lions and finishing third in the league in rushing yards, averaging 130.2 yards per game.
Week/Opponent | Result/Record | Packers Leading Rusher |
|---|---|---|
1/Cardinals | L, 7-6 (0-1) | Swede Johnston/Hank Bruder (30 yards) |
2/Bears | W, 7-0 (1-1) | George Sauer Sr. (37 yards) |
3/Giants | W, 16-7 (2-1) | George Sauer Sr. (49 yards) |
4/Pirates | W, 27-0 (3-1) | Bob Monnett/Johnny Blood (31 yards) |
5/Cardinals | L, 3-0 (3-2) | Hank Bruder (46 yards) |
6/Lions | W, 13-9 (4-2) | Clarke Hinkle (42 yards) |
1941
Moving to 1941, the Packers were 5-1 through six games, with the great Tony Canadeo coming closest to 50 yards with a 48-yard effort in Week 1 against the Lions. That loss to the Bears in Week 3 was the only one they took during the regular season, but after both teams finished 10-1 to tie atop the West, they met in a playoff to decide the division, with Chicago coming out on top in that one as well.
Green Bay again finished third in the league in rushing that season, averaging 140.9 yards per game.
Week/Opponent | Result/Record | Packers Leading Rusher |
|---|---|---|
1/Lions | W, 23-0 (1-0) | Tony Canadeo (48 yards) |
2/Rams | W, 24-17 (2-0) | Clarke Hinkle (45 yards) |
3/Bears | L, 25-17 (2-1) | Lou Brock (17 yards) |
4/Cardinals | W, 14-13 (3-1) | Clarke Hinkle (41 yards) |
5/Dodgers | W, 30-7 (4-1) | Andy Uram (39 yards) |
6/Rams | W, 17-14 (5-1) | Clarke Hinkle (39 yards) |
2026
And finally, of course, we come to 2026, and during this 4-2 start, Kaleb Johnson has come closest to the 50-yard mark, going for 42 yards in Green Bay's Week 4 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Week/Opponent | Result/Record | Packers Leading Rusher |
|---|---|---|
1/Vikings | L, 39-22 (0-1) | MarShawn Lloyd (37 yards) |
2/Jets | W, 20-17 (1-1) | Kaleb Johnson (32 yards) |
3/Falcons | L, 35-14 (1-2) | MarShawn Lloyd (11 yards) |
4/Buccaneers | W, 17-14 (2-2) | Kaleb Johnson (42 yards) |
5/Bears | W, 31-7 (3-2) | MarShawn Lloyd (31 yards |
6/Cowboys | W, 23-13 (4-2) | Pierre Strong Jr. (28 yards) |
It goes without saying that one of the biggest reasons the Packers have had issues running the football has been the absence of Josh Jacobs, who's been on the Commissioner Exempt List all season after pleading no contest to a pair of misdemeanor charges from a domestic incident.
Jacobs came off that list on Monday, meaning the three-time Pro Bowler can now practice and could play as soon as Green Bay's upcoming contest against the Detroit Lions. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has yet to fully commit to that, but even if Jacobs does suit up, there are offensive line issues to be concerned about, as that's been a big problem as well. So, we'll just have to wait and see what Jacobs' return truly means to this team moving forward.
Now, the biggest reason the Packers have been able to get away with having an anemic ground game is that Jordan Love has led Green Bay to the NFL's fifth-best passing attack. Yes, he's had some accuracy issues at times (he's also seen plenty of his passes dropped), but he's averaging 280.7 yards per game and has tossed 11 touchdowns against four interceptions.
That average, by the way, is nearly 50 yards higher than the 232.5 yards per game he posted in his first three seasons as the starter, so he's certainly doing his part in the Packers' success. But we're betting it's safe to say that he wouldn't mind a little help on the ground.
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