Eddie Lacy and an underrated, elite 2014 season

The Green Bay Packers have the NFL’s best quarterback in Aaron Rodgers and arguably the league’s best WR duo in Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, but the accomplishments of Eddie Lacy, who is one of the best running backs in the NFL, are mildly under-appreciated. Everybody knows he’s a great back, and yet he didn’t receive nearly enough praise for a brilliant 2014 season after suffering from a slow start to the year.

Lacy didn’t receive good blocking in front of him, but he was still one of the best backs in the NFL last season purely from a rushing perspective. His average of 4.6 yards per carry was considerably better than his 4.1 average as a rookie, and what makes it all the more impressive is the fact that he boosted his YPC despite having greater responsibilities elsewhere.

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In the offseason, head coach Mike McCarthy and the Packers let Lacy know that he would have to do more in the passing game as a sophomore, and Lacy delivered after making strides in the offseason as a pass-catcher. He finished the 2014 season with just one dropped pass, catching 76.4% of everything thrown at him for 42 receptions, 427 yards, four receiving touchdowns, and a whopping 10.2 yards per reception. Rodgers obviously helped him, but one drop on 55 targets with a 10+ YPR is nothing to sneeze at for a running back.

Pass protection is an important skill for a running back, even if it isn’t a necessary one for an RB to have in this league. Lacy’s steady pass pro last season was a huge help for Rodgers, and Lacy’s emergence as one of the league’s most well-rounded backs was huge for the offense. You can’t predict the Packers play-call choice just by Lacy’s presence on the field, because he’s dangerous as a rusher, excellent as a receiver, and solid as a blocker. There’s no weakness that defenses can legitimately exploit, and that’s a huge key for the Packers offense.

The production in the form of raw numbers was certainly there for Lacy last season, as he was seventh with 1,139 rushing yards, tied for fifth in the league with 13 receiving and rushing touchdowns, and eighth in yards from scrimmage. Although he averaged less rushing yards per game last season, he more than made up for it with better efficiency (he had 38 less carries in 2014) and more contributions in the passing game.

According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein, McCarthy stated that the Packers will limit Lacy’s carries in the future in order to keep the star RB fresh and preserve his career. This statement isn’t a deviation from the Packers current modus operandi, because 288 touches isn’t all that much for a powerful, 24-year-old back who is capable of handling more.

That said, the Packers are extremely smart for not falling into the trap of riding their young back to the point of injury or exhaustion, since Lacy’s touches are better-optimized when he isn’t getting over 300 touches per season. The Packers have a solid No. 2 guy in James Starks who is capable of spelling Lacy when needed, and the more stress they put on the former Alabama star by playing him in a three-down role, the more they need to rest him up.

There’s also the fact that Eddie Lacy has to do a ridiculous amount of work in order to churn out 4.6 yards per carry, because most of his yardage comes from his own work, rather than the real estate provided by his offensive line. Corey Linsley, Josh Sitton, and T.J. Lang form a solid interior, but, as a whole, Lacy’s blocking was shoddy last season due to little push from the tackles and a lack of a blocking tight end (Richard Rodgers is not that type of a player).

Let’s take a look at Lacy’s incredible numbers last season to show you just how good he was at getting more than the blocking in front of him. Per Pro Football Focus, Lacy’s 2.82 yards after contact per carry were good for third in the league, behind only unquestionably elite rushers Marshawn Lynch and Arian Foster. That’s really good company, especially since both Lynch and Foster were praised more often last season for their work in the ground game.

Lacy was also fourth among RBs in missed tackles forced in both the passing and rushing game, as he used his underrated agility and powerful trucking ability to turn modest gains into nice chunks. Again, he averaged 10.2 yards per reception, and only more touted pass-catchers Le’Veon Bell and Roy Helu bested that mark.

There’s no doubt that Lacy is known for his consistency on a per-carry basis, his power, his vision, and, now, his ability to make a big impact in the passing game as either a receiver or a blocker. But what shouldn’t go unnoticed is his sneaky playmaking ability. PFF has a stat called “Breakaway%”, which measures the percentage of runs of at least 15 yards that a player has.

Last season, 33.8% of Lacy’s runs went for at least 15 yards, meaning that he was tied for sixth in the league with notably elusive Jacksonville Jaguars back Denard Robinson. This stat might be fluky since had a middle-of-the-table percentage as a rookie, but this is something to keep an eye on next season; the missed tackles and other statistics certainly are not fluky.

Nov 23, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy (27) scores a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Green Bay Packers win 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

13 touchdowns, 7.8 yards per target, excellent pass protection, 4.6 yards per carry, and plenty of big plays and yards after contact make Lacy one of the top five backs in the league. There’s no question that he’s one of the best at the position, and I would name him as one of the NFL’s elite backs every time I’m asked. This guy simply does it all, and his game transcends the box score stats.

If you are expecting him to have 1,500 rushing yards in the future and explode to DeMarco Murray, Foster, or Lynch numbers, then I think you’ll be disappointed. The Packers run a balanced offense, and their goal isn’t to run Lacy into the ground until he is no longer an extremely valuable, every-down asset.

They aren’t interested in putting Lacy in a position to be the best fantasy football player and then have him on the scrap heap in five seasons.

No, Lacy’s brilliance is the fact that he can take 246 carries, 55 targets, and turn them into the eighth-most yards from scrimmage with the majority of his work (60.5% of it) coming after first contact.

If you want to make a list of elite backs or a list of the league’s most well-rounded RBs, then Lacy has to have a place on it after what he did last year.

Next: Davante Adams a major key next season

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