The Green Bay Packers running backs ran into problems with injuries and inconsistency in 2017. Do they need more help or are the pieces there?
Believe it or not, the Green Bay Packers might have had the right pieces to succeed at running back in 2017. A series of situations spelled trouble for the group, leading them be thrust into a bigger role so early on.
The main problem heading into the season for the Packers running backs was inexperience. Ty Montgomery was the only one with NFL rushes under his belt. Montgomery wasn’t exactly a master of the running back position either. He entered the year with 80 total rushes and very little time in the backfield.
The next problem was injuries. Jamaal Williams appeared in all 16 games this year. He was the only member of the Green Bay running back trio to do so. Aaron Jones saw time in 12 games while Montgomery appeared in eight. This led to constant uncertainty and made it tough to get into a routine and rhythm.
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Losing an elite passing game didn’t help them grow either. This put more pressure on the group to perform. When the season started, there wasn’t much pressure on the running backs. They were there to take a little heat off Aaron Rodgers, but never really had to carry the heavy load.
After Rodgers went down however, the running backs were given much more responsibility. This took away their advantage of being eased into the game plan. With all that in mind, it wasn’t the best year for running backs in Green Bay. They did have a lot of positives as well.
Montgomery continues to show big-play potential and is a fantastic weapon in the passing game. Jones meanwhile was an unexpected beast on the ground (5.5 yards per carry). Finally, Williams was a nice mix of both.
All of this combined could actually give the Packers a very strong trio in the backfield. Together, they can do everything for Green Bay, and give them what they need in any situation. With more experience under their belts, letting this group grow together might be the right move.
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For now at least, there doesn’t appear to be any reason to go into this offseason with running back as a main focus. There are more glaring problems on the offensive line and defense that should be addressed.