The Green Bay Packers' running game hasn't been great the past two games, but it's at least been good enough to take some of the burden off quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Matt Flynn.
The Packers ran the ball a season-high 38 times for 143 yards (3.8 average) during a 31-27 loss to New England two weeks ago with Flynn starting in place of Rodgers, who was sidelined by a concussion. Green Bay had 35 rushing attempts for 119 yards (3.4 average) during a 45-17 victory over the New York Giants last week with Rodgers back in the lineup.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy's faith in the running game has come a long way since a 20-17 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 3, when the Packers registered a season-low 15 rushing attempts, two of which were scrambles by Rodgers. McCarthy called passes on 78 percent of the plays that Monday night at Soldier Field.
Expect that ratio to be closer to 50-50 when the Packers (9-6) and Bears (11-4) meet again Sunday at Lambeau Field.
"When our attempts are where they have been the last couple weeks, that's the vision of the offense," McCarthy said. "The vision of the offense is not to go out and line up with five wide receivers for 35 snaps. That's not what we're trying to do here.
"I think sometimes that's what people try to say that's what we're trying to do here. I think the quarterbacks and receivers like to do that. But this is not a game of seven-on-seven. It's a game that starts at the line of scrimmage, and it's important to the success of the quarterback which the system is ultimately built around, making him successful that you need to run the ball."
Rodgers was very successful against the Giants, completing 25 of 37 passes for a career-high 404 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions for a passer rating of 139.9.
According to ESPN's Stats & Information, Rodgers was 11 of 12 for 241 yards with three touchdowns a perfect 158.3 passer rating on play-action passes against the Giants. The play-action fakes were effective because the Giants had to respect the Packers' running game, which produced just enough to warrant attention.
John Kuhn opened the game with a 5-yard run and Brandon Jackson followed with four yards on the next play. The series eventually ended with a punt, but Rodgers hit wide receiver Jordy Nelson for an 80-yard score on the opening play of the second series after Giants safety Antrel Rolle bit on a fake handoff to Jackson.
Backup halfback Dimitri Nance opened the next series with two runs for a combined 11 yards to spark a 10-play drive that ended with a field goal.
"If we can get the ball where it's second-and-6, Mike has a lot of good calls on that sheet," Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "A bunch of good ones. Second-and-12, there's still some good ones, but not as many."
Rodgers also had completions of 38 yards to Nelson, 33 to Donald Driver, 26 and 24 to Greg Jennings and 16 to Andrew Quarless off play-action fakes against the Giants. A 5-yard touchdown pass to Kuhn was set up by a fake, as was a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Donald Lee.
"We have action passing plays in the plan every week," Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements said. "And obviously if you get the running game going, the defense has to react a little bit more to the run fake and you get the opportunity for big chunks of yards. I think it's an important part of our thought process."
Rodgers finished with 45 pass attempts against the Bears on Sept. 27. He completed 75.6 percent of those attempts for 316 yards, but the Packers managed just two touchdowns and a field goal despite gaining 376 yards and holding the ball for 35 minutes, 49 seconds.
Clements thought Rodgers did a good job of staying patient and taking what the Bears gave him.
"That's a large part of it," Clements said. "Because when teams play that, they're trying to take away the easy passes and still prevent the down-the-field throws. You have to be patient; you've got to make sure you're making the right decisions. And if the opportunity is there to make the downfield throw, take it, but don't get bored just taking easy completions."
The Packers averaged 4.2 yards per carry against the Bears, with three runs of 11 yards or longer. But Green Bay went long stretches without running the ball, which showed how little McCarthy trusted the ground game.
Clearly, his attitude has changed as the Packers reach the end of the regular season.
"You have to honor the run now," said Jackson, who leads the Packers with 684 yards. "You just can't disregard it now. We're at a stage now where we're running the ball, eating up clock, and if you don't honor it, we'll get you."