Packers want big plays from running back

Green Bay - In the last four weeks, Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant has improved his average from 3.38 yards per carry to 3.9, a significant increase on a team whose running game was in the dumps the first half of the season.

During that span, Grant has averaged a healthy 4.72 yards per carry, which is more like the number he carried last year, when he averaged 5.1.

The improvement hasn't gone unnoticed, but as far as Grant's coaches are concerned it's not enough and they're putting the onus on him to take it a step further. Grant has only three rushes of 20 or more yards in 216 carries, which is way down from last year, when he had 11 in 188 attempts.

Finally free of the limitations of a sore hamstring, expectations are rising for him.

"We were just watching the tape of the Falcons against Carolina and Michael Turner breaks two tackles and has a 21-yard gain," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "He should have had nothing. We have to provide opportunities and then he (Grant) has to take advantage of those opportunities. Sometimes he has to create his own and make some of those yards on his own."

Grant has broken more tackles in the past two weeks against Chicago and New Orleans, but he's still not beating the last guy, often a safety who has one shot to get Grant down on the ground. When he was at his best last season, he either ran over the safety or took an angle that allowed him to run past the safety.

This year, that hasn't happened much.

He had 16 carries for 64 yards in the first half against the Saints, but he could have had more. On the second series, he broke a tackle and ran into the clear but didn't read receiver Greg Jennings' block well and wound up getting tackled at the 6 instead of going in for the score.

Philbin said Grant has to use whatever tool he can - whether it's acceleration or a stutter step or plain aggression - to will himself past the last defender. Some of the plays the Packers run count on him breaking a tackle.

"It's hard to get all the hats accounted for every single time," Philbin said of the blocking. "Sometimes you're fortunate if you can. If you have aggressive safeties, you have to deal with them. They have some responsibility too as far as productivity. We do the best we can schematically. But he has to produce as well."

Grant said he thought he was in for a big second half against the Saints, but he never got the chance to show it because the Packers fell behind so quickly. He agrees that it's on him to start making the big plays.

"It's my job regardless," Grant said. "My job is to run and gain yards. Whatever that means, I'm OK with that. That's what I want. That's Joe knowing the expectation he has for me and me having expectations for myself."

One step closer: [ul]Right tackle Mark Tauscher was able to take part in the team's walk-through Thursday after missing practice Wednesday because of a hamstring pull.

"That was definitely encouraging," coach Mike McCarthy said. "The plan for Mark, after yesterday's medical evaluation, was to rest him Wednesday and Thursday. He was able to do the walk-through today, which was good for him because every week you have some new wrinkles and so forth. So he is definitely making progress."

The Packers upgraded safety Atari Bigby (ankle), safety Jarrett Bush (ankle), left tackle Chad Clifton (knees), safety Nick Collins (knee), running back Brandon Jackson (ankle), end Mike Montgomery (ankle) and center Scott Wells (shoulder) to full participation.[/ul]

Weather permitting:[ul] McCarthy said his plan was to take the team outdoors for a while, but field conditions weren't ideal and he held practice again in the Don Hutson Center.

"It just didn't work out as far as the frost and the snow removal and everything on the field and the condition of the field, but the intent was to practice outside today," McCarthy said. "We'll see what it looks like tomorrow."

McCarthy said the players were understandably sore Wednesday because they played Monday night, but he said they seemed to be bouncing back Thursday. They will go the whole week without practicing in pads to limit the stress on their bodies.

"We actually worked them hard in the individual periods because of that, to get the soreness out, to help get the soreness out of their bodies," McCarthy said of Wednesday's practice. "I felt like their energy was good today and they are definitely turning the corner. That's part of playing on Monday night.

"You've just got to be proactive with the treatment. Some guys didn't even go to sleep (on Monday night). They came in and got their workouts in early and treatment and so forth."[/ul]