Zero2Cool
15 years ago

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]


UserPostedImage
shield4life
15 years ago
It's about time someone step's up and starts telling someone to step up ...
Glad To Be A Packers Fan.
DanJustDan29
15 years ago
....

Grant has been doing well in games and then the run game gets abandoned. He is not preforming at the level he was last year, but he has been doing enough to be considered a good option.
Teamwork is what the Green Bay Packers were all about. They didn't do it for individual glory. They did it because they loved one another. -Vince Lombardi
Cheesey
15 years ago
He has shown some promise. I think the injury really screwed up his early season. Now he seems to be doing what we know he can do.
UserPostedImage
DanJustDan29
15 years ago
It still appears that he is a little hobbled. He is our best option but I think actually using BJack a little bit more could end up helping Grant.
Teamwork is what the Green Bay Packers were all about. They didn't do it for individual glory. They did it because they loved one another. -Vince Lombardi
Fan Shout
packerfanoutwest (1h) : 49ers are underdogs at Packers, ending streak of 36 straight games as favorites
Zero2Cool (9h) : 49ers might be down their QB, DL, TE and LT?
packerfanoutwest (23h) : Jaire Alexander says he has a torn PCL
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : Even with the context it's ... what?
Mucky Tundra (20-Nov) : Matt LaFleur without context: “I don’t wanna pat you on the butt and you poop in my hand.”
beast (20-Nov) : We brought in a former Packers OL coach to help evaluate OL as a scout
beast (20-Nov) : Jets have been pretty good at picking DL
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : He landed good players thanks to high draft slot. He isn't good.
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : He can shove his knowledge up his ass. He knows nothing.
beast (20-Nov) : More knowledge, just like bring in the Jets head coach
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : What? Why? Huh?
beast (19-Nov) : I wonder if the Packers might to try to bring Douglas in through Milt Hendrickson/Ravens connections
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : The Jets fired Joe Douglas, per sources
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : Jets are a mess......
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Pretty sure Jets fired their scouting staff and just pluck former Packers.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Jets sign Anders Carlson to their 53.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : When you cycle the weeks, the total over remains for season. But you get your W/L for that selected week. Confusing.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the total and percentage are the same as the previous weeks
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the total and percentage are the same as the previous weeks
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the totals are accurate..nrvrtmind
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : I don't follow what you are saying. The totals are not the same as last week.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : ok so then wht are the totals the same as last week?
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : NFL Pick'em is auto updated when NFL Scores tab is clicked
Martha Careful (19-Nov) : The offense was OK. Let's not forget the Bear defense is very very good.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : Who updates the leaderboard on NFLPickem?
beast (19-Nov) : Has the Packers offense been worse since the former Jets coach joined the Packers?
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Offense gets his ass in gear, this could be good.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Backup QB helped with three wins. Special Teams contributed to three wins.
bboystyle (18-Nov) : Lions played outside thats why. They scored 16 and 17 in the only 2 outside games this year
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : The rest of the NFL is catching up to Packers ... kicking is an issue throughout league
packerfanoutwest (18-Nov) : Packers DL Kenny Clark: We knew 'we were going to block' Bears' game-winning field goal attempt
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : Lions seem to be throttling everyone, but only (only) got 24 lol maybe the rain is why
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : Packers vs Lions game doesn't seem so bad.
beast (18-Nov) : Dennis Green "They are what we thought they were, and we let them off the hook!"
Martha Careful (17-Nov) : comment of the day Z2Cool "Bears better than we want to admit. Packers worse than we think. It's facts."
Mucky Tundra (17-Nov) : my worst case scenario: Bears fix their oline and get a coach like Johnson from the Lions and his scheme
Zero2Cool (17-Nov) : Bears get OL fixed amd we might have a problem
buckeyepackfan (17-Nov) : Pretty sure they already have scouting reports on guys who aren't even starting for their college team. The future is now for me.
buckeyepackfan (17-Nov) : I tend to let Gute and Co. Worry about the future.
beast (17-Nov) : That's great news and Packers need to keep upgrading their OL, DL and DBs this off-season, so missing one guy doesn't kill them
beast (17-Nov) : That's great news and Packers need to keep upgrading their OL, DL and DBs this off-season, so missing one guy doesn't kill them
buckeyepackfan (17-Nov) : Jaire and Evans Williams are both ACTIVE! Good news.
Martha Careful (17-Nov) : The badgers really need to change the whole offensive scheme. No draws no screens plus the quarterback is marginal
Cheesey (17-Nov) : If the Badgers had a decent QB, they would have won. The guy can't hit a wide open receiver
Martha Careful (17-Nov) : chop block
Martha Careful (17-Nov) : there was a very questionable job Block call that upon viewing replay was very borderline
beast (17-Nov) : How so? (I didn't watch)
Zero2Cool (17-Nov) : Badgers got hosed vs Oregon
packerfanoutwest (16-Nov) : damn,he hasn't played since week 2
Mucky Tundra (15-Nov) : poor guy can't catch a break
Please sign in to use Fan Shout
2024 Packers Schedule
Friday, Sep 6 @ 7:15 PM
Eagles
Sunday, Sep 15 @ 12:00 PM
COLTS
Sunday, Sep 22 @ 12:00 PM
Titans
Sunday, Sep 29 @ 12:00 PM
VIKINGS
Sunday, Oct 6 @ 3:25 PM
Rams
Sunday, Oct 13 @ 12:00 PM
CARDINALS
Sunday, Oct 20 @ 12:00 PM
TEXANS
Sunday, Oct 27 @ 12:00 PM
Jaguars
Sunday, Nov 3 @ 3:25 PM
LIONS
Sunday, Nov 17 @ 12:00 PM
Bears
Sunday, Nov 24 @ 3:25 PM
49ERS
Thursday, Nov 28 @ 7:20 PM
DOLPHINS
Thursday, Dec 5 @ 7:15 PM
Lions
Sunday, Dec 15 @ 7:20 PM
Seahawks
Monday, Dec 23 @ 7:15 PM
SAINTS
Sunday, Dec 29 @ 12:00 PM
Vikings
Saturday, Jan 4 @ 11:00 PM
BEARS
Recent Topics
10h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Martha Careful

21-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / Martha Careful

21-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

21-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

21-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

21-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

20-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

20-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

20-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

20-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

20-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

19-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / dfosterf

19-Nov / Featured Content / Zero2Cool

19-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / Martha Careful

19-Nov / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

Headlines
Copyright © 2006 - 2024 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.