The pistol is great for the Packers because it takes virtually all of the stress off Rodgers. If he wants to hand the ball off to Eddie Lacy, he doesn’t have to move at all, saving him a minimum of one step on every play. Twenty of the 26 pistol snaps the Packers took against the Lions turned out to be running plays, and they were wildly successful. The Packers produced 107 yards on those 20 runs, an average of 5.4 yards per attempt against one of the best run defenses in recent league history. Their 18 other carries against the Lions produced a total of just 45 yards.

By staying in the pistol, the Packers can leave teams guessing until the last moment, a dangerous move when you consider just how fast Rodgers can deliver the football. We also saw them throwing the Lions off by using packaged plays out of the pistol, something I would be shocked to see them not do more frequently against the Cowboys on Sunday.

Those quick stick routes and decisions at the line of scrimmage all play to Green Bay’s strengths, notably Rodgers’s absurdly quick delivery and ability to fit the ball into impossibly tight windows and Nelson’s ability to create after the catch. They also play to Rodgers’s newfound calf concerns, given that he barely has to move before making his throw. ”
– Bill Barnwell, Grantland