nerdmann
14 years ago

Starks hits the ground running in his Packers debut 


Green Bay James Starks sported a big, white bandage on his forehead and a big, wide grin on his face Sunday afternoon.

Not only had he just suited up for his first NFL game, but he had played a key role in the Green Bay Packers' 34-16 victory over the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field.

Starks, 24, a rookie sixth-round draft pick from Buffalo, had 18 carries for 73 yards. It was a surprising workload, considering he hadn't played since Jan. 3, 2009, in what turned out to be his final collegiate game.

He missed his senior season after undergoing shoulder surgery and started his professional career on Green Bay's physically unable to perform list with a hamstring injury. He was activated from the PUP list Nov. 9 but was inactive the last two games.

Asked if he thought he'd get 18 carries in his NFL debut, Starks said, "I had no clue. Hey, if they give me carries, I'll accept them with open arms."

According to Elias, Starks' 73 rushing yards were the most by a Packers rookie running back in his first game since Ralph Earhart had 78 at Boston on Sept. 17, 1948.

"I was just anxious to get out there and play with my teammates, play with 'A-Rod' (Aaron Rodgers), play for the fans here at Lambeau," Starks said. "It was an exciting moment for me. I just took it all in. I was like an excited little kid out there."

Whether Starks breathed some life into a struggling running game or the offensive line blocked better after a tough loss in Atlanta, the result was 136 yards on the ground for the Packers.

"We established the run today," said receiver Greg Jennings. "I thought we ran the ball really well. We're still not where we want to be. We've got a new kid on the block who is trying to step up and give us that power back.

"Our offensive line did an outstanding job opening holes for him, and he did a good job reading them."

With Starks shouldering most of the load, starter and Packers leading rusher Brandon Jackson got just four carries and gained 13 yards. He did catch four passes for 63 yards, including 37 on a beautifully executed screen.

Starks is a big back at 6 foot 2 and 218 pounds. He might be more powerful than the 5-10, 216-pound Jackson, and he's faster than backup John Kuhn (six carries for 13 yards).

"I don't want to get into different styles," Jackson said. "Starks, he did great today."

Starks said he figured he'd be activated when he worked with special teams in practice Wednesday. But he had no idea he'd get his first carry on the Packers' third play from scrimmage. He gained 2 yards.

"The first run, that's why I just ran straight," he said. "I just wanted to get hit just to see how it is, test the NFL a little bit. You've got to get the rust off. The first carry, I just tried to keep the ball high and tight, hit the hole and get what they gave me."

Starks was impressive on the Packers' clock-eating 17-play, 74-yard drive in the fourth quarter that ended with Mason Crosby's 24-yard field goal with 3:10 left.

He carried nine times on the drive for gains of 0, 16, 1, 3, 7, 4, 1, 3 and 0. He broke two tackles on the 16-yard run and might have gained a lot more on the 7-yarder had he not been tripped up.

"I've got to keep my feet up," he said. "Those opportunities don't come often. I saw the hole, and I hit it good. The guy next to me kind of bumped me, and I was like 'Oh, man.' That kind of tripped me up."

Packers coach Mike McCarthy was pleased with Starks' debut.

"I thought he performed very well and was very impressed, particularly the way he fell forward for one or two yards on a number of his carries," McCarthy said. "He's off to a good start."

His teammates were impressed, too.

"That's a good running back," said Donald Driver. "He showed what he could do. I just want to see more of it. He'll get his opportunity once again next week (at Detroit)."

Said tackle Bryan Bulaga, "Starks is a good player and he's only going to improve week to week as he gets more reps."

Starks even got to return two second-half kicks when the 49ers kicked away from Sam Shields. He returned the first 8 yards to the Packers' 31 and the second 17 yards to the 44.

He said he never returned kicks in college and last did it in high school.

"It's been awhile," he said. "The first kickoff I could have caught it and ran. I thought Sam was saying, 'I got it, I got it,' so I looked back and he was just waiting for me to get it. It was my fault. The second time they did it again, so I tried to capitalize on that opportunity."

Starks seemed to relish getting hit for the first time in live action in 23 months. The bandage on his forehead covered a gash that occurred in practice recently. Otherwise, he was none the worse for wear.

"I feel good," he said, beaming at the knot of reporters around his locker. "I feel very good."


“Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all the time thing. You don't do things right once in a while…you do them right all the time.”
nerdmann
14 years ago



Starks Appears Worth the Wait 


Rookie running back James Starks, getting a surprising 18 carries in his long-awaited NFL debut, provided a spark for what had been a one-dimensional attack. On those 18 carries, he didn't lose a single yard, showing burst, power and vision.

James Starks knew hed be active for Green Bays matchup with San Francisco. He just didnt know hed be that active.

After not playing in a game for 23 months dating to the International Bowl on Jan. 3, 2009, as a junior at the University of Buffalo the Green Bay Packers rookie running back debuted with 18 carries for 73 yards. That total, along with his 4.1 yards per carry, led all running backs on the day. Starks even chipped in 25 yards on two pooch kickoff returns something he hadnt done since high school as the Packers downed the 49ers 34-16.

Most expected Starks, who had been out since summer with a hamstring injury and missed his entire senior season with a shoulder injury, to be eased into the lineup with some play on special teams and a handful of snaps from scrimmage. Instead, his 18 carries equaled the most by a Packers running back all season. Starks was as surprised as anyone to come in on the teams third offensive play and end up with that kind of workload he got. In fact, he had no clue it was coming.

I was just keeping my eyes open and whatever was asked of me, I was ready for it, said a beaming Starks. I had prepared well in practice, so I was ready for the opportunity.

For an offense that had become one-dimensional and struggled to get consistent performances on the ground especially in short-yardage situations there was an undercurrent of optimism with Starks suiting up.

I thought he did some good things, offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. Ill have to watch the tape but it looked like he fell forward for the most part and he protected the ball, which is the No. 1 thing that youre always looking for when you have a guy that hasnt been tackled a lot since youve been around him. So, he held onto the ball, which was the No. 1 greatest thing he did, and it looked like he ran the ball relatively well.

While the Packers never would come out and say they were looking for a small-school, sixth-round draft pick who hadnt played in nearly two years to put some juice into their rushing attack, there was a reason they didnt place him on the season-ending injured reserve list weeks ago. This was it.

Those 73 yards by Starks were the most by a Packers rookie running back in his first game since Ralph Earhart ripped off 78 yards at Boston on Sept. 17, 1948. Green Bay mightve been wearing throwback uniforms from their 1929 season on Sunday, but that stat is as good a tribute to the past as any.

James Starks is a really talented young man, coach Mike McCarthy said. The goal was to try to get him probably eight to 10 carries. I wanted to see how he would handle it. I thought he improved as the game went on. Im pleased with his individual performance. Im sure throughout the film study there will be some things we can improve on pad level, ball security. He did a nice job.

While Brandon Jackson has performed admirably, racking up a team-leading 527 rushing yards after starter Ryan Grant went down in the season opener, hes ideally suited as a third-down back. He excels in blitz pick-up, is the teams most-sure handed back and can find big yards on a screen pass, as he did on Sunday with a 37-yard gain.

Jackson, who had 18 carries in the game in which Grant went down but not more than 15 since, is productive, to be sure. But hes not the most powerful or instinctive back out of the backfield and is not enough of a threat to force defenses to back off on defending the pass.

Starks, however, is a different sort of back. At 6-foot-2, 218 pounds, he is a big body with burst. Those two factors were on display several times when he fought for extra yards, including his third carry of the game, when he dragged Niners linebacker Takeo Spikes on a 9-yard gain. Facing one of the leagues top run defenses, only two of Starks 18 carries didnt net positive yards, settling for no gain on both. That fact, as much as his anything, is what stood out for his coach.

I thought he performed very well and was very impressed, particularly with the way he fell forward for 1 or 2 yards on a number of his carries, McCarthy said. Hes off to a good start.

Half of Starks carries came during the Packers longest drive of the season, a 17-play march that took 8:35 off the clock and basically ended the game. It was on the second play of that drive when Starks shot behind left guard Daryn Colledge for 16 yards, his longest gain of the day.

The line did a great job, they stayed square, I hit the hole and was like, Man, its kind of open, and a guy hit me and I just kept churning my feet like Coach EB (Edgar Bennett) tells me and like we practice, Starks said.

Running as hard at the end of the game as he was at the beginning, Starks was not rusty, not tired and definitely not satisfied. He talked about the yards he thought he left on the field as much as the ones he got, and is looking for the chance to capitalize on them next time.

I was just excited for the opportunity and hopefully they like me a little more, he said. But Im just going to continue to be myself and keep working hard trying to get better. You work hard, hard work pays off.

The real payoff will be if Starks can build on what he did against the 49ers over the next four games and, hopefully, into January. Its just one game, and he wont be pushing Jackson out of the starters seat anytime soon, but Starks adds a dangerous dimension to a potent offense. At this stage of the season, that may be just what Green Bay needs.


“Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all the time thing. You don't do things right once in a while…you do them right all the time.”
Zero2Cool
14 years ago
Thanks for the articles, but try to keep with the standard for posting articles.
UserPostedImage
nerdmann
14 years ago

Thanks for the articles, but try to keep with the standard for posting articles.

"Zero2Cool" wrote:




Ok, what's the standard?
“Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all the time thing. You don't do things right once in a while…you do them right all the time.”
Nonstopdrivel
14 years ago
Place the article in quote tags to indicate it's not your words, and include a link to the original article.
UserPostedImage
Pack93z
14 years ago

Place the article in quote tags to indicate it's not your words, and include a link to the original article.

"Nonstopdrivel" wrote:



Both articles are enclosed in quotes with links in tow.. fish again. 😉
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
Nonstopdrivel
14 years ago
I assumed Kevin had edited them.
UserPostedImage
Packers_Finland
14 years ago
Hitting the ground running actually does not help your forward momentum at all, as proven by mythbusters.

But Starks is good. Next week he'll put up 2000 yards and 57 TDs. At least.
This is a placeholder
Zero2Cool
14 years ago

Place the article in quote tags to indicate it's not your words, and include a link to the original article.

"pack93z" wrote:



Both articles are enclosed in quotes with links in tow.. fish again. ;)

"Nonstopdrivel" wrote:



me
UserPostedImage
Pack93z
14 years ago

Place the article in quote tags to indicate it's not your words, and include a link to the original article.

"Zero2Cool" wrote:



Both articles are enclosed in quotes with links in tow.. fish again. ;)

"pack93z" wrote:



me

"Nonstopdrivel" wrote:



The lack of edit announcements (the edit flags at the end) on either post leaves that as a open ? as whom did so.
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
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