wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member Topic Starter
13 years ago
That means about 7-10 carries each. That is not enough for one player. Pick a guy and use him. If he struggles then try the other.

The goal is for Green Bay running backs Ryan Grant and James Starks to get an equal amount of rushing attempts Thursday night against New Orleans.

That's the plan for now, anyway.

With a healthy Grant back after missing nearly all of the 2010 season, the Packers are faced with the new challenge of merging his comeback with the progression of Starks, whose late-season emergence as a rookie paced the Packers through the playoffs.

And the only way to figure it out literally is to let things play out.

"We know what they can do," first-year running backs coach Jerry Fontenot said. "It's just a matter of getting them comfortable and making sure they've gotten enough reps to do it. The only way I see them doing that is getting them as equal of work as I possibly can."

Grant ran for 83 yards in 18 carries (4.6-yard average) in the preseason, his first football action after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in the opener a year ago.

"We'll bring Ryan back in and see how he handles the game and the contact," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "He looks fine. He looks like he did before he ever got injured."

Starks had just 17 yards in four carries this summer, but his production from the postseason - 315 yards in 81 carries (3.9 average) - is still fresh on everyone's mind.

Starks began 2010 on the physically unable to perform list, so this is the first time the Packers have had the two backs together.

"They're both going to take pretty much all situations in the game," Fontenot said. "Evenly dispersed? I can't guarantee it. But I'm certainly going try to get each one of those guys an equal amount of opportunities to carry the football, to hold onto the football and to control the clock for us."

In an offense that probably will rely mostly on the passing game anyway, let's hold off on calling this anything like a two-back system or running back by committee just yet.

Fontenot is simply looking for a working combination between Grant and Starks, not unlike the one he had in Chicago when he was the center and blocked for Neal Anderson and Brad Muster. Fontenot said the balanced attack featured the speedy Anderson and powerful Muster.

"It's nice to have different options at tailback," Fontenot said. "We have Ryan who is as physical as anyone, playing behind his pads - a bruising-style runner. James is more elusive in the hole, but he's still a big back and he's strong, so tacklers bounce off him.

"So, what course is better? I don't know. We'll find out."

jsonline wrote:



more online 

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rabidgopher04
13 years ago

That means about 7-10 carries each. That is not enough for one player. Pick a guy and use him. If he struggles then try the other.



more online 

Originally Posted by: wpr 



Especially since Grant gets some of his biggest yardage in the 4th quarter.
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beast
13 years ago
This sounds like it's gonna be interesting... maybe in a good or bad way, we'll have to wait in see. I hope they have clear roles and don't have to question what the coach is gonna do next during the game because that could distract them a bit, if they're guessing what their coach is doing.

Also I wonder who the 3rd down back will be. MM said at the start of training camp, that if the season started then it would be Kuhn, fans have guessed Green would be doing it but some same he looks a bit too raw still and Grant and Starks haven't been the best in pass blocking (though it sounds like Starks was better than last year).
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zombieslayer
13 years ago

Especially since Grant gets some of his biggest yardage in the 4th quarter.

Originally Posted by: rabidgopher04 



Agreed.

I'm under the impression that Grant doesn't get better in the 4th Q, but everyone else starts wearing down and Grant stays the same, thus he excels at 4th Q rushing.
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wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member Topic Starter
13 years ago

This sounds like it's gonna be interesting... maybe in a good or bad way, we'll have to wait in see. I hope they have clear roles and don't have to question what the coach is gonna do next during the game because that could distract them a bit, if they're guessing what their coach is doing.

Also I wonder who the 3rd down back will be. Mike McCarthy said at the start of training camp, that if the season started then it would be Kuhn, fans have guessed Green would be doing it but some same he looks a bit too raw still and Grant and Starks haven't been the best in pass blocking (though it sounds like Starks was better than last year).

Originally Posted by: beast 



I have a feeling for the first few weeks Green is a game day inactive unless there are a lot of injuries. They have to come up with their 7 players some place. And the 4th RB might be one of them.
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13 years ago
Well, that makes my RB decision this week in FF easy. I grabbed Starks at the end of my draft for muh bench after I had just picked up Grant. I shall start them both (that's 4 RBs starting this week)!

I agree with Twinkiegorilla.

bozz_2006 wrote:


Tezzy
13 years ago

Especially since Grant gets some of his biggest yardage in the 4th quarter.

Originally Posted by: rabidgopher04 



I especially like Grant in the 4th quarter when the game is within one score.

2008
1st - 90 for 366 (4.1)
2nd - 85 for 323 (3.8)
3rd - 80 for 266 (3.3)
4th - 57 for 248 (4.4)

4th within 7 - 39 for 198 (5.1)

2009
1st - 91 for 389 (4.3)
2nd - 61 for 305 (5.0)
3rd - 67 for 272 (4.1)
4th - 74 for 351 (4.7)

4th within 7 - 25 for 120 (4.8)
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Zero2Cool
13 years ago

I especially like Grant in the 4th quarter when the game is within one score.

2009
1st - 90 for 366 (4.1)
2nd - 85 for 323 (3.8)
3rd - 80 for 266 (3.3)
4th - 57 for 248 (4.4)

4th within 7 - 39 for 198 (5.1)

2010
1st - 91 for 389 (4.3)
2nd - 61 for 305 (5.0)
3rd - 67 for 272 (4.1)
4th - 74 for 351 (4.7)

4th within 7 - 25 for 120 (4.8)

Originally Posted by: Tezzy 



Impressive numbers for 2010.
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PackerTraxx
13 years ago
Looks like I missed a lot last year. I'm going to have to watch much, much closer!!!LOL
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Pack93z
13 years ago
One could predict a heavy split two headed backfield for a while.. so this is hardly news.

IMO.. they will adjust accordingly when "trends" appear.
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