GREEN BAY — Scott Tolzien knows a thing or two about the importance of an intimidating running game to a quarterback. Having played at the University of Wisconsin, where the ground game is king, Tolzien qualifies as an expert in how a running back influences an offense.

After all, the Badgers essentially had three 1,000-yard rushers during Tolzien's senior season of 2010 — James White (1,086), John Clay (1,028) and Montee Ball (996) — when UW reached the first of three straight Rose Bowls.

And then he played in three games with Eddie Lacy last season. That's when the Green Bay Packers backup quarterback saw even more clearly what a difference-maker looks like

"I'm really looking forward, as are all of us, to seeing what he does in Year 2 because usually there's that first year of kind of growing pains, and I think he's jumped out of those shoes," Tolzien said of Lacy, who finished eighth in the NFL in rushing (1,178 yards) and set the Packers' rookie record for rushing yards despite essentially playing just 14 regular-season games. "I think we're all excited about what's ahead for Eddie.

"What I was impressed with last year was on game day, on Sundays, there's no one you want back there more than Eddie. He truly sets the tone for everybody with his physicality. Hopefully you see that more this year."

If there is a concern about Lacy, it's that he's almost too physical. Those unaccustomed to seeing the Packers utilize an athletic but bruising back were taken aback by Lacy's punishing running style, and he did pay the price physically, having suffered a concussion on his opening carry against Washington in the second game of last season — forcing him to miss the next week's game at Cincinnati — and playing the final month of the year on a badly sprained ankle.

Neverthless, Packers coach Mike McCarthy insists he's not worried about Lacy's durability, even though questions about a toe surgery and hamstring issue before the draft dropped him to the second round.

"I would like to think that Eddie puts the beating on. I think he's beating people up the way he runs," McCarthy said. "But I think you have to conscientious of everything that goes on with your football team. The mileage any player is putting on their body and really what's going on not only during the snaps he's playing but the wear and tear. So, yeah, we're conscious of all that.

"We're very much in-tune with how much Eddie's played and the potential wear and tear."

That's why the team re-signed James Starks and hopes DuJuan Harris, the lead back down the stretch in 2012 before missing all of last season with a knee injury, can contribute as well. That said, McCarthy's plan is for Lacy to earn the right to be on the field on all three downs, and much like franchise all-time leading rusher Ahman Green in his prime, it's hard to take Lacy off the field knowing his impact.

Because of quarterback Aaron Rodgers' fractured collarbone and Lacy's concussion, the quarterback and running back only lined up in the Packers' backfield together for only seven full games last season: The season-opening loss at San Francisco; a four-game stretch against Detroit, Baltimore, Cleveland and Minnesota in October; the regular-season finale at Chicago; and the season-ending playoff loss to the 49ers.

The Packers won all four of those October games, with Lacy carrying 97 times for 395 yards (4.1-yard average) and two touchdowns. In those four games, Rodgers completed 86 of 127 passes for 1,134 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception for a 110.8 passer rating.

The Packers lost wide receivers James Jones (knee) and Randall Cobb in the game against the Ravens and lost tight end Jermichael Finley in the game against the Browns. Against the Vikings, playing without all three of them, Rodgers was 24 of 29 for 285 yards with two touchdowns, Lacy carried the ball 29 times for 94 yards and a touchdown, and the only possession on which the Packers didn't score was on their kneel-downs at the end of the game. The next week, when Rodgers broke his collarbone on the opening series, Lacy ran for a season-high 150 yards on 22 carries.

It's that kind of production the coaches are hoping for with both Rodgers and Lacy healthy.

"It'll be great to have Aaron and Eddie back and ready to go," offensive coordinator Tom Clements said. "It just makes it so the defense has to defend against everything — the run, the pass, all types of passes, the various runs. It makes, as long as you can execute, it makes playing offense fun. So we're looking forward to it."

Jason Wilde  wrote: