No Running Game? No Problem For The Packers » Brats & Beer

September 25, 2007
posted under: Packers, Pre-game, Vikings

The constant theme running through commentary and criticism before and after Green Bay’s huge win Sunday over the Chargers has been laser focused on the state of the running game, specifically the apparent lack of one. Over the past few months I have been at or near the front of that line of people wanting to know how the Packers plan to pound the ball between the tackles, but a little Green & Gold light went off after the game this week that made me ask the question, “Do we really need one?”

Okay, when the cold winds of November come down from the big lake they call Gitchigumi to freeze the tundra at Lambeau (isn’t that how the song goes?) then maybe it would be nice to be able to run the ball, but that’s still more than a month away. Right now the Packers game plan of replacing the run with short passes is working and could carry this team pretty far into the season if they continue to execute it well.

My confidence in this comes from the fact that this is the same game plan the Patriots were using during their Super Bowl runs a few years ago. In 2003 the Pats ranked 27th in the league in rushing, averaging just over three yards a carry, but their short passing game produced more than 3,600 yards of offense and a 14-2 record. The same is true of the Eagles in 2004 when the running backs carried the ball just 20 times a game and everyone criticized Andy Reid for never calling run plays. But it works, especially early in the season.

I realize that it seems unnatural to see the Packers lining up in that spread offense with an empty backfield on almost every down, we’re just not accustomed to it. We’ve been conditioned to think that the only way for the Packers to win is to run the ball 30 times a game and to hold our collective breath every time Favre drops back into the pocket. But it looks to me like Mike McCarthy just might know what he’s doing (except on the fourth-and-goal play), formulating a game plan that plays to the strengths of the offense and exposes weaknesses in the defense. Imagine that.

So I say bring on more passing at the Humpty Dome this weekend. The Vikings have the #3 ranked run defense in the league right now, but the secondary is allowing almost seven yards per completion, more than enough room for Favre and his receivers to operate effectively. And when the Purple Poopheads start to spread out their defense then DeShawn Wynn will be able to rip off a few more big runs like the one he had against the Giants.

I hate to say it, but the brain trust at 1265 might be on to something here.