GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Mike McCarthy has been in Wisconsin long enough to know what kind of football works best late in the season.
He has the recent record -- 14-6 over the final month of the season since 2010 -- to back that up. Only two teams have been better in their last four games of the season than McCarthy's Green Bay Packers the past five seasons.
So when the 10th-year coach discussed his formula for late-season success, it was no surprise that it centered around the ground game.
"You can put that A number 1,” McCarthy said. “You have to run the football and you have to stop the run. You're not going to beat the good teams being one-dimensional. And to be two-dimensional, you've got to run it to set up the pass because with that you have the ability to be an action-pass team and a dropback. That's our focus each and every week and it will be no different Sunday.”
There’s a significant part of that equation, however, that remains unsolved. With four games remaining, there’s no telling which running back McCarthy will rely on most. Will he go back to Eddie Lacy, who was coming off his two best games of the season before he missed curfew last week in Detroit? Or does he stick with the combination of James Starks and the recently promoted John Crockett, as he did against the Lions?
Here’s a look at where things stand with each of the Packers running backs as they head into Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys:
Eddie Lacy (127 carries, 517 yards, 2 touchdowns this season)
Why he might get more work: McCarthy doesn’t appear inclined to discipline Lacy any further. He said earlier this week that “everything Eddie wants to accomplish is right there in front of him.” Meawhile, Lacy on Wednesday sounded contrite when he admitted to his misstep. Before that, it appeared McCarthy was all-in with Lacy, giving him 39 total carries in the previous two games, and Lacy responded with 205 yards combined against the Vikings and Bears. Last season, Lacy played his best football late in the year, when he averaged nearly 105 yards per game over the final four regular-season games plus playoffs.
Why his role might be limited: Lacy likely is on a short leash. Even after his missed curfew, McCarthy gave him some work against the Lions. But when Lacy managed just 1 total net yard on six touches (five carries and one reception), McCarthy left him on the bench. Also, ball security has been an issue. Lacy fumbled four times in a five-game stretch, matching his fumble total from his first two seasons combined.
James Starks (117 carries, 444 yards, 1 touchdown)
Why he might get more work: The sixth-year veteran has nearly as many carries as Lacy this season and has long been McCarthy’s fallback option. Even if his rushing production hasn’t been great -- he’s averaging just 2.9 yards per carry in his past six games -- he has been effective in the passing game, especially on screen plays. In his past five games, he has 22 catches for 253 yards (an 11.5-yard average) and one touchdown.
Why his role might be limited: Despite Lacy’s minimal role, Starks carried only nine times (for 15 yards) against the Lions and started the second half on the bench in favor of Crockett. Starks also fumbled twice against the Lions, although the Packers recovered both of them (including one by Randall Cobb for a touchdown).
John Crockett (five carries, 22 yards, 0 touchdowns)
Why he might get more work: McCarthy liked the spark the undrafted rookie provided the offense. Only hours after he was promoted from the practice squad, Crockett started the second half and gained 22 yards on five carries. He had long runs of 10 and 12 yards in the second half. “He brings a lot of excitement,” McCarthy said. Crockett was the Packers’ leading rusher in the preseason and probably should have gotten the roster spot that went to Alonzo Harris, who was cut last Thursday after missing curfew the previous night.
Why his role might be limited: Coming from an FCS school, North Dakota State, the NFL is a major step up for Crockett. On one of his long runs, he made a mistake on his read and went the wrong way. It still turned out to be a positive play, but coaches like to use players they know they can trust to run the play correctly. Also, if the Packers stick with Lacy and Starks as their top two backs, there probably won’t be many -- if any -- touches for the No. 3 back.
