TimesFour

December 5, 2010 – Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

From the moment starting tailback Ryan Grant went down with a season-ending ankle injury in the season opener vs. the Philadelphia Eagles, the Packers knew they would, eventually, have to deal with the issue of their crippled running game.

Conventional NFL wisdom has always stated that teams do not advance (or at least don’t advance very far) in the playoffs without some semblance of a rushing attack. Balance is required, if for not other reason than to give an opposing defense something else to think about besides a QB dropping back & looking for an open receiver.

Starks takes off for some of his 73 yards vs. Tramaine Brock

For 11 games, the Packers had been getting by with a rushing game bound together with chewing gum & chicken(boy) wire.

Brandon Jackson tried but lacked the power & speed to be a true breakaway back. John Kuhn was a fullback first, last and always, though he did his best. Indeed, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was probably Green Bay’s best option running the ball. He could scramble but, more to the point, he was elusive in the pocket & had slipped away from more tackles than anyone could count. However, a running QB is a recipe for disaster.

In 11 games, the Packers best running performance was 157 yards against the Redskins and 71 of that came on 1 Jackson run. In that same span, the Packers were averaging about 100 yards per game on the ground but for less than average of the magical 4 yards per gain teams seek.

Indeed, too often at the end of games, when a 5 yard run might seal a victory, the Packers had to throw to ensure the same result.

It was now December and with crunch time coming, the Packers needed an answer at running back.

In a rugged 34-16 win over the puzzling San Francisco 49’ers at Lambeau Field, the Packers appeared to find what they were looking for–and it came from a mos tunusual place: rookie James Starks, a 6th round draft pick out of the University of Buffalo. He had missed his entire senior season in college due to a shoulder injury and started his pro career on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list with a leg injury. However, when Starks got the call…he responded.

With 73 yards on 18 carries, the powerful Starks gave the Packers an option they’d been lacking. He was also complemented by Jackson, Kuhn and Rodgers. Between the 4 of them, the Packers rushed for 136 yards, their 3rd highest total of the season.

“We needed that,” said coach Mike McCarthy, who had been waiting all season for Starks to recover from various, nagging injuries. It was a new wrinkle for a Packers team that was becoming more dangerous as the weeks went by.

The Packers only led the 49’ers 14-13 at halftime & seemed destined to struggle against another inferior foe. Then, early in the 3rd quarter, came one of the most memoruable plays of the Packers season, if not in team history.

Driver gets a block from Quarless on an epic TD reception/run

Veteran wide receiver Donald Driver, who was slowed by a case of food poisoning suffered the night before, took a short pass from Rodgers and then, through sheer determination and probably some poor tackling technique by the Niners, broke 7 tackles. As 49’er defenders continued to climb on him, Driver pushed forward and eventually, 61 yards later, dove into the end zone for the touchdown.

“I don’t know what happened,” a smiling Driver said later. “All I know is that when I caught it, I just started making moves.”

“It was one of the greatest plays I’ve ever been a part of,” Rodgers marveled.

From that stage, the Packers were never really threatened. Rodgers completed 21 of 30 passes for 298 yards and 3 touchdowns. With Starks running hard the Packers averaged 4 yards a rush and that made coach McCarthy happy.

“They just imposed their will on us,” 49’ers linebacker Takeo Spikes said. “It was embarrassing.”

The Packers were throwing the ball and running it with some authority. The defense was playing superbly and the special teams weren’t causing any major problems. Everything seemed in place a major late-season run and, just maybe, a 1st-round bye in the playoffs.

However, 1 play can change a game & a season. The Packers were about to learn that lesson the hard way.

Next up, the Detroit Lions.