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Packers force the issue, but the real test will be finding the perfect balance and trusting Jordan Love

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Wendell Ferreira | Last updated Oct 3, 2025 9:31 AM ET

Last year, the Green Bay Packers ran the ball on more than 50 percent of their offensive plays for the first time since 2003. It was mostly an outlier because Jordan Love spent most of the season hurt, but head coach Matt LaFleur does value running back to set up pass lanes.

In 2025, the Packers are seventh in the NFL in run rate (51.6 percent), but the results are not there yet. Mostly because of run-blocking issues, Green Bay's offense simply hasn't been efficient running the football, and insisting on those is taking away chances to trust quarterback Jordan Love and the effectiveness of the passing game.

"It's been a struggle, we all know that," head coach Matt LaFleur said on Tuesday, after a 40-40 tie with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. "Running the football can be interesting at times because early on you might not get many yards or it's tough sledding. It's kind of like a boxing match when somebody's throwing body blows, and then it softens them up as the game goes. That's kind of what happened in the game. We took advantage of some of the lighter boxes they were playing."

Running back artistry from Josh Jacobs. pic.twitter.com/lnOGfa1DlX
— Daire Carragher (@DaireCarragher) September 29, 2025

Running game issues

The Packers did have some success running the ball against the Cowboys, but they only have the 25th run defense by EPA this season. Which means that Green Bay hasn't had an easy time even against below-average run defenses.

Via Sports Info Solutions, running back Josh Jacobs ranks fourth with 229 rushing yards after contact through four weeks. However, Jacobs has been hit at or behind the line of scrimmage 48 times this season, easily the most in the NFL. He’s rushed for 266 yards in total, 86% coming after contact.

The Packers are 28th in PFF's run block grade and 31st in ESPN's run block win rate. The offensive line struggles could be in large part an effect of so many injuries and a big rotation, but the passing game hasn't suffered nearly as much.

While the Packers are second in EPA and sixth in success rate in dropbacks, the ranks for rushing plays go down to 11th in EPA and 10th in success rate. It's still ok, but mostly because Jacobs has done much more than what the offensive line gives him.

"I thought our backs ran hard, our guys were coming off the ball up front, and I still think there's more out there for us," LaFleur explained. "I was happy to see it kind of get going as the game progressed."

Under Matt LaFleur, the Packers' offense will usually be run-centric, if not run-first. But the offensive line will have to do a better job when healthy, or LaFleur will have to trust Jordan Love to carry a heavier workload as a passer.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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