Eddie Lacy is Green Bay Packers’ X-Factor in Week 6

By Chris Ross @DraftScout_NFL on October 9, 2014

Through the first few weeks of the 2014 NFL season, Eddie Lacy didn’t look like the same running back we saw run wild down the stretch last season. Lacy looked timid in the first few games of 2014, oftentimes getting bottled up right at the line of scrimmage. However, Lacy turned it around in a big way last week, and going into Week 6, he is the clear X-factor for the Green Bay Packers.

When Lacy is running well, things really open up for Green Bay’s offense. With defenses having to defend the run, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ deep receiving corps are able to take advantage down the field; however, when Lacy isn’t running well, the passing game doesn’t have nearly the same impact. Lacy single-handedly changes the way opposing defenses play the Packers, and it’s clear that his running will ultimately decide how far the Packers go in 2014.

Although the first few weeks of the season were extremely disappointing, Lacy seems to have turned things around. He ran with more power in Week 5, picking up two touchdowns in what was far and away his best game of the season. Lacy was able to dominate the Minnesota Vikings‘ run defense with his combination of power and vision, and if he can continue the level of play he showed in against them, he could once again become one of the NFL’s best running backs.

Overall, Lacy means more to the Packers in Week 6 than any other player on the roster. If Lacy can build upon his success in Week 5 and turn in another solid running effort, the Packers will be a much better unit offensively. However, he must prove that his early-season troubles are truly behind him before he regains his rising star status.