Packers: Looking Ahead At Lacy Or Shields Decision

Injuries have come to visit Green Bay once again this year. The latest Packer to be placed on injured reserve is Eddie Lacy. With Sam Shield already holding down a spot on the list, the Packers face a late season dillema. Who should they activate? Shields or Lacy?

According to NFL rules, teams are allowed to re-activite one player from the injured reserve list. With Sam Shield and Eddie Lacy both experiencing signifciant injuries, Packers GM Ted Thompson is in a jam.

Whoever he chooses, means the team will be without the other for the playoffs. Therefore, he must decide which player is more important to the team. This will not be an easy decision based on the current state of the Packers.

Although defense has carried the team so far, secondary play remains an area of concern. Up and down performances from young players puts the Packers at risk against playoff caliber teams.

Just look at the damage done by Dak Prescott  even without Dez Bryant. While Quinten Rollins and Damarious Randall will likely return soon, the unit is still vulnerable.

This situation makes a strong case for choosing Sam Shields over Eddie Lacy. His speed and experience will be necessary for the Packers to make a deep playoff run.

By bringing back Shields, fans no longer have to worry about Demitri Goodson’s play to determine the outcome of a game. This should be a comforting thought.

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While the old footabll saying states, “defense wins championships”, the Packers defense is not good enough to bring home the Lombardi Trophy without help from the offense.

Therefore, choosing Eddie Lacy over Sam Shields remains a viable option. By the time Lacy can return to action the temperatures in Green Bay will be frigid. It is doubtful the Packers would be able to throw 50+ times in January and pull out a win.

However, if Ty Montgomery remains the team’s featured running back, Aaron Rodgers will add a lot of mileage to his arm by seasons end.

Bringing back Eddie Lacy would alleviate this necessity to throw and give the Packers a bruising, cold weather back.

If Lacy reaches the secondary in 20 degree game, there isn’t a cornerback out there looking forward to the punishment that awaits.

In addition, the Packers could continue to rotate in Ty Montgomery to keep Lacy fresh. The team would then have its own version of thunder and lightning.

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The Verdit

After weighing the benefits of bringing back both players, the Green Bay Packers should choose Sam Shields over Eddie Lacy.

While the offense would certainly benefit from having Lacy as their primary running back, it seems the unit can survive without him.

Forcing Aaron Rodgers to win Thursday’s night game was the perfect medecine for an ailing offense. Knowing his receivers don’t have what it takes to get open down the field, Rodgers relied on timing routes to move the chains.

Broadcaster Phil Simms reminded fans over and over that Rodgers completion percentage plummeted the more time he has to throw. This is because the receiving perssonel is not suited for deep routes.

Therefore it is on Rodgers to be precise with his timing and accuracy on nearly every throw.

The addition of Sam Shields would provide a jolt to the entire defense. No longer having to take on the team’s top receiver, Damarious Randall would play the role he was designed for.

Facing an opponents second receiver would allow him to take more chances and make a big play for his team.

With several weeks to go before a decision must be made, a lot can change with the current team. The offense may find its groove making Eddie Lacy’s return less important.

Or, Ladarius Gunter and Demitri Goodson could turn into lockdown cornerbacks making Sam Shields expendable.

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With both scenarios unlikely to play out, the decision comes down to the thoughts of Ted Thompson. Will he choose Lacy or Shields? Fans must wait and see.