Green Bay Packers Should Be Prepared for More Marshawn Lynch

After easing Marshawn Lynch back into the Seattle offense, the Green Bay Packers should be prepared for a bigger role from him on Sunday.

This season the Seattle Seahawks were a very effective running team as they averaged 137.5 rushing yards per game, which ranked as the fourth most in the NFL. Unfortunately, they suffered key injuries down the stretch to Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, and as a result, they made the move to sign the previously retired, Marshawn Lynch to join rookie Travis Homer as the primary running backs for their playoff run.

But since losing Carson and Penny, their production in the run game has been down over the last two weeks as Seattle has averaged just 93.3 rushing yards per game. And this includes only 64 total yards on the ground against Philadelphia in the Wildcard round, in which 45 of those yards belonged to Russell Wilson.

With Homer being a sixth round rookie and Seattle still easing Lynch back into the lineup with just 18 rushes and 40 total snaps over the last two games, this dip in production should have been expected. However, in a recent interview with ESPN-Seattle, head coach Pete Carroll mentioned Lynch playing a bigger role against the Green Bay Packers.

Now, for Green Bay who has had issues against the run this season – especially between the tackles where Lynch likes to run – Lynch could very well be more than “a little active” as Carroll put it, as Seattle really tries to exploit what has been a weakness for the Packers.

Through Week 17 the Packers had allowed 120.1 rushing yards per game in 2019 which was the 10th most in the NFL and includes allowing 171 rushing yards to Detroit in that final game. Not to mention that the Lions were a very average running team at best, this season.

However, to their credit before that game in Detroit the Packers were on a four game stretch where they allowed only 92.3 rushing yards per game and it’s no coincidence that during that span the defense would give up an average of 12.8 points per game.

In order for the Green Bay Packers to get back to playing well against the run, they’ll need Dean Lowry to continue playing at a high-level which will help free up Kenny Clark. As well as solid performances from Blake Martinez and hybrid linebackers Ibraheim Campbell and Raven Greene down in the box.

Although at this point in his career and given that this is only his third game of 2019, we likely won’t see a huge game from Lynch or any beast mode type runs, but if he is able to have success – which is very possible – it’ll take some of the burden off of Wilson’s shoulders and help open things up for him in the passing game as well.

Yet on the flip side, if Green Bay can limit Lynch’s production, it’ll create more 2nd and 3rd and long situations, giving Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, and Clark opportunities to get after Wilson and attack this Seattle offensive line that has given up 48 sacks this season.

The moral of the story is that the Green Bay Packers should be ready for a fairly heavy dose of Marshawn Lynch, because slowing him down could give them a huge advantage in this game.