Josiah Deguara’s availability v. Lions important for Packers run game
By Paul Bretl
Josiah Deguara’s status for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions is up in the air at the moment. If he can’t go, his absence will be a major blow to the Green Bay Packers run game.
Deguara would exit Wednesday’s practice and then sit out on Thursday. When meeting with reporters on Friday, Matt LaFleur mentioned that there was “some concern” around his calf injury, although that same day, Deguara was back at practice. He is listed as questionable.
Deguara has been efficient in the passing game, but he hasn’t been used often in that capacity. In total, he has 13 catches on 15 targets at 8.8 yards per catch, per PFF. But where his impact has been felt is as a run blocker, where he’s developed into a core contributor.
As an H-back, Matt LaFleur moves Deguara around the formation and puts him in motion. This can help create favorable matchups for Deguara as a blocker and also get the defense looking one way when they should be looking another. And although not utilized often in the passing game, he is a potential target, which can make it difficult for the defense at times to distinguish between whether it’s a run or a pass play. This plays into that illusion of complexity that we often hear LaFleur talk about.
While the Packers still have Marcedes Lewis at tight end, and willing blockers in Tyler Davis and Robert Tonyan, no one else on this roster can do what Deguara does.
The run game has been a crucial part of the Packers’ offensive success since Week 10. In five of the six games where Green Bay has scored 24 or more points, Jones and Dillon are averaging over 100 yards in those games at nearly five yards per rush.
The last time the Packers played the Lions, Detroit was able to bottle up the Green Bay running backs, and did so by shrinking the field and playing closer to the line of scrimmage. However, that was before Christian Watson’s emergence. With his home run ability on the outside, the Lions likely won’t play as aggressively, which should open up opportunities in the run game. For what it’s worth, the Lions have statistically been one of the worst run defenses in the NFL.
In addition to Deguara being listed as questionable, the Packers don’t have any other injury designations. Since the bye week, this has been a very healthy Packers team.