Watching your team lose in the playoffs always hurts, but watching them lose because of the same issues they had in training camp in Week 1 is organizational malpractice. Unfortunately, that might be in the cards for the 2026 Green Bay Packers.
The Josh Jacobs saga raised big questions about the Packers' running game, especially with such an unproven offensive line. The Packers didn't do much to address that issue before the start of the season, and watching the team have the worst running game in pro football didn't change their minds, either.
Jacobs suffered a fracture early in the win over the New England Patriots, giving the Packers yet another last-second chance to find an insurance policy. Instead, they looked the other way and stood pat at the trade deadline.
The Packers will regret not trading for a running back
After nine games, the 6-3 Packers rank second in passing yards per game (279.7). Unfortunately, they also happen to rank dead last in rushing yards per game (68.2), and they've only rushed for 100+ yards once this season.
That may have happened in their last game, but it definitely doesn't mean the running game is suddenly fixed. Kaleb Johnson averaged 4.9 yards per carry, but the bulk of that came from a 34-yard run. Otherwise, the running game was as mediocre as always.
Jacobs wasn't much better when he was out there. He turned four carries into five rushing yards, and he's been showing steady signs of decline since last season. He might be a perennial scoring threat and all, but he's banged up and has shown poor vision behind a line that can't block.
Even before his injury, he was already facing another potential suspension after more accusations emerged. The Packers were given far too many opportunities to cut ties with him and pursue an upgrade, and they didn't take them.
Maybe the right trade partner wasn't there; no one traded for a running back at the deadline. Sometimes, it's better to stay put rather than make a move just for the sake of it. That said, it feels like this team isn't even trying.
They're putting all of their eggs in Josh Jacobs' basket, and that might come back to haunt them when it matters most. Jordan Love is playing the best football of his career, but one-dimensional offenses rarely get it done in the playoffs, and watching this team go home because of the same problem everyone could see before the start of the season should cost Brian Gutekunst his job.
Add us as a preferred source on Google