Packers Run to Sunlight at Lambeau Field

 By Eric Goska

Packers quarterback Malik Willis (2) takes off running in the second quarter.
(photos by Eric Goska)

How about that for stick-to-itiveness!

Not since the days of leather helmets have the Green Bay Packers committed to the run as they did in the first half of their 16-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Never – whether helmeted or headgear free – did their dedication pay off as it did in quarters one and two of their home opener at Lambeau Field.

Running to daylight became running to sunlight on this bright, 85-degree summer day. Green Bay hammered out 261 yards on 53 carries, totals more in line with days of old.

Turning to the ground game was a real possibility for Green Bay in Week 2. Absent Jordan Love (MCL sprain) at quarterback and with Malik Willis in his stead, the Packers sought to take pressure off the relative newcomer by limiting his throws.

And limit him they did. The Green and Gold ran on 53 of 67 offensive plays (79.1 percent), an imbalance not seen since opening day 1978 when head coach Bart Starr’s group went 55-of-64 (85.9).

Six players carried from scrimmage including receivers Jayden Reed and Bo Melton. Josh Jacobs paced the attack with 151 yards on 32 totes.

In remaining earth-bound, the Packers controlled the clock. Their 40 minutes, 11 seconds with the ball was their greatest time of possession since a 41:16 effort against the Vikings on Sept. 13, 2020.

Much of the fun – and the record-setting – occurred in the first half. So successful was Green Bay that one must harken back more than 75 years to find anything comparable.

Willis hands off to RB Josh Jacobs
on Green Bay's first play from scrimmage.

In the first quarter, the Packers pounded the ball 20 times for 164 yards. Jacobs led the way with 81 yards on 10 tries as he, Reed, Melton and Willis combined for six runs of 12 or more yards.

In the first half, Green Bay ripped off 34 runs for 237 yards. Jacobs accounted for 128 of that total as he and Willis each hewed out another run of 12 or more yards.

Those numbers – 20 for 164 and 34 for 237 – are just not seen in this day and age. Certainly not in a first quarter and a first half.

The last time the Packers ran 20 or more times in the first quarter, Curly Lambeau roamed the sidelines. Walt Schlinkman, Tony Canadeo, Ted Fritsch and others hit the line 22 times in a 10-7 victory over the Lions in 1946.

The last time Green Bay ran 34 or more times in the first half also came on Lambeau’s watch. Fritsch, Canadeo, Schlinkman and others headed overland 36 times in a 19-7 win over the Cardinals in 1946.

Why this reliance on running in 1946? That season marked the first time since 1935 that the team was without the legendary receiving end Don Hutson. Green Bay ran because it lacked a decent passing game.

Sunday, the Packers ran, in part, because they had no Love under center. As they did 78 years ago, they attacked on the ground.

In doing so, the team came away with record yardage. Its first-quarter and first-half land grabs are the most by the team in a regular season game dating to 1932, the first year the NFL began tracking rushing and receiving numbers.

The 164 yards against the Colts in the opening 15 minutes topped the previous best of 146 set against the Lions in November of 1964. The 237 yards piled up at halftime shattered the previous high of 182 laid down before the break in a 30-27 win at Minnesota in 2003.

While the 164 yards is a record for the first quarter, it is only the second most productive quarter in Packers history. Green Bay helped itself to 166 yards on the ground in the third quarter of a 43-28 loss to the Cardinals in 1985.

The 237, however, is a record for both a first and a second half. The Green and Gold surpassed 200 yards rushing in a second half twice – 224 in a 34-17 blowout of the Lions in 1947 and 222 (unofficially) against the Bulldogs in 1949.

So for one Sunday, at least, the Packers resembled their counterparts of yesteryear. In a league dominated by the pass, LaFleur and his charges demonstrated that a strong running game can still carry the day.

“Run, Forrest, Run!”
First halves in which the Packers gained the most yards rushing.

      Yards    Attempts     Date                       Opponent        Result
         237              34              Sept. 15, 2024        Colts                     GB won, 16-10
         182              17              Nov. 2, 2003           Vikings                 GB won, 30-27
         178              23              Nov. 24, 1963         49ers                    GB won, 28-10
         169              17              Dec. 17, 1989          Bears                    GB won, 40-28
         165              27              Nov. 3, 1963           Steelers               GB won, 33-14