Starks Acts As Third-Down Back Against Colts
By Brian Carriveau on Aug 27, 2011 with 5 Comments
The running back rotation in Friday night's preseason game against the Colts looked like this to open the game:
- 1st series: Ryan Grant on first and second downs with James Starks on third downs
- 2nd series: Starks on all downs
- 3rd series: Grant on first and second downs with Starks on third downs
At this point, I had wondered if this was a pattern that would repeat itself in the regular season, Grant and Starks rotating every other series with Starks playing on pretty much all third downs.
It would have set up a situation in which Starks would be playing a majority of the snaps as the halfback in the Packers offense and probably get a slight majority of the carries over the course of a season.
But then Grant came out for a second consecutive series on the Packers' fourth offensive possession of the game.
As it was, Grant played in 14 snaps in the first half compared to 23 for Starks (excluding the final play before halftime), although the success of the offense when Starks was in the game was a factor in how many more snaps Starks played.
Grant did play on one third down, however, it was when the Packers were running the no-huddle offense and there was no opportunity to change personnel on the field.
It was notable that neither John Kuhn nor Alex Green played on third downs at all with the first string offense in the Packers' third preseason game, the game which the starters typically play the most.
The question is, is this the way the Packers will deploy their running backs starting Sept.8 when the Packers host the Saints in the regular season opener?
It's not surprising that Green is not playing on third downs, at least this point in his professional career. Maybe he'll gain the trust of the coaches as the season progresses, but at this point, he it's understandable that he won't play a large role in the offense early in the year.
Seeing as Kuhn played a fair amount on third downs last season, it was a little surprising that he didn't see any snaps in that role last night. I have to imagine he'll play at least occasionally in that role in the regular season, and the Packers just wanted to get a good long look at Starks on third downs before the regular season begins.
That being said, it would appear that the Packers are beyond the experimental stage and Starks will see plenty of playing time on all downs this season, including third.
I would not doubt for a second that Grant and Starks generally split playing time with Starks seeing a slight majority of both the snaps and the carries in 2011.
Filed Under: Packers News
I was also surprised that we didn’t see more Kuhn. I figured with his new contract that we’d see him as the 3rd down back. At least to start the season. Seems like a lot of money for a fullback that only sees the field that often.
Great article Brian. I didn’t notice it, but I always figured it would eventually be Kuhn, as he was the one playing on 3rd downs against PIT most of the time.
The last 3 paragraphs sum it up the question. Are the coaches just looking at Starks, or is it an indication of what’s gonna happen?
In years’ past, I’d bet it would be an indication, as the 3rd preseason game was used to prepare the team.
But with no OTAs and Minicamp, one can’t just make that conclusion. With so limited time, it could very well be that the coaches, even in the 3rd preseason game, are still using it more as a tool to evaluate players than to measure how their packages will work in the regular seaason.
If Starks is to be used as the 3rd down back, there’ll be no such thing as a RB tandem. Starks will see the majority of the snaps, and Grant and Kuhn will only be used to spell him.
One thing I don’t get is why Grant doesn’t get into the “third down guy” rotation. Is it just a given that he can’t pass pro? Or is his receiving ability THAT suspect? Does he just not WANT to contribute in that role? Seems to me he could solidify his roster spot (yeah, I know he very likely makes the team, but he could silence the scuttlebut once and for all) by contributing on third downs. Is it due to his penchant for running up the backs of his blockers? Because on screens you really need to play off your blockers. Do they lack confidence in his ability to make that first guy miss?
If comfortably ahead, and trying to grind time off clock with ground game, I see how this somewhat unpredictable rotation could really help keep our RB’s fresh, and the opponent’s run defense off-balance.
I’m thinking Starks has developed to the point where it was time to give him as much pass pro opportunities as possible. With BJack gone, they know Kuhn can do it, but they want a more explosive option on 3rd downs and Starks is next in line to be a certified trustworthy pass protector. They’ll send all their backs through this same process because pass pro is so crucial in the Green Bay offense. To me, this means the coaches feel that having Starks ready on 3rd downs for the Aints is a distinct possibility, which is a very good thing. He’s running with AP’s violence and attitude, and getting him time in the open field will stimulate his running instincts and explosive abilities.