The Green Bay Packers still can't run the football with any kind of consistency, but that reality hasn't stopped the club's offense from enjoying the many benefits of the play-action passing game. 

Through six games, the Packers rank 24th in rushing yards per game (94.8) and 21st in yards per carry (3.9). Green Bay rushed for 121 yards against the Miami Dolphins Sunday, but 34 came from quarterback Aaron Rodgers—while running backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks carried 22 times for just 71 yards, good for an average of only 3.2 yards per attempt. 

Yet despite those 2011-like numbers, the Packers are still feasting on defenses off play-action fakes. Green Bay has called play-action on 28.5 percent of passing plays, which ranks fifth in the NFL. Rodgers is completing 70.2 percent of his passes off the fakes, with four touchdown passes (second most) and a 117.0 passer rating (sixth best). His 9.7 yards per attempt off play-action is eighth best among quarterbacks and 3.1 yards more than when he throws without the fake. Only five quarterbacks have a larger gap between yards per attempt this season. 

Against the Dolphins, Rodgers threw one of his three touchdown scores off a play-action fake. It came on the first drive, when a fake handoff to Lacy out of the shotgun drew both the off cornerback and help safety in—allowing receiver Jordy Nelson to get behind the coverage for an easy pitch-and-catch touchdown. 

A week earlier, the Packers burned the Vikings with a run fake. It was one of Mike McCarthy's staple plays: a play-action rollout with Nelson running a deep double move. Again, the fake helped get Nelson in one-on-one coverage on a safety, and the two connected for a long, simple-looking score. 

In Chicago, Rodgers used a run fake on 43.3 percent of his dropbacks. He also completed 10-of-13 passes off the fakes for 172 yards and a passer rating of almost 120.0. 

Rodgers led all NFL quarterbacks with a passer rating of 145.1 off fakes in Week 2 against the New York Jets. 

His only two games without a passer rating under 100.0 when using play-action fakes came against Seattle in Week 1 and in Detroit in Week 3—Green Bay's two losses this season. 

A year ago, Rodgers threw only three touchdowns off play-action, but still had a passer rating of 108.9. Matt Flynn had a 114.0 passer rating, which was bested by only four quarterbacks. 

The numbers are encouraging this season because Green Bay isn't running the football any where near the levels of 2013, when defenses were all but forced to respect the production of Lacy and Starks. This season, defenses remain committed to keeping Green Bay's running game in check, despite the lack of consistency. 

Two questions remain: Can the Packers run better to improve the effectiveness of play-action, and can the offense execute the fakes better against elite defenses? Both answers may wind up being vitally important come January.

Rookie WR Exceeding Expectations?

Packers rookie receiver Davante Adams played exactly nine snaps in Week 1. But since the opener, Adams ranks eighth among rookies with 16 catches (he was drafted 13th among receivers and tight ends).

He peaked Sunday in Miami, where Adams caught a career-high six passes for 77 yards.  

Through six games, Adams is now on pace for 43 catches, 67 targets, 445 yards and three touchdowns. Greg Jennings, a second-round pick in 2006, caught 45 passes on 104 targets for 632 yards and three touchdowns. Jordy Nelson, a second-round pick in 2008, caught 33 passes on 55 targets for 366 yards and two scores. Randall Cobb, a second-round pick in 2011, caught 25 passes on 31 targets for 375 yards and one touchdown. 

Bottom line: Adams is on pace to either equal or beat the rookie seasons of Green Bay's recent receiver finds in the second round. 

Sunday's game was especially eye-opening. Not only did Rodgers go to Adams on the first and second plays from scrimmage—a safe, five-yard completion to open the game, and a 18-yard hookup on a slant for the second—but he also had the confidence to fake a spike and get the football to the rookie on one of the most important plays of the contest. 

Trust earned.

Adams also had a 24-yard catch that moved the Packers into the red zone in the third quarter, when Rodgers eventually hit Cobb for a 5-yard touchdown that put Green Bay back up 17-10. Adams might have finished the drive with a short score had Dolphins defensive lineman Jared Odrick not batted away Rodgers' attempt to hit the rookie underneath on a double slant route combination. 

Targets to open and finish the game and looks in the red zone are all signs Rodgers now has no hesitation to go to Adams, regardless of situation. 

The Packers are healthy at receiver with Nelson and Cobb, who have combined to catch 12 touchdowns this season. But the arrival of Adams—arguably Green Bay's most impressive rookie receiver since Jennings—suggests there's still room for more improvement.  

Zach Kruse contributes to Cheesehead TV. He is also the Lead Writer for the NFC North at Bleacher Report. You can reach him on Twitter @zachkruse2 or by email at [email protected].