Since the dawn of their existence, the Green Bay Packers have had running backs that threatened to take the ball 5 yards or more every time they touched it. Tony Canadeo, Clarke Hinkle, Jim Taylor, Paul Hornung, John Brockington, Edgar Bennett, Dorsey Levens, Ahman Green, the list continues. It almost rivals the list of great Quarterbacks. But unlike that back-to-back-to-back list of Quarterbacks, the wait for a running back like Josh Jacobs has been almost a decade in the making. Oh, and hear me out before you storm the comments in defense of Aaron Jones. 

When most people think of Green Bay, they think of the tundra. The cold, the snow, playing football the way it was meant to be played, out in the elements. Which makes the fact that the franchise has boasted one of the league's premiere passing attacks for the better part of three decades quite absurd, honestly. When it gets cold though and that snow starts falling, one of the best weapons to have at your offense's disposal is a power rushing attack. Finesse runners and receiving backs are nice to have in fair conditions and domes, but you need those powerful runners to move the ball north and south when the weather turns unfavorable. Not only that, but you need to rely on that runner to be available nearly every down to either wear out a defense or at least pose the threat. I'm talking about a back that can handle 15-17 or more rushing attempts per game, and the Packers haven't had that since Eddie Lacy in 2013 and 2014. 

The Packers finally have that type of running back again in Josh Jacobs. In Jacobs' five years with the Raiders, he averaged almost 18 rushing attempts per game. Jacobs is the definition of a bell-cow running back who can be relied on to wear down a defense all game long. After carrying the football out of the backfield 16 times in his first game of the season in a Packers' uniform, Jacobs proved his reliability taking 32 hand-offs last Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. Despite Sunday's win being the second-hottest game ever at Lambeau Field, Jacobs commented that he felt like he could play another half of football. 

It is of course the hope that he won't ever have to do that again, but his ability to take on a heavy workload will be tremendous for the success of Packers this season.

Every Down vs Tandem

Typically, I've always been a fan of running back tandems. If you're going to run the ball 25 times a game, you'll most often want to split those carries between running backs. If you have two good backs, a 60%/40% split between the two on carries is pretty common. Many running backs can't handle the wear and tear of just under 20 carries per game, so splitting carries to keep the two fresh is the best way to go. Aaron Jones was a great running back for the Packers but he was never much more than a 14 carries per game running back. Throughout his career he often split carries with Jamaal Williams and AJ Dillon. While effective occasionally, AJ Dillon didn't exactly pose the same threat taking a hand-off as Jones did. As a result, this would give the offense a sense of predictability. If Jones wasn't on the field, many teams knew the Packers wouldn't be able to hurt them as much on the ground. Take Jones off and there was a chance the Packers were passing more than running. Plus, they'd have to monitor Jones' wear and tear and take him out in the middle of drives if he needed a breather.

With a bell-cow running back like Josh Jacobs, the threat of having to stop the run becomes a factor on every down. Also, consistency in the quality of the threat keeps the defense on their toes. If the Packers have Josh Jacobs out there for first and second down but then put out Emanuel Wilson for third, defenses may see it has a sure passing down, or understand that if it does end up being a run, it's not Josh Jacobs who could be more effective against them. 

The Packers want to build a bully of a running game. Josh Jacobs being available to provide a smash-mouth rushing attack every down also will help Jordan Love not have to do it all himself. A quality every down back helps play action as well and can help chew the clock when needed. 

Complimentary football doesn't just apply to offense and defense. It applies to run vs pass as well. With Josh Jacobs, the Packers have a running back who can put the team on his back should the need arise. If the passing game isn't going well, Jacobs can provide that spark with his rushing consistency and still win a few games. 

If the Packers can win games with only 14 passing attempts and 53 rushing attempts, imagine what they could be capable of when Jordan Love returns and the attempts balance out. With Josh Jacobs in the backfield, we could see one of the most effective Packers offenses between the run and pass that we've ever seen in recent memory.