Franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his receiving corps aren't the only offensive players primed to benefit from the Green Bay Packers finally replacing longtime coach Mike McCarthy. In a recent post-practice interview, Packers rookie head coach Matt LaFleur discussed his affinity for involving running backs in the passing game.
“I love it when we can give them the ball in the passing game,” he said of his team's running backs, per Packers.com. “That's one more eligible that the defense really has to focus on. When you talk about getting five guys out into a concept, it just opens up more space inside typically.”
Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones led Green Bay running backs in catches last season with 27 and 26, respectively. The former had 210 yards receiving, while the latter managed 206 yards receiving. With both players returning to the team in 2019, expect them to be major factors in the Packers' revamped offensive attack as both runners and receivers.
LaFleur, 39, was hired to replace McCarthy on January 8 after spending the 2018 season as offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans. He was previously with the Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons, where he received widespread credit for the rapid development of Jared Goff and the 2016 MVP campaign of Matt Ryan.
The Packers dismissed McCarthy on December 2, following a loss to the lowly Arizona Cardinals. Green Bay missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season last year, the first time that's happened since 2000.
Under LaFleur, expect the Packers to re-establish themselves as a contender going forward.
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