Eddie Lacy's underwhelming NFL debut against the 49ers back in Week 1 gave us little indication of what was to come.
Green Bay's rookie running back hardly put a dent in San Francisco's defense, with just 41 yards on 14 carries, but Packers receiver James Jones says the 49ers will see a "totally different" player in Sunday's wild-card showdown.
"It's night and day," Jones said, per the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "Way more comfortable, way more confident. They'll have to account for him. I know by them watching film and seeing what he's done during the season, they know he's not the same player he was Week 1."
That's for sure. Behind Lacy, the Packers have turned out the league's seventh-best ground game, pounding away for 133.5 yards per game. That's a 27-yard improvement over last season.
It also helps to have Aaron Rodgers back. With its starting quarterback in the lineup, Green Bay has averaged 143.8 yards on the ground compared to 123.3 without him.
Back to Lacy: His 11 rushing touchdowns are third-most in the league and his 86.7 yards per game since Week 5 sit behind just LeSean McCoy (94.9) and Jamaal Charles (90.7). He's brought balance to this offense.
As we noted on Thursday's "Around The League Podcast," Lacy's ankle injury appeared to reduce his cutting ability against the Bearslast week, but he still grounded out the tough yards for a Packers team that never gave up against Chicago. With another week's rest, expect Lacy to give the 49ers a first-hand look at how "different" he's become.
We previewed all four Wild Card games in the latest "Around The League Podcast."