Eddie Lacy's struggles on and off the field have landed him in Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy's doghouse at certain points during the season, but Aaron Rodgers believes the maligned running back has found redemption.
Speaking to Adam Schein on Mad Dog Sports Radio on Monday, Rodgers said he believes Lacy has learned from his mistakes.
"I think Eddie (Lacy) is a great football player and he cares about it," Rodgers said. "Every now and then, we need to hold each other accountable and he did a good job of stepping up and taking ownership of that where he misstepped.
"We all make mistakes. My message last week was that he's our guy," Rodgers continued. "We need him. We need him to compete for us and play well and we need him in these winter months as we're trying to make a run. He responded really well and I'm proud of that.
It seems the Packers' faithful are also more than willing to see the man who was such a vital part of the team's offense return to form.
Chanting "Edd-ie! Edd-ie! Edd-ie!" giddy Green Bay Packers fans goaded on Lacy from the stands just before he took a touchdown plunge from the one-yard line, just a snap after bulldozing his way to the goal line against the Cowboys on Sunday.
After having his snaps slashed last week following a missed curfew, Lacy knew he had to redeem himself in Sunday's 28-7 win against the Cowboys. The third-year back carried Dallas defenders for 124 yards on 24 carries (5.2 average) and a score.
"Just getting back on track," Lacy said, per the Green Bay Press Gazette. "I know the last few weeks, things were a little different, but I think it was just the way to show me this is what I love to do and, without it, I'm miserable. And with Coach taking me out and going through that, it just showed me that's not what I want. And by him giving me a chance to come out and redeem myself, I think it was just a blessing in disguise.
"It showed me without this game, without this sport, I'm not happy. I'm unhappy because this is what I like. So I think it was just something that had to happen to jump-start and keep my mind focused like I've always been."
Lacy's struggles this season have been plentiful: from injuries, to weight issues, to self-inflicted problems like missing curfew. Still, the Packers need the running back to make a deep run in the playoffs.
"I've always believed in Eddie," McCarthy said. "We all make a couple bad decisions along the way, and that doesn't change my opinion of Eddie, any player. So he needed to refocus, and he did that, and you could see it from when we stepped on the field."
