There was a regular theory being passed around the Green Bay Packers' facility the last several years regarding the run game. The team didn't need a dominant ball carrier, a 100-yard rusher, on Sundays. The Packers are a pass-first team, and the company line was they needed just enough of a run game to keep defenses honest so Aaron Rodgers can do his thing.
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"I think we can all just in honesty admit here that it's about the production," Rodgers said Tuesday during his radio show with Jason Wilde on ESPNWisconsin.com. "It's a nice thing to say it's about the quantity, not the quality. But who're we kidding here? It's about the production. It's a lot better when you hand off and you're kind of taking it to the backside on your keep-fake, and you look back and the guy's still going not tackled.
"I give the line a lot of credit. I think Alex (Green) and James (Starks) ran the ball really well. Obviously having a running touchdown over 20 yards, that hasn't happened in a while I think. That was a good thing for us. Hopefully everybody can be good to go this week and have a similar performance."
Rodgers did not get his wish. Starks likely is out for the season with a knee injury. Cedric Benson is done for the year with a Lisfranc injury. The organization brought back Ryan Grant on Wednesday after it let him go at the end of 2011.
The Packers have the 20th-ranked run game in the NFL, and it's probably not getting any better. Grant has two 1,200-yard seasons on his resume, but that was 2008 and '09. The team hopes he and Green can keep opponents honest. Again.
The quantity over quality era in Green Bay already might have returned.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
