Josh Jacobs Injury: Packers get an update that could shape their plans for the coming weeks
The veteran running back left Green Bay’s Week 9 victory over New England early, and two backups handled most of the work in his place.
The Green Bay Packers beat the New England Patriots 45-27 in Week 9, but running back Josh Jacobs didn’t finish the game. Jacobs left with what was initially designated as a hand injury and never returned. That forced Green Bay to lean on Kaleb Johnson and Pierre Strong Jr. for most of the afternoon in the backfield.
After the game, head coach Matt LaFleur said Jacobs suffered a broken finger. According to LaFleur, the running back stayed on the sideline because he was having trouble to hold the football.
“He fractured a finger,” LaFleur explained. “Hopefully we can do something to allow him to go out there, but he was just having a hard time gripping the ball.”
What Jacobs and LaFleur said about the injury
Jacobs offered more detail after the game. He said he broke the ring finger on his right hand, but the swelling had gone down compared to what it was initially.
LaFleur also pointed to a clear plan. The expectation is that Green Bay will find a way to protect the finger, and Jacobs should be able to play in Week 10 against the Minnesota Vikings with some type of protection on it. Based on what both LaFleur and Jacobs said, the injury isn’t expected to cost him any additional games.
Kaleb Johnson takes advantage of the opportunity
Even before the injury, Jacobs wasn’t having a productive day. He finished with four carries for five yards, an average of 1.2 yards per carry. Some of that is a small sample, but it stands out when compared to what the rest of the backfield produced.
Johnson was the most effective runner on the field. The rookie finished with 14 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Strong added eight carries for 22 yards, good for 2.8 yards per carry.
The rest of the rushing production came from different places. Wide receiver Savion Williams and quarterback Jordan Love each finished with 13 rushing yards. Tight end Tucker Kraft was credited with two carries for eight yards. And that’s because a couple of his receptions were caught behind the line of scrimmage, so they counted as rushing attempts on the stat sheet.
Put together, Green Bay surpassed 100 rushing yards in a single game for the first time this season.
“It was big,” LaFleur added. “I thought all those guys stepped up, especially after losing Josh. That’s a tough loss. For Pierre and Kaleb to step in, and for Kaleb to rip off a couple of explosive plays and score his first touchdown, that was huge.”
The Packers will want Jacobs back in his usual role against the Vikings. Still, Johnson’s performance gives Green Bay a reason to believe the backfield has more depth than the numbers showed earlier in the year. If Jacobs needs to manage the finger over the next few weeks, the team now has evidence that the running game can function to a certain extent with someone else carrying a bigger share of the load.
