How’s Josh Jacobs feeling after getting 49 touches the past two games?
“I feel great,” the Green Bay Packers’ workhorse running back said on Tuesday, two days before an NFC North showdown at the Detroit Lions.
Jacobs carried the ball 26 times last Sunday against San Francisco. Then, four days later, he carried the ball 19 times and caught four passes on Thursday against Miami. Thursday’s game at Ford Field will mark Jacobs’ third game in 12 days.
The heavy workload might not be uncharted territory for Jacobs. His 248 touches this season are fourth in the NFL, and his 20.7 touches per game is right in line with his 20.6 average during five seasons with the Raiders.
But it is for coach Matt LaFleur.
In 2019, Aaron Jones received a career-high 285 touches, or 17.8 per game, though he did get at least 21 touches in each of the final five games (including playoffs) last season.
To make sure his No. 1 running back is as fresh as possible for gameday, LaFleur makes sure to limit Jacobs’ reps at practice.
“He does a great job communicating with us where he’s at,” LaFleur said. “I trust him in terms of, if he needs more that he’ll let us know and if, he needs less, he’ll also let us know. But we are mindful of just how many reps he’s getting throughout the course of the week.”
Jacobs isn’t a big subscriber to the less-is-more approach.
“They be getting on me because they be wanting me to take less reps,” Jacobs said, “but I think it’s important for the guys to see me work. I think it’s important to get the reps. So, I practice.”
That’s Jacobs stepping up to be a leader. Given his importance to the team and the workload he’s carried, chances are nobody on the roster would gripe or grumble about Jacobs getting a day off or some special treatment. That’s standard operating procedure for most veterans around the league.
So, why is it important for Jacobs to practice?
“I think for me it’s just what I’m used to,” he said. “I’ve been doing it for so long. I feel like the running back room in general, we kind of set the tone for the team. Each day, regardless of it’s practice or a game, we try to come out and do that.”
Jacobs’ professional approach is helpful when he and LaFleur come to a grudging agreement on practice reps. He knows what he’s doing from a schematic and fundamentals perspective so doesn’t necessarily need to take all the first-team snaps.
