Mike McCarthy has a nice problem on his hands.
The
Green Bay Packers coach this week called running back
DuJuan Harris "a starter on our football team," but rookie
Eddie Lacy is playing well enough to reshuffle the pecking order.
Lacy was a revelation in Saturday's
19-7 preseason win over the
St. Louis Rams. The former Alabama bruiser displayed power and agility, slamming into defenders and giving the
Rams more than they could handle. His 40 yards on eight carries, more importantly, gave the
Packers an identity on the ground.
McCarthy acknowledged Lacy "clearly took advantage of his opportunities." With Harris sidelined by a knee injury, Lacy's debut was a joy to watch: Hammering would-be tacklers, juking others, and piling up yards after contact. Chris Wesseling said it best:
Chris Wesseling @ChrisWesseling
Eddie Lacy is the truth.
"They got a steal getting (Lacy) where they got him," one NFL scout told Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "I thought he was going to go earlier. He's as advertised."
Harris isn't out of the picture, but the
Packers -- after a long dry spell at the position -- have one of football's more tantalizing stable of backs. The big winner here is
Aaron Rodgers. After being leaned on do to it all through the air, Green Bay will attack teams with a more balanced offense in 2013, one that keeps teams guessing.
After the
Packers were made to look like children in January's playoff loss to the
San Francisco 49ers, McCarthy preached that this year's team would exude toughness first. Lacy will lead the way.
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