How would Jacobs’ absence impact the Packers?
Chris Simms and Mike Florio react to Josh Jacobs' arrest and analyze how the absence of a premier running back would impact the Green Bay Packers next season.
Video Transcript
Well, let's talk about Green Bay as a whole.
We know it's a big year.
They were, I, I, I would say maybe on the bottom, but still on the list of Super Bowl contender before Micah Par- Parsons got hurt last year, right?
Would you consider Green Bay I mean, I think we both know they're in the playoff window.
We know that.
Like, would you consider Green Bay a Super Bowl window caliber football team, right?
I mean, I'm, I think I'm, like, on the fringe with them, right?
That, that's kind of how I feel to put myself out there.
But, but what's your thoughts on that and them all, all together?
You made a, you made a great point after the schedule came out that Green Bay is gonna be good, we just don't know whether it's gonna be 10 and 7 good or 12 and 5 or better good.
Right, right.
Last year they were good.
But they, they, they have these- Yeah.
Moments if you're a Packers fan, frustrating stretches where they fail to deliver on their potential.
Mm-hmm.
And it makes you wonder whether the potential's even there.
Are they, are they not living up to what they should be, or are they just what they are?
And I think this year's gonna go a long way toward determining that.
Look, we both have a lot of respect for Jordan Love.
We enjoy spending time with him when we have the opportunity to do so.
But there are too many occasions where there's a lack of consistency- Yeah, there is in achieving the highest levels of his performance.
That's right.
Is that fair to say?
Yeah, I think so.
I, you know, and I think you're s- saying the, kind of the same thing with their football team.
They're a really good football team, but it feels like, you know, we don't always see them execute or play at their highest level.
And, you know, to your phrase you've always used, playing with their food.
Yeah.
They, they lost their last four games of the year.
I think the Micah Parsons injury, as we know, took major wind out of their sails and, and that's why he was a top five MVP candidate for me.
But we saw other games before that to where you, yeah, they won, but, oh, it didn't look that good, or they just didn't play very crisp or sharp.
You know, squeaking by the Giants in week 11.
You know, Minnesota, beating them 23 to 6.
I know it was a, it looks good on the scoreboard, but I remember that was a ugly football game, you know?
So yeah, there's those moments right there.
And that's where, yes, to Jordan Love and that point, and I think as an offense as a whole, it's a little like, whoa, they're on fire, and then it's kind of like, whoa, they can't get a first down.
It's kind of one of the two.
It, and then the defense kind of feels similar that way as well.
So yeah, this is, this is big news when you talk about Josh Jacobs and what they are.
First off, yeah, Jordan Love's got incredible talent.
He does.
But like you said, the high level consistent play is not there to where you'd want it to be quite yet.
And, hey, the running game and Matt LaFleur, we know Josh Jacobs is a huge part of that, and that's how they wanna play, and they like to throw the ball deep down the field, and they do that because play action pass, and they scare you with the run game.
And so that's where this'll hurt.
And I feel like if there's any position on their team where there's questions or depth questions, it's probably running back.
I mean, you look at the running back situation, it's oh, okay, Chris Brooks, who played on the 49ers a few years ago, but I mean, he barely touched the ball last year.
They have Marshawn Lloyd, who they drafted out of USC two years ago, who's got some talent but has been unable to stay healthy.
So they lose Josh Jacobs to the situation you're explaining, where he's on paid leave or something like that, yeah, that'll make me think a little bit differently or at least go, ooh, I gotta see it first to see how they're gonna play here and how Jordan Love's gonna handle not having the consistent run game presence and all that.
And, you know, that'll be interesting, and that'll be a big storyline to start the year.
