Eddie Lacy has a simple explanation for why he missed curfew
Heading into last Thursday night's matchup against the Lions, Packers running back Eddie Lacy appeared to finally be regaining his form. And then he played just 19 snaps.
By
Ryan Wilson
•
2 min read
Heading into last Thursday night's matchup against the Lions, Packers running back Eddie Lacy appeared to finally be regaining his form. And then he played just 19 snaps in a game that will be remembered for entirely different reasons.
Turns out, there's a perfectly good reason Lacy barely saw the field: the third-year back missed curfew the night before. But Lacy can explain what happened: he was downstairs in the team hotel and just "lost track of time," according to PackersNews.com's Ryan Wood.
Hey, it happens.
Lacy said he "had a talk" with Packers coach Mike McCarthy before the game but didn't offer specifics. Judging how things played out, we'll guess the talk involved McCarthy telling Lacy to get comfortable on the bench.
“We had a conversation internally,” Lacy explained, “and they know that whenever I'm out on the field I'm going to do exactly what I have to do. I'm not a guy that makes a lot of mistakes, or bad things off the field either. So that's something they know they don't have to worry about.
“We put it behind us, and we’re moving forward. I think we both got things out in that conversation, and we’re both moving forward from that incident.”
Lacy, who had just five carries for 4 yards against the Lions, and didn't touch the ball in the second half, conceded that “it was extremely tough" to not contribute during the team's miraculous comeback, “but it was a result of my own behavior, so it's just something that I had to deal with.”
Meanwhile, quarterback Aaron Rodgers continues to have full faith in Lacy's ability to help the Packers down the stretch.
“It’s a long year,” he said, “and there’s going to be ups and downs throughout the year. I think we just need to stay level headed. You can inspire guys, but motivation comes from within -- like I’ve said many times -- and Eddie has great motivation. He’s a great football player. He understands how to play the game, and he’s ready to play every week. It’s just about getting an opportunity.
“When you see he’s gotten 20-plus carries, he’s made the most of his opportunities. We have to do a better job of converting on third downs and giving him more opportunities to have those first- and second-down runs with extended drives.”
McCarthy said Lacy looked "rejuvenated" this week in practice. The Packers, who are atop the NFC North but share the same record with the Vikings, host the Cowboys this Sunday.
