Running back Josh Jacobs has been a steady force for the Green Bay Packers. Coming off a dominant victory in week 6, the NFC North team is bound to the Cardinals matchup on Sunday, October 19. But the head coach, Matt LaFleur, has a decision to make after recent developments about the ace RB.

Jacobs was listed as questionable on the Packers’ injury report because of illness and calf issues. He was a limited participant on Wednesday and Thursday, but returned to the full practice sessions on Friday (October 17). After seeing such dedication, LaFleur has delayed his final decision and is treating RB1 as a “true game-time decision.”

If Josh Jacobs doesn’t play, the Packers’ running game will get a lot weaker. The 27-year-old is the main runner on the team and does most of the work.

In 6 games, he has carried the ball 98 times for 359 yards and six touchdowns. He averages 3.7 yards per run and gives the team 71.8 rushing yards each game. That’s almost two-thirds of all the Packers’ runs (122.2 yards per game). Not only that, he is the only running back who has scored for the Packers this season.

Overall, he has more carries, rushing yards, and touchdowns than all the other players who have contributed to the rushing. That’s the impact he has! After Jacobs, no one else on the team has big numbers.

Quarterback Jordan Love is next with 20 carries for 88 yards. He averages 4.4 yards per run, but most of his runs come when the pocket breaks down. But he’s not the person to lead the running game. If Jacobs doesn’t play, RB Emmanuel Wilson will play. He has played 29 games for the franchise.

This year, he has done well in limited chances, with 18 carries for 84 yards and a 4.7-yard average. But the 26-year-old hasn’t carried the ball enough to know if he can handle a full workload. Then there’s rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden, who has 8 carries for 45 yards. His runs come mostly from trick plays and jet sweeps, not regular handoffs.

That’s why they needed more power. LaFleur just did that by upgrading RB Pierre Strong Jr. from the practice squad to the 53-man active roster. They signed him in September and now need him to elevate their rushing game.

Strong Jr. has played for the New England Patriots and the Cleveland Browns. In 46 games (1 start) over 3 seasons, and has recorded 99 rushing attempts for 499 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has also picked up 21 first downs, with a 51.5% success rate on his runs. So, he has the speed to break big plays when given space.

Moreover, Strong has caught 26 passes for 193 yards as a receiver. Though he hasn’t scored any receiving touchdowns, he has steady hands, catching over 70% of his targets. He is a reliable short-yardage option out of the backfield.

However, their preparation was hit by an unexpected problem.

Josh Jacobs’ teammates hit by technical delay

The Packers have won 47 of 77 games against the Cardinals. They were scheduled to fly to Phoenix on Saturday for their Sunday game, using two charter planes, one for staff and another for players and coaches.

The first plane, carrying staff, left on time at 1:15 p.m. CT. 1:30 p.m. CT was the takeoff time of the second plane, carrying players and coaches. But a problem occurred with the second plane, so it could not depart on time.

A replacement plane had to be brought from Detroit to Green Bay for the players and coaches. The plane finally took off at 7:05 p.m. CT. The landing time in Phoenix was 8:32 p.m. local time, more than five hours later than expected. The kickoff time is 1:25 p.m. MT.

The Packers’ travel delay has raised concerns about fatigue and preparation ahead of their Week 7 matchup against the Cardinals.