By admin 
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs remains on the commissioner’s exempt list, and the team’s 17-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday exposed how much the backfield misses him. With running back Chris Brooks (ankle) leaving the game and running backs MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson fumbling in the fourth quarter, Green Bay escaped Tampa with a win but no clear solution behind Jacobs.
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Locked On Packers host Peter Bukowski argued that the performance made an outside addition necessary, particularly because the offensive line gave the ground game more than enough opportunity. The Packers rushed for 86 yards, their best total of the season, while quarterback Jordan Love was not sacked and absorbed only two hits.
Bukowski’s point was not that the offense found its answer on the ground. It was that the reworked front ruled out blocking as the primary explanation. Travis Glover made his first NFL start at right guard, Laken Tomlinson stepped in at left guard, and Green Bay created its two longest runs of the season: Brooks’ 27-yarder and Johnson’s 31-yard gain.
The production did not hold up down to down. Johnson finished with eight carries for 42 yards, but 31 came on one run, and he fumbled at the goal line with Green Bay trying to build a two-score lead. Lloyd provided five catches for 36 yards and flashed open-field ability late, but his seven carries produced 13 yards, while his own fumble rolled out of bounds before Johnson’s turnover.
Head coach Matt LaFleur did not minimize the ball-security issue after the game. He said players who do not protect the football could find themselves on the bench, a difficult warning to execute when the available depth has already narrowed. The club entered the game thin with Jacobs unavailable, then lost Brooks during it.
That leaves the offense trying to protect Love from an overly one-dimensional workload. Love moved the ball effectively at times, and the passing game created answers against Tampa Bay’s off coverage, but penalties, drops, and turnovers kept several drives from becoming points. A functional rushing attack would make those mistakes less costly and give LaFleur a more reliable way to close games.
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Bukowski suggested general manager Brian Gutekunst should examine the market rather than wait for certainty on Jacobs’ return. The Packers do have Pierre Strong Jr. available on the practice squad, but the immediate question is whether the current group can produce the routine, blocked-yardage runs that were missing Sunday. That answer will matter quickly as Green Bay prepares for a pivotal NFC North matchup with the Chicago Bears.
Jacobs’ status remains unresolved, so Green Bay must decide whether to elevate help internally, acquire another back, or continue leaning on Lloyd and Johnson against Chicago. The Buccaneers game showed a better offensive line can raise the floor, but it did not settle who can carry the running game.
Packers News and Notes
– Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (Achilles) suffered a non-contact injury in the third quarter after recording nine tackles, a sack, and an interception. LaFleur said after the game that he suspects the injury will end Cooper’s season, a major blow to a defense that will need to adjust immediately.
– Love’s protection improved despite injuries along the offensive line. The quarterback was not sacked, and Glover held up in his first NFL start, giving the Packers a potential building block as they seek more consistent offense.
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More on the Green Bay Packers
- Winners and Losers in Packers’ Ugly 17-14 Win Over Buccaneers
- Packers’ O-Line Improvements in Week 4 Win Over Buccaneers: Real or Illusion?
- Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper Feared Lost For the Season: Locker Room Reactions, and Plan at LB Moving Forward
- Edgerrin Cooper Carted Off After Suffering Non-Contact Injury vs. Buccaneers
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This story was originally published October 4, 2026 at 9:51 PM.