With Long Touchdown, Did Goodson Sprint Onto Roster?
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – If big plays win football games, do they also win roster spots?
That’s the dilemma at running back as general manager Brian Gutekunst begins to contemplate how he’s going to fill out the depth chart behind Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon.
Patrick Taylor is solid. Tyler Goodson is explosive.
Goodson’s sudden-impact skill-set was evident on his 24-yard touchdown run that put the Packers in front 10-7 during Thursday night’s preseason-ending loss at the Kansas City Chiefs. The play was well blocked, to be sure, with guards Jon Runyan and Jake Hanson sealing their defenders and center Josh Myers making the big downfield block on a linebacker.
The play was blocked well enough to gain 10 yards. Goodson did the rest. He stepped through one tackle attempt and spun away for another for the touchdown. Whether it was practice or a game, it was not the first time Goodson burst into the open field.
“O-line did a good job today,” Goodson said. “Guys allowed me to have an open lane to run through. Once I got through the lane, Josh Myers got to the second level. He made an outstanding block and I cut off him. All I had to do was make one guy miss and I was into the end zone.”
The dilemma comes when viewing the bigger picture. The Packers have Jones and Dillon to carry and catch the football. The third back needs to be able to do the other things. If he is forced onto the field on third down, can he protect the quarterback? Can he block and tackle on special teams?
On the opening kickoff of the second half, the Chiefs’ returner, Corey Coleman, ran past Goodson (and others) for a 45-yard return. Kansas City turned that into the deciding touchdown.
On the ensuing kickoff, Goodson muffed the return. He turned bad into worse by running the ball out of the end zone and getting dropped at the 5. Moments later, on third-and-3, Juwann Winfree had a step on his man for what could have been a big play. Linebacker Leo Chenal blitzed and drove Goodson toward Jordan Love, and the pass sailed just a bit too far.
Taylor will never provide the highlight-reel plays but he just gets the job done. While Goodson ran seven times for 28 yards, 24 came on the touchdown. That means he gained 4 yards on his other six carries. Taylor carried seven times for 34 yards. Five of his seven runs gained at least 3 yards, including one in which he was ruled down just inches short of the goal line. On the next play, he powered through Chenal for a touchdown that was nullified by penalty.
Taylor, who was a standout in Week 18 at Detroit last season, is better in pass protection, which he should be considering he’s 20 pounds heavier. Then again, he missed a tackle on the long kickoff return.
“I thought both those guys did a nice job,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “I think a lot of it’s going to come down to how they performed on special teams. But I’ve got to give credit to both those guys because what I saw was guys fighting for those tough yards.”
The wild card will be Gutekunst’s accounting. Typically, teams carry at least three running backs. And, indeed, the Packers could go that route. But if the expectation is Kylin Hill will be ready to come off the PUP list after Week 4, Gutekunst in theory could get by with Jones, Dillon and practice-squad elevations and/or a hybrid role for receiver Amari Rodgers.
With 20 practices and three preseason games complete, it was a long grind for Goodson and Taylor. The wait until Gutekunst settles on his 53-man roster might seem even longer.
“Hopefully, they decide to keep me here,” Goodson said. “I want to be here. I’m praying – hopes and prayers.”
