After Flu Game, Will It Be Calf Game 2.0 For Packers’ Josh Jacobs?

Running back Josh Jacobs played through illness last week against the Cincinnati Bengals.

“I didn’t even realize it, to be honest with you, and then to come to find out afterwards, it was his flu game,” coach Matt LaFleur said.

On Sunday at the Arizona Cardinals, Jacobs will play through a calf injury.

He’s done it before, and under similar circumstances.

In 2022, Jacobs suffered a calf injury at the Friday practice and was questionable on the final injury report for the Sunday game at Seattle. This week, Jacobs suffered a calf injury at the Friday practice and was questionable on the final injury report. In 2022, Jacobs went through a pregame workout before playing. On Sunday, he also went through a pregame workout.

Jacobs did more than play against the Seahawks.

In overtime, he ran 86 yards for the game-winning touchdown. That gave him 229 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Along with six catches for 74 yards, Jacobs put up a staggering 303 yards from scrimmage. At the time, it was seventh-most yards in the Super Bowl era. He was the first player since 1950 with at least 225 rushing yards and 70 receiving yards.

“It’s kind of crazy, coming in and not knowing if I was going to play, looking the guys in the eyes and telling them they’re going to get everything they’ve got in me,” Jacobs said after the game.

Then-Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (28) breaks a tackle attempt by Seattle Seahawks linebacker Cody Barton (57)). | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

He added: “I was just trying to tell myself and talk to myself and will my mind to go out there and push through it.”

Jacobs will hope for the same results on Sunday. Not necessarily a 300-yard game but motivation and a win.

“Any time you’ve got your best players out there fighting through injury and just kind of showing the way, not cowering down and being weak the moment that you feel some discomfort, I think this team knows the difference between being injured and being hurt,” receiver Davante Adams said.

“You’re going to play hurt all the time, so if you can get through something, you’re going to have guys like Josh go out and still get it done at a high level and fighting through stuff. That’s what we got to do moving forward.”

Jacobs had 150 scrimmage yards against the Bengals while sick last week.

“I didn’t feel too good today,” he said. “You can kind of tell right now, I don’t feel the best. Throwing up during the game, after, before the game. I really don’t know where it came from. I just kind of woke up this morning just not feeling my best. But I told them, the last time that I felt that way, I had 130 (yards) and two touchdowns. So, it is what it is.”

He said he threw up a couple times during the game.

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) runs through a pair of Bengals defenders for a touchdown last week. | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“I was mic’d up, so I don’t know if they’re going to put that in there or not,” he said to laughter. “But it was a couple times I was on the field, I was coughing. Everybody like, ‘Man, are you all right?’ I’m like, ‘We’ll figure it out.’”

Jacobs topped 150 scrimmage yards against Dallas, as well. If he can be half as good in Calf Game 2.0, he’d make NFL history. Jacobs is vying to join LaDainian Tomlinson (four consecutive games in 2006 with the San Diego Chargers), Chris Johnson (three in 2009 with Tennessee) and Ricky Williams (three games in 2002 with Miami) as the only players in NFL history with three consecutive games with 150-plus scrimmage yards and two-plus rushing touchdowns.

Jacobs has been a durable, reliable workhorse for the Packers. He played in all 17 games last season for the Packers, and now will play in his sixth in a row this season.

After a slow start to the season, Jacobs had 22 carries for 86 yards and four catches for 71 yards in Week 4 at Dallas and 18 carries for 93 yards and five catches for 57 yards in Week 6 against Cincinnati.

Jacobs entered Week 7 ranked fifth in carries (98), 17th in rushing (359) and second in rushing touchdowns (six). According to Pro Football Focus, he was 11th with 305 yards after contact and 13th with 17 missed tackles.

Plus, Jacobs is third on the team with 15 receptions and fourth with 176 receiving yards. He leads the NFL with 12.67 yards after the catch per catch.

“Josh is a guy we’re not too worried about that,” quarterback Jordan Love said on Wednesday of Jacobs’ physical style as a receiver. “I think he’s a guy who loves the contact and is always looking to be the aggressor. Josh is just an explosive playmaker. Obviously, what he does in the run game is huge, but also the pass game, he’s made some big plays in it.

“He’s a guy that he’s always an outlet for me. I know when I get the ball down to him, he’s going to pick up a couple extra yards. Yeah, there’s some times where it’s on the sideline where he can catch a ball, get out of bounds and avoid some hits. But I’m never worried about that with Josh. I think he’s a guy that’s always looking for contact.”

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