There¡¯s no disagreement at 1265 Lombardi over whether not the Packers offense lacks balance. Clearly they do. Everyone¡ªwhich is really just to say Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers¡ªagrees the run game needs to be a bigger part of the offense. Avoiding third-and-long would be much easier if the team with the fourth-best rush offense in the league (adjusted for opponent) actually got to run the ball. But the problem isn¡¯t just that Green Bay isn¡¯t running the ball enough Color Rush Lane Taylor Jersey , though they aren¡¯t. It¡¯s when they¡¯re running it, or in this case when they¡¯re not. According to Sharp Football, the Packers throw the ball the second-most in the league on first down, a whopping 61% of the time. With Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, that makes sense especially with teams likely playing with base personnel. First down should theoretically be a great time to throw it. Really good offensive teams like Atlanta, Minnesota and Pittsburgh are among the top-six teams in football throwing it on early downs, while the Saints and Buccaneers are league average. Meanwhile, the Rams and Patriots are among the least frequent utilizers of first-down passes. In short, there¡¯s more than one way to skin a cat. The Rams, Green Bay¡¯s opponents this week, run the fifth-most of any team in football on first down and are among the most balanced teams in the league. The Rams¡¯ high-powered offense isn¡¯t so efficient simply by slinging the ball all around the yard. Their run game may just be the best overall ground attack in football. The Packers, with a stable of quality backs and an excellent run-blocking offensive line, could play with more balance if given the chance from a game flow perspective. But they could also be less predictable on first down.Through six weeks, the Packers are the 15th most successful first-down offense in football throwing the ball, averaging 6.9 yards per attempt. On the ground, they¡¯re the fourth-most successful offense in football, averaging 5.3 yards per tote. This disparity speaks volumes. In fact, the Packers have produced first downs on 31% of their rushing attempts on 112 plays overall, on any down. Even with Rodgers Jaire Alexander Jersey , this offense produces a passing first down at the exact same 31% rate despite 2.5 times as many plays. In other words, the Packers passing game isn¡¯t actually more efficient than the run game at creating first downs even if they run for fewer yards per attempt. To put it plainly, the Packers would be a more efficient offense overall if they simply ran the ball more. Full stop. This is especially true in the red zone, where the Packers¡¯ ground game actually averages more yards per attempt (3.4) than the passing game (2.9). They¡¯d be even better if they ran it more on first down specifically given the relative lack of success they¡¯ve had throwing it. Most teams want to be less predictable on first down and throw it more. That¡¯s the truism in the NFL, but with Green Bay playing from behind so often, they¡¯re looking for chunk plays early. That¡¯s OK, but they could be better about running it to possess the ball and keep the defense off the field. If the offense is working, the run game doesn¡¯t have to disappear. Think back to the success those great offenses of 2011 and 2014 had on play action. The Packers started to unlock some of that against the 49ers. If teams don¡¯t believe the offense will actually run, they can sit on play action and the run fake becomes less effective. Rodgers has traditionally killed teams on first down with shot plays off play action, something he did to the 49ers on Monday night. Part of the reason? On 14 first-down runs the Packers averaged 7.1 yards per attempt, according to Sharp Football. That helped the offense nearly double their average passing output on first down, averaging 12.8 yards per attempt throwing it on first down. Using the run to set up the pass might seem like an old fashioned idea, but Green Bay showed why it¡¯s an age-old adage against San Francisco. Mike McCarthy got a little play-action happy in the second half once the 49ers adjusted, but with the 49ers rushing upfield on the edges, the Packers could have used the run game more to take advantage of play action defense. That street runs both ways. Had Green Bay not been so desperate to come back and score, it might have been a weapon they could have utilized more often. The Week 8 opponent, the most balanced team in the league, creates explosive plays by utilizing an excellent running game and play action off it. The Packers can create that same kind of explosiveness if they commit a little more to running the ball, which for them means handing it off more often on early downs. Though that may seen anachronistic Authentic Josh Jackson Jersey , Green Bay has the type of running game to make it work and a quarterback who thrives off play action.If the Packers play a little bit more like the Rams in terms of early down balance, they may just find out their offense is every bit as good.NFC North rundown: Training camp kickoff edition Ah, yes. Bring out the little kid bikes and paint the practice fields with white lines. Training camps are officially rocking and rolling around the NFC North. As teams prepare to kick off the 2018 NFL season, story lines abound in what should be a competitive division. While the Green Bay Packers¡¯ re-tooled defense will be a topic of discussion throughout the preseason in Titletown USA, a significant number of offensive skill position players are under scrutiny elsewhere as the pads come on.Will Laquon Treadwell take the next step for the Vikings? Will a running back emerge for the Lions? Will Anthony Miller continue to impress Mitch Trubisky and the Bears¡¯ coaching staff?Those questions and many more are explained in today¡¯s NFC North rundown.Detroit Lions5 story lines to watch as Lions open training campThe Detroit News¡¯ Justin Rogers looks at players looking to take second-year leaps, young candidates in a prove-it season, and one veteran wide receiver entering a contract year.Five likely winners and five likely losers at Detroit Lions training campFansided takes a look at five positions on the Lions¡¯ roster in which one member of the position group has an opportunity to stand out over others jockeying for a role. Keep an eye on one rookie on the defensive line.Detroit Lions training camp preview: Secondary looks like strength of defenseAfter a breakout season from Darius Slay last season, the Lions will be counting on a plethora of young corners, including second-day picks the last couple of drafts, to solidify the secondary as a team strength.Chicago BearsAaron Lynch misses another Bears training camp practiceChicago gambled on a show-me deal with the former San Francisco edge rusher to play opposite Leonard Floyd this season. So far, he hasn¡¯t had an opportunity to showcase his talent on the field.Matt Nagy: Bears ¡®may be¡¯ getting closer to signing holdout LB Roquan SmithAnother man missing during the early portion of training camp has been top-ten pick Roquan Smith. The Bears hope to continue making progress on a rookie contract with Smith, who is losing valuable practice reps.Chicago Bears Training Camp: 5 recent standout playersKyle Fuller¡¯s starting counterpart at cornerback has made some splash plays early in camp, while rookie receiver Anthony Miller has had as strong a showing as anyone in the early going.Minnesota VikingsThe 10 most compelling storylines of Vikings training campInjuries, a new quarterback, looming contract negotiations, and the starting right tackle job. It¡¯s all covered in depth right here.5 players to watch at Vikings training campFormer first-rounder Laquon Treadwell headlines a boatload of Vikings hoping to not only have an eye-catching training camp, but secure a final spot on the roster.Tony Sparano¡¯s death still weighs on Vikings at start of training campThe recent loss of Minnesota¡¯s offensive line coach has weighed on the hearts of everyone in the Vikings¡¯ organization, but especially Head Coach Mike Zimmer who spent many years with Sparano on NFL coaching staffs.