Eddie Lacy Hurting Green Bay Packers' Opponents Two Ways

Green Bay center Corey Linsley doesn't care how the Packers get the ball in Eddie Lacy's hands on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles as long as they get it there.

"Any time that guy touches the ball, it's unbelievable," Linsley said. "Something unbelievable is going to happen."

The Packers did a lot of handing the ball to Lacy last season, when the former Alabama standout earned the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award by running for 1,178 yards on 284 carries. In nine games this season, Lacy has 119 carries for 478 yards. But while he's carrying the ball less, Lacy is catching it more in 2014. With 277 yards on 24 receptions, Lacy already has surpassed his receiving yardage of 2013.

Green Bay's screen game has flowered in the past two games. Lacy had eight receptions for 123 yards against New Orleans on Oct. 26 and three receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown against Chicago on Nov. 9.

"It's all the same to me," Lacy said. "Get the football and get to run around a little bit. It doesn't matter how I get it, whether it's run or pass. It's just every opportunity -- make the most of it."

While Lacy has earned a reputation as a bruising runner, he likes to shout "Moss" when he makes a catch in practice.

"Eddie has a self-appointed nickname of 'Moss,' as in Randy Moss," Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. "He thinks he's got incredible hands. His hands actually are very good."

Lacy lived up to his nickname by taking a short pass 67 yards against New Orleans and scoring on a 56-yard screen pass against Chicago.

"I was teasing Eddie about it after last week, that he had the potential to be a 1,000/1,000 guy," Rodgers said. "He's such a talented guy. He can do so many things for us. If he's not running it real effectively, he can still show up in the pass game and get yards for us and get touchdowns."

Lacy said he doesn't "have a problem" being used as a receiver as the Packers try to get him 20 touches a game.

"It's your position," Lacy said. "You have to do it. If you can't, somebody else is going to do it. I didn't have a problem transitioning to it at all."

eddie lacy gif.gif He did have a problem that Jordy Nelson made him look as though he was running in mud as the wide receiver raced by him to make the final block on the touchdown pass against the Bears.

"Did you see that?" Lacy said in the Green Bay locker room on Wednesday. "I really thought I was fast until I saw him pass me. He made me look a little slow."

At 6-3, the Packers are a game behind NFC North leader Detroit. On Sunday, the Lions play the Arizona Cardinals, who have the best record in the NFL. The Eagles, at 7-2, lead the NFC East by one-half game over the Dallas Cowboys.

In their previous three games at Lambeau Field, the Packers have piled up 115 points before their opponents could score, taking a 42-0 lead against Minnesota, a 28-0 lead against Carolina and a 45-0 lead against Chicago on their way to victories.

"It's definitely not easy doing that," Lacy said. "It takes everybody being on the same page and, so far, we've definitely been doing that. But the key is to stick to doing that and not get too, I guess, into ourselves thinking it's going to be automatic."

The Eagles rank fourth and the Packers fifth in the NFL in scoring this season, with Philadelphia averaging 31 points a game and Green Bay just a shade behind at 30.8.

The Eagles and Packers kick off at 3:25 p.m. CST Sunday.