Packers RB Eddie Lacy on Pace for a 1,000 Yard Season

Don't look now, but Eddie Lacy is on track to become the Packers' first 1,000 yard rusher since Ryan Grant in 2009.

Through seven games Lacy has accumulated 446 rushing yards, an average of 63.7 yards per team game. For context, the Packers' leading rusher in 2012 gained only 18 more yards over the entire season. At this rate, Lacy projects to gain 1,019 yards by the end of the year.

Yet that figure is misleading. Lacy essentially missed two games earlier this year after sustaining a concussion from Brandon Meriweather on his first carry against Washington. Accordingly, a healthy Lacy should run for far more than that 1,019 yard figure.

In the five games which Lacy carried the ball more than one time, he averaged 87.2 yards. That projects to approximately 785 yards over his next nine games and a total of 1231 for the season. To borrow a line from the NFP, that wouldn't make Lacy's acquisition your typical draft steal, it would make it a Brinks heist.

Granted, there are other factors that could affect that projection. With James Starks recovered from a knee injury that cost him multiple games, the Packers are likely to reduce Lacy's workload to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Additionally, as James Jones and Randall Cobb return to action, the passing game will likely regain some of its prominence in the play calling. And, of course, Lacy could sustain another injury and miss time. However, the mere fact that we're discussing how many rushing yards Lacy will gain beyond 1,000 tells you how great things are going in Green Bay.

More from Acme Packing Company:

• Packers-Vikings final grades: How PFF Graded the Game
• Packers vs. Vikings Performance Grades: Offense Hits the Ground Running
• Packers Teammates of the Week: Running Backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks
• Packers vs. Vikings in Review: Game Balls Go to Rodgers, Nelson, Hyde