Green Bay's five rushing touchdowns were unique enough as the Packers hadn't accomplished that feat in more than 21 years, but the fact that those scores came courtesy of three different running backs made the performance even more impressive.
Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson each found the end zone twice on runs and Ahman Green posted his first rushing touchdown of the season as they became the first trio of backs to score on the ground in the same game since Barty Smith, Steve Atkins and Eric Torkelson each scored on Sept. 9, 1979, vs. New Orleans.
"We always feel like we set the tone as a backfield," Grant said. "We felt like we kind of started off with a lull on the first two series of the game early on, but we felt that starts with us. We've got to, as a backfield, start fast. When we do that, good things happen."
Grant was the first back to get in the end zone as he dove for the pylon on a 3-yard run at the end of the first quarter to put the Packers up 14-0, but it was his second long run this month that was his biggest play of the afternoon.
With just over five minutes remaining in the first half, Grant took a handoff from quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the Green Bay 44 up the middle and quickly got to the second level as he ran past safety Deon Grant to take it the rest of the way for the 56-yard score.
It was Grant's second two-touchdown game in three weeks, only the third of his career, and his second 50-plus yard touchdown in the same span after scoring on a 62-yard run on the opening play at Chicago in Week 14. Add in the 24-yard touchdown run last week at Pittsburgh and Grant has five touchdowns in the last three contests, a career high for a three-game span, and a career-high 10 rushing touchdowns this season.
"(The offensive line) did a great job," Grant said. "Quinn (Johnson) on that one did a hell of a job. I saw that they were flowing, and I just waited to hit it. They did a great job on that and it's my job to beat the safety."
Grant finished the afternoon with a team-high 97 yards on 16 carries (6.1 avg), and went over the 1,200-yard mark for the season on his final carry of the afternoon, a 3-yard run on the final play of the third quarter.
It gave Grant 1,200 yards in back-to-back seasons as he became just the third back in team history to hit that mark in consecutive years, joining Jim Taylor (1961-62) and teammate Green (2001-03).
"It means that guys are really dedicated to what we are about as a backfield, as a line, and really just as a run unit," Grant said. "Of course we have a wonderful passing game with (Aaron Rodgers) and what he does and the wide receivers that we have, but I know the line takes pride in as a run unit being able to accomplish that.
"We're talking about an organization from a history stance that has had some wonderful backs and has been able to do some really good things, so I think that means a lot to guys."
Jackson, who hadn't scored on a run since Week 2 of 2008, was able to end that drought with two rushing touchdowns in the first 10 minutes of the third quarter. After Jackson converted a third down at the Seattle 9 by picking up 3 yards on a screen pass, he took a handoff up the middle on the next play before bouncing it out to the right side, outrunning linebacker Will Herring and safety Jordan Babineaux on his way to the end zone.
Jackson scored again on the next drive, lining up at fullback in front of Grant as he took it in 4 yards for the score and a 38-3 lead. Combined with his score on a 13-yard screen pass in the first quarter, it gave Jackson three touchdowns for the day, a mark he said he hadn't achieved since high school.
"I told them at halftime that we've just got to come out and smell (the end zone)," Jackson said. "I came out and scored two touchdowns and 'RG' scored again and 'AG' scored. That's what it's all about, us running backs picking each other up and feeding off each other's momentum."
{sportsad300}On Monday, Head Coach Mike McCarthy called Jackson's game at Pittsburgh the finest performance he had seen by a running back in pass protection as Rodgers threw for three touchdown passes, so his teammates were happy to see him get the reward of getting into the end zone on his own.
"It's just a representation really and a result of all the work," Grant said. "Brandon has been fighting his butt off all year. Fighting from y'all, just fighting in general because he has been doing a lot to put himself in a great position. I know he wants to carry the ball more, I want to carry the ball more, that's just how it goes. He's doing a great job just taking advantage of his opportunities, and whatever role he is in, just making the most of it.
"I'm proud of him. Like I said, it's a result of all the hard work. He's been busting his butt and he deserves it. If anybody deserves it on this team, he deserves it because of what he does from that unsung-hero role. He does a lot for us."
Green finished things off when he scored from 6 yards out late in the fourth quarter, part of an eight-carry, 29-yard performance that also included a 16-yard gain late in the first half as he broke several tackles to convert a third down.
"It's real exciting about that room, the running back room, they all pull for each other, they all challenge each other," Head Coach Mike McCarthy said. "It's good to see that room, particularly everybody, to have five rushing touchdowns, I think is an extra boost for our running game and also for the running backs."
