GREEN BAY – The highlight has been running on loop throughout the Packers' locker room all week long.
The visual is of MarShawn Lloyd dropping his shoulder pads and running over Chicago cornerback Jaylon Johnson en route to his first NFL rushing touchdown during Sunday's 31-7 win over the Bears.
Lloyd has been sent the clip nonstop and it's been further celebrated within Green Bay's meeting rooms this week. The play even earned the third-year running back NFL Network's weekly Angry Runs award, honorary scepter and all.
"I've seen it a million times now," said Lloyd with a laugh. "Everywhere I go, everyone's showing me. My family, everyone's texting me and showing me the video. It's been pretty cool. Now it's kind of like on to the next."
Because anyone at this level can do it once, Lloyd points out. It's the good ones who can do it multiple times. While the public stood in awe of the highlight the past few days, the 5-foot-9, 220-pound running back saw the standard in the film room.
There's been a lot of conversation within Lambeau Field over the past month regarding how the Packers can extract more performance from their run game with starting right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele (knee) out for the season and three-time Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs still on the commissioners exempt list.
The backfield took another hit two weeks ago when it lost veteran running back Chris Brooks to injured reserve due to an ankle injury he suffered in the Packers' 17-14 road win over Tampa Bay.
General Manager Brian Gutekunst has been active in pursuit of reinforcements. He signed veteran offensive linemen Kevin Zeitler and Laken Tomlinson, traded for former Pittsburgh third-round pick Kaleb Johnson and recently promoted Pierre Strong Jr. from the practice squad.
The constant has been Lloyd, though he'd played in just one regular-season game through his first two seasons due to recuring injuries. Now healthy, the 2024 third-round pick is learning how to forge through the fire after that much time off.
"Not trying to think too much," Lloyd said of his mindset. "Hadn't played the game in a minute, hadn't been out there in two years, but now everything's settling down. I'm understanding things. Confidence, for sure. I think that's the biggest thing. Once you have your confidence, I think anything's possible."
The 25-year-old running back leads Green Bay's backfield with 120 rushing yards and two touchdowns – both of which came Sunday against the Bears – but is only averaging 2.8 yards per carry.
Supremely talented, Lloyd has the explosiveness and vertical ability to outmaneuver defenders. But it's important to remember he has the pop in his pads to displace defenders, too.
It's a message tight end Tucker Kraft and Jacobs have been driving home to Lloyd behind the scenes, and one Lloyd has absorbed listening to interviews with top NFL running backs like Jonathan Taylor.
Sometimes running back is all vision. Identifying the right hole, making a quick cut and getting up field. In other instances, as Taylor asserts, the best cut is no cut, and the quickest way to the end zone is straight ahead regardless of who's in your way.
"That was how we need him to run – with that pad level, with that physicality," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said. "That was definitely a positive. He seemed more decisive, I would say, as well, when he was running the football. A lot less thinking, just cut it loose and go."
Lloyd still showed he could win with burst against the Bears, too. When the Bears clogged a run inside the 5-yard line in the third quarter, Lloyd bounced it outside for his second TD.
As the team celebrated Lloyd's first two-TD day afterward – and the Bear he took with him – quarterback Jordan Love was one of the first to pat his young running back on shoulder.
Not only for lowering the boom but also the growth Lloyd has shown as he gets his gameday feet back underneath him.
"That's what it's got to be. He knows what that is," quarterback Jordan Love said. "You've got to run behind your pads and there's always going to be an unblocked defender. You either got to make him miss or run somebody over, and he did that."
The Packers need everything they can get from Lloyd and Co. this Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, who are yielding a league-high 168.4 rushing yards per games this year.
Both teams have had their struggles running the ball. Dallas ranks 30th in the NFL with 81.6 rushing yards per game while Green Bay sits last. After gaining some net positives against Chicago, however, Lloyd wants to build upon that progress.
"Each week I feel like there's something I've worked on that I'm getting better at," Lloyd said. "Now it's just learning the game more, being around it, being out there more. The more opportunities I get, the more opportunities I'm able to get better and learn from my mistakes. Now I just need to keep growing."
