Last year the Green Bay Packers were notorious for being plagued with injuries that kept several of their key players on the sidelines and prevented them from making much of an impact in the post season.  It seems that luck has followed them into this season as Eddie Lacy suffered a concussion in Thursday night's season opener against the Seattle Seahawks.  The concussion came after the running back collided with Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor in the fourth quarter.

This presents a huge problem for the Packers early in the season. Lacy was expected to be one of the players that Green Bay could build their offense off of. He was Offensive Rookie of the Year last season, rushing for 1,178 yards and 11 touchdowns, many being in the absence of Aaron Rodgers. He also received a concussing last year which forced him to miss a week of action.

With right tackle Bryan Bulaga also out with a knee injury, it begs the question are the Packers already in trouble? Without one of their key offensive weapons, a lot of the preparations that the team made in the preseason are going to go out the window as they prepare to restructure, at least until Lacy is ready to return.  

Lacy's replacement is likely to be James Starks. Starks does not have nearly the power or presence that Lacy has, but he is not ineffective, as evidenced by last night's 37 rushing yards on only seven carries.

But Lacy is, quite simply, a unique prospect that is not easy to replace. Pro Football Focus calculated that he forced 56 missed tackles last season, a number that only Marshawn Lynch, Adrian Peterson and LeSean McCoy surpassed. He is the real deal and his absence will leave a real hole in the Green Bay offense.

While it is true that Rodgers does have the skill to carry the team on his own, it is no secret that having Lacy in the backfield helps take the pressure off Rodgers. While fans may love to see Rodgers show off his arm strength by going verts out and having five-wide sets, Lacy forces the opposing defense to shift focus and attention elsewhere for large portions of the game.

If the Packers want to match the success that they had in the past, Lacy needs to get healthy and stay healthy. Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb provide plenty of highlight real material, but Lacy, like any effective running back, is the lynchpin to this teams success.