The Facts: Mike McCarthy wants to put his pedal to the metal this season. The Green Bay Packers already play fast with Aaron Rodgers under center, but the goal for coach and quarterback is to up the ante to 75 plays per game, according to ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky. "That seems to be the answer to some of the different things that defenses are doing," Rodgers said this offseason.
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As NFL.com notes, Seventy-five plays per game would outdistance the Broncos' record-breaking offense of a season ago (which averaged 72.25 plays per game) and the no-huddle-happy New England Patriots (71.125 plays per game). The Packers ran about 67 plays per game in 2013 (69 plays when Rodgers was healthy), McCarthy's second-highest total in eight seasons. "We play pretty fast, but you always want to play faster," McCarthy said. "With a guy like Aaron, he plays faster than anybody I've ever been around." While the QB is vital to an up-tempo offense, the approach demands more of the other positions as well. Early this offseason McCarthy pointed out the need for running back Eddie Lacy to become a three-down player so he wouldn't need to come off the field on third down, slowing down the operation. Still, it will be very interesting to see what the Packers' already potent offense might be capable of while playing at a faster pace.