GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy seemed ready to give a full-on assessment of why he thought Eddie Lacy and the running game struggled in Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions.

"Eddie needs to play better," McCarthy began.

And then he stopped himself.

"I'm not going to do this anymore; I don't correct individuals in the media," McCarthy said Monday. "We've seen the film. Corrections have been made. Our running game wasn't nearly what it needed to be. Not even close."

You can bet that the assessment was more detailed in the meeting room at Lambeau Field on Monday after the offense watched film of their 223-yard, seven-point performance against the Lions.

While McCarthy and offensive coordinator Tom Clements lamented six dropped passes by their count (ProFootballFocus.com had the Packers with five) that Clements said would have made quarterback Aaron Rodgers' performance look much better, they likely spent more time trying to fix their sputtering run game while praising the offensive line for what they felt was better than adequate pass protection.

For it's the run game, they believe, that will open up things for the rest of their struggling offense and Rodgers, who has played one Rodgers-like game (in Week 2 against the Jets) in three so far this season for the 1-2 Packers.

In three games, Lacy has just 113 rushing yards -- tied for 36th in the NFL -- and has averaged a full yard less than the 4.1-yard average per carry he posted last year on the way to winning the NFL's offensive rookie of the year award.

"We had some misreads and had some blocks that weren't finished," Clements said. "When that happens, it's hard to get the run game going consistent."

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of it was the fact that the Lions essentially dared the Packers to run the ball. They played most of the game with both safeties back in coverage.

Through Sunday’s games, the Packers ranked 27th in the NFL in rushing yards per game (78.7).

"We have an outstanding quarterback and the focus on our offense is always about making our quarterback successful," McCarthy said. "That approach will never change. It starts with a healthy run game."