Dimitri Nance

Where was James Starks?

On Dec. 5, in his NFL debut, the sixth-round draft choice gained 73 yards on 18 carries in a 34-16 victory over San Francisco. It appeared the Packers finally had a big back (6 feet 2 inches, 222 pounds) with breakaway speed.

Starks struggled the next week, gaining just 8 yards in six carries, but the entire offense was flat in a 7-3 loss to the Detroit Lions.

On Sunday, Starks was inactive. Perhaps there is something in Starks' practice habits that doesn't sit well with the coaches. Maybe the coaches just felt Jackson, Dimitri Nance and John Kuhn were better suited for the game plan against New England.

It will be interesting to see if Starks plays next week.