GREEN BAY, Wis. -- And the award for the first 100-yard rushing game by a member of the Green Bay Packers during the 2025 NFL season goes to: Emanuel Wilson.
Filling in for the injured Josh Jacobs, the third-year running back ground out 107 yards on 28 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns -- both on 1-yard runs in the second half -- during Sunday's 23-6 win against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field.
It was Wilson's first career 100-yard game. It gave the Packers the rare opportunity to play with a lead for all but the opening minutes of the first quarter. And it allowed Packers coach Matt LaFleur to let his defense do some of its best pass rushing of the season.
One more added bonus: It allowed Jacobs to take the day off to let his bruised knee rest with the hope he can play in Thursday's game at the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving (1 p.m. ET, Fox). Jacobs was a game-time decision Sunday after sustaining in the injury in the previous week's 27-20 win against the New York Giants.
"He did a hell of a job, man," LaFleur said of Wilson. "He did a great job. I thought Chris Brooks went in there and ran hard, as well. It was kind of a weird game where our defense really had control of the football game. Never called the same run so many times consecutively. It was like 3 yards and a cloud of dust, but it was effective. Bottom line was I just thought with the way our defense was playing, we took the air out of the ball and said go win it for us."
E WILLY x 2!
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 23, 2025
Electric
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/DDCLZPKN2X
In all, the Packers rushed on 42 of their 65 offensive plays on Sunday and ran for 146 yards; not dominant at 3.5 yards per carry without a single run of more than 13 yards, but effective enough.
LaFleur didn't necessarily plan a ground-and-pound game, and it had nothing to do with Jordan Love's left (non-throwing) shoulder injury from last week. If anything, it was harder for Love to hand off because he did so only with his right hand -- even on plays when he typically would use his left.
For Wilson, it was a continuation of the previous week's game vs. the Giants, when he rushed for 40 yards and a touchdown in relief of Jacobs after the injury.
"I think mentally he was preparing all week to be the guy, and to find out [Sunday morning] and come out here and have over 100 yards and break off some of the runs he did was pretty cool," Love said. "Great job by him to just keep building on and keep being ready for whenever that opportunity is going to present itself for him and take advantage of the more carries he got."
If people had never heard of Wilson before Sunday, it's understandable. He was an undrafted free agent out of Division II Fort Valley State and barely played as a rookie in 2023. Even last year, his 502-yard, four-touchdown season was overshadowed by Jacobs' 1,329 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
Wilson said Jacobs was in his ear all week and all game, offering him support.
Big time players making big time plays pic.twitter.com/FILZ4k5DCZ
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 23, 2025
"Josh just was in my corner telling me to believe in myself and telling me he believed in me," said Wilson, who also gave the obligatory kudos to the offensive line. "So I just went out there and did what I did."
Even if Jacobs comes back for Thursday's game against the Lions -- something he all but guaranteed last week -- it could give the Packers more options.
"Hopefully we'll be the 1-2 [punch], and we'll continue to go on a run," Wilson said.
Whatever happens, Wilson had one of the more memorable first starts by a Packers running back. Not since Samkon Gado in 2005 has a Packers player rushed for at least 100 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start. It helped the Packers (7-3-1) keep their hold on second place in the NFC North behind the Bears (8-3) and ahead of the Lions (7-4).
Wilson was awarded a game ball from LaFleur to commemorate the occasion.
"First one," he said. "It means a lot to me personally just because I went out there and performed when my number was called."