GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The uncomplicated explanation is that Eddie Lacy isn't running the ball well because the Green Bay Packers have operated out of the shotgun so often so far this season.

Even Lacy suggested that might be the case.

"That's because our offense is different this year than it was last year," Lacy said Wednesday.

And part of that is true.

Eddie Lacy is averaging just 13.25 rush attempts a game -- down from the almost 19 carries a game he had last season. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Coach Mike McCarthy has put quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the shotgun on 69.5 percent of the snaps this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Last season, the Packers quarterbacks operated out of the shotgun just 60.7 percent of the time (although they did it 63.5 percent of the time when Rodgers was healthy).

In this case, however, perception -- even Lacy's -- differs from reality.

In a season in which Lacy has rushed for just 161 yards on 53 carries -- a disappointing average of just 3.04 yards per attempt -- the reigning NFL offensive rookie of the year's production on shotgun runs has far exceeded those with the quarterback under center. Out of the gun, he has 19 rushes for 81 yards, or 4.26 yards per carry. His remaining 34 carries have come with Rodgers under center, and on those plays he has gained just 80 yards, or an average 2.35 yards per rush.

And if you think he's carrying the ball significantly more on shotgun plays than with the quarterback under center, well that isn't true either. Last year, 34.2 percent of his attempts came on shotgun plays. This year, it's 35.8 percent.

All of these numbers, courtesy of ESPN Stats & Info, suggest one thing: The Packers aren't using Lacy all that differently than they did last season, when he rushed for 1,178 yards.

"I've been [with the quarterback] under center, or behind [the quarterback] my whole life, pretty much," Lacy said. "But even though you might not like something, you have to adapt to it. It’s your job."

If that sounded like Lacy doesn't like running out of the shotgun, he quickly clarified.

"It's not that I don't like running from out of shotgun or I don’t like running from [the quarterback being] under center, you have to do what you have to do," Lacy said. "And this is just part of what you have to do."

Lacy's long run of the season, a 17-yard gain in Week 3 against the Lions, came on a shotgun run.

His 4.26 average per carry on shotgun runs is only slightly less than his 4.67-yard average last season. The biggest difference, perhaps to everyone's surprise, is that his 2.35-yard average per rush on under center plays is well below his 3.88-yard average on such runs last season.

So what to make of those numbers?

The difference in production -- the Packers rank 28th in rushing yards compared to seventh last season -- might be tied to attempts. Lacy has averaged just 13.25 rushes per game this season compared to 18.9 last season (and that includes a game in which he had only one carry). As a team, the Packers have averaged 20.75 rushes per game this season, down from 28.69 in 2013.

"The biggest thing with our run game is we've got to get the attempts up, so we need to keep generating first downs," McCarthy said. "Anytime you have a successful run game, you're definitely pushing 30 attempts. We haven't been close to that yet, so that's the way I've always viewed it."

Yet backup James Starks, despite limited attempts, has been productive. He's averaging 5.0 yards per carry on his 15 rushes this season. Interestingly, Starks has been better on runs with the quarterback under center (averaging 5.79 yards compared to 4.92 on shotgun runs).

"It takes all 11 guys to be on the same page," Lacy said. "There'll be times when we might be one block away, or they have the blocks and we don't hit it fast enough. It's a number of different things, just trying to get it all together."