It’s the same thing over and over again. No, not the Green Bay Packers underperforming every week – although that is also true – but head coach Matt LaFleur admitting that running back Aaron Jones didn’t get enough carries after a poor offensive showing.
Jones is the Packers’ best weapon on offense, yet he has been an afterthought for much of the 2022 season.
Over the last two games, Jones has just 27 total touches over 22 offensive possessions.
It’s baffling, especially when you consider that in two of Green Bay’s three wins this year, Jones carried the ball at least 15 times. In both of those games, he rushed for over 100 yards. Whereas, in their three losses, Jones is averaging only nine carries.
The trend started in the season-opening loss to the Minnesota Vikings when the Packers handed the ball to Jones just five times and still ran for 49 yards (9.8 ypc). Green Bay suffered a brutal loss and failed to move the ball with any consistency. Maybe if they had just utilized their most skilled offensive player, things would have been different.
“That’s not good enough,” coach Matt LaFleur said of Jones’ workload against the Vikings.
LaFleur understands that Jones’ role relies heavily on him as the play caller. So, he admitted to the mistake and made it seem like it would be corrected, which it was for the next few weeks. The Packers won all three of their games, with Jones’ carries reaching double digits. However, you could argue that he should have gotten the ball even more.
Then Green Bay took a trip to London to take on the New York Giants. The Packers successfully ran the ball in the first half only to go pass-heavy in the second half to blow a double-digit lead. Context is important because New York did stack the box more, which urged Green Bay to throw the ball. However, when needing one yard to convert a first down and potentially send the game to overtime, the Packers threw the ball twice on third and fourth down instead of handing the ball off to Jones or AJ Dillon.
After the game, LaFleur made it clear that he stood by the decision.
It was a tough loss, especially when Dillon may have walked into the end zone during the run-pass action play called on fourth down. But LaFleur chose to put the ball in the hands of his four-time MVP quarterback, and it’s hard to blame him for that.
Now Green Bay just suffered their third loss of the season in a 27-10 beatdown against the New York Jets on Sunday. It marked the first time in four years that the Packers lost back-to-back games under LaFleur. Meanwhile, his offense looked as worst as it’s ever been.
Of course, Jones totaled just nine rushing attempts, including just three in the first half. And again, we heard the same story from LaFleur.
“Yeah, I know, it’s not good enough.”
It’s not good enough, and it hasn’t been good enough all season. Jones is averaging 5.8 yards per carry, good enough for seventh in the NFL. With that kind of production, there is no way to justify not giving Jones the ball more. And not only as a ball carrier but as a pass catcher. At this point last season, Jones had 21 receptions. Right now, he is at 17, and you would think that number would be a lot higher in the absence of Davante Adams.
Sitting at 3-3 and desperately needing a win, LaFleur’s words have become hollow, with the team suffering as a result.
