In his first game back from injury, Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones totaled 69 yards on 17 touches against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jones had been sidelined the last three games, dealing with an MCL sprain that he suffered against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“We all know the type of competitor he is and how tough he is,” said Matt LaFleur of Jones post-game. “That’s evident. I think a lot of guys wouldn’t have even been out there today, quite honestly.”
Prior to the game, Matt LaFleur told Wayne Larrivee on the Packers Radio Network that the team was going to monitor Jones and that he wasn’t going to see his normal workload. LaFleur added that if Jones saw 15-20 plays, “that would be great.”
Based on how the game started, it looked all of that was out the window. On the first Packers’ drive alone, Jones had eight carries for 44 yards, including one that went for a 20-yard gain. However, for the nearly 25 additional minutes that the Packers’ offense had the ball in this game, Jones had just five carries for nine yards and four receptions for 16 yards.
“Thought we kind of got away from the run a little bit too much in the second half,” said LaFleur. “It was working early on, just got away from it and put us in some bad spots. Put our quarterback at risk. Give Tampa a lot of credit, they all-outed us a couple times and we didn’t have the appropriate answers, so that falls on me, 100 percent. Just have to make sure we have better answers for our guys.”
Green Bay did go away from the run game, which is something we’ve seen happen in the past. However, the circumstances of the game certainly played a factor in that against Tampa Bay.
For one, the Packers spent a large portion of the second half down by multiple scores and playing from behind. This is also a Bucs’ defense that has been more susceptible through the air this season while on the flip side, being quite stout on the ground. Jordan Love would average 7.3 yards per pass attempt, while Jones averaged a modest 4.1 yards per carry.
In addition to all of that, with Jones being on a snap count and AJ Dillon inactive, leaning heavily on the run game would have involved a much heavier dose of Patrick Taylor and Kenyan Drake, which LaFleur may not have wanted to do.
Jones was the lead back, with Taylor continuing to see his snaps come on third downs, where he can pass-block and be a target in the passing game. Drake was out there to take some of Jones’ snaps when needed and also when it wasn’t third down. Taylor and Drake combined for two carries for six yards, and Taylor had two receptions for -4 yards.
As the Packers cling to their playoff lives, having Jones back, and hopefully, near or at full capacity, will provide the offense with a big boost in these final three games. As we saw on Green Bay’s opening drive and as has been the case throughout Jones’ career, he is a spark for this offense, with or without the ball in his hands.
“He means a lot to this football team, and this football team means a lot to him,” added LaFleur. “He is the ultimate competitor. I applaud his effort because we know he’s fighting through it, and he is as gritty and as tough as anybody in that locker room.
“I’ve got so much respect for him as a player, as a human, as a man, and what he means to us. It was good to see him out there. I think he gave us a boost, no doubt about it… just his presence on the field. It’s on me for not giving him more opportunities, especially in the second half.”
