LaFleur should limit Jones’ use as receiver
GREEN BAY - It was second-and-3 at the Detroit 25-yard line Sunday when Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers put his faith in running back
Aaron Jones.
On two straight plays,
Rodgers tried to lean on Jones for an opening-drive touchdown.
Only, instead of handing it off to the NFL's leading rusher, he threw it to him both times. First a swing pass to the left and then a deep route down the left sideline.
Both fell incomplete and the
Packers settled for a Mason Crosby field goal to the start the game.
Eventually,
Jones busted loose for a careerhigh 168 yards rushing and two touchdowns and added 68 yards and a touchdown with four receptions. His day included a 75-yard run and a 30
Packers at Saints
When: 7:20 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome
TV: NBC. Radio: AM-620.
Line: Saints by 3.
Inside
Gameday: Five things to watch, rosters, predictions, injury reports, statistical leaders;
Pete Dougherty: Drew Brees provides glimpse of what Aaron Rodgers' future could hold;
yard reception.
What made the first series so notable was Rodgers' attempts to use Jones in the passing game, particularly the deep ball, which if not overthrown would have been a touchdown. Jones was a running back trying to beat a safety with a double move that a receiver like Davante Adams can execute in his sleep.
The choice presented to Rodgers was trying to take advantage of a one-onone matchup Jones drew when he lined up in a receiver position wide to the left or seeing if he could keep the drive going with a short pass somewhere else.
As much as Jones has improved as a receiver, the odds are he is not going to execute a double move the way Adams or slot receiver Tyler Ervin would have, so more things could go wrong. As it turned out, the timing of the route was off a little, causing Rodgers to overthrow Jones.
“I think certain guys, you can do those throws,” Rodgers said. “I feel comfortable throwing just about any ball to ‘Swerve' (Ervin) because he's been working with the receivers a bunch. I mean, Jonesy's made some great catches over the years.
“I remember one of the first ones he made in Dallas a few years ago, basically off his shoe-tops — think that was in '17 — and after that you're kind of like, ‘Wow, this guy can basically catch it anywhere.' He's had a couple catchable ones as well that he would want back.”
The Packers will be facing arguably the best receiving running back in the NFL on Sunday night when they take on the New Orleans Saints. Alvin Kamara is a big part of the Saints' offense, both as a runner and receiver, and comes into the game with 241 total yards, which ranks sixth in the league and is 71 fewer than Jones' league-leading 312.
The difference between Kamara and Jones is that Kamara has totaled nearly as many receiving yards (2,214) as rushing yards (2,503) during his career. He has 81 catches in each of his first three seasons but has never reached 200 carries
Game
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Overall in a season.
In his first full healthy season, Jones had 236 rushes for 1,084 yards and 16 touchdowns. He caught 49 passes for 474 yards and three touchdowns.
There's no mistaking the strength of Jones' game, and that is carrying the ball. On nearly 500 carries, he has averaged 5.2 yards per carry. He and Cleveland's Nick Chubb are the only active backs with 450 career carries who average more than 5 yards per carry.
So, back to the second-and-3 at the Lions' 25.
There's nothing wrong with considering Jones on either of the two passes he threw him at the end of that series. The deep ball showed that they weren't lining Jones out wide as a decoy or a means to get the Lions to match their personnel grouping.
Both Rodgers and LaFleur are rewarding Jones for the terrific offseason he had, increasing his strength and working on his pass-receiving skills. During training camp, Jones could have rested while others were doing special teams drills, but he chose to work with receivers coach Jason Vrable and his crew.
“He's doing certain things during practice in his off time, the Jugs thing to make sure he works on his hands,” Adams