Dillon gives offense a whole new dimension
GREEN BAY – In 231 regular-season games prior to coach Matt LaFleur's arrival, the Green Bay Packers reached the 200-yard rushing mark six times, the last on Dec. 13, 2015.
They were not a running team under previous coach Mike McCarthy, but they have had every intention of being one since their new coach arrived in January of 2019.
Against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, it sure looked like they had made it.
In their 40-14 victory, the Packers topped the 200-yard mark for the second time this season and the prospect of them doing it again has never been
higher since LaFleur took over as head coach.
LaFleur is running it more than McCarthy ever did – 44.82% of the time, to be exact, which is good for seventh in the NFL. He is also running it effectively, ranking sixth in yards per carry (4.81). And now here’s the kicker.
The Packers might be better off running it even more after watching rookie AJ Dillon bust out for 124 yards on 21 carries against the Titans.
Maybe it’s a coincidence that in the five games Dillon has had at least five touches, the Packers are averaging 5.6 yards per carry. But he is averaging 5.3 yards on his own and now that he looks to be physically whole again after a bout of COVID-19, his presence is being felt.
Dillon was so impressive that it was somewhat overlooked that Aaron Jones, the Packers’ top rusher, gained 94 yards on 10 carries, including a 59-yarder that shifted the momentum back in Green Bay’s direction in the third quarter.
Dillon got 21 carries because Jones hurt his hip and missed several series. Jones finished out the game and there was no indication he won’t play when the Packers (12-3) try to clinch NFC home-field advantage Sunday at Soldier Field against Chicago (8-7).
In addition, there’s a decent chance running back Jamaal Williams will return from a thigh injury that sidelined him against the Titans, giving LaFleur and his staff three options in the backfield heading into this division showdown.
Williams has been no slouch, averaging 4.2 yards on his 114 carries and catching 31 passes for 236 yards. He has scored three touchdowns.
The 234 yards the Packers gained Sunday came against the 15th-ranked run defense in the NFL, which is exactly what the Bears rank headed into this game. The Packers gashed the Bears for 182 yards rushing in Week 12, but that was without injured defensive tackle Akiem Hicks in the lineup.
As LaFleur and his staff entered preparations for the season finale, a hot topic of discussion was what they could do with a healthy backfield of Jones, Dillon and Williams. They have not had all three at full strength since their Week 6 loss to Tampa Bay.
Asked Monday if the wheels were spinning in his head about what he could do with those three backs available, LaFleur said, “They’re always spinning. Sometimes not the right way, either.”
As excited as the staff was thinking about how the Packers could incorporate Dillon and Williams into an offense that ranked fourth in yards and third in points going into the Tennessee game – they rank third and first now – LaFleur had to throw up the same yield sign he gave himself.
“That’s something we talked about as a staff this morning, just what possibilities are out there and how we can get creative to use them, but within the framework of what we’re trying to get done,” LaFleur said. “You always have to be careful as a coach of just trying to put too much emphasis in one area, and we have to stay committed to what’s gotten us to this point.
“I think our process is really good in terms of how we game plan and what we present to our players and then just their ability to take whatever that is and go out there and execute. You can come up with some cool stuff, but if the guys can’t do it, you’re wasting your time.”
Last year, receiver Allen Lazard emerged midway through the season and they found ways to use him both as a receiving and blocking threat. In December, running back Tyler Ervin joined the team and they used him to incorporate jet motion into the offense.
This year, tight end Robert Tonyan found his footing and has perfected sifting across the formation and providing backside blocks in the run game and clutch catches off bootleg fakes. They were exploring all kinds of ways to use tight end Josiah Deguara when he tore his ACL against Atlanta in Week 4.
Their latest project before Dillon took off was receiver/running back Tavon Austin, who has yet to have an impact but could be a part of future game plans.
“We’re fortunate that we’ve got a lot of great players that take a lot of pride with what they’re doing, are able to take exactly what we give them, understand the why behind it and then go out there and execute it at a high level,” LaFleur said.
Dillon is one of those players and the coaches haven’t done anything special with him yet. After his body was ravaged by the coronavirus, the priority was to get him back to full strength and have him function within the normal offense.
And that’s what he did against Tennessee. As LaFleur noted after the game, he ran the same plays Jones would have been running.
There are some things the 247-pound Dillon showed that the coaches can build on, however. One of those is short yardage where on a second-and-goal at the 7-yard line he plowed over 6-5, 292pound defensive lineman Matt Dickerson on his way to the end zone.
“A nose (tackle),” LaFleur said with emphasis.
“There were many times where he’s hit, whether it’s at the line of scrimmage or 2 yards downfield and he’s getting 6, 7, 8, 9 yards after contact,” he added. “I thought that was so impressive.”
Expanding the short-yardage and goal-line run game would be a boon to quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the tight ends and the receivers. If a defense is worried about a 247-pound back plowing through the middle, it might need to remove double coverage from receiver Davante Adams.
The Packers have already explored playing two halfbacks at the same time with Jones and Williams lining up next to Rodgers in the shotgun formation. They are looking to see what personnel the defense puts on the field when they do that.
If Dillon is one of them, they may choose not to exchange a linebacker for an extra defensive back, which often happens because defensive coordinators don’t want a linebacker covering one of the backs if he motions out as a receiver.
If they choose to keep that linebacker in, then LaFleur can move Jones or Williams into a receiver position and take advantage.
It’s all good in theory, but as LaFleur noted, they still need to run the ball effectively and get the ball to Adams. They don’t want to take the ball out of Rodgers’ hands when he’s playing at such a high level and they don’t want to forget what players such as Tonyan and Lazard can do for them.
However it shakes out, the one thing you can’t deny is that having another guy who can get into the end zone is always a good thing. Imagine the desire circulating inside the running back room, each of them knowing he must produce or possibly lose carries.
Even Jones, one of the top backs in the league, has pressure on him with his contract about to expire and the Packers so far only willing to talk about a possible extension.
He remains the top dog, but Dillon was drafted in the second round in case Jones were to depart and so both are fighting for their standing in the organization.
Add in Williams, who brings the energy to the offense, and the Packers have a backfield that could be the envy of the NFL. It’s time to see how far they can run with it.