Packers: Aaron Jones finally unleashed in Green Bay offense
The usage of Aaron Jones has been a hot topic amongst Green Bay Packers fans this season. Has he finally emerged as the lead back after a strong performance in Week 10?
Many Green Bay Packers fans have called for the firing of head coach Mike McCarthy.
One of those reasons is because he is not keeping one of his best weapons on the field, Aaron Jones.
He has been limited in opportunities all season despite being one of the most effective runners in the league.
Since the start of last season, Aaron Jones is out in front of the field in yards per carry. pic.twitter.com/DKJp72jo4D
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) November 12, 2018
To start the season, Jones had to sit out two games because of a suspension he received for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
Many have speculated that Coach McCarthy has limited opportunities for Jones because of this. While that’s not likely the case, there could be an argument made for it.
Before fellow running back Ty Montgomery was traded to Baltimore, Jones was only averaging 35 percent of the offensive snaps per game. For a player as effective in the run game as he is, that number was way too low.
Now that Montgomery is gone, Jones has seen a dramatic increase in opportunities. However, he is still well behind Jamaal Williams when it comes to the percentage of snaps seen per game.
By the end of the year, I would expect Jones to become the leader in the backfield, but it took over half of the season for him to get a real opportunity to shine.
Even Aaron Rodgers has called for No. 33 to be on the field more. He sees how dominant Jones is.
Aaron Rodgers thought RB Aaron Jones not only helped offense pick up 1st downs, but that he was especially useful in the red zone. #Packers scored 4 red-zone TDs vs. Dolphins. Jones had half of them. "He’s a great player. We just need to continue to give him more opportunities."
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) November 13, 2018
The upcoming schedule favors the run game as well. After Jones shredded the Miami run defense last week, he gets to face a Seattle run defense that isn’t much better.
Atlanta and Detroit also defend the run poorly, and Green Bay plays those two teams in December.
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McCarthy has always been a “matchup” seeker. The final stretch of the regular season favors the run game, which means it’s time for more Aaron Jones.