News dropped on Monday that Green Bay Packers star running back Aaron Jones suffered an MCL sprain against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10. It’s an injury that will likely sideline him for a couple of weeks.
Third-string running back Kylin Hill is already out for the year with a torn ACL. That means it will be the A.J. Dillon show for the time being. And this is a role he’s more than ready for.
Green Bay’s decision to draft Dillon in 2020 was met with scrutiny and even mocking laughter. The Packers already had Jones and Jamaal Williams on the roster at the time. They were going against league trends by spending high draft picks on a running back. But the Packers used a second-round selection on the former Boston College product, and now they are damn glad they did.
Dillon will get a bell-cow role in Jones’ absence, and it will provide an excellent opportunity for the Packers to see what he can do with the majority of the workload in the backfield. It’s a role that he flourished in during his time at Boston College. The thunder to Jones’ lightning had two seasons at BC in which he saw at least 300 carries. That number has only been eclipsed seven times in the NFL since 2016. While this will only be a fraction of that for Dillon, the point is it’s a role he’s more than familiar with.
A Jones-led backfield will be a change of pace for the Packers — and that’s just fine. Green Bay’s offense has leaned on two running backs who can plug into any spot on any sequence under Matt LaFleur. It was Jones and Williams when LaFleur arrived, and now it’s Jones and Dillon. Given that Jones’ injury won’t keep him out long, the Packers’ plan of attack for the ground game should focus solely on Dillon.
If Jones had suffered a season-ending injury or one that was scheduled to sideline him indefinitely, it would make sense to comb through the list of free agents and bring a body in. Instead, they should unleash Dillon and feed the big fella 20 or more carries in the next few games. Backs like him come in handy this time of year.
Dillon burst onto the scene in a cold snow globe of a game against the Tennessee Titans last December. Having a big back like him for these cold-weather games is something Green Bay has lacked since the days of Eddie Lacy. While Jones is phenomenal in his own right, there’s something to be said about a bruiser with the rock when the temperatures drop. Dillon showed those advantages in a 30-degree game against Seattle on Sunday, running for two touchdowns. He could have a similar opportunity in two weeks against the Los Angeles Rams if Jones isn’t back by then.
The Packers seem comfortable with this elevated role. LaFleur highlighted as much in his post-game press conference on Sunday.
“I think he’s done a much better job of learning how to run in this league in terms of running behind his pads, lowering his pad level, you know, really delivering the boom. I think you saw that on that last touchdown run. I mean, there wasn’t much of a hole there I would say. I mean, our guys up front did a nice job, but I think A.J. kind of just barreled down and we were able to at least sustain and push the line of scrimmage in the middle, but he was able to find that and punch a hole in it and find a way to get into the end zone. I think there’s been so much good that he’s done. He’s a very intelligent person and I think that really helps him.”
It’s high praise from the head coach. It doesn’t hurt that the QB1 has similar thoughts on the second-year back.
“I’m very proud of him. He works really hard. He’s improved in all the areas he needed to to become a complete back…I mean, he ran through unblocked guys on both of his touchdown runs…. He’s a guy who has become very, very reliable…. He probably had the three plays of the game with the two touchdowns and his catch-and-run.”
This isn’t the ideal situation for Green Bay, and they will count their lucky stars that the injury to Jones isn’t serious. However, an opportunity has emerged to showcase their young running back in a featured role instead of a co-star spot. It’s a tactic they should embrace as they repeatedly feed Dillon in the next couple of games.
It’s time for the A.J. Dillon show.
