Having Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon on the field together creates an added stressor for opposing defenses. Unfortunately, finding them playing time together isn’t as simple as drawing up a few more plays; there is another big factor to consider.
This is a Green Bay Packers offense in search of playmaking ability, and both Jones and Dillon provide that as two of their better players. The versatility that each player brings, which allows Matt LaFleur to move them around with ease, provides him with more flexibility as a play caller, and it creates issues for defenses–not only in having to defend both players at the same time but in terms of preparation, there is more that they have to get ready for.
Last season, Jones and Dillon were on the field together for only 2% of the Packers’ offensive snaps, according to Sharp Football. There is the obvious in that getting Jones and Dillon touches is a good thing for the Packers and something they’ll have to do more of against Chicago. But the entire offense can also benefit from the added issues that these two can create for defenses.
Over a quarter of those snaps together during the 2021 season came in one game against Minnesota in Week 17. As Pete Dougherty of Packers News would note following that game, the Packers offense as a whole averaged 7.4 yards per play on those snaps. For some context, their season average in 2021 was 5.8 yards, which ranked ninth in the NFL.
Even this past weekend in Minnesota, we saw one of the Packers’ bigger gains take place with Jones and Dillon on the field, and neither of them touched the ball. Dillon was in the backfield, and Jones began on the left side of the formation and motioned across. At the snap, the Packers ran play-action with Dillon; Jones ran a clear-out route to take the defender with him downfield, which left a ton of space on the right side open for Robert Tonyan, who was running a crossing route. The end result was a 23-yard gain.
Understandably so, one of the talking points this summer was around getting Jones and Dillon more snaps together. However, Matt LaFleur was asked this by reporters on Wednesday and said that it’s not as simple as it may seem.
“I think we are mindful (of playing Jones and Dillon at the same time), I wouldn’t say limited, but you don’t want to wear them out, and then certainly if you have a huge package and something happens to one of those guys then that package goes bye-bye, and there goes half your offense, or however big of a package that is. I think you have to be mindful of that, and it’s a little bit of a feel thing of where we are in a game, but certainly having those two guys on the field presents some problems for defenses.”
It’s a valid concern, for sure, especially with only two true running backs on the roster, and it also provides us with some insight into why these specific play packages have been limited.
Perhaps once Kylin Hill comes off the PUP list, which he is eligible to do after Week 4, we will see LaFleur implement more play packages for his playmaking running backs. Hill was used sparingly in 2021 prior to his injury, but he has shown he can be dynamic with the ball in his hands. With some experience and familiarity with the offense, now that Hill is in his second season, LaFleur may feel more comfortable with him taking on a larger role if needed, which could result in more opportunities for Jones and Dillon together.
Based on the handful or so of snaps that Jones and Dillon played together in Week 1, they are already on pace to spend a lot more time on the field together than what they did in 2021. However, based on what LaFleur had to say, I’m not sure it will ever be a large portion of the offense, even with the questions at wide receiver.
