The question has come up more than a few times. Will the Green Bay Packers start Aaron Jones at running back when Ty Montgomery returns?
Coach Mike McCarthy will only say that Jones will get more opportunities moving forward.
“I hope I have a 1-4 punch,” McCarthy said. “That’s why we drafted three running backs. It takes time. It’s a young man’s league, I get it, and Aaron had an opportunity he cashed in. I’m proud of him. He’s earned more opportunities moving forward. But this is not a one-man show. It’s going to take them all. I want to make hard decisions who’s on the 46[-man gameday roster].”
Jones has rushed for 174 yards on 32 carries and scored two touchdowns on the season. He got his first action two weeks ago after Montgomery broke his ribs. However, it appears Montgomery will return sooner rather than later.
Montgomery only has 152 yards on 46 carries this season. In likelihood, both backs are going to get touches.
The other two guys in that 1-4 punch would be Jamaal Williams and Devante Mays. Williams has just 10 carries this year and Mays doesn’t have any.
Nobody should expect MM to publicly commit to Aaron Jones at this point, but if Jones keeps producing like he did against Dallas, there’s no reason to believe that he shouldn’t get a significant amount of carries in this offense. As compared to Montgomery, the compact size of Jones at 5’9″ 208 lbs really makes him more of a prototype at Running Back, and you really have to love his vision and ability to quickly change directions. One question that remains, however, would be why Jones has only been targeted once in the passing game so far.
We have seen Montgomery’s act, Williams act. Is everybody off FKG rocker?? Jones has looked better than anything else we have last 2 weeks. HE STARTS PERIOD. he may be long term solution, he may not?? but right now he looks like best option we have.
Fat Mike is a moron if he does not start that young man he busted out 125 yards away from home against the Cowboys nothing against Montgomery but he has a wide receiver not a running back Jones is a running back so to me there is zero question
Hopefully it will not take many more runs with short gains (or worse) from Williams for him to be relegated to special teams. Montgomery is adequate and maybe if him and Jones get the bulk of the carries the Packers duo will be a formidable rushing attack. If that happens, we may finally see the holy grail of the balanced offense.
Punting and punt coverage are vastly improved. I think the field goal / extra point issues from Dallas are easily fixed, so special teams appear to be on the upswing.
Now, if we could just get a respectable defense.
Packers have the NFL’s #13 total defense currently.
By the numbers that is probably right, but they look like crap far too often.
Hey, this support for the rookie is all well and good. Right up until he fumbles or commits some other heinous act the relegates him to McCarthy’s doghouse. I hope Jones is the real deal but McCarthy always has a way of bursting that bubble way too soon. That’s the message I was relaying in that other thread.
McCarthy is going to be cryptic and non-committal as always, spewing his usual rhetoric and verbal diarrhea waiting for this kid to make a mistake. He is going to be conservative and at the first mistake he is going to sit up at that podium and talk down to the common folks asking him questions and justify the decisions he makes. He is like the guy driving ahead of you coming up on an intersection. McCarthy will anticipate the light changing before he gets to the intersection and will start braking a block back instead of simply maintaining his speed. When that light turns yellow he will slam on the brakes and tell you how it was a good thing he was attentive and knew exactly what he was doing.
For as “easy” and perfectly called as the Dallas game appeared to be to some fans, McCarthy will fuck up what worked and revert back to the stooge some love to hate. That’s what he does, there is a 10 plus season history of this. When it happens, don’t pretend like it was some sort of shocking development that was completely unexpected, because it is coming, just a matter of time until it does.
Good points as usual.
A 1-4 punch huh? Is that why we drafted 3 running backs. Good to know, as i was wondering why 2 of those draft picks are keeping the bench warm taking roster spots. Another draft pick isn’t even keeping the bench warm, they stashed him on IR to make room for Ricky Jean Frenchy. I guess if Spriggs isn’t on the roster, out of sight and out of mind. That way they don’t have to acknowledge the draft pick bust they traded up for. That’s the genius of Ted Thompson. Outsmarting all of us.