For an entire month, the Green Bay Packers found new and creative ways of getting the football to running back Aaron Jones in the passing game, especially down the field.
Then, defenses adjusted. The one-on-one matchups against linebackers went away, and the Packers couldn’t find a useful counterpunch. During the month of November, Jones caught exactly one pass for -1 yard.
Now, it’s on Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers to figure out new ways to get the ball to No. 33 as a receiver.
“Teams are playing him a little differently,” Rodgers said Wednesday. “We’re not getting a linebacker on him as we were for a few weeks. We have to keep finding ways of getting him the ball. He’s been a big part of the plan.”
During October, Jones caught 22 passes for 280 yards and three scores. He was a huge part of the passing game during a win in Dallas, and his big plays helped the Packers escape Kansas City with another big road win.
In back-to-back games against the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders, the Packers schemed up opportunities for touchdowns on down-the-field throws for Jones. He dropped a sure-fire touchdown against the Lions but made amends a week later with a spinning touchdown catch in the end zone.
Against the Chiefs, Jones beat a linebacker one-on-one out wide for a 50-yard catch, caught a 67-yard touchdown on a tunnel screen, chewed up 17 yards on an angle route from the backfield and then sealed the game with a third-down conversion on a quick out against a linebacker. He finished with seven catches, 159 yards and two scores.
It appeared as if Jones’ ability as a receiver would be a foundational element of LaFleur’s Packers offense.
The rest of the NFL adjusted.
The Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers had no interest in letting Jones beat them as a receiver. Instead of slower linebackers in coverage, Jones got cornerbacks. All three defenses featured smothering underneath coverage.
The result was one catch on just four targets.
On Sunday night in San Francisco, the 49ers committed to playing matchup coverage with cornerbacks often taking Jones one-on-one when he split out wide. On one third down in the first half, Rodgers threw wide of Jones on an out-breaking route with a cornerback in coverage.
49ers cornerback Richard Sherman said the defense’s primary goal was to take away Jones, and they did. He ran for 38 yards and didn’t have a catch on just one target.
Rodgers said the Packers have to find ways of getting Jones the ball in space.
“I don’t think there is any magic recipe,” Rodgers said. “We have to get the ball to our playmakers. We have to make sure 33 is getting his touches.”
In baseball, hitters often face difficult transition periods when pitchers figure out specific strengths and weaknesses and adjust accordingly. It’s on the hitter to adjust to those adjustments.
The Packers are the hitter, and it’s now on LaFleur to find his own adjustments and help bring back Jones’ impressive playmaking ability in the passing game.