Tag: A.J. Dillon

Losing Jamaal Williams opens big door for Packers RB A.J. Dillon

With Jamaal Williams in Detroit, A.J. Dillon could easily handle 150 or more touches as the Packers’ new No. 2 running back in 2021.

The complementary running back role in Green Bay is officially A.J. Dillon’s.

The Detroit Lions signed former Packers running back Jamaal Williams to a two-year deal on Tuesday night, clearing the way for Dillon – the team’s second-round pick in 2020 – to play the role Williams once occupied behind Aaron Jones in the Packers offense.

Jones is the star, and the Packers are paying him to be a difference-maker, but Dillon will still play a major role in 2021 and beyond.

Over the last two seasons playing under coach Matt LaFleur, Williams averaged 148 total touches per season, including over 100 carries each year. He also played roughly 40 percent of the offense’s snaps, highlighting how LaFleur likes to handle the usage of the position.

The Packers split the snaps at running back to help protect and preserve Jones, an explosive back who lacks the size of traditional running backs and has a history of injuries. It will now be Dillon’s job to keep Jones fresh and eliminate the every-down beating that can destroy the effectiveness of a slashing back like Jones.

While Dillon isn’t as accomplished as a blocker or receiver as Williams, who could handle just about any task asked of a running back on the field, the Packers will likely spend all offseason getting the 247-pounder ready to handle pass protection assignments and receiving responsibilities in the LaFleur offense. It is vital that Dillon can be trusted as a blocker and create plays in the passing game, or he’ll be pigeonholed as nothing more than a between-the-tackles runner.

The Packers taking Dillon in the second round of the 2020 draft has often been viewed as the team’s insurance plan against losing Jones, but now the investment looks like a long-term preservation plan for the Pro Bowler. LaFleur and the Packers can avoid running Jones into the ground, hopefully expanding his window for elite production and efficiency as a runner and receiver.

Williams was the ideal complementary option, with a hard-running style capable of picking up the difficult yards and a versatile skillset perfectly molded for getting him on the field in a variety of situations. Dillon will now be assuming the role. And this isn’t a traditional backup role. The Packers are going to have him on the field a lot and giving him plenty of touches. If last year’s playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams is any indication, there will also be plenty of instances where Jones and Dillon are on the field together, stressing defenses with their complementary styles.

Williams and Dillon aren’t identical players, and they won’t play identical roles. But Dillon, with his massive size and tackle-breaking potential, should provide the thunder to Jones’ lightning in a way Williams probably couldn’t.

The No. 2 running back position has been proven to be an important one for LaFleur, even with a star like Jones as the top back. With Williams heading to Detroit, the Packers will now hand the job over to Dillon, creating an opportunity for last year’s second-round pick to be an important contributor for 2021 and beyond.

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What signing Aaron Jones means for Packers RB A.J. Dillon

Even with Aaron Jones back, the Packers should have more than enough touches ready for 2020 second-round pick A.J. Dillon.

In a surprising move, the Green Bay Packers re-signed running back Aaron Jones just before the start of free agency. You would think the Jones signing makes the selection of A.J. Dillon in the second round of the 2020 draft a questionable decision, however, Dillon can still expect his fair share of touches.

Jones will be slotted No. 1 on this year’s running back depth chart. Dillon should expect to serve as the primary backup, but there could be drives, or even games, where Dillon gets a good amount of carries.

Jones averaged 14 carries last season. It’s a lighter workload than other franchise running backs are accustomed to, and you would think Jones’ stats would take a hit. However, under Matt LaFleur’s running back by committee approach, Jones has benefitted from career-years that helped lead to his massive payday.

In 2019, Jones led the league with 19 total touchdowns despite finishing 15th in rushing attempts. Last year, he posted a career-high 1,104 rushing yards and saw even fewer carries. Meaning, Jones doesn’t need a ton of carries to be effective. The Packers’ offense is actually at its best when everyone is chipping in, especially in the run game.

Because LaFleur prefers to have a stable of running backs, this is good news for Dillon and a big reason why his selection isn’t a wasted pick.

Jamaal Williams’ served as Jones’ primary backup over the last three seasons. Williams amassed 347 carries, 1,429 rushing yards, and 6 rushing touchdowns. As a receiver, Williams was also a nice complementary piece, totaling 97 receptions, 699 receiving yards, and six receiving touchdowns.

Unfortunately, when Jones signed his new contract, that probably was the end of the Williams’ era in Green Bay. Williams is expected to receive solid interest in free agency, and it doesn’t make sense to try to work something out when Dillon is ready to take on a bigger role.

And yes, Dillon is ready to play a much bigger part in LaFleur’s offense. We saw his monster performance against the Tennessee Titans, which honestly made it feasible to move on from Jones if a deal couldn’t be done.

However, now that Jones and Dillon are slated to man the Packers backfield in 2021, it has the potential to be one of the best one-two punches in the NFL.

Dillon will absorb a bulk of the touches Williams saw over the last years under LaFleur, which will be nearing 11 carries and receptions per game. Of course, Dillon could see more or less.

Williams was a tremendous pass protector and a solid receiver, which allowed him to stay on the field more. Dillon is somewhat unproven in these areas, but you could argue that he is better equipped to be a primary ball carrier in an NFL offense.

Sunday’s news probably stings for Dillon just a tad, as he most likely felt like the guy moving forward.

Dillon is capable of being a starter, but right now, that’s not what Green Bay needs from him. Dillon can continue to learn from one of the best backs in the league and continue to get a better understanding of the offense. Dillon’s time is coming. All he needs to do is stay ready.

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Five observations from the NFC Championship game

From Tom Brady to Aaron Rodgers, A.J. Dillon to momentum, and more, here are five key observations from the NFC Championship game.

Tom Brady. Aaron Rodgers. The stage was set for an NFC Championship game for the ages.

In reality, this game was anything but an epic clash. Tom Brady threw three interceptions in a brutal stretch in the second half. Rodgers and the Packers offense made a pair of mistakes early that might have doomed them by halftime. In the end, it was Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who were left standing, and now await their foe for Super Bowl LV. They’ll also be the first team in league history to play a Super Bowl on their home field.

Here are five observations from the NFC Championship game.

Packers film review: A.J. Dillon flashes huge potential against Titans

Packers rookie RB A.J. Dillon rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns against the Titans.

The future is bright for rookie running back AJ Dillon. The Green Bay Packers drafted Dillon in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft with the preconceived notion that he would be terrorizing defenses in cold-weather games at the end of the season. Basically, they thought he would do exactly what he did against the Tennessee Titans.

Dillon totaled 21 carries, 124 yards rushing, 5.9 yards per carry, and two touchdowns in his first game with a profound role. Yes, Dillon has arrived. Now the Packers have to find a way to keep him involved in a backfield that already consists of two quality starters in Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams.

Against the Titans, Dillon showcased hard-nosed running that helped him accumulate over 4,300 yards in three seasons at Boston College. In the midst of a steady snowfall at Lambeau Field, Dillon delivered a memorable performance in Week 16. He is the first Green Bay rookie to rush for at least 120 yards and score at least two rushing touchdowns in a game in team history.

It will be tough for Dillon to follow up that performance in a crowded backfield. But before we look to the future, let’s look back at his breakout game against Tennessee.

Dillon showed no hesitation filling in for an injured Jones in the Titans’ game. He’s a natural downhill runner, and he showed it from the very start. He locates soft spots in the defense and hits the hole with momentum. The main critique of Dillon here is his knee bend and pad level. His size makes him extremely difficult to tackle, but running upright will make it easier on the defense. If he can learn to run lower to the ground, he will be even harder to bring down.

The Packers’ offensive line did a great job of opening up rushing lanes. Dillon isn’t even touched on this play until he’s already picked up the first down. However, once again, he looks a little rigid. Dillon probably won’t ever turn into a true elusive back, but over time he will need to develop a little more wiggle.

Dillon is your prototypical north and south runner, but here is a play where he could stand to be a little more patient on an outside run. If he falls in behind his blockers for just a second, it may cause Tennessee linebacker Rashaan Evans to lose track of him so he can get that one on one against the corner. However, this is basically Dillon’s game as a downhill bruiser, but as he develops, hopefully, he will demonstrate better patience and a more thought-out approach.

This is Dillon’s bread and butter. Keep him in between the tackles and watch him work.

This run is designed to go to the right, but Titans defensive tackle Teair Tart plays it well. Dillon shows good vision and balance on this play to cut back and put his head down to gain positive yards.

Dillon’s running style makes him perfect for these short-yardage situations. It is also why the Packers will have a hard time keeping him off the field when they need a few yards for a first down or are down on the goal line. Here, Dillon meets the linebacker in the hole and doesn’t give up an inch. He utilizes great forward lean and leg drive to pick up the first down and more.

Sunday night’s game was a nice display of Dillon’s athleticism and balance. On a snowy field, it never looked like he lost his footing. In this example, Dillon does a good job of regaining his balance after the initial hit.

Dillon’s 30-yard touchdown run showed some smooth footwork with his ability to glide into his cut. It also highlighted one of his greatest strengths, which is breaking tackles. When he sees the hole open up, he hits it with conviction. Arm tackles stand no chance against Dillon especially when its one on one. According to Pro Football Focus, he broke nine tackles against Tennessee.

Just a brutal display of power by Dillon on his second touchdown run. He will certainly get his chances when Green Bay is down inside the 10. He can consistently move the pile and can even drag defenders for extra yards.

Dillon might not be as good as Jones or Williams as a route runner or pass catcher, but he’s plenty serviceable. There’s also no reason to believe he will not improve. Dillon appears to possess natural hands, but he will need to be a more nuanced route runner to gain more separation against linebackers.

No matter how you look at it, Dillon’s encouraging outing against the Titans was a pleasant surprise. The decision to use a second-round pick on him looks smart, at the moment, but he will have to continue to perform and improve to be the full-time starter in Green Bay for years to come. If the Packers believe Dillon is their guy, he could take over as soon as next season.

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A.J. Dillon highlights vs. Titans include spectacular truck-stick TD

The Packers rookie running back had a dazzling breakout performance against the Titans. See the highlights here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRVgULwr-SM

Green Bay Packers rookie running back A.J. Dillon introduced himself to a national audience with a breakout performance against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday night at a snowy Lambeau Field.

Dillon, the Packers’ second-round pick, rushed 21 times for a career-high 124 yards and his first two touchdowns in the NFL during Green Bay’s 40-14 win over the Titans. His first score came on fourth down and covered 30 yards, putting the Packers up 33-14 in the second half. His second involved a truck-stick moment over a defensive lineman on his way to the end zone, delivering the dagger in the fourth quarter.

The victim of the rookie’s late-game destruction was Titans defensive end Matt Dickerson, who got run over in Dillon’s path as he attempted to shed a block near the goal line.

According to Pro Football Focus, Dillon broke nine tackles, averaged over 4.4 yards after contact and contributed seven runs ending in touchdowns or first downs.

Dillon became the first Packers rookie to rush for at least 120 yards and score at least two rushing touchdowns in a game in team history. He’s just the 12th rookie in the NFL since 2015 to rush for 120 yards and score at least two rushing touchdowns in a single game.

Packers rookies: 100 rushing yards, 2 TDs, team history

Player Year Att Yards TD
1. A.J. Dillon 2020 21 124 2
2. De’Mond Parker 1999 19 113 2
3. Samkon Gado 2005 25 103 2

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Packers rookie A.J. Dillon shines in blowout win over Titans

Packers RB A.J. Dillon rushed for a career-high 124 yards and scored his first two NFL touchdowns on Sunday against the Titans.

Twenty-one carries. 124 yards. Two touchdowns. Many people thought Derrick Henry’s stat line would look something like this on Sunday night, not A.J. Dillon’s. After not having much of a role on offense for the first 15 weeks of the season, the Green Bay Packers rookie running back picked an enormous stage to have a breakout performance. Everything came together for Dillon in a snowy, statement-making win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 16.

Entering the game, Dillon had 24 carries for 114 yards, no touchdowns, and one catch for 16 yards. In all fairness, not much was expected of Dillon in Year 1. It was basically a redshirt year in which he could get comfortable with the offense and learn from Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. In limited reps, he was averaging 4.8 yards per carry, which isn’t terrible by any means. However, he still hadn’t quite found his footing within the offense.

That all changed this week when Jamaal Williams was ruled inactive with a quadricep injury, possibly providing a small opening for Dillon. However, even with Williams out, Jones was likely to continue warranting most of the touches.

Dillon has been on the field for less than 10 percent of offensive snaps in 2020 and was also placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list for a five-week span earlier in the year. After the game, Aaron Rodgers admitted he wasn’t sure Dillon would be back at all this season. Clearly, Dillon wasn’t going to let a big opportunity slip by if it presented itself.

On the opening drive that went for 60 yards and a touchdown, Dillon didn’t have a carry and wasn’t on the field for a single play. Jones appeared to be on his way to another solid performance, starting the game with three carries for 20 yards.

The second drive was designed for Dillon by head coach Matt LaFleur. It didn’t exactly start out great as his first two carries totaled just two yards. Dillon finally got things with a rush of six yards and another for nine yards. Those two carries may have never happened had the Titans not committed a crucial penalty on third down to extend the drive. If that penalty never occurred, Dillon may have had a very different night.

Later, an interception by safety Darnell Savage set up a short field situation for the Packers’ offense. However, on the first play, Rodgers threw a ball in the direction of Jones who was tackled and landed awkwardly. Jones exited the game and was replaced by Dillon.

On the very next play, Dillon rushed up the middle for a gain of 14 yards. While Green Bay punched in their third touchdown, Dillon became the featured back.

When the Packers drafted Dillon, the possibilities of him running through arm tackles in cold December football were some of the first images that came to mind. Against Tennessee, he did just that. During the third quarter, Dillon sprung through a hole, and with one man to beat, forced a missed tackle for a 30-yard touchdown run.

The long score certainly would have capped off a great night for Dillon, but he wasn’t quite done. He would later score his second career touchdown while carrying a pile of Titans players on his shoulders. In training camp, we saw pictures and heard folktales of Dillon’s strength, but Sunday night was the first time everyone got to witness it.

He showed that there could be a bright future in Green Bay. He also showed why the Packers were so high on him. In reaction to Dillon’s Day 2 selection, many pointed to LaFleur’s time with Henry from the season he spent in Tennessee. Comparing the two players’ physical stature and play style, it was clear the Packers hoped Dillon might be their own version of Henry. Sunday night provided some hope of it actually coming true.

Dillon had the better game between the two as Henry finished the game with 23 carries for 98 yards and no touchdowns. Right now, there’s no telling what Dillon’s role will be once Jones and Williams are back to full health. For Green Bay, having three viable options at running back is a great problem to have.

“It is so exciting when you have three backs that you have so much confidence in,” LaFleur said. “All three of those guys, to me, are starters in this league.”

This performance could go down as Dillon’s most memorable from his rookie season, but even if that is the case, the Packers will be happy. At the very least, Dillon showed that this offense can still play at a high level with him as the primary running back.

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Packers rookie RB A.J. Dillon scores first career TD

The Packers rookie running back scored his first career touchdown on Sunday night against the Titans.

Green Bay Packers rookie running back A.J. Dillon scored his first career touchdown in the third quarter of Sunday night’s showdown with the Tennessee Titans.

Dillon, the Packers’ second-round pick, ran through a pair of tackles and raced 30 yards to the end zone on 4th-and-1, giving Green Bay a 33-14 lead over the Titans at a snowy Lambeau Field.

Dillon has carried 14 times for 92 yards, all career-highs.

Dillon scored a school-record 38 rushing touchdowns at Boston College. The Packers made him the 62nd overall pick in the 2020 draft.

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Packers list RB Jamaal Williams as doubtful for Week 16 vs. Titans

Packers rookie RB A.J. Dillon could have a big role on Sunday night against the Titans.

Green Bay Packers rookie running back A.J. Dillon may have his biggest opportunity at the NFL level on Sunday night against the Tennessee Titans.

The Packers listed backup running back Jamaal Williams (quad) as doubtful for Week 16, likely robbing Matt LaFleur’s of his preferred complementary running back alongside Aaron Jones and providing Dillon – the team’s second-round pick – a chance to contribute in a meaningful way during a primetime matchup against one of the AFC’s best teams.

Dillon, who missed five games while on the COVID-19 reserve list, has carried 24 times for 115 yards during the 2020 season. He has yet to carry more than five times in a single game, but his workload could increase significantly as the offense’s most likely No. 2 running back on Sunday night.

A key role player, Williams injured his leg after making a catch against the Carolina Panthers and didn’t return. He wasn’t able to participate at all during practice this week.

The Packers also ruled out tight end Jace Sternberger (concussion) and safety Will Redmond (concussion) and ruled guard Simon Stepaniak (knee) as doubtful.

Despite an injury list with 20 players throughout the week, the Packers didn’t give an injury designation to 16 players, meaning all 16 will play Sunday.

The Titans ruled out linebacker Derick Roberson but removed 12 others players from the injury report.

Packers rookie A.J. Dillon returns from COVID-19 reserve list

Packers rookie RB A.J. Dillon is back after spending five weeks on the COVID-19 reserve list.

Green Bay Packers rookie running back A.J. Dillon is returning to the active roster after five weeks on the COVID-19 reserve list.

The team announced the activation on Thursday.

Dillon, the Packers’ second-round pick, originally went on the reserve list on Nov. 2. He hasn’t played in a game since the Packers’ Nov. 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field.

Over his first seven games, Dillon rushed 23 times for 97 yards and caught one pass for 16 yards. He played 49 snaps on offense and 47 on special teams.

The rookie running back was back at practice on Thursday.

On Twitter, Dillon said he’s “happy to be back there” and reminded followers that COVID-19 is “no joke.”

The Packers now have no players on the COVID-19 reserve list.

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Packers rookie RB A.J. Dillon tests positive for COVID-19

Packers RB A.J. Dillon has tested positive for COVID-19, per NFL Network.

COVID-19 has arrived at Lambeau Field.

The Green Bay Packers are holding virtual meetings on Monday after rookie running back A.J. Dillon tested positive for COVID-19, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The positive test is the first for a Packers player since the regular season started.

Dillon, the Packers’ second-round pick, played 17 total snaps for the Packers on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. He carried five times for 21 yards and caught one pass for 16 yards.

According to Pelissero, Dillon’s positive came during Sunday’s pre-game testing.

The Packers will place Dillon on the COVID-19 reserve list, and the rookie will miss Thursday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. It’s unclear how the positive test will affect the Packers in the running back room. Aaron Jones is dealing with a calf injury. Jamaal Williams is the only other running back on the roster, although Dexter Williams is on the practice squad.

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