Tag: Jamaal Williams

Behind Enemy Lines: Week 12 Q&A with Packers Wire

With a Week 13 matchup between the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers on tap, we go behind enemy lines for a chat with Packers Wire.

The New York Giants (2-9) and Green Bay Packers (8-3) will square off on Sunday in Week 13.

The Giants opened the week as 6.5-point home underdogs, and the spread hasn’t changed as of Saturday morning.

With this matchup on tap, Giants Wire took the opportunity to hold a Q&A with Packers Wire managing editor Zach Kruse.

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Giants Wire: The Packers appeared to have rounded out some early season struggles entering Week 12, but then came a meltdown against the 49ers. What did San Francisco do to frustrate Aaron Rodgers & Co. and what should the Giants have learned from that game?

Zach Kruse: The 49ers were a bad matchup for the Packers on paper and it played out exactly that way on the field. The 49ers dominated the line of scrimmage, contained Aaron Jones as a runner and receiver, got consistent pressure with only four rushers and smothered any and all underneath-to-intermediate options in the passing game. The Chargers established the blueprint in Week 9, and the 49ers executed it perfectly.

The key to frustrating the Packers is taking away the running backs (especially Jones), pressuring Rodgers without blitzing and playing coverage with seven. Force the Packers to beat you through the air with their receivers and tight ends. They haven’t proved capable of doing it consistently.

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How productive have Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams been in 2019?

The Packers RB duo is on pace to replicate what LaDainian Tomlinson produced during an MVP season in 2006.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur has turned the combination of Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams into a reincarnation of one of the most productive individual running back seasons of all-time.

Through 10 games, Jones and Williams have combined to produce 1,400 total yards and 20 total touchdowns on 260 total touches. At their current pace, they’ll create 2,240 total yards and 32 total touchdowns on 416 touches in 2019.

Those extrapolated numbers compare favorably to what Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson produced during an MVP season in 2006.

That year, Tomlinson turned his 404 touches into 2,323 total yards and 31 touchdowns.

Obviously, this is comparing the efforts of two players to one. What Tomlinson accomplished on his own in 2006 is nothing short of incredible. But the yards-per-touch (5.4 for Jones and Williams, 5.8 for Tomlinson) and touchdown percentage (7.7 for Jones and Williams, 7.7 for Tomlinson) are at least comparable, providing a layer of context to how great Jones and Williams have been as dual-threat players in LaFleur’s offense in 2019.

Jones is tied for the NFL lead in rushing touchdowns (11) and total touchdowns (14), while Williams leads the Packers in receiving touchdowns (5). Together, they are averaging 4.4 yards per carry and 8.7 yards per catch, while scoring a touchdown once every 13 touches.

“I feel like we have a different type of squad offensively this year where we have been running the ball effectively and we realize how important Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams are to our attack and we’re finding ways to get them the ball in the backfield and out in space, and they’ve been a big part of our success,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. 

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