By Eric Goska
 |
| Vince Lombardi would have approved of Green Bay's rushing effort (199 yards) against the Patriots. |
Aaron Jones is the Packers’ 6,000-yard man.
Jones, one half of Green Bay’s impressive ground-gaining
tandem, led all runners Sunday at Lambeau Field. In surpassing 100 yards from
scrimmage in the Green and Gold’s 27-24 overtime victory against New England,
the elusive back gained entry into a highly select group.
Jones, and running mate AJ Dillon, again powered the Pack on
the ground. The two hewed out 183 of the team’s 199 rushing yards with Jones earning
110 on 16 totes.
As usual, Jones also chipped in on the receiving front. He picked
up five yards on three catches.
Against the Patriots, Jones secured seven of Green Bay’s 10
rushing first downs. He popped off five runs of 10 or more yards.
Never was he more vital than on fourth down early in the third
quarter. With his team trailing by three and needing a yard at the New England
28, Jones scooted for 17.
That effort was a key component in a 10-play, 81-yard
advance that put Green Bay up 14-10. It also helped fuel an uptick in
yards – 238 in the third and fourth quarters following a meager 125 in the
first half – that kept the Packers plugging away until Mason Crosby’s 31-yard
field goal sealed the deal with no time remaining.
In amassing 115 yards from scrimmage, Jones surpassed 6,000 in
his career. He joins Ahman Green, Jim Taylor, Gerry Ellis, John Brockington and
Dorsey Levens as the only running backs in team history to accomplish that feat.
And, with 73 just games under his belt, he got there quicker
than all but Green (51) and Taylor (73).
When Jones reaches 100, the Packers usually win. He’s done
it 23 times in the regular season, and Green Bay has lost just twice – against
the Saints in 2017 and at Seattle in 2018.
In fact, the team has won its last 19 straight when Jones breaks
that grass ceiling.
This season, yards have come in chunks for Jones. Twelve of his 48 carries (for 327 yards) have stretched for 10 or more.
As such, his average per carry (6.81) is higher than it has
ever been after four games. It ranks third best in the league behind that of the
Lions’ D’Andre Swift (8.56) and Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson (8.54).
In general, this part of Jones’ game (average per carry) has
registered large throughout much of his career. It has been said – in this
column if nowhere else – that No. 33 can spot daylight in a solar eclipse.
That has helped propel Jones into fourth place on the
Packers’ all-time rushing list. He trails Green (8,322), Taylor (8,207) and Brockington
(5,024).
But those three backs carried far more often than he. Looking
solely at average per carry, Jones’ number (5.16) is tops in team history
(minimum 500 attempts), more than a half yard better than second-place Ellis
(4.58).
Moreover, that robust average ranks among the best all-time regardless of team. His output against the Patriots moved him past
Mercury Morris and into seventh place in league history (minimum 750 attempts) according
to Pro Football Reference.
In the last 100 years, just six players did more with the opportunities
afforded them than Jones. For now, at least, he is ensconced behind Michael
Vick (7.00), Randall Cunningham (6.36), Russell Wilson (5.51), Jamaal Charles
(5.38), Nick Chubb (5.32) and the immortal Jim Brown (5.22).
That’s some pretty heady company. The Packers can only hope
Jones continues to run with that fast crowd.
The six RBs in Packers history who gained 6,000 or more yards from scrimmage in the regular-season.
No comments:
Post a Comment