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The Green Bay Packers were dealt a brutal blow in Week 15 as starting running back Aaron Jones suffered a knee injury. With the team squaring off against the rival Chicago Bears with their playoff hopes potentially on the line, losing Jones couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Packers will finish out this game without their top runner while facing a top-tier defense.
ESPN’s Field Yates revealed that Jones is out for the rest of the game on Sunday.
With this decision coming to light, the Packers will almost certainly now turn the workload over to back up Jamaal Williams, but he’s been hit-or-miss to this point in his young career. There’s a reason why Jones emerged as the team’s top running back, and it was largely due to the fact that he outperformed his backfield mate this season.
Jamaal Williams Fantasy Outlook
As things currently stand, the Packers find themselves in a tough situation, especially if Jones is forced to miss any additional time. While Williams would unquestionably step into the immediate starting role, the team has very little depth behind him, as fullback Danny Vitale is the only other name listed. In turn, there could be a move or two made in order to add another runner.
As far as the outlook for Williams goes, he hasn’t received double-digit carries since back in September during a 22-0 win over the Buffalo Bills. On the season, he’s totaled 86 attempts for 310 yards and one touchdown. What’s worth noting is that Williams does provide some potential as a pass-catcher, which is solid for point-per-reception fantasy football leagues.
Packers’ Outlook and Playoff Chances
The Packers currently need to rack up wins over the final weeks and pick up additional help in order to find their way into the postseason. Even though it’s somewhat of a longshot, there are other teams who are certainly in worse situations right now. The status of Jones could be big for the overall outlook of the Packers moving forward, though.
In order for the Packers to make this late-season push and surpass the wide range of teams in the mix for the final NFC Wild Card spot, having their new workhorse back will be key. We’ll be sure to update Jones’ status as any additional information comes to light which will likely be after the game wraps up.
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