Getty Packers coach Matt LaFleur (right) took criticism from the brother of Aaron Jones (left) in Sunday's loss to Minnesota.
If you had hoped that the rejuvenation of the Green Bay offense could be found in a return to the running game, you’re not alone. Apparently, the brother of Packers running back Aaron Jones thought that would be the case, too. And like the rest of us, he has been disappointed.
Alvin Jones, Aaron’s twin brother and a former NFL linebacker, popped up on Twitter (X) on Sunday during yet another embarrassing offensive performance from the Packers to ask a question: “Can someone ask coach Lafleur why he never gives Aaron the ball it’s getting criminal at this point !!! Is he not trying to win?”
Can someone ask coach Lafleur why he never gives Aaron the ball it’s getting criminal at this point !!! Is he not trying to win ??
Fair point. Aaron Jones’s game log is depressing. He injured his hamstring in Week 1 against the Bears, and had to sit out two weeks before he returned against the Lions in Detroit’s Thursday night rout of Green Bay. In that game, Jones had five carries for 18 yards, but his limited workload made some sense—the team was trailing early in the game and needed to throw.
Jones suffered a setback on the hamstring before Green Bay’s Monday night matchup in Las Vegas, and was scratched for that game. But he has been back on the field and healthy for the last two weeks, and has gotten a total of just 15 carries in those games, losses to Denver and Minnesota.
Packers’ Aaron Jones (Not His Brother) Addresses Offense
Of course, Aaron Jones can speak better for himself than his brother, and he did so in the Packers locker room after Sunday’s disappointment. He is not getting he ball enough, but that Is not his focus, he said.
“There’s so many factors that go into it but at the end of the day, you’ve got to remember it’s about these guys in this locker room and never about you and, how can I get these guys confident, how can I help them and get them ready before the game, or to some ready to play,” Jones said.
He also commented on the play of the defense, who has been keeping the Packers in tight games all year, despite the offensive letdowns.
“I love those guys,” Jones said. “They give it their all. It hurts me because I feel like we are little them down on the offensive side of the ball. I know they are just as passionate about it as I am. When I look back and I am not in the game, I see them and that hurts me. That hurts me.”
Numbers Show Packers’ Run Game Among NFL’s Worst
Still, the numbers are the numbers, and the numbers now say that the Packers are a pretty poor running team. They have 619 total yard rushing, which is 25th in the NFL, and they have attempted 162 rushes (23.1 per game), which is 27th.
Jones is averaging just 30.8 yards on the ground this season, by far the fewest of his career and less than half the yardage he was gaining last year (65.8 yards per game).
And while Aaron Jones is taking a politically correct stance on the Packers offense, his brother Alvin Jones is not. Alvin retweeted a post from Aaron’s old teammate, quarterback Kurt Benkert, who wrote: “‘The way it’s always been done’ clearly doesn’t work up north anymore and they have to make changes. It’s insanity at this point to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results.”
Comments
Packers Star’s Brother Blasts Coach Matt LaFleur: ‘It’s Criminal!’