The Green Bay Packers relied heavily on running back Aaron Jones in their 21-16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2. Despite his strong performance, it seems head coach Matt LaFleur is not looking to replicate another lopsided affair in the backfield.
Jones tallied a career-high 23 carries in the win over Minnesota. According to Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, LaFleur is hoping to use a more balanced approach between him and running back Jamaal Williams.
Asked Matt LaFleur about Packers RB Aaron Jones’ touches over long haul of a season following Sunday’s career-high 23 carries. He said keeping Jones fresh is important, and he wants to “even up” touches between Jones and Jamaal Williams. Thinks balance will change week to week.
There has been a rather notable gap between the two to start the season. LaFleur has given Jones 41 touches to Williams' 19 through the first two games. Of course, that gap grew much wider after the Packers opted to go with the hot hand on offense.
LaFleur's comments indicate that he would rather rely on a 1-2 punch in the backfield. This could be an attempt to keep Jones as healthy as possible for the final stretch of the season given his integral role on offense. Furthermore, Williams' versatile skill set gives them another viable option to work with in either the run game or the pass game.
Regardless, it is still encouraging to see that Jones is more than capable of turning it on when his number is called. It appears LaFleur is hoping to save his best games for later in the season.
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