Packers get positive update on Aaron Jones before Thursday Night Football

Aaron Jones will play against the 49ers, or so the Packers hope

The Packers running back situation is anything but secure, as Jamaal Williams and AJ Dillon are out due to COVID-19 protocol. Jones, who was originally expected not to play on Thursday against the San Francisco 49ers, will now see some action, albeit not his normal workload.

Green Bay is favored in their matchup against the 49ers, in part due to the injuries San Francisco is dealing with. Jimmy Garoppolo and Raheem Mostert are both out, and the 49ers are down several key defensive players. So despite Green Bay’s own injury woes, it’d be considered a disappointment should they lose this NFC Championship rematch.

What will the Packers offensive gameplan look like without much of a run game?

Tyler Ervin and Dexter Williams are the only other running backs on the roster, and long gone are the days of Tyler Montgomery as a pseudo-back. Instead, it’ll be Jones leading the way and perhaps more empty-backfield sets for Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers in a pass-heavy scheme probably sounds ideal to him, but a well-coached defensive team like the 49ers will know how to limit such things. The Matt LaFleur offense is based heavily on play action and quick drops. Without that running attack to take some pressure off Rodgers, he’ll need extra time to throw and, in addition, LaFleur must alter his offensive attack ever so slightly to reflect that.

This is no shot at Ervin and Williams, but they don’t have the same reputation and downfield vision as Jamaal Williams or Dillon. The Packers must adjust on the fly, even with Jones in tow for limited playing time.