Jones Dodges Bears and Perhaps a Hamstring Injury
CHICAGO – The good news (maybe) for the Chicago Bears is the Green Bay Packers sent Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets. The bad news (definitely) for the Bears is Aaron Jones remains a star.
The good news for the Packers in the wake of their latest triumph over the Chicago Bears, 38-20 on Sunday at Soldier Field, is that Jones might have only a minor hamstring injury.
Jones’ day ended with a 35-yard touchdown reception with about 6 1/2 minutes to go in the third quarter. Coach Matt LaFleur thought maybe it was only a cramp. Jones described it as a “bite” and that he could have gone back in the game had the Packers not been comfortably ahead.
“It feels great,” Jones said.
Jones was great in helping Jordan Love to victory in his debut.
On the opening series, he carried four times in a span of five plays for 25 yards, two of which moved the chains. Love’s touchdown pass to Romeo Doubs made it 7-0.
Jones didn’t touch the ball for the rest of the first half. Not coincidentally, the Packers managed only a field goal the rest of the way as they led 10-6 at halftime.
On the opening possession of the second half, Jones got the ball five times for 68 yards, highlighted by a 51-yard gain on an exquisitely designed and executed screen and a 1-yard touchdown that made it 17-6.
On the screen, the interior trio of Elgton Jenkins, Jon Runyan and Josh Myers got Jones in the open field and receivers Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure delivered the downfield block against safety Eddie Jackson.
“Just opened up. It just opened,” Jones said. “The ball was really in the sun, so I’m like, ‘Just catch this ball, just catch this ball.’ As soon as I felt it hit my hands, I closed my hands and I turned and looked and three big linemen were in front of him. And I’m like, they’re escorting me. It opened right up. It was a great play call and I think that sparked us and got us going for the rest of the half.”
The Packers extended their lead to 24-6 on the next possession. On fourth-and-3 from Chicago’s 35, safety Darnell Savage encouraged LaFleur to keep the offense on the field. After a timeout, Love connected with Jones for a 35-yard touchdown. Matched against high-priced veteran linebacker T.J. Edwards, Jones darted outside and then back inside. He caught the ball at the 30 and was off to the races.
“I knew he was going to kill him on the choice route, which he did,” Love said. “I just had to get him the ball and he made the rest happen.”
With a 24-6 lead, the game was effectively over. So was Jones’ day, though the hope is the hamstring injury isn’t as significant as the ones that sidelined receivers Christian Watson and Doubs.
“It felt amazing,” Jones said of the touchdown. “I think I got a little bit faster. I was trying to kick into another gear. It’s definitely something that I feel like is special. Anytime you can add that to your repertoire, anytime you can take a 10-yard route or a 5-yard route to the house is big.”
Jones is used to finding the house against the Bears. This was LaFleur’s ninth game against the Bears. The Packers have won all nine, with Jones scoring nine touchdowns in those games.
“He’s a guy that tilts the field in your favor,” LaFleur said. “He’s so dynamic, so explosive. And take his ability as a football player out of it, he means so much to that locker room by his actions, by what he says and by what he does on a daily basis.
“He’s a real leader in that locker room, he’s a real leader for our football team. He inspires everybody and he comes to work each and every day with a great attitude. I can’t say enough great things about him. I’ve said it a million times about the kind of person he is. You cannot have enough Aaron Jones on your football team.”
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