Zebra: Rodgers Dominated on Play-Action Passes

Get inside the game with Zebra's RFID player-tracking technology.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In the Green Bay Packers’ Week 2 victory over the Detroit Lions, Aaron Jones impacted the game with his diverse skill-set. His 236 yards from scrimmage were the most by a Packers player in 64 years and the third-highest figure in franchise history behind legendary receivers Billy Howton (257 yards vs. the Los Angeles Rams in 1956) and Don Hutson (237 in vs. the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943).

In the Week 3 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Jones impacted the game in a big way again. It wasn’t running the ball. Nor was it catching the ball. Rather, it was his mere presence on the field.

That’s evident in Aaron Rodgers’ play-action numbers from Next Gen Stats, which are made possible from Zebra Technologies’ RFID-based player-tracking technology.

As passed along by John Pollard, the vice president of business development for Zebra Sports:

Aaron Rodgers was excellent in play-action against the Saints on SNF, completing 13-of-17 passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns. Rodgers had a lot of open pass catchers in the game, as he threw into a tight window on just 6.3 percent of his attempts. He has thrown to more open pass catchers thus far in 2020 – 11.3 percent of his attempts have been into a tight window this year, compared to 14.2 percent in 2019 and 13.7 percent in 2018. Rodgers is also throwing slightly more downfield thus far in 2020, averaging 9.6 air yards per attempt, up from 8.9 and 8.8 in 2019 and 2018, respectively.

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That success is tied to Jones, who was swarmed every time he was given the ball.

“I think there are a number of things he brings to the offense that allows us to do some of the stuff we’re doing,” Rodgers said after the game. “Obviously, we’re faking it to him many times in these situations to get guys open. He’s never a decoy, though. He had 69 yards tonight running the ball and a couple catches but he played a big factor in the game because he draws so much attention.”

Receiver Allen Lazard was a beneficiary with six catches for 146 yards and one touchdown. His 48-yard catch and subsequent 5-yard touchdown came on play-action fakes to Jamaal Williams. Rodgers' deep ball, according to Zebra, traveled 52.2 yards in the air with Lazard having 1.3 yards of separation at the time of the throw.

“I think they triggered on a lot of our keys,” Lazard said. “They had a really good game plan, scheming up for our run. But, obviously, on the back end, we were able to capitalize when they were anticipating run and we were able to kind of get a play-action off of it.”

The Packers entered the night ranked No. 1 in the NFL in rushing and rushing per carry. They managed only 98 yards and 3.8 yards per carry against the Saints but the mere threat of the running game was enough.

“That’s why it all ties together and it’s important stay with the run game, whether it’s going to your liking or not, because it does open up stuff for you down the field,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “Certainly, that played a big role with all the keepers and play-passes that we ran.”