Packers Superstar Duo: What To Expect In 2022
What’s better than one superstar running back? How about two of them? The Packers have a pair of studs at running back that cannot only run the ball but they can also catch the ball out of the backfield. What more can you ask for?
Last season was the first time Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon played a similar snap count in the running game. This year they will also be taking similar snap counts in the receiving game to create a true 1A running back system. This will not only ensure quality gameplay out of the backfield but it should also keep both guys feeling fresh going into the fourth quarter. Also, they should be able to avoid injuries late in the season.
Aaron “Showtyme” Jones
Aaron Jones enters his sixth year in the NFL as a running back for the Green Bay Packers. Earlier this year, Jones got a fresh new tattoo of the NFL logo and his nickname, “Showtyme”. Also included in the tattoo were references to his college career at UTEP, his high school area code, and the infamous mariachi hat that he displays on the sideline. He is now branded with his nickname and he’ll never forget that he played in the NFL. Last year Jones opened up a restaurant in El Paso, Texas and named it Showtyme after his nickname.
Aaron Jones was drafted late in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Packers stole him in round five and never looked back. Due to a nagging injury here and there, he has only played one full season without missing a game. After posting back-to-back 1,000-yard plus seasons on the ground in 2019 and 2020, he took a step back as part of a running back timeshare with AJ Dillon. Before Dillon joined the Packers, Jamaal Williams was the 1B to Jones and he was signed during the 2021 off-season by the Detroit Lions.
AJ “Quadzilla” Dillon
AJ Dillon was a great pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Packers. He was selected late in the second round at pick 62. When Dillon first joined the team, he had to sit at RB3 behind Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. Fast forward to a year later when Jamaal is with the Lions and Dillon is given the RB2 role. Fast forward another year and we are heading into the 2022 NFL Season with the best running back duo in the league. You heard that right, I can’t think of another team that has an explosive pair of running backs as the Packers do.
Dillon has shown great improvement after each year in the league. He is now an established pass catcher as well as a downhill runner. I’m looking forward to seeing him break the 1,000-yard mark again this year. If Jones has any injury issues again this year, Dillon would have a great shot at hitting 1,000 rushing yards on top of the three to five-hundred receiving yards.
How Well Will This Duo Shine In 2022?
2022 will be a big year for the Packers duo as the team looks to divide targets amongst everyone on the team after Davanate Adams left the team earlier this year. Aaron Rodgers called out his running back duo by saying that they can easily get 50-plus receptions each this year. That’s a hefty amount for both guys but when you have Rodgers as your quarterback, anything can happen. Aaron Jones had 52 receptions last year and AJ Dillon had 34 receptions so it’s not totally farfetched.
Since 2000, there have been 6 occurrences in the NFL when 2 backs on the same team each had at least 50 catches in the same season. Aaron Rodgers thinks Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon can be the 7th. (And Jones says he doesn’t have to stop at 50) Story here:https://t.co/IsXtwAt1pp — Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) August 19, 2022
Here are my Packers stat projections for 2022: https://cheeseheadcheckdown.com/2022/08/17/2022-packers-preview-stats/