The Green Bay Packers suffered a surprising loss to the New York Giants in London on Sunday, and there seemed to be some frustration over how the team ran its offense as they attempted to rally.
The Packers were able to get the ball down to the Giants’ 6-yard line with just over a minute left, needing a touchdown to tie the game. The Packers opted to put the ball in the hands of Aaron Rodgers on both 3rd and 1 as well as 4th and 1, which resulted in a pair of incomplete passes, including a ball batted down at the line of scrimmage on 4th down.
Some questioned why the Packers did not try to pick up the first down with running backs Aaron Jones or A.J. Dillon. After the game, Jones poured some fuel on the fire by suggesting he was confident that either running back would have given the Packers a new set of downs.
Aaron Jones on #Packers passing 3rd & 2, 4th & 2 nearing one minute left at the 6-yard line down a touchdown.
"I'd put my money on giving me or AJ Dillon two downs to get two yards, I'd put my money on it." pic.twitter.com/FL1sLZqYzi
— Cody Krupp (@CodyWKrupp) October 9, 2022
“I’d put my money on giving me or A.J. two downs to get two yards. I’d put my money on it,” Jones said. “But at the same time, I’m not the quarterback, so I don’t know what A-Rod’s seeing, and they made a good defensive play to bat it down.”
It’s tough to criticize the Packers for trusting Rodgers, one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, to get the job done in that spot. On the other hand, Jones or Dillon probably could have picked up the yardage and given Rodgers four shots at the end zone.
Rodgers has sometimes been so dismissive of teammates that it has attracted criticism, but Jones is a trusted and respected veteran. We don’t know what Rodgers saw or who was making the final call on these plays, but Jones certainly may have a point here.
