Heaps: For Seahawks, stopping Jones takes precedent over Rodgers
Jan 10, 2020, 3:49 PM
Packers RB Aaron Jones scored 2 TDs against the Seahawks last year. (Getty)
(Getty)
The Seahawks will have their hands full with the Green Bay Packers’ offense, which has two big stars in the backfield in quarterback Aaron Rodgers and running back Aaron Jones, when the two teams face off in the divisional round of the playoffs on Sunday.
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Rodgers has been a star in the league for a long time, winning two MVP awards and a Super Bowl for Green Bay since taking over as the starter in 2008. He had another efficient year, throwing for over 4,000 yards again with 26 touchdown passes and just four interceptions.
Jones is newer to the scene, arriving in the NFL in 2017. He had just under 1,200 rushing yards his first two years before a breakout year in 2019, compiling 1,084 yards to go along with 16 rushing scores, which was tied for the league lead. He also caught 49 passes for 474 yards and a touchdown.
For the Seahawks, which Aaron is more important to stop on Sunday in order to get to the NFC Championship game?
“Everybody is afraid of Aaron Rodgers, but the guy who is the No. 1 priority to me is Aaron Jones,” Jake Heaps of 710 ESPN Seattle’s Tom, Jake and Stacy said.
In previous years, Rodgers was essentially the entire show on offense and the team didn’t run the ball much. This season, the team is more dedicated to the run under first-year head coach Matt LeFleur.
His emergence has made Rodgers arguably more efficient than in previous seasons.
“If you allow Aaron Jones to be able to get after it on the ground and be able to be an impact in the air, that’s when Aaron Rodgers is going to be at his best,” Heaps said. “If you can keep this Seahawk defense off balance and be able to be effective in both the run and the pass, it’s going to be a rough game.”
Heaps said that for the first time since maybe his first year as a starter in 2008, Rodgers isn’t the offense’s focal point. For instance, last season when these two teams played and the Seahawks won 27-24, Rodgers had 30 passing attempts while Jones had 16 total touches despite scoring two touchdowns.
“Being able to handle Aaron Jones and control the line of scrimmage is going to be a huge factor because Matt LeFleur has leaned on Aaron Jones,” Heaps said. “Aaron Jones is the center piece of this offense and Aaron Rodgers has just been an additional piece. It’s not the same show that Aaron Rodgers is used to running and it being a wide-open offense and having four or five receivers that are elite weapons, so this is a different group. It starts with Aaron Jones and I think that’s got to be the priority for the Seattle Seahawks.”
Listen to Heaps’ thoughts at this link or in the player below.
Follow 710 ESPN Seattle’s Jake Heaps on Twitter.
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