The Green Bay Packers kept their momentum going with a huge upset victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 13. It was their third win in a row and fourth in their last five games, pushing their record back to the .500 mark for the first time since Week 4.
It was a truly impressive performance by Green Bay in virtually every facet. What made the offensive performance and ascension of Jordan Love in recent weeks all the more impressive is that it's come without running back Aaron Jones in the lineup.
Jones is easily the most established weapon in what is otherwise a very young and inexperienced offensive group. Injuries have derailed his 2023 campaign, appearing in only seven games. It can be argued that he was hampered by something in all by one or two of those contests.
Most recently, he has been dealing with an MCL sprain that he suffered in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers. How long could it be before Jones can get back on the field with his teammates? Don’t bet on it being this week.
During an appearance on "The Coach JB Show with Big Smitty," professional athlete consultant Dr. Jesse Morse provided a bleak outlook on Jones’ chances of getting back on the field this week against the New York Giants.
#NFL Injury Updates (Week 13): #Packers RB Aaron Jones @TheRealCoach_JB @Darnell_Smith95 @DrJesseMorse#TheCoachJBShow #NFL #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/agB49pXXvh
— The Coach JB Show with Big Smitty (@TheCoachJBShow) December 5, 2023
From what Morse said, it would be very risky for the Packers to put Jones back on the field for "Monday Night Football" against the Giants. There is a chance that he could make the injury worse, which could result in him being knocked out for the remainder of the season.
Given how well the Packers are playing, there isn’t a rush to get Jones back onto the field. They are better off riding things out with the current group and waiting until he is as close to 100 percent healthy before returning.
We will get a better idea of where Jones could be at with his recovery based on how much he practices this week, if at all. If he has to miss another week, expect the Packers to continue leaning on AJ Dillon as their lead back with Patrick Taylor and James Robinson filling in as change-of-pace guys.
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