Aaron Jones shares update about his injury situation

The moment couldn't be more important for running back Aaron Jones to return. After missing three consecutive games because of an MCL sprain he suffered against the Los Angeles Chargers on November 19, the running back feels better and has a real shot to play on Sunday versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And that's particularly relevant because fellow running back AJ Dillon broke his thumb against the New York Giants on Monday, so his status for Sunday is uncertain as well.

"I'm feeling a lot better," Jones said on Thursday. "Got to move around today at practice and making great strides. I'm going to take it day-by-day, but I feel confident for Sunday."

Jones practiced on a limited basis last week, but wasn't healthy enough to play against the Giants. Now, with more time to recover and a need to take some volume off AJ Dillon, the starting running back has a bigger chance of being on the field.

Alternatives

It has been a tough season for Aaron Jones, who's missed six of the Packers 13 games this season. At first, he suffered a hamstring injury in week 1, and then a knee injury in week 11. Even when playing, he hasn't been as efficient: his 3.7 average of yards per carry is by far the worst of his NFL career.

Besides Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, the Packers only have Patrick Taylor on the 53-man roster. Taylor started the season on the practice squad, was elevated for gameday three times, promoted and cut. After a couple of weeks on the New England Patriots' practice squad, he was signed back by the Packers after Jones and rookie Emanuel Wilson got hurt.

The team has also rotated players in and out of the practice squad. Currently, the main option is veteran Kenyan Drake, signed last week to replace James Robinson. Drake was elevated for gameday last Monday, but didn't have a single snap against the Giants and reverted back to the PS.

The last option is undrafted rookie Ellis Merriweather, who originally signed with the New Orleans Saints and has been with the Packers practice squad since November 6.

Underwhelming run game

Before the season, the Packers were expected to have a dominant run game. However, this aspect of Green Bay's offense hasn't been nearly as good. The Packers are 19th in rush EPA and 18th in rush success rate.

That's also related to a decline in performance along the offensive line — the team is 21st in run block win rate. But obviously, Aaron Jones' absence for so many games is also a huge factor.

After the loss to the Giants, the Packers have to win out to secure a playoff spot. The running game is highly important for that to happen, so a healthy Aaron Jones couldn't come at a better time for Green Bay.