Running back AJ Dillon of the Green Bay Packers has undoubtedly become more productive as the 2023 campaign has progressed. He has consistently shown this tendency throughout his career, and this season is no exception. But, largely because of Jones’ injuries, the Packers have hardly had a chance to start both a healthy Aaron Jones and an improved Dillon at the same time this season.

Given that Jones appeared to be targeting Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as his return, this weekend appeared to be the right one. But just when the Packers were hoping to have their dynamic duo back together again, Dillon suffered an unfortunate and untimely injury that has cast doubt on his ability to play in the NFL going forward.

Although it’s a frustrating situation, the Packers just need to figure out how to handle it. However, it comes at a bad time, as Green Bay needs to beat a team in the middle of the chaotic NFC playoff picture in order to move back to.500 and secure a postseason berth.

Let’s review the current running back news and how it may affect Green Bay’s performance against the Bucs in a crucial area.

AJ Dillon of the Packers suffered a broken thumb during the Giants game, according to ESPN
Dillon, who is currently in his fourth NFL season, has never missed a game due to an injury (though he did miss one because of a positive COVID test). With a broken thumb, it’s probably not easy to hold onto a football, so Sunday might be the first.

Before a crucial game against the Buccaneers, the Packers’ running back room is in flux – The Athletic ($)
But there is some potentially good news: after practising for most of the last two weeks, Aaron Jones believes he will be ready to recover from a sprained MCL this weekend.

Packers need to come up with solutions for the Bucs’ meek red zone defence | Packers Wire
With one of the two backs available, the Packers’ offence would undoubtedly feel more cohesive, and it would facilitate their attempts to get close to the end zone. Against a Bucs defence that is fourth in the league in red zone touchdown rate, touchdowns will be hard to come by.

Jordan Love is served well by a “keep calm and move on” mentality | Packers.com.
In the meantime, Love’s response to the hardship of last week’s hard game will be one of the biggest tests of the season. But he showed some improvement in the fourth quarter, and fortunately, it looks like he will still have access to a few of his top rookie receivers.

Models Revise Packers’ Outlook for the Playoffs—Sports Illustrated
Based on all the models, the Packers have about a 50/50 chance of qualifying for the postseason, with Sunday’s game having a significant impact on that likelihood. If they lost, they would drop to about 25%, but if they win, they rise into the 60s.

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