ARLINGTON, Texas – Even without Davante Adams and Jamaal Williams, nobody said it all had to be on Aaron Jones' shoulders for the Packers to prevail against the Dallas Cowboys.
It was only until after the El Paso native popped an 18-yard touchdown run early in Sunday's game at AT&T Stadium it became obvious running behind Jones and the inside-zone was going to be the clearest path to the end zone for the offense.
And the third-year running back responded.
Performing in front of more than 30 of his closest family and friends, Jones zigged and zagged his way to a career-high 182 total yards and tied a franchise record with four rushing touchdowns to power the Packers to a 34-24 win over the Cowboys in front of 93,024.
"He was just calling the plays and whatever he called, we were running and it was working," Jones said. "The blocking unit was doing their job to open up lanes and creases and big gaps. I was just able to run."
And run he did, especially in the red zone. Jones capped all four of the Packers' touchdown-producing drives with runs from the 18-, 3-, 5- and 1-yard lines. In doing so, he became the first Packers running back to score four rushing touchdowns since Dorsey Levens did it against Arizona on Jan. 2, 2000.
By blueprint, Green Bay has predominately been an outside-zone running team under first-year head coach Matt LaFleur. However, the Packers opted to run more inside knowing the sideline-to-sideline speed of Dallas linebackers, Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch.
With a few direct snaps mixed in along the way, Jones was able to notch his fifth career 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 17 carries for 107 yards.
"By far, the player of the game for us," fullback Danny Vitale said. "He was seeing the creases and the holes exactly the way we expect them to be seen. He just put on a hell of a performance."
It wasn't just the runs that made for a special homecoming, though. Jones also led Green Bay with a career-high seven catches for 75 yards, including a key 12-yard snag off a slant on third-and-4 to extend the Packers' first drive of the second half.
The Green Bay Packers traveled to Dallas to take on the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in a Week 5 matchup.
It was the type of effort the Packers not only needed due to the absence of Adams and Williams, but also to control the tempo of the game with All-Pro running back Ezekiel Elliott on the other sideline. All told, five of the offense's 10 longest plays went through Jones.
Afterward, LaFleur gave the game ball to Jones, the first he's ever received. He tried to give the ball to the offensive line for its role in clearing the way for his career day, but the linemen flipped it back to Jones, insisting he keep it to commemorate his home-state performance.
"I think there's a lot of questions if he's an every-down back because of his size," said right tackle Bryan Bulaga of Jones. "We know in the building he can play every down. He can stand in there with protection and get out there on routes and he can run the ball. He's one of those guys you can have in there every down."
While the offense sputtered at times after its final touchdown midway through the third quarter, Jones had some of his biggest runs over the last 15 minutes.
Clinging to a 10-point advantage, he helped drain four minutes off the clock by converting two first downs off two 11-yard carries. The defense eventually got a third takeaway late, but the offense was confident it could've successfully run the clock out on a victory had Jones been summoned for one more drive.
It also was a reminder of how impactful Jones can be, especially after the Packers had a difficult time getting the run game going the past two weeks against Denver and Philadelphia.
"I think I made a pretty big statement showing what kind of running back I am and what I can do," Jones said.
It was fitting it came in the same venue, AT&T Stadium, that housed Jones' first 100-yard rushing performance back in October 2017. It also marked what Jones believed to be his first four-TD game since his final collegiate game at UTEP.
The fact his parents and extended family were all there to see it made the moment that much sweeter. He even went so far as to toss one of his touchdown balls to his twin brother, Alvin Jr.
"It doesn't get any better than that. It was special," said Jones, who now leads the NFL with eight rushing touchdowns on the season. "I'll never forget this day."
