3 Ways the Packers Can Make Up for Loss of RB Aaron Jones

The Green Bay Packers will not have their full complement of offensive stars on the field for at least the next two weeks. 

Packers running back Aaron Jones suffered a mild MCL sprain in Sunday's win over the Seattle Seahawks, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

The good news for the Packers is that Jones has a path to return at some point in the coming weeks, but until then, they need to find a way to replace his production. 

Green Bay used a two-back system in the last two seasons to manage some of Jones' workload. The presence of A.J. Dillon in the backfield will help with the rushing production. 

Dillon has never been the feature back in an NFL offense, but the Packers have brought him along at the perfect rate so that he can slide into that role now. 

Green Bay will have to alter its offensive approach a bit for the clashes with the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams, but with Aaron Rodgers back on the field, the adjustments are much easier to make. 

The simplest way to replace Jones' production out of the backfield is to feed Dillon with more touches. 

The second-year running back out of Boston College has 97 carries for 421 yards and two touchdown runs, both of which came in Sunday's win over Seattle. 

Dillon has been groomed for this situation over the last two years, and that process should make him feel comfortable about his increased role in the offense. 

Dillon thrived after Jones went down on Sunday. He scored both of his touchdowns in the second half to help the Packers finish off their victory. 

The most important stat from the last two weeks might be Dillon's perfect catch rate. He brought in all six of his targets and totaled 106 yards on those receptions. 

Green Bay relies on Jones to make an impact in the passing game. Since Jones has been so effective in that role, Dillon has not had many pass-catching opportunities. 

If Dillon performs well in the passing game as well, the Packers will not skip a beat in the next two weeks against the Vikings and Rams. 

The Packers would love to have Jones back for the Week 12 showdown with the Rams, but with a bye week after that, it may be wise to rest the No. 1 running back for the stretch run of the regular season and the postseason. 

Green Bay's offensive staff should get creative with Jones on the sidelines. 

With Kylin Hill on the injured reserve, Patrick Taylor will be the backup running back to Dillon.

Since Jones is only going to be out for 1-2 weeks, it makes no sense to bring in a veteran running back just to cut him a few weeks later. The Packers should promote from within in this situation.

The lack of experience beneath Dillon on the depth chart could allow the offensive staff to call up designed plays for Amari Rodgers. 

The rookie out of Clemson has not broken through in the passing game yet. He has been used mostly on punt returns. 

Green Bay could utilize his speed on some running plays, if they choose, to keep the defense honest and potentially put in a new wrinkle to the offense that could help when Jones is healthy.

If Rodgers is used on a direct handoff, or a reverse-style play, it has a chance to open up the defense that commits to stopping Dillon as the main threat on the ground. 

If those plays work, the Packers could keep them in the playbook when Jones returns, and if not, they can at least say they tried to do something new to ease some pressure off Dillon. 

Aaron Rodgers is 15-9-1 in his career against the Vikings with 50 touchdowns and seven interceptions. 

The Green Bay quarterback feasts on his divisional rivals, and we could see another high level of production from him on Sunday. 

If the Packers do not want to give Dillon a heavy workload, they could call on their franchise quarterback to make plays with his full complement of wide receivers. 

Rodgers can hurt the Vikings secondary in a multitude of ways with Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Randall Cobb and others. 

If he thrives against the Vikings, he could have a ton of success against the Rams as well. Los Angeles allows the ninth-most passing yards in the NFL, and it is coming off two brutal performances. 

The Rams will come into the Week 12 game off the bye, but that may not matter if Rodgers is dealing in the pocket. 

Green Bay should rely more on Rodgers as the playoff hunt heats up. The next two weeks could be the perfect time for Rodgers to send a statement across the NFL that he can sling the ball at a highly successful rate despite one of his star teammates being out. 

Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.