Packers Morning Buzz: Aaron Jones 'a hard-to-defend weapon' for Aaron Rodgers

Welcome to your Morning Buzz, rounding up news and views regarding the Green Bay Packers from around the web and here at PackersNews.com.

We'll start with Peter King of NBC Sports putting Packers running back Aaron Jones atop his list of the five players most crucial to the NFL playoff race in the second half. 

King writes:

Aaron Jones, Green Bay running back. What I like about the Packers this year is their malleability, and their ability to adjust while being slammed with injuries at receiver, and to do it all without bitching. Part of that is having Jones, who’s becoming a Le’Veon Bell-sort of versatile back. A fifth-round pick from UTEP in 2017, Jones has morphed into a back coach Matt LaFleur is comfortable splitting out. In the Week 8 win at Kansas City, per Pro Football Focus, Jones played 15 of 42 snaps at receiver—six in the slot, nine lined up wide. In a brilliant example of design and execution, Jones lined up wide left on one snap, went into motion, stopped behind tight end Jimmy Graham, took a quick pass from Aaron Rodgers, and weaved/sprinted 67 yards for the touchdown. That was part of a seven-catch, 159-receiving-yard performance, the best by a back in the Rodgers era. ...

In Rodgers’ 12 starting seasons, a back has never been higher than third in receptions on the team. Jones, through nine weeks, has 34 catches, nine more than any Packer. “The offense that Coach LaFleur runs, I think it fits me very well,” Jones said. “He likes to use backs everywhere, all over the field and so the better you can catch, the more you’ll play.” Even as Davante Adams returns from a foot injury, look for Jones to use his versatility to be a hard-to-defend weapon for Rodgers.

You can read King's entire column here:

King advises Packers fans not to worry about the loss to the Chargers:

The Packers added depth in the secondary by bringing safety Ibraheim Campbell off the PUP list:

The Panthers will present a formidable test to the Packers' shaky run defense:

The Packers slide down one spot in the NFL.com power rankings ...

They tumble two spots in the USA Today rankings ...

And they really nose dive (behind Minnesota?!) in The MMQB rankings:

Rodgers gets high midseason marks from CBS Sports analysts Kevin Carter and London Fletcher:

So while the Packers have been remarkably healthy, former Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews is recovering from a broken jaw (and former Packers defensive tackle Mike Daniels of the Lions has been sidelined since Week 2 by a foot injury):

For Packers fans who enjoy reading about the Bears' struggles:

And finally: Whoever could've predicted this?

Contact Stu Courtney at (920) 431-8377 or scourtney@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @stucourt