Aaron Jones scored four touchdowns as the Green Bay Packers defeated the Detroit Lions, paying tribute to his late father.
Aaron Rodgers, last season’s Most Valuable Player, tossed for four touchdowns as Green Bay rallied to win 35-17. Jones donned a pendant carrying his father’s ashes in his first game at Lambeau Field after his father’s death, which he removed after his second touchdown.
“He’d be content,” said Jones, a 26-year-old running back. If you’re going to lose it any way, lose it in the end zone, “he’d say.” As he addressed to the media after the game, Jones’ pendant had yet to be collected by ground workers, and he also dedicated his 2021 season to his father. Alvin Jones Sr., who had not missed one of his son’s games in nine years, died in April at the age of 57 as a result of problems with Covid-19 during the close season.
The dual-threat running back scored three receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown after signing a new four-year deal worth $48 million (£34.5 million) in March.
Since the start of the 2019 season, he has 34 touchdowns. Only Tennessee Titans’ running back Derrick Henry (38) has scored more in that span.
Green Bay used it to recover from a 38-3 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week One. The Lions led 17-14 at halftime when Rodgers connected with Robert Tonyan for a 22-yard touchdown, launching a 21-point second-half outburst. Rodgers threw two interceptions last week, but he completed 22 of 27 passes for 255 yards against the Lions, moving him above Denver icon John Elway into 10th place all-time in passing yards (51,633).
“We maybe wanted to show that we cared a little bit more tonight,” Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 37, said.
The Packers play the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Rodgers’ boyhood team and one of only seven teams to start the season 2-0. New Detroit quarterback Jared Goff threw for 246 yards and two scores, but a fumble and an interception in the second half allowed the Packers to seize control.
