Packers running back Aaron Jones on Clubhouse Live: 'Still a lot of work to be done'

Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones co-hosted Monday's Clubhouse Live, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin’s live weekly football show. 

Among the topics he touched on were the NFC championship, the success of the 2019 season, playoff football, Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner, picking up blitzes and a rematch with the 49ers. The show can be seen live at The Clubhouse Sports Pub & Grill in downtown Appleton or at clubhouselive.com.

Here are select and edited answers from the interview:

WATCH:  Clubhouse Live with Packers running back Aaron Jones

Q: How does it feel knowing you've advanced to the NFC championship?

Jones: Amazing. This is something that you put in all that hard work for all year to get to this point, and now we've just got to finish. Four more quarters. We handle business, and we'll be right where we want to be.

Q: Are you able to reflect on what you've all accomplished already this season? This journey really began with OTAs last spring, and now you're just a victory away from advancing to the Super Bowl.

Jones: There's still a lot of work to be done. We're not where we want to be at. We're not happy where we're at. Whenever the (Super) Bowl is, that's where we want to be, and that's when we'll be happy.

Q: Sunday's NFC divisional game against the Seahawks was your first experience with playoff football. Did you have any butterflies going into the contest? And if so, did it take a couple of hits for the game to become just football again?

Jones: No butterflies. I usually get butterflies the first game of every season until the first play. And after that, they're gone. For some reason, they don't come back the rest of the year, and I'm happy with that, I'm fine with that. And hopefully, it stays that way.

Q: It was you against Seattle All-Pro and Pro Bowl linebacker Bobby Wagner on the first of your two 1-yard touchdown runs, and you were able to squeeze just enough of yourself over the goal line for the score. What does a collision with one of the game's top linebackers feel like?

Jones: Bobby is a great tackler. He can move whichever way he wants. He doesn't miss a lot of tackles - in open space, either. And he can cover really well. To me, he's the best 'backer in the league. He didn't hit me too hard, but he's always in the right place at the right time. On the goal line, he was right there. But I got enough in.

Q: You picked up the blitzing safety on Aaron Rodgers' key third-down throw to Jimmy Graham late in the fourth quarter, which clinched the victory over Seattle. What's your pre-snap read on that play - and what are you looking at as the play unfolds - to make sure Rodgers has enough time to make the throw and complete the pass? It was one of your best plays of the game.

Jones: Yeah, it was one of my best plays, but it was just me doing my job like all the rest of the (offensive) linemen were doing up front. I got the communication from (center) Corey (Linsley). I knew that they were going 5-0, which is big for big. So, 'I've got this big guy lined up in front of me. I've got that big guy.' And they had a 'backer walk down in front of them. So we knew - seeing that look all week - we were going to go 5-0. So that's what we did, and it pretty much puts me on anybody else - any DBs. (Seattle's No.) 30 (safety Bradley McDougald) was standing in the middle of the field. They tried to bring that pressure earlier, so I kind of knew it was coming and just stepped up and (was) prepared.

Q: You faced and fell to the 49ers on the road in Week 12 but haven't lost since. What can you draw from that experience that will better prepare you for your return trip to California? You know the team and its physicality. You know the stadium. You know the field. Having already played them in their place has to be beneficial as you prepare for the NFC championship, right?

Jones: Definitely. You take a lot from any game - win, lose or draw. Like you said, you know how they're going to line up, their fronts, their stunts. What kind of pressure they like to bring. What down and distance they bring (the pressure) on, as well. So that film helps a lot. Along with - you know how they swarm. You see how they're tackling if they're tackling at the level of the ball, if they're punching the ball out when they're tackling. Their blitz patterns. So you can pick up a lot from it.

Contact Brett Christopherson at (920) 993-7117 or bchristopherson@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PCBrettC.