Aaron Jones Can Feast on Sunday
The Minnesota Vikings brought in Aaron Jones to turn around their running back room. Alexander Mattison was a massive flop last season, and Jones has proven to be a high-quality bellcow. If he is looking to start on a good note, the Giants are a team to be excited about.
Aaron Jones Can Feast on Sunday
Last season, Aaron Jones struggled to stay healthy for the Green Bay Packers. That has been the theme of his career. When on the field, he has been incredibly productive. The problem has always been how much he is available. Of course, the Vikings have Ty Chandler for that scenario, but Jones is out to prove he is good to go.
Last year Jones posted just 656 yards in 11 games. He would love to surpass his career high of 1,121 yards from 2022 this season. The Minnesota Vikings should present him with that opportunity, and the New York Giants’ defense was lackluster against the run last season.
Allowing more than 2,200 yards on the ground, only the Cardinals, Seahawks, and Broncos were gashed more than New York. Opposing backs chalked up a whopping 4.7 yards per carry, and that was worse than everyone in football except for Denver. They ceded 24 rushing touchdowns (2nd worst) and allowed 15 rushes for more than 20 yards.
Brian Daboll hopes his Giants look much better than they did a year ago. The defense could still find themselves on the field often with quarterback uncertainty from Daniel Jones. If the offense isn’t going to score, or at least control time of possession, then it gets even more difficult for the defense to stay stout against the run.
It remains to be seen how O’Connell will sprinkle in his new toy. Jones may wind up being the best back O’Connell has employed as a head coach, and he should be prominently featured. If that winds up being the case, the offense could become a bit more balanced, or Jones could factor heavily into the passing game. The Vikings will want to utilize all their playmakers on offense, and opportunities for multiple players will be plentiful.
Minnesota has had some truly great rushing attacks over the years. It has been a bit since we have seen one be truly noteworthy, but Jones could be the next in line.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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