Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) carries the ball as New York Giants safety Tyler Nubin (31) defends during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Last week was significant for Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones. He was coming off a disastrous performance against the Arizona Cardinals. Even aside from the lacking production, Jones fumbled twice and nearly cost his team the game.
He quickly put the performance behind him and looked much more like himself against the Atlanta Falcons. Jones rushed 13 times and tallied 74 yards for a 5.6 yards per carry average. He found paydirt and caught a couple of passes out of the backfield.
It’s that sort of performance that Minnesota needs to see the rest of the way. Jones was brought in to distance the Vikings from what happened with Alexander Mattison. They needed a proven runner that could be reliable for a consistent production level. So far, Jones has been every bit of that.
The Vikings have seen an otherwise often-injured back play through small nicks. He has remained on the field and is yet to miss a game this year. The fumbles have been unfortunate, but the Cardinals game really stood out.
Chicago represents a sizable opportunity for Jones as well. He turned in 106 yards on 22 carries when the teams matched up just a couple of weeks ago. He also scored a touchdown in that game and added three catches while the Bears swarmed Justin Jefferson.
It remains to be seen how Chicago’s secondary will react to the superstar wideout this time around. A different man coaches them in Thomas Brown, and the scheme could look different than what Matt Eberflus brought to the table. For the Vikings to be well-rounded, though, Jones needs to eat.
The Vikings have done a good job getting Jones the rock early and often. If he can protect it for another good week, then there’s a chance he hits the century mark against the division rival once again. As large favorites, there could be an opportunity to chew the clock in the second half. There should be high expectations on the veteran for Monday Night Football, and he should rise to the challenge once again.
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 daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.