How Will Aaron Jones Respond to Adversity?
When the Minnesota Vikings moved on from Alexander Mattison, they did so because the former backup flopped. Dalvin Cook left, and the thought was that Mattison could take on a bigger workload. Rather than run it back, they decided to go with a proven veteran, Aaron Jones. The experience has been overwhelmingly positive thus far, but it bottomed out on Sunday.
How Will Aaron Jones Respond to Adversity?
Early in the game, with the Vikings in position to take a lead against the Arizona Cardinals, Aaron Jones fumbled at the goal line. It was his first of two fumbles on the day, and he struggled to punch it in from close. That has been a problem all season, and the touchdown tally for the Minnesota running back leaves plenty to be desired.
Throughout his career, Jones has struggled to stay on the field. He has never had a fumbling problem, and he has often converted goal-line touchdowns. Unfortunately, he’s seeing an entirely new situation pop up at this point, and the Vikings need it to stop quickly.
On Sunday against the Cardinals, Minnesota gained just 68 yards on the ground. 22-yardback Sam Darnold ran for the same 22 yard total that both Cam Akers and Jones put up on their own. The efficiency was not good, and the overall results were even worse. If there was a saving grace, it was the running back securing the game-winning touchdown after Jones dropped what should have been a completed pass earlier.
Looking ahead to the Falcons contest, Kevin O’Connell will once again trust Aaron Jones. The head coach benched him amidst the fumbling issues but went back to him after propping him up and needing a relationship-building level of trust, and relationship-building absolutely matters.
There should be no ill will from either side when kickoff takes place Sunday. That also means Jones must figure out what is forcing him to have hands made of butter. He needs a strong output on the ground, but most importantly, he needs to secure the football. His team will be leaning on him to be productive again, and that can’t result in adverse situations.
How Jones responds this weekend is definitely a narrative to watch. The main storyline is Kirk Cousins’ return to Minnesota, but Jones has largely been welcomed with open arms. If the longtime Packer back wants to avoid any angst from his coaching staff or the fanbase, a solid performance in a victory is a must.
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.
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