All Eyes Turn to One Vikings Injury
The Minnesota Vikings’ offense collapsed without him, and now onlookers will focus on Aaron Jones’ hip injury status for the next 13 days.
All Eyes Turn to One Vikings Injury
Jones fell injured in a London win over the New York Jets on Sunday, as the Vikings guided their undefeated streak to five games, with a convenient bye giving the team almost two weeks to heal. The club will need it because one side of the ball seemed lost without Jones.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said about Jones’ hip after the dub, “Keeping my fingers crossed that hopefully will be short term.”
Before the injury, Jones tabulated 7 rushing attempts for 29 yards and 1 reception for 24 yards against New York. The offense wasn’t firing on all cylinders in London with Jones, but it assuredly faceplanted when he left the game. RB2 Ty Chandler entered the game, promptly fumbled, and didn’t do much thereafter.
Courtesy of Pro Football Talk, the early Jones update sounded rosier than O’Connell’s fingers-crossed diagnosis.
“The veteran left Sunday’s 23-17 win over the Jets with a hip injury,” Mike Florio wrote late Sunday. “Initially, he was questionable to return. Then, he was ruled out. Initial word is that, by the time the Vikings return to action after their Week 6 bye, Jones should be good to go. They need him.”
Until further notice, Vikings fans will choose that update as the bankable one, mainly because of its optimism.
In 2022 and 2023, O’Connell’s offense never fully took off, as the ground game always lagged behind the passing game. And to compensate for the struggles, O’Connell would ask his quarterback to rear back and throw about 70% of the time.
However, with Jones at RB1 for 4.3 games in 2024, the offense had ascended to new heights, enabling the Vikings to run more than it had at any time since the 2021 campaign. Jones makes the offense balanced.
Thankfully, Jones’ injury arrived at the “perfect” time with the bye underway. Minnesota should also receive tight end T.J. Hcokenson back in the lineup in Week 7 or Week 8, so perhaps his addition could mitigate any would-be Jones absence.
On the whole, a Jones-less offense was on full display in London, and nobody besides New York and the team’s fans enjoyed it. Minnesota could probably find ways to win games sans Jones, but he’s a main reason the team is 5-0 and owns a legitimate Super Bowl contender title.
Jones will turn 30 in December.
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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