Sep 15, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) fakes a hand off to running back Aaron Jones (33) against the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
In a Minnesota Vikings game on Sunday, when everything felt a little messy, the purple team escaped with a win and an unknown outlook on running back Aaron Jones.
The Vikings held on against the Jacksonville Jaguars, using 4 field goals from new kicker Parker Romo to outlast the AFC foe, and in the 2nd Half, Jones took a sharp hit in the side that led to his exit.
Jones returned late in the 4th Quarter, but onlookers weren’t too sure about his trajectory for Week 11 and beyond.
Well, according to Jones personally — he’s fine, which would explain why he returned to the Week 10 tilt in Jacksonville. “We did an X-ray, a little sore now, but not near as bad as I thought it was gonna be from the initial hit,” Jones told reporters after the 12-7 triumph.
“I thought it might’ve cracked something. But I’m good. God’s good. He had his protection on me. It’s not the prettiest, but we got it done.”
The update is quite optimistic for a team that scored no touchdowns on Sunday. Suddenly, Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold cannot avoid throwing interceptions, delivering three gifts via interception to the Jaguars and damn near the game. Imagining next weekend at the Tennessee Titans with an inaccurate Darnold, plus no Jones, in theory, might’ve caused heartburn. But all seems well, according to Jones.
Without Jones, Minnesota primarily relied on Cam Akers, who joined the team via trade in October. Akers didn’t quite pack the same punch as Jones, adding 47 yards from scrimmage on 14 touches. The RB2 is fine in spots relieving Jones, but an RB1 Akers may not net dividends.
Jones had an earlier bout with injury this season, too. In a Week 5 contest against the New York Jets in London, he hurt his hamstring — and the Vikings’ offense immediately stopped working. Thankfully, the team had a bye the following week, and Jones healed just in time for Week 7.
“We just stick with it, continue to grind, and get better every day. Come back out next Sunday and make it look better,” Jones added about his team’s performance.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said about the win, “Execution of the team around the offense when you don’t have the performance that you want in any other aspect, that’s a team win, and these guys can have a lot of confidence moving forward from that.”
Next for the Vikings? The road game at Tennessee and Minnesota is favored by 6.5 points. Jones should be ready for the meeting, though it won’t be strange for him to be listed on the injury report.
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.