Aaron Jones Gives KOC the Freedom To Change His Ways
Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Running backs are considered a dying breed in an NFL landscape that keeps shifting toward dynamic passing attacks that boost scoring, increase fan interest, and maximize ratings. The league’s economics show this as well, as running backs are now the lowest-paid non-special-teams position. Christian McCaffrey is the Jeff Bezos of running backs, making a scant $16 million per season, which wouldn’t even get him into the top-25 among, say, wide receivers.
The compensation is out-of-line with the value they provide on the field, which is still essential. But the position has always been grueling, and there are always talented, fresh legs coming out of college to replace an aging back with some wear and tear. Very rarely do teams have a true bell-cow, three-down running back anymore, as most of the NFL has shifted to timeshares to preserve health and limit injuries.
This is the case with the Minnesota Vikings, who are utilizing both former Green Bay Packer Aaron Jones and third-year running back Ty Chandler to spearhead their ground attack. It might have been easy for Vikings fans to forget that running backs are still valuable after watching Alexander Mattison struggle as their starter last season. But through one week, Jones and Chandler are reminding Minnesotans what a good running game can do for a team.
It’s hard to exaggerate just how bad Mattison was last year. He rated as the second-worst short-yardage back in the league in 2023, getting stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage a staggering 50% of the time. The man had zero touchdowns last season… Zero! Compared to that, Week 1’s game against the New York Giants was a revelation.
On just the second Vikings drive of the day, Jones displayed his burst by outrunning a linebacker to the corner of the end zone for his first touchdown of the season. That speed and instinct for converting short-yardage plays was non-existent last year.
AARON JONES FIRST TD AS A VIKING!!! 😤
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/e0ZwFN5sQo
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 8, 2024
Over Kevin O’Connell’s first two seasons, the Vikings haven’t finished better than 27th in rushing attempts. Fans have debated whether this lack of balance in play-calling was due to having poor personnel at running back or if KOC’s philosophy was simply geared toward a pass-heavy offense. Without an efficient running game, it was hard to tell.
If Week 1 is any indication, O’Connell is showing he recognizes the impact of the running game, especially on early downs. His Vikings ran 13 times on first down, compared to seven passing plays. In 2023, the Vikings were 23rd in the NFL in rushing attempts on first down, which suggests that O’Connell’s hesitancy to run the ball stemmed from Mattison’s limitations.
That’s not a worry with Jones. On Sunday, No. 33 was the highest-rated offensive player in the league by Pro Football Focus, earning a 90.9 total offensive grade, and the offensive line did their part as well, with the eight-best run-blocking grade. O’Connell will need to continue to marry the running game with the passing attack to keep pressure off Sam Darnold against tougher opponents, such as the San Francisco 49ers this week. Jones will allow the Vikings to do just that.
The former Packer offers everything Minnesota desperately needed at the position: an elusive, strong running back who excels at gaining yards after contact. That last part is imperative, as gaining positive yardage even when conditions are not perfect is necessary to sustaining long drives. The video below demonstrates the significance of having a running back who can make defenders miss regularly:
#Vikings RB Aaron Jones had the 2nd most rushing yards over expected vs the #Giants on Sunday with 39, according to @NextGenStats. (H/T: @vikesinsider)
His effort in his runs is unmatched.
🎥: @FriesFootball pic.twitter.com/gNvLJO4SHi
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) September 11, 2024
Jones’ strong showing in terms of gaining yards after contact is no fluke. Last season, Jones was sixth in the league in yards after contact per attempt (meanwhile, Mattison was 38th). During Sunday’s win, Jones was second in the NFL with 74 yards after contact, which accounted for 79% of his total rushing yards. If not for his top-tier elusiveness, we’d be writing a much, much different story.
Week 2’s matchup with the 49ers will present new challenges for the Vikings offense. San Francisco boasts a stout defense with playmakers on all three levels. Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, and Fred Warner are each instinctive players who can make plays along the line of scrimmage, which will cause problems if players like Garrett Bradbury and Ed Ingram cannot hold their blocks better. The left side of the offensive line, where Christian Darrisaw and Blake Brandel pave the way, should be the area where the Vikings focus their rushing attack.
O’Connell must not abandon the run game, even if San Francisco jumps out to a 10-point lead. Jones is too much of a difference-maker to ignore, and the defense showed in Week 1 that they can be trusted to get the ball back in the hands of Darnold, Jones, and Justin Jefferson.
While Jones is the headliner, Minnesota also counted on Chandler for stretches in Week 1 to keep the 29-year-old Jones fresh. Despite his eight carries for 17 yards last Sunday, Chandler has shown flashes of brilliance before and has the speed (a 4.38 40-yard dash) to make plays. He will need to develop into a better blitz protector while still making plays with his legs.
O’Connell mentioned throughout the offseason the importance of integrating the run game more, and he is walking the walk. That’s much easier to do when an experienced runner like Jones is at his disposal. The question is whether the coach will continue to leverage that weapon throughout the season to make the offense less predictable than last year. Sunday’s tilt against the 49ers will be a perfect test for that.
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