One Small Change Can Impove the Vikings’ Red Zone Rushing Woes
Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images
It’s 2nd & Goal for the Minnesota Vikings offense with 9:53 left in the first quarter. Brian Flores’ defense was able to force a three-and-out on the Chicago Bears’ opening drive, and a 41-yard run by Aaron Jones set up an incredible chance to start fast. All that lies between the Vikings and an opening drive touchdown is a single yard.
Kevin O’Connell’s playcall is straightforward: he calls an inside run to Jones behind Cam Robinson and Blake Brandel. But Robinson (No. 74) completely whiffed on his block against defensive end DeMarcus Walker (No. 95). This allows Walker to wrap Jones by the legs as safety Jonathan Owens (No. 36) strips the ball out of Jones’ hands. What should’ve been an easy touchdown for the Vikings ends up being a turnover.
OUR BALL@jjowens_3 forces the goal-line fumble 👊 pic.twitter.com/23IqC7Orb6
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) November 24, 2024
When the Vikings signed Jones this offseason, there was hope that having a running back of his caliber would help improve their’ red zone rushing offense. While Jones is a far superior player compared to Alexander Mattison, his presence alone hasn’t been able to change the Vikings’ fortunes near the goalline. Through 11 games this season, the Vikings have only two rushing touchdowns inside the 10-yard line, and the team is tied for 29th in rushing touchdowns per game. So what will it take for the Vikings to solve their red zone rushing woes?
One thing is for certain: Despite the fumble, Jones is not the problem. Jones is still a top-10 running back who is coming off a game where he logged 106 rushing yards and a touchdown. Jones later redeemed himself with a two-yard rushing score against the Bears to put the Vikings up 23-10 late in the third quarter. This ended a 46-quarter-long red zone rushing drought for Minnesota. The last time the Vikings ran the ball for a touchdown inside the opponents’ 10-yard line was when Jones did so in the season-opener against the New York Giants.
Aaron Jones scores to give the Vikings a 24-10 lead
📺: #MINvsCHI on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/tRdnZLG8OM— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024
After the game, Jones was thankful that Kevin O’Connell continued to have faith in him after the fumble. “I wanted to get into the end zone and you lose the ball,” Jones said. “Those are the things that get you fired. I can’t do that. I got to be better than that and I told [O’Connell] thanks for sticking with me.”
Honestly, it feels like the Vikings are misusing Jones in some ways. Jones is at his best when he’s running outside and used as a pass-catcher, two areas where O’Connell has taken full advantage of his skill set in that regard. While Jones also has the contact balance to run inside, and is far more than just a pass-catching running back, goalline situations aren’t playing to his strengths. When you’re within 3 yards of the end zone, it’s hard to establish the outside running game because defenses are loading the box, and there’s far less room to run. Given Jones’ frequent injuries, it might make sense to shield him from those tough-mileage runs, anyway.
That’s why the Green Bay Packers paired Jones with A.J. Dillon. Jones needs to split snaps in the backfield with someone who has the power to get tough yards. Although Akers is a solid backup to Jones, there’s too much overlap between their weaknesses as a player. Akers is a runner who is more elusive than powerful, despite possessing above-average physical traits. When Minnesota has given the ball to Akers in the red zone, the results haven’t been much different than with Jones.
Perhaps the best solution to this issue is fullback C.J. Ham, who is currently on track for the fewest touches in his career. Not only is Ham a great blocker, but he has the power and pass-catching abilities to be a constant threat in the red zone, even if the Vikings don’t give him the rock. Kevin O’Connell showed love to C.J. Ham during his post-game victory speech after Ham’s grandfather sadly passed away Sunday morning.
"Love you, C.J. Ham"
C.J. Ham's grandfather, who lives in Chicago, passed away earlier this morning. Ham got to spend time with him last night. Ham was massive, too, in second half in run-blocking phase with lot of 21P. Could tell how much this moment meant for KOC, too. https://t.co/G4hHqVonax
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) November 24, 2024
Fullback can be a thankless position, and Ham is out there every Sunday doing the dirty work so other players can succeed. Ever since O’Connell arrived in Minnesota, Ham’s role on offense has diminished due to the increased usage of 11 personnel. O’Connell is an innovative playcaller, but oftentimes he tries to reinvent the wheel in situations where he doesn’t need to.
The Arizona Cardinals interior defensive line lacks depth and star power, and they rank 18th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game. Rather than coming up with the ultimate trick play in the red zone, O’Connell would be wise to keep things simple and exploit the Cardinals’ run defense by getting Ham involved. Even at fullback, it’s never a bad idea to see what a two-time Pro Bowler can do for you.
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