Inject the Aaron Jones Experience Into My Veins
Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
You know what my favorite time of the year is? The late December holiday season. The lights, the cold weather, the not having to work. You can feel the happiness and joy in the air as so many of us gather with family and friends, some of which we don’t get to see often. As a Viking fan, what could be better than enjoying all the fruits of the holiday season, while also getting the gift of seeing your favorite team play on Monday Night Football? It was so perfect.
Then Aaron Jones took a big dump in my stocking and told my family I did all my holiday shopping at The Dollar Store. Okay, he didn’t actually do that, but what he did do felt so much worse.
On December 22nd, 2019, the Green Bay Packers were slated to travel to Minnesota for a holiday showdown with the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. It was a Monday Night Football matchup that had playoff implications for both organizations. My cousin Tony (our family is super creative with names) surprised me with a ticket, and I couldn’t have been more excited.
I put on my Vikings fleece (from Kohl’s, of course) and my Vikings beanie, and with a belly full of taters I was ready to cheer on my favorite team to upset the NFC North leaders. What should have been a picturesque holiday night turned into one much more reminiscent of when your uncle yells at your aunt in the kitchen and your grandma starts crying at the dinner table.
The Packers absolutely dissected the Vikings that night. At no time did it feel as if the Vikings were even remotely in contention during the 60 minutes of play. The final score was 23-10, but it felt like 230-10 leaving the stadium.
So why does this matter? Why am I talking about 2019 in 2024? Why has no detergent been able to remove the canned cranberry sauce stain that’s still vaguely visible on my Vikings fleece? Because Aaron Jones is now a Minnesota Viking, that’s why.
One of the primary reasons the Packers won that night was on the back of Jones’ 154 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He cut through the Vikings’ defense like hot butter, to the tune of 6.7 Yards Per Carry. After having to endure that experience firsthand, one of countless games in which Jones had his way with the Vikings, it made me ponder what life would be like if MY TEAM had an Aaron Jones. Well, ponder no more, the sombrero has arrived in Minneapolis to do us no more harm.
So what can we expect from Jones in the coming 2024 season? Certainly, an improvement at the running back position from 2023. The running back-by-committee approach that never really materialized, coupled with injuries across the rest of the offense left a lot to be desired last year. If Jones can play in Purple the way he did as a visitor to U.S. Bank Stadium, we’ll all be very happy campers.
Since 2018, Jones has averaged over 100 total yards and 5.69 yards per carry in games played at U.S. Bank Stadium. Holy smokes! I used to hate it, but now I want more of it! Give me more. See if the NFL can make a uniform exception to put a Packers helmet on during games in Minnesota, I don’t care. Anything that gets him in the same mindset is fine with me.
One potential concern is Jones’ health. Jones has had an issue getting banged up throughout his years in Green Bay, and ultimately it was that and his price tag that led to his departure from his former team. Am I concerned? No. I know what this man is capable of, and how much he terrified me. I believe he can terrify other teams the same way.
I can’t see the future, but I can see the past. Thanks to Aaron Jones, I’ll never forget that 2019 holiday season. I have a feeling that the December 2024 one is going to look so much sweeter for Vikings’ fans.
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