Minnesota Vikings fans are very familiar with Aaron Jones. The longtime Green Bay Packer had been on multiple great offenses in Green Bay, being the lead back at the end of the Aaron Rodgers era. Now, Jones joins the long list of former Packers who joined the good side and crossed the border to Minnesota. Unlike some in the past, Jones still has more to give, as proven by his 2023 season.
How Aaron Jones Can Unlock the Vikings Offense
Aaron Jones’ 2023 Season
Before getting into the specific stats, you can’t bring up his season without the injuries. Not just last year but his entire career, injuries have played a large part. He missed six games last year and four over the previous three seasons. When he’s able to stay on the field though, he’s produced at a high level. He started the year against Chicago in a game that would foreshadow the rest of his season. He ran for 41 yards and a touchdown and broke off a huge screen pass for a touchdown, injuring his hamstring on the play. The Packer’s offense struggled in games he was injured for or struggled in, but when he played it was a much different story. In the last three weeks of the season, which were Jones’ best games, the Packers had the highest EPA per play in the NFL, with the third-highest rush EPA and second-highest success rate on running plays. He not only unlocked the rushing offense but opened Jordan Love’s ability to play off it, something the Packers offense was missing when he wasn’t on the field. He helped develop and take pressure from Love, and there’s no reason he can’t do that for Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy.
Aaron Jones gained 107 yards & 2 TD on 18 carries from under center (55.6% success rate).
Jones has gained 322 yards & averaged 5.9 YPC on carries from under center since returning from injury in Week 15, picking up a league-high 24 first downs.#GBvsDAL | #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/M0dhEFiJNi
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 15, 2024
Vikings 2023 Rushing Stats
The Vikings have had some of the greatest running backs of the last few decades. From Adrian Peterson to Dalvin Cook, Minnesota went about 15 years with an elite bell-cow running back to be a key part of their offense. Last season was the first time they didn’t have that. With veteran Alexander Mattison, Ty Chandler, and trading for Cam Akers early into the season, none of these players were able to maintain their starting spots for a variety of reasons. The Vikings were 25th in rushing EPA throughout the season, but they’ve shown flashes. Kevin O’Connell has wanted to establish a running game and use play-action when they get the run working. Signing Jones brings the Vikings back to the years when they had a legit pro-bowl-level running back who could change games through the run game and the passing game.
What this Means for Ty Chandler
Ty Chandler didn’t start getting snaps until both Akers and Mattison were sidelined with injuries, but when he did play, he was the most productive of the three. From Week 14 to the end of the season, with Chandler taking most of the snaps, the Vikings were 13th in rush EPA and 11th in rushing success rate. Where Chandler struggles in pass protection, where he was a liability in the snaps he asked to pass block. With Jones, Chandler will be able to use his explosiveness and playmaking ability without having to be put in a spot where his weaknesses are spotlighted. And if Jones does miss a game or two, Chandler has proven to be a capable starter for a few games at a time.
Main Photo: Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-USA TODAY NETWORK
