Going into the Bye, The Vikings Have a Problem to Solve
When Aaron Jones is around, the Vikings’ problem disappears in a hurry. It’s when the former Packer misses time that it comes back, though.
Indeed, the running game isn’t the same without him. Jones runs with great balance, toughness, and vision, allowing him to consistently pick up chunk gains even though he’s rapidly approaching his 30th birthday (December 2nd). If the hip injury lingers, does Ty Chandler have enough ability to keep the Vikings at least somewhat balanced?
The Vikings Have a Problem When Aaron Jones Isn’t Around
The early word is one of optimism.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk thinks that the RB1 could be ready after the bye: “Initial word is that, by the time the Vikings return to action after their Week 6 bye, Jones should be good to go.” The Florio talk gets corroborated by Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network, who reveals that there will be an MRI while nevertheless striking an optimistic tone. Per Rapoport, it “doesn’t seem like a major injury.”
So, good news overall even if there’s still a bit more information that’s needed on Mr. Jones. The issue is simply that there’s a massive gulf between the RB1 and RB2 right now.
Ty Chandler doesn’t take a backseat to anyone when it comes to speed. The man has wheels. Get him into green grass with the ball in his hands and watch out. Very few will have enough speed to hang with the third-year player who got snagged back in the infamous 2022 draft class.
Those wheels, though, haven’t been helping a ton in 2024. Consider what the rushing numbers look like for the 26-year-old playmaker:
- Week 1: 8 carries, 17 yards (2.13 average)
- Week 2: 10 carries, 82 yards (8.2 average)
- Week 3: 7 carries, 13 yards (1.86 average)
- Week 4: 3 carries, 5 yards (1.67 average)
- Week 5: 14 carries, 30 yards (2.14 average)
In fairness, the Week 2 effort was really strong, so a tip of the cap to Chandler for that game. Plus, he has caught all 6 of his targets in the passing game, so one wonders if that’s part of the key to unlocking the running back. Design a few more passing plays for him and let him pickup some positive momentum.
The overall production, though, is lacklustre.
Add the aforementioned carries and yards together for the 2024 season. The end result will be 42 carries for 147 scoreless yards and a 3.5 yards-per-carry average. Removing that Week 2 effort, though, would sink that average down to a dismally-low level.
The issue, then, is going to involve finding some way of churning out yards on the ground when Jones isn’t around. Credit to the former Packer for proving to be so excellent but the team needs to be able to produce even without him being on the field. After all, we’re talking about an older runner who missed time last season due to injury.
Minnesota’s task is to figure out what Chandler feels comfortable doing and then ensuring that they’re putting him in a position to succeed once he’s in the game. If, for instance, he does best taking a toss around the edge with C.J. Ham as the lead blocker, then lean into that strength while trying to shore up the other areas in his game.
Of course, something that’s hovering around all of this discussion is the impending return of T.J. Hockenson. The TE1 isn’t known as a world-beater when it comes to blocking, but he is another significant threat in the passing game. In theory, there should be open room for a runner when the defense is so focused on shutting down Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Hockenson in the air.
Keep an eye on the Aaron Jones injury. Ideally, he’s back in time for Week 7 and is his usually excellent self. Minnesota still has a problem, though, that needs to be fixed. Getting Ty Chandler to a point where he can at least be an average runner will go a long way in ensuring the offense reaches its full potential.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.