Vikings Move Closer to Full Strength
On Thursday, the Minnesota Vikings will face the Los Angeles Chargers. It’s a short week for Kevin O’Connell’s squad, too short for J.J. McCarthy to return to the field. However, one of his teammates could very well be available.
Vikings Move Closer to Full Strength
Two days ahead of the game, head coach O’Connell stepped in front of the media and announced that the Vikings would open Aaron Jones’ 21-day practice window.
A hamstring injury suffered in Week 2 has sidelined him since. He was placed on IR and has now missed the mandatory four games. Because the Vikings opened the practice window, he was eligible to take part in the walkthrough on Tuesday. There won’t be a full-speed practice this week because of the quick turnaround.
O’Connell doesn’t view that as a problem for the veteran runner, “He’s a guy that you don’t really need to get out there and test too much, cause you know, in his rehab and the work he has done on the side fields. He’s a veteran player, he knows what he has to do. He knows what he needs to feel like. We’ll be smart with Aaron, but at the same time, we know he’s here for a reason, and we know what he can bring to our offense.”
In the first game of the season, Jones rushed for only 23 yards on eight carries. He was more effective as a pass-catcher, recording three receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown from McCarthy. In Week 2, Jones was limited to five carries for 23 yards before his hamstring injury occurred.
“We’ll see how he responds,” O’Connell added, “because he didn’t play on Sunday, he can do a little bit more, either with the trainers, or side work in conjunction with what he’s doing in the walkthrough to mentally prepare where he’ll be at on Thursday.”
Wingman Jordan Mason looked more dynamic in the ground game in those two contests, but he doesn’t have Jones’ explosiveness as a receiver. There’s certainly room for both guys in potentially the strongest running back committee the offense has had in years.
Mason has 380 rushing yards and four touchdowns in his season resume. He has added another 34 yards as a receiver.
It should be noted, though, that Jones is coming off a season with over 1,500 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns. He’s not the youngest at the age of 30, but last year’s numbers don’t lie.
The offense will continue to miss McCarthy, and center Ryan Kelly won’t be back either. However, compared to a few weeks ago when they had to deploy a patchwork offensive line, the squad is relatively healthy.
If the Vikings want to feature Jones on Thursday, they have to activate him from IR and add him to the 53-man roster ahead of the game.
The Chargers rank 30th in defensive rushing DVOA and 27th in defensive rushing EPA/play. Having the one-two punch available against a bad running defense would be a major boost.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.