The Minnesota Vikings offense looked docile without Aaron Jones, who suffered a hip injury in Week 5 that has left him “week-to-week,” according to coach Kevin O’Connell.
The Vikings gained just five rushing yards in the second half of their nail-biting 23-17 win over the New York Jets on October 6 as backup Ty Chandler struggled. The game should have been put away in the second half, but the deficiencies in the run game made it difficult for the offense to sustain drives.
Even when Jones, 30, returns, Minnesota is one play away from the same struggles.
Entering the bye week with a 5-0 record, the Vikings should consider fortifying the running back room — and Cleveland Browns star Nick Chubb should be a conversation.
Coming back from a torn ACL and MCL he sustained in Week 2 of the 2023 season, Chubb returned to practice last week and is nearing his comeback for a Browns team that seems ready to implode. Cleveland is currently 1-4 entering a Week 6 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Deshaun Watson experiment has not panned out, and the Browns may be ready to part ways with veteran talent to accelerate a rebuild.
Chubb, 28, is in the final year of a renegotiated deal following his injury and would cost just $1.3 million on this year’s cap. He was coming off four straight Pro Bowl appearances before his injury. But considering his age and the contract restructure, Cleveland seems poised to move in a different direction at running back by next season.
The Browns could recoup a fifth-round pick from the Vikings, who could make an all-in move to fortify their running back with a playoff appearance looking inevitable.
Meanwhile, the Vikings could split the backfield work between Jones and Chubb to keep both veterans fresh without a drop-off in productivity.
Jones has fueled a revitalized Vikings run game this season despite middling run-blocking from the offensive line. He grades high in one key statistical category: yards after contact.
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis pointed to Jones’ ability to create after-contact, citing the team’s potential need to add to the running back room during the bye week.
“Let’s begin with Aaron Jones, who is averaging 4.9 yards per carry this season, more than all but six starting NFL running backs. A more insightful data point explaining his impact might be his average yards after contact (3.55 yards), the fourth-best number in the NFL,” Lewis wrote. “Think of it this way: Jones has generated nearly triple the amount of rushing yardage after contact than before it, making up for poor blocks and even enhancing the yardage when the rushes have been blocked correctly.”
In 2022, Chubb averaged 3.48 yards after contact per carry and has a 3.93 career average, per Pro Football Focus.
If the four-time Pro Bowler shows signs of the same elusiveness he’s had over his career in his return to action this Sunday, he would make an ideal replacement and running mate for Jones.
Vikings Must Address Offensive Line During Bye Week
In addition to assessing the running back room, the Vikings should take a look at potentially shaking up the offensive front.
Guard Ed Ingram has given up the second-most pressures (17) by any player at his position. No guard has more pressures allowed (122 in 39 career games) since 2022.
The Vikings could look outside the organization or consider moving veteran Dalton Risner into the starting lineup. Risner started the season on injured reserve with a back injury but is expected to rejoin the team in practice soon.
