Vikings running back Aaron Jones was feeling his seven carries on the 12-play drive when he leapt for the end-zone railing in celebration of his 1-yard, third-quarter touchdown Monday night against the Bears.
In a game with few explosive plays, Vikings running back Aaron Jones went to work
With the Bears defense focused on the Vikings receiving corps, Jones totaled over 100 all-purpose yards and scored his 50th career rushing touchdown.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
December 17, 2024 at 6:21PM
He couldn’t quite pull himself up to the top to pose among the fans.
“I was tired,” Jones said postgame. “Little embarrassed I couldn’t get up there.”
Instead, he improvised, swinging out into a Spider-Manesque pose toward the camera and doing a salsa as a secondary celebration when he jumped down.
He then donned sunglasses on the sideline and was showed on the video board as the stadium speakers blasted “HOT TO GO!” by Chappell Roan.
Jones was hot Monday even as the Vikings celebrated their winter roots, rushing for 86 yards on 18 carries and adding another 20 on two receptions.
He scored his 50th career rushing touchdown and is now at 70 total with his receiving scores added in.
“It means a lot. Fifty, I feel like that’s a good milestone,” Jones said. “Trying to get to 100.”
Jones' milestone score and the ensuing celebration was just about the highest-energy moment in a blue-collar offensive performance for the Vikings.
The game’s highlight reel includes more field goals than flashy, explosive plays on offense. The Vikings only had one play over 20 yards in the game. Everyone did their part; no one solely occupied the spotlight.
Jones said it shows their offense doesn’t need to be fancy. When they go out and execute, they’re going to win every play.
At least in terms of the stat sheet, it was a fairly stark contrast to the previous meeting between the Bears and the Vikings, when wide receiver Jordan Addison posted 162 yards, tight end T.J. Hockenson finished with 114 and Jones himself had 106 and a 2-yard touchdown even after an early goal-line fumble.
The Bears defense played mainly cloud coverage with two high safeties, Addison and Jones said, opening up the run game as they tried to prevent big games from the Vikings receiving corps.
But wide receiver Justin Jefferson didn’t think that had anything to do with Jones' noteworthy night.
“Aaron Jones is gonna be Aaron Jones regardless of what defense they play,” Jefferson said. “Seeing the amount of effort that he’s doing after the first contact is what’s crazy to me. Fighting for those extra yards, getting those first downs, that’s the biggest thing. Just extending those drives, making those big plays for us to keep the ball moving, having a back like that is tremendous.”
Jones had 55 yards after contact for an average of 3.06 per carry against the Bears, according to Pro Football Focus.
PFF credits 653 (66.7%) of his 979 rushing yards this season as being after contact. That’s 10th-best in the league among all running backs. Eagles running back and MVP contender Saquon Barkley leads with 956 yards after contact.
Though it was a reception and not a rush, Jones showed that fight for extra yards when he stepped past one Bears defender at his feet, ran another 7 yards and then stretched his arm to reach the first down marker as a defender slammed into him.
The play converted a third-and-17, and the Vikings went on to score a field goal at drive’s end, pushing their lead to 13-0 early in the second quarter.
Even on his 1-yard touchdown rush, Jones stepped over a defender grabbing at his ankles for the score after cutting up through the C-gap between offensive lineman Brian O’Neill and wide receiver Trent Sherfield Sr.
“The blocking unit did a good job,“ Jones said. ”Even when the ball got to the perimeter, the receivers, tight ends, they were blocking their butts off.”
Jones' performance Monday night wasn’t a standout because of his stat line. He’s rushed for more yards on six occasions this season.
It served as a reminder that Minnesota’s offense isn’t just its household name receivers.
When the Vikings offense needs its run game to step up, Jones puts his head down and gets to work.
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The Vikings do not think right tackle Brian O'Neill will miss any additional time with a knee injury sustained Monday night against the Bears while cornerback Stephon Gilmore is ramping up his practice time and could play Sunday against the Seahawks.
