Neal: All eyes will be on Sam Darnold, but don’t forget about Aaron Jones and Cam Akers

The Lions did it.

The Packers did it.

Even the Bears did it, for goodness sakes.

But the Vikings failed to do it.

There is a running theme among nearly all of the Rams’ seven losses during the regular season: opponents running the ball effectively. In all but one of Los Angeles’ losses, the opposing team rushed for at least 126 yards.

The Vikings failed to do so and lost to the Rams in Week 8.

Los Angeles has given up some huge yards on the ground. The Cardinals gained 231 yards against them in Week 2, and Saquon Barkley set an Eagles’ franchise record with his 255-yard game against the Rams on Nov. 24.

It’s reasonable to demand more from Darnold as he prepares to face the Rams. Strong quarterback play in the postseason is paramount, and Darnold has never taken a postseason snap.

But I’ll be watching the Vikings ground game, with lead back Aaron Jones and Cam Akers as the No. 2 back.

Yards should be available through the ground, and the pair of ball carriers will make things easier for Darnold.

“You need the running game to marry with the passing game, and the play-action,” Akers said. “So it’s important. It’s just as important as anything we do.

“So get it going early, keep it going. And see what it does for us.”

Akers was drafted by Los Angeles in 2020, tore his right Achilles tendon in July 2021 and then recovered in only 5½ months to participate in the postseason with them. A marvelous comeback. Then Akers was dealt to the Vikings in September 2023, suffered a left Achilles injury in November and successfully recovered a second time.

He began this season with Houston, and the Vikings traded for him on Oct. 15. The Vikings have thought highly of him enough to trade for him twice.

Akers led the Vikings with 65 yards rushing in the Week 17 loss at Detroit, most of it coming on a 58-yard gain. He’s a three-down back. He can catch passes — remember the third-quarter touchdown catch and the clock-killing third-down catch in the fourth quarter against the Packers in Week 17? He has helped Jones stay fresh and has filled in when Jones has been banged up.

Now Akers is facing his former team with some momentum from the Detroit game.

“Just being able to go play the next game,” he said. “There’s no extra significance or extra motivation I have. Obviously, I played there, but it doesn’t make me feel any type of way.”

If Akers isn’t playing the revenge card, Jones should be. The Green Bay reject has rushed for a career-high 1,138 yards this season while appearing in all 17 games. He has said this season has been his most fun playing football. But the Rams game was one of his lower rushing totals of the season.

The Vikings rushed for just 64 yards — 58 from Jones — in their Week 8 loss to the Rams, partly because they ran just 50 offensive plays to the Rams’ 66. Los Angeles entered the game with the 30th-ranked run defense. Akers had just been traded for, again, nine days earlier and wasn’t quite ready to contribute. But he’s contributing now, averaging 4.6 yards per carry.