Running back Aaron Jones had an impressive regular season debut with the Minnesota Vikings by rushing for 94 yards and a touchdown on just 14 carries.
Thanks in large part to his play, the Vikings humbled the New York Giants 28-6 and got their season started on the right foot.
They now face a tough test in Week 2 when they host the San Francisco 49ers, the defending NFC champs who trounced the New York Jets on “Monday Night Football.”
Jones fell just short of 100 rushing yards in Week 1 but said, “We’ll get it this week,” via Will Ragatz of Bring Me The Sports.
Aaron Jones said he appreciated Kevin O’Connell trying to get him to 100 yards on Sunday. “We’ll get it this week.” pic.com/lIW7zUY03Y
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) September 11, 2024
Jones played his first seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers, where he formed a strong running back tag team with AJ Dillon.
The Packers essentially replaced him with Josh Jacobs, who led the NFL in rushing yards with the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2022 season, and Jones ended up joining the NFC North rival Vikings.
Minnesota got a tough break during the preseason when rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered a meniscus injury and was ruled out for the season.
Sam Darnold, a former No. 3 overall pick who has been seen as a bust so far, is now the Vikings’ starting quarterback, and he played well against the lowly Giants, going 19-for-24 for 208 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
It will be up to Jones to carry a heavy load and surpass the 100-yard mark several times if the Vikings are to have any real chance of making the playoffs this season.
