Everything was right in the world when the Minnesota Vikings got running back Aaron Jones back in Week 9. Ultimately, his return was short-lived. He put up stellar numbers against the Detroit Lions, but was sidelined with yet another injury. After missing a large chunk of time this season, Minnesota knew its best chance to make the playoffs this year was with the 30-year-old on the field.
Aaron Jones Should Be Good To Go In Week 10
While it’s still a little too early to tell, all signs are pointing towards Jones being out on the field in Week 10. He was lights out against the Lions, posting nine carries for 78 yards. He averaged 8.7 yards per attempt, nearly double his high this season prior to that point. Also, Jones added two receptions for 20 yards.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero posted, “Vikings RB Aaron Jones, who was dominating early in Detroit before leaving the game, suffered an AC joint sprain. Belief is it’s minor and he believes he’ll be able to play next week.”
Jones played in the first two games this year before going down with an injury. He returned on October 23 against the Los Angeles Chargers, but only had five carries for 15 yards. His true return was against Detroit, one that head coach Kevin O’Connell couldn’t get enough of.
“Aaron Jones came out of the game there, evaluated for I believe a shoulder and a toe,” O’Connell said. “We’ll see where he’s at. Hope to get some good news on Aaron. Thought it was a big thing to have him back on the field with us.”
Jones was limited in practice on Thursday and is currently questionable to play in Week 10.
According to PFSN’s RB Impact Metric, Jones was the highest graded player in Week 9. Knowing how well he would’ve finished if he played the entire game, it’s not hard to justify his spot at No. 1 in the rankings. He was even rated higher than the Chicago Bears’ Kyle Monangai, who stole the show against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Jones’ B+ grade shows just how much better the Vikings are when he’s on the field. They were able to hold on against the Lions in what could prove to be a massive game come the end of the season. No other player had higher than a B-, a crew that saw Monangai and two other players.
Should Jones suit up in Week 10, one would have to wonder if O’Connell is going to limit him with a snap count. Jones has struggled to remain healthy this season, but his usage will likely depend on how the game is going.