After a costly fumble in the red zone on Sunday at the Superdome, veteran running back Aaron Jones was stuck in the blue medical tent, unable to cheer on the defense while it tried to bail him out for his mistake.<\/p>\n
After the Minnesota Vikings allowed the New Orleans Saints to score a touchdown on the ensuing possession, Jones strapped on his helmet, trotted off the sideline and joined the rest of the offense in the huddle.<\/p>\n
His return to action felt like his way of trying to right a wrong. He knew he screwed up by putting the ball on the ground. He wanted to atone sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnytime I make a mistake I hold myself accountable and try to make up for it,\u201d Jones said. \u201cI was on the sideline, and I definitely felt like, \u2018I\u2019ve got to go make up for it.\u2019 It\u2019s not what I wanted. I had to lead by example.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s exactly what Jones did despite the fact he wasn\u2019t operating at 100%.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, I feel bad for him sometimes,\u201d quarterback Kyler Murray said with a laugh. \u201cIt looks like he\u2019s hobbling, and he just keeps going.\u201d<\/p>\n
It ended up being the best game in recent memory for Jones as he finished with a career-high-tying 25 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown. The only other time he has gotten that much work was on Dec. 29, 2019.<\/p>\n
It was the latest example of Jones shouldering the load in the absence of Jordan Mason. The importance of that can\u2019t be overstated with the Vikings sitting at a perfect 5-0 heading into the bye week.<\/p>\n
The original plan for the Vikings was to have Jones and Mason share the responsibilities in the backfield. Maybe a 50-50 split. Maybe some stretches of riding the hot hand. Maybe even Jones eventually ceding some reps to Mason for good.<\/p>\n
That went out the window when Mason suffered a broken thumb that required surgery and landed him on injured reserve. The stats speak for themselves over the past month, as Jones has recorded 85 carries since Mason went down.<\/p>\n
There hasn\u2019t been anybody to spell Jones in the backfield. No help walking through that door. Not once has he complained.<\/p>\n
Though the presence of veteran DeeJay Dallas and rookie Demond Claiborne offered a breather here and there, the Vikings leaned on Jones as much as humanly possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has responded in a way that it\u2019s hard to even put into words his toughness,\u201d head coach Kevin O\u2019Connell said. \u201cHe has been an absolute pro. He\u2019s a warrior. Just so thankful that we have Aaron Jones on our team.\u201d<\/p>\n
As he should be. There\u2019s no way the Vikings are undefeated without him. Heck, the Vikings might not even beat the Saints without Jones coming back into the game because they would\u2019ve been left with Dallas and Claiborne to pick up the pieces.<\/p>\n
After being cleared to return, Jones continued to grind out chunks of yards to move the chains as the Vikings slowly but surely retook control. He capped his performance by running over a defender en route to a touchdown that proved to be the difference.<\/p>\n
Is he ever going to take a handoff, wiggle through a sliver of space and turn on the afterburners en route to a long touchdown run? No. That dynamism is reserved for the elite of the elite, like Atlanta\u2019s Bijan Robinson or Detroit\u2019s Jahmyr Gibbs.<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t mean there isn\u2019t value in the skill set Jones brings to the table. His willingness to take punishment without hesitation has allowed the Vikings to stay committed to the run game amid a stretch that could end up defining the season.<\/p>\n
That explains why O\u2019Connell gave Jones a game ball for his efforts. He knows that the Vikings wouldn\u2019t have been able to withstand that adversity without somebody like that leading the charge.<\/p>\n
After accepting the game ball in the locker room, Jones asked O\u2019Connell if he could say something to his teammates. He kept it short and sweet. He just wanted to thank them for having his back after his costly fumble in the red zone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it didn\u2019t go right, y\u2019all was there to pick me up,\u201d Jones said. \u201cThat\u2019s what brothers do. So thank y\u2019all boys.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the least his teammates could do after everything Jones has done for them over the past month.<\/p>\n
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