As veteran running back Aaron Jones stood on the sidelines last weekend at MetLife Stadium, he figured he probably wasn’t going to touch the field again. At that point, the Vikings were already well on their way to a 28-6 win over the New York Giants, so Jones assumed reserve running back Myles Gaskin would get the nod for the final series of the game.
After a dominant closing stretch with the Green Bay Packers last season, Jones came to the Vikings this season having rushed for more than 100 yards in five straight games. There was a chance to make it six straight games with Jones closing in on 100 yards late in the game between the Vikings and Giants.
Those types of milestones are important to players, and coach Kevin O’Connell knows it. So coming out of a stoppage, he decided to give Jones one more carry to go over the century mark. Unfortunately for Jones, he only gained a yard on the play, and he finished with 14 carries for 94 yards.I really respect Kevin for that,” Jones said. “He left me in there.”The fact that O’Connell was willing to do that meant something to Jones.
I’d like to thank him for that,” Jones said. “That was special.”Though he didn’t go over 100 yards against the Giants, Jones is hoping to do so against the San Francisco 49ers this weekend. That would be the start of a new streak for him.“We’ve got 16 games left,” Jones said. “Hopefully I get it 16 games in a row.”
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