The Minnesota Vikings scored an impressive win on Sunday, outlasting the Chicago Bears by a score of 9-3. The win was not pretty, as the Vikings won on a rainy day at Soldier Field, but a big reason they came away with the victory was their decision to stick with the running game.
The Vikings ran the ball 28 times on Sunday, racking up 119 yards. Aaron Jones was the workhorse in the absence of Jordan Mason, carrying the ball 23 times for 105 yards while grinding through a knee injury in the second half.
The performance helped keep the Bears’ explosive offense off the field, and it killed the clock, including an 11-play, 67-yard drive that took 5:12 and ended with a 39-yard field goal by Will Reichard to secure the win.
For a team that has been reluctant to trust its running game in the past, Sunday’s win felt like a breakthrough that validated all of their changes in the offseason.
It also showed that those changes were more than just lip service, and it could unlock a new element that the Vikings haven’t had since Kevin O’Connell arrived in 2022.
Kevin O'Connell finally made the change the Vikings needed
The use of the running game has been one of the biggest criticisms of O’Connell’s tenure with the Vikings.
Minnesota has ranked higher than 27th in rushing attempts just once since O’Connell was hired, and if it weren't for watering down the offense in the final five weeks of last season, the Vikings likely would have finished with less than the 410 attempts they had last season.
The lack of runs also came with a good reason on paper. From 2022-25, the Vikings ranked 25th in the NFL with 4.2 yards per carry.
By comparison, Minnesota ranked 16th with 6.2 net yards per pass attempt, a number that would also look better if J.J. McCarthy, Max Brosmer, and Carson Wentz didn’t drag it down with their play last season.
Year | Rushing Attempts | Ranking | Yards Per Carry | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | 404 | 27th | 4.1 | 26th |
2023 | 393 | 28th | 4.0 | 23rd |
2024 | 457 | 15th | 4.1 | 23rd |
2025 | 410 | 27th | 4.5 | 12th |
Still, the Vikings' lack of balance created a problem with their offense. By ranking eighth in passing attempts during those four years, teams could sit in Cover 2 and prevent Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and the rest of the playmakers from making big plays downfield.
It also neutralized the Vikings' ability to produce in play-action, as teams could bank on the Vikings throwing it more than running it.
This led to O’Connell making some major changes in the offseason. The first was firing offensive line coach Chris Kuper and replacing him with Keith Carter.
While this move has raised questions about its long-term viability due to Carter’s coaching style, the Vikings have embraced it, resulting in a more physical brand of play in the trenches.
The second key move was hiring Frank Smith as their assistant head coach.
The former offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins, Smith led a running game that was sixth in yards per attempt (4.5) but ranked just 26th in rushing attempts (1,726) over the past four seasons.
This has also had a more immediate impact with the use of fullback Max Bredeson and the pistol formation, and it has given the Vikings a wide-zone scheme that fits Mason and Jones’s strengths.
Vikings' running game could take their 2-0 start to another level
Both moves were a great start, but it still required O’Connell to buy in. The first two weeks show that O’Connell has done that, as the Vikings rank eighth in rushing attempts.
Perhaps more impressively, O’Connell has stuck with the running game despite ranking 24th with 3.6 yards per carry entering Monday night’s game between the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants.
The difference could be seen on the opposite sideline Sunday when Ben Johnson kept trying to get his aerial attack going. While Chicago had 31 rushing attempts in the afternoon, five were scrambles by Williams before he got injured.
The Bears also threw the ball 35 times and were sacked on four plays, meaning Chicago had a 44-26 pass-to-run ratio on a day when everyone had trouble holding onto the ball.
There’s also a chance that O’Connell could find even more reasons to run the ball as the season progresses.
Kyler Murray is a dual-threat quarterback who likely had some designed runs baked in before suffering a concussion after 11 plays in Week 1, and the Vikings are still high on Demond Claiborne, although he had just one touch in his NFL debut on Sunday.
Had O’Connell reverted back to the “Air Darnold” offense he tried to run last season, the Vikings probably wouldn't win this game. It could also even out once the Vikings have a better passer on the field next week.
But by leaning on Jones and what the Vikings could become on the ground, it may finally be enough to make O’Connell realize what they can do on the ground.
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