The Minnesota Vikings have ridden their running game over the first two weeks. But ahead of their Week 3 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they may have forgotten to stock up on running backs.
Jordan Mason wound up on injured reserve after suffering a thumb fracture in the season-opening win over the Green Bay Packers. While Aaron Jones filled in successfully in a Week 2 win over the Chicago Bears, he tweaked his knee, leaving his availability in doubt for Sunday’s game in Tampa Bay.
DeeJay Dallas and rookie Demond Claiborne are at the bottom of the depth chart, but the Vikings still may be without a suitable option. And for all of the work that they did this offseason, their lack of running back depth could flush all of it down the drain if they don’t return to health soon.
Vikings' lack of depth could sabotage their running game
The Vikings spent all offseason trying to revamp their running game, and for good reason.
Since Kevin O’Connell took over in 2022, the Vikings rank 25th in the NFL with 4.1 yards per carry. The Vikings also rank 29th in rushing attempts, largely because they couldn’t get the efficiency they needed on the ground.
With that in mind, the Vikings went to work. Offensive line coach Chris Kuper parted ways, and a more physical approach has been brought in by Keith Carter.
The scheme was also revised by new assistant head coach Frank Smith, whose rushing offense averaged 4.5 yards per carry (6th) during his four seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins.
The Vikings have reaped early benefits as they ran the ball 34 times for 107 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers and 119 yards on 28 carries against the Bears.
They may see more success as Kyler Murray returns from a concussion, potentially adding another wrinkle to the running game. But when it comes to talent, the Vikings were always playing with a house of cards.
Mason has been durable for the most part during his career, and the wide zone scheme the Vikings installed is similar to the one he played in during his time with the San Francisco 49ers. But Mason is more of a serviceable back than an explosive weapon.
Jones is a little more dynamic, but he’s also 32 years old. While he carried the ball 23 times in the win over the Bears and was at Thursday’s practice, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, he didn’t come out of that game unscathed, and even if the Vikings give him RB1 work on Sunday, he may not last much longer with a large number of carries.
With Dallas more of a special teams player, this would be a great spot for Claiborne to step up. But while Jones compared his burst to Detroit Lions star Jahmyr Gibbs, he was inactive in Week 1 and had just one reception for two yards against the Bears.
Although the Vikings have Jerome Ford and Jaret Patterson on the practice squad, neither is likely to rack up a large number of touches, which brings a lot of questions in the present and down the road.
Vikings must add talent to their running back room
The good news is that Mason isn’t expected to remain on IR once he reaches the minimum of four games, meaning he’ll likely return for a Week 7 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. But even when he returns, Jones could be dragging, meaning Claiborne will likely need to step up and take a bigger role.
While Claiborne was impressive during camp, he’s also a sixth-round pick who has had issues with ball security and pass protection.
If Claiborne falls into the same bin as former running back Ty Chandler, it could leave the Vikings to be aggressive to address the problem next offseason, either in free agency or with a pick in next April’s draft.
Whatever the answer is, the Vikings need to stay healthy in the short term and add talent for the long run. With that, it’s fair to wonder how long Minnesota’s success on the ground will last and whether not adding another back last offseason will come back to haunt them.
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