Vikings Bottled Up the Running Game

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If a player on the Indianapolis Colts can hurt an opposing defense, it’s Jonathan Taylor.

Vikings Bottled Up the Running Game

The former Wisconsin Badgers running back is as good as they come when he is healthy. He has missed some time this year but was ready to rock on Sunday Night Football. Then the Minnesota Vikings defense showed up.

The last couple of weeks probably had Jonathan Taylor salivating at the opportunity to face a Brian Flores defense. The pass rush couldn’t get to the quarterback, and running lanes looked abundant. Taylor seemed primed for a big performance after a 105-yard performance against the Houston Texans.

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Even though the game flow never dictated that the Colts needed to abandon the run, they all but did so as Taylor simply found no room. On 13 carries, he generated just 48 yards, the same total he came up with on 16 carries to open the season. It tied that low-water mark and broke a string of games with at least 88 yards rushing.

Despite the Vikings struggling to get their own offense going for the first half of the game, Taylor never opened things up for Joe Flacco. Minnesota kept the talented back under wraps, forcing the veteran quarterback to produce more than he was capable of.

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Conversely, Minnesota got a complete performance by integrating Cam Akers with Aaron Jones. As a change-of-pace runner, the former Packers running back continued to shoulder the heaviest load, but Akers looked spry on his six carries. Jones generated 64 yards on 21 carriers but showed a burst when finding space. Akers picked up 46 yards and looked fresh in a similar role to last season.

If it wasn’t evident that the Vikings have all but moved on from Ty Chandler when they traded for Akers, it should be now. For the second straight week, Chandler didn’t record a single touch. Jones can handle the sizable workload if he stays healthy, and Akers provides a nice complimentary talent.

Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores addressed the media from the TCO Performance Center on October 16th, 2024. Flores was hired in February 2023 to take over for Ed Donatell after Minnesota finished 30th in points allowed.

The Vikings’ running game still leaves something to be desired, but on Sunday, what mattered most was what they did to the opposing running game.

Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.