Vikings' struggles to run the ball in the red zone remain concerning

The Vikings just can't get anything going in the running game down near the goal line.

Jan 5, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) is tackled by Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31) linebacker Jack Campbell (46) and safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (6) on a third quarter run at Ford Field. / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

As they head into the first round of the playoffs, the Vikings' difficulty running the ball successfully in the red zone remains a significant concern surrounding their offense.

Here's a wild stat from Sports Info Solutions (via The Star Tribune's Ben Goessling): "Vikings running backs have been hit at the line on 72.2% of their runs inside the opponent’s 10-yard line. That’s the highest rate in the league."

Getting no yards before contact on nearly three quarters of your rushing attempts in the low red zone is pretty brutal. Additionally, Goessling notes that half of the Vikings' runs inside the 10 have gone for no gain or negative yardage, which is second-worst in the league.

It's been an issue all season (and Kevin O'Connell's entire tenure, really). The Vikings finished with nine rushing touchdowns in 2024, fourth-fewest in the league, and two of those came from non-running backs (Sam Darnold and Jordan Addison). Most of the time, they haven't been able to get anything going on the ground when they're near the goal line, which puts pressure on Darnold to deliver touchdowns in the passing game.

In Sunday night's game against the Lions, the Vikings ran 11 plays from inside the 10 and passed on nine of them. The two runs, both by Cam Akers, gained two total yards. The season-long trend of rushing ineffectively in that area of the field presumably informed O'Connell's decision to call so many pass plays in those situations. Unfortunately for the Vikings, Darnold was 1 for 9 for 3 yards inside the 10, which was the primary reason why they lost such an important game.

The run game will be worth watching in Monday night's wild card game against the Rams. When the Vikings played in LA back in October, Aaron Jones ran 19 times for 58 yards (3.1 yards per carry). In the third quarter of that game, the Vikings had a first and goal from the 4. Jones lost four yards on a carry, then gained three back on the next play. After an incompletion on third down, the Vikings settled for a short field goal.

If the Vikings are going to advance in this postseason, they can't be one-dimensional on offense. They have to find ways to run the ball well, particularly when they're close to the end zone.

---

Stay up to date on all things Vikings by bookmarking Minnesota Vikings On SI, subscribing to our YouTube channel, and signing up to receive our free Vikings newsletter.