Changes at key spots for Vikings don't change how to defend them

The Minnesota Vikings added Aaron Jones this offseason and changed out Kirk Cousins for Sam Darnold, but that stopping the pass is still priority No. 1.

Aaron Jones has fundamentally changed the structure of the Minnesota Vikings offense. They’re a top-five unit running the ball by success rate and in estimated points added per rush. They’re putting teams away late in games, and protecting journeyman quarterback Sam Darnold on early downs by setting him up in favorable downs and distances. Stop. The. Run.

Makes sense, right? Well, none of it is true … err, almost none of it.

The Vikings are 5th in EPA/rush and success rate this season, but excluding garbage time, the Vikings are 20th in EPA/rush and 22nd in success rate. They were dreadful running the ball last year, so this has to be one of those, “Well, a little below-average is better than absolutely terrible,” situations, surely. But that’s not true either. Last year, Minnesota was — wait for it — 20th in EPA/rush when they had a win probability between 20 and 80%.

And while it would be intuitive to believe the Vikings’ success throwing the ball is because of the threat of Jones thanks to play-action, the team’s play-action usage from Kirk Cousins is down slightly with Darnold. The Vikings are 8th in early-down pass frequency this season, up from 10th last year.

They’re just dropping back on early downs and slinging it.

Jeff Hafley has the Green Bay Packers defense playing extremely well since a slick surface scuttled their debut in Week 1 but that Philadelphia Eagles game was the last time Green Bay saw a group of receivers this good. At times, Jaire Alexander shadowed A.J. Brown, while others they played sides with their cornerbacks.