Vikings' Aaron Jones Calls Out Critics: They Said We'd Win 6 Games and Finish Last

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones is savoring how much the team has defied its preseason expectations.

"Nobody really believed in us," he said to The MMQB's Albert Breer. "They were saying you're going to win six games and finish last in the division. Everything we did was done in the dark, but it was never dark in that facility. It was always fun to come to work. We always believed in each other. [Head coach Kevin O'Connell] told us we would be right where we are right now."

Jones joked he believes O'Connell "can see the future if you ask me."

While the Vikings didn't execute an outright rebuild in the offseason, it looked like they were content to pursue a one-year reset after losing Kirk Cousins in free agency. Surely a franchise that signed Sam Darnold to be the stopgap at quarterback didn't have serious playoff aspirations.

Peruse any power rankings from August on and you're likely to find Minnesota hovering near the middle of the pack or in the lower third of the NFL.

Instead, the Vikings have blown past their general projections. Should they beat the Detroit Lions in Week 18, they'll win the NFC North and clinch the top seed in the conference.

Maybe this is merely a repeat of 2022, when Minnesota's 13-4 record flattered a team with a negative point differential and an exit in the Wild Card Round followed. Of the seven playoff qualifiers in the NFC, only the Washington Commanders have a lower strength of victory percentage than the Vikings (.404).

But O'Connell and his players have more than earned the right to take a few moments and enjoy how much they've silenced their skeptics so far.