This is why the Vikings kept Alexander Mattison
EAGAN — There have been five games in Alexander Mattison’s career in which he carried the ball more than 20 times. He gained at least 90 yards and averaged more than four yards per carry in all of those contests and totaled 24 catches for 225 yards.
It doesn’t get much better than that for RB2s around the NFL. Just ask fantasy players who have routinely drafted him as a “handcuff.”
It’s possible the Minnesota Vikings could have to call upon Mattison again to carry the load this weekend when they face off with the New Orleans Saints in London.
Last week starter Dalvin Cook suffered a shoulder injury in the second half of the Vikings’ win over the Detroit Lions. In relief Mattison gained 28 yards on seven carries, including an impressive run that cut the score to three points in the fourth quarter.
“Alex’s touchdown run there in the second half is just an example of his ability to just not be denied,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “I think he broke about three, four tackles on the play and finished on his feet in the end zone. He’s had some real downhill, physical runs for us.”
Both O’Connell and Cook said he is considered “day-to-day,” making his status for Sunday presently unclear. Cook did not practice on Wednesday but did return to the practice field Thursday.
“It's not really a painful thing, it's just more of being smart about how I get through this thing,” Cook had said Wednesday.
The Vikings’ Pro Bowl back has dealt with shoulder issues since Week 11 2019 when he was injured against the Denver Broncos and has missed a total of eight games since then (though not all were related to the shoulder injury). At the end of last season he played with a harness on after getting banged up versus San Francisco in Week 12.
Having Mattison in the backfield gives the Vikings the opportunity to rest Cook if need be rather than rushing him back and risking further injury. Over the last two seasons Cook has averaged 4.9 yards per touch (carry or catch). Mattison’s career mark is 4.7 YPT.
Prior to the start of the season there was a report that the Vikings were receiving phone calls about a potential trade for Mattison. During the preseason rookie Ty Chandler emerged as a possible backup, picking up 113 yards on just 15 carries. Combined with second-year back Kene Nwangwu, who averaged 4.7 yards per carry on 13 regular season runs in 2021, there was reason to believe the Vikings could send Mattison packing and still have a strong running back room.
Considering Mattison is in the final year of his contract the Vikings could have opted to get guaranteed draft capital in return for the 2023 draft rather than waiting for a compensatory pick.
Their decision to keep Mattison is already paying off, whether Cook grinds through his injury this week or not.
In a year where the Vikings’ roster is stocked with veteran players who are looking to return to the postseason, they would have been risking putting the run game — which remains vital to the offense’s success — completely on the shoulders of inexperienced backs in Nwangwu or Chandler. Instead they’ll go into Sunday’s game with a player who finished 12th by PFF in running grade in 2020 and currently sports the third highest running grade by PFF this season of all backs with at least 15 carries.
“You see the production he give us every time that I'm down, every time that I come off the field and he goes in,” Cook said. “He's that next guy up mentality. And if you want a guy that you want to look for to be the next guy up, I think that's the guy in every way, shape, and form. Mentality-wise, he's always prepared, he studies well. Pro all the way around.”
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