Vikings Still Searching For First Rushing Touchdown in 2023

Can the Vikings get on the board on Sunday against the Packers' struggling run defense?

For the first time in their 63-year history, the Minnesota Vikings don't have a single rushing touchdown in the first seven games of a season. 

They're also the only team in the NFL without a rushing TD at this point.

In every previous season, the Vikings had at least two rushing scores within their first seven contests. In eight of those years — including 2019, 2021, and 2022 — they were in double digits already. Heck, the 1965 Vikings had 15 rushing scores in their first seven games. 15 is also the team total for the 2023 Dolphins, who lead the league in that statistic.

To be fair, Kirk Cousins' 16 touchdown passes through seven weeks led all quarterbacks, so it's not as if the Vikings haven't been scoring at all. But they've only scored touchdowns on 47.4 percent of their red zone trips, the 23rd-best rate in the league. The lack of a successful run game in that area of the field — particularly near the goal line — is hurting the Vikings' ability to cash in on their scoring opportunities.

Minnesota has run 22 plays inside its opponents' five yard-line this season. 14 have been passes; Cousins is 6 of 14 with six touchdowns and a pick-six. The other eight have been runs that have gained a grand total of...negative three yards. Alexander Mattison has six carries inside the five for -3 yards; four of the six have lost yardage. Cousins has also logged two rushing attempts (one was an aborted snap) for no yards.

The Vikings' goal line offense has been abysmal, but here's the thing: There's really no reason to think they can't turn it around. Kevin O'Connell is a smart play-caller. Kirk Cousins is a smart quarterback. The offensive line has been playing great football. Mattison is a powerful back who usually falls forward. It's just been a weird seven-game thing.

If there's anything the Vikings could change, it would be to give Cam Akers a goal line carry or two. He's basically the same size as Mattison and might have slightly better vision and first-step quickness.

Rushing touchdowns can also come from farther out, although Mattison's 19-yard run on the first play from scrimmage against the 49ers was the Vikings' longest rush of the season.

If there were ever a week to get on the board in this specific stat, it's probably this one. The Vikings will be in Green Bay on Sunday to play a Packers team that ranks 30th in rushing yards allowed per game and 26th in run defense DVOA (although their 6 rushing TDs allowed is basically a middle-of-the-pack number). Maybe this is the week they get it done.

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