Sep 26, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Alexander Mattison (25) carries the ball during the fourth quarter against Seattle Seahawks at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports.
During the Minnesota Vikings first two games of 2021 — the losses in Cincinnati and Arizona — Dalvin Cook earned his bellcow paycheck via workload. Before the 2020 season began, Cook was extended for five years and $63 million. So, he will always get the bulk of touches inside a Vikings offense with those monetary figures assigned to his personal ledger.
Unfortunately, he tweaked his ankle in Arizona, disqualifying his participation in the next game — a long-sought-after win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. The RB2 Alexander Mattison got the nod, carving up the Seahawks for 171 yards from scrimmage on 32 touches. If only for one game, Mattison’s brilliance made Cook seem like a system running back. To be sure, this is more of a compliment to Mattison’s gridiron acumen than any sort of insult to Cook.
Mattison’s output against Seattle should be considered serendipity.
Onlookers of the Vikings knew Mattison was an apt tailback, but perhaps the Seahawks game confirmed Mattison is not worlds apart from Cook on Sundays. Mattison is quick, versatile, bouncy, and hungry. Cook is all of those things and then some.
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The talent variance between Cook and Mattison is incongruent with the men’s respective workloads in Minnesota’s offense. Cook is the advertised bellcow for two reasons: a) He earns Top 5 running back money, so he better damn well play — is the mindset b) His talents mandate he receives the majority of touches.
But the discrepancy between the Cook and Mattison touches doesn’t have to be so vast.
In the first two games of 2021, the Vikings allotted 59 touches to all running backs — Cook, Mattison, and Ameer Abdullah. Cook snagged 50 of those (85%), Mattison with six (10%), and Abdullah mopping up at three (5%). In today’s NFL — the league that fancies RB-by-committee — the Vikings must align with the times. The days of Emmitt Smith rushing the ball every down in a Super Bowl-winning offense are kaput.
In a video game or on paper, handing the ball to Cook 85% of the time is fine and dandy. He’s that damn good. But it’s counterproductive — especially when Mattison’s Robin-to-Batman existence is readily available.
The one knock — at all — on Dalvin Cook is durability. He gets hurt. He’s hurt right now. Cook missed 53% of football games during his rookie and sophomore campaigns. Giving him over 80% of carries is a curious gameplan for a man with documented injury history. To his credit, Cook is tough and generally plays through minor injuries. Yet, the ankles sprains — like he’s nursing right now — will add up if he’s the every-down back. Call it common sense — the more touches Cooks is afforded, the more hits his body receives.
And this is why general manager Rick Spielman spent 3rd-Round draft capital on Mattison in the 2019 NFL Draft. He rostered an injury-prone running back — better have an insurance plan.
Use the insurance like preventive health.
Cook, when healthy, can still touch the ball 65%-75% of the time when RBs are dialed up. His impact on games will be wildly evident. The hypothetical 65%-75% is a robust mark.
For example, the Vikings Week 4 opponent, the Cleveland Browns, employ the best RB twosome in the NFL. Through three games of 2021, Nick Chubb received 53% of touches when the Browns gave the ball to RBs. His running mate, Kareem Hunt, is at a 40% clip. Does it feel to you that Chubb is underutilized? No. The arrangement is merely preordained. Both men will get tread in the offense.
On a smaller scale, the Vikings can emulate the Chubb-Hunt dynamic. Chubb isn’t robbed inside Kevin Stefanski’s offense. Cook doesn’t have to be, either.
Minimize Cook’s missed-games count with a heavier involvement of Mattison. You know, the player who ravaged Seattle for 171 yards. Otherwise, Cook will miss more games — perhaps at crucial times of the season or playoffs — and the Mattison era in Minnesota will end with a whimper when his rookie contract is up at the end of 2022.
Spielman drafted Mattison at a spot in the 2019 NFL Draft where most NFL teams find RB1s. At the very least, the Vikings should use Mattison as a more-involved RB2.
One final nugget: Dalvin Cook’s career yards-per-touch is 5.4. Mattison’s is 5.1. The difference is slight.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).