Get Ready for the Kene Nwangwu Experience, the Enhanced Version
Dustin Baker
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Lemonade freshly squeezed from lemons — that’s the outlook for Kene Nwangwu in the apparent upcoming absence of running back Dalvin Cook.
The Vikings RB1 was injured in Week 12 at San Francisco, tearing his labrum and leaving his status for the remainder of 2021 undetermined. Life handed the Vikings a lemon of Cook-less offense.
So now it’s lemonade — of the Nwangwu flavor.
A rookie from Iowa State, Nwangwu has experienced virtually no utilization in the Vikings offense. Instead, the man is a wizard on special teams, returning two kick returns for touchdowns in four games. And for a Vikings team starved of special teams touchdowns since the 2017 departure of then-WR Cordarrelle Patterson — yes, the guy now used by the Atlanta Falcons at running back — Nwangwu’s wizardry is welcomed.
No matter how the Cook injury is mitigated, he will likely miss at least three games. The best care scenario is reminiscent of the 2019 season when Cook was injured and returned to the wildcard round of the playoffs — a triumph for the Vikings over the New Orleans Saints in Louisiana.
And that means — almost by default — Nwangwu will get more track in the Vikings offense, not just special teams.
Alexander Mattison will ascend to RB1 — he’s a 3rd-Round draft talent, so he should be ready for the bright lights — while Nwangwu takes over Mattison’s “old” job at RB2. What’s more, it is unclear if the Vikings perceive Mattison as a bellcow-style tailback as they do Cook. So, Minnesota could temporarily morph into a “normal” NFL team that mix-and-matches running back touches. To date, Cook grabs most touches in the Vikings running game, whereas Mattison mops up the rest. In the past during Cook’s injuries, the Vikings do indeed rely heavily on Mattison. But that was with men like Ameer Abdullah in the reservist role — and Abdullah isn’t a gamebreaker like Nwangwu.
If the Vikings are in the mood for it, they can infuse Nwangwu’s special teams theatrics — chiefly the speed — into the offense. Mattison can man the “mundane” stuff, and the rookie Nwangwu can supply the creativity. Again, that’s all predicated on offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak actually getting Nwangwu some touches. Normally with Cook in charge, the Florida State alumnus is the focus of Minnesota’s offense. It might just be twofold now in Cook’s absence, interweaving a Mattison-Nwangwu combo platter.
Speed kills, and Nwangwu has it. Mattison is known for commendable “in-game speed,” even though he ran a tight end’s time for the 40-yard dash during the pre-draft process back in 2019.
Nwangwu has Olympic speed — there’s a big difference.
This is the Vikings golden opportunity to tap Nwangwu’s raw talent in Cook’s absence. Ordinarily, Minnesota plays quite well without Cook — for some reason — meaning the sky shouldn’t fall just because the usual RB1 is hobbled.
Mike Zimmer and his coaching staff should be more focused on fixing an injured defense. The pathway to a patchwork solution on that side of things is trickier. The 49ers ran all over the Vikings on Sunday. Games will be lost if Zimmer’s men cannot stop the run.
On offense, Nwangwu should provide some sizzle. Why? Because he’s emphatically done it already on special teams.
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).
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