Vikings ‘Under the Radar’ Nominee Is Actually Quite Popular
The Minnesota Vikings begin a new era at running back in September. For the first time since 2006, a player not named Adrian Peterson or Dalvin Cook will headline RB1 responsibilities.
It’s a brave new world for Minnesota, and Alexander Mattison appears on tap for the assignment.
Vikings ‘Under the Radar’ Nominee Is Actually Quite Popular
And somehow, even though he’s pegged as the RB1 by any Vikings depth chart on the planet, Mattison is managing to fly ‘under the radar,’ according to CBS Sports.
Mattison has been a Viking for four seasons, faithfully filling the RB2 role behind the aforementioned Cook since 2019. Minnesota released Cook last Friday, ending a six-year run with the club and presumably promoting Mattison to RB1 after the tailback signed a two-year, $7 million extension in March.
So, every Vikings fan anywhere knows Mattison — rather intimately — but CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr tabbed the 24-year-old as his Vikings-themed ‘under the radar’ performer last week. Kerr attached the label to one player on each NFC team, and for the Vikings, it’s Mattison.
Kerr explained, “With the Vikings reportedly cutting ties with Dalvin Cook, Mattison will get the opportunity to prove he’s the No. 1 running back. Mattison had 100 carries for 462 yards and a touchdown last season (averaging 4.6 yards per carry).”
In 2022, Minnesota ranked 28th in rushing DVOA, 27th in rushing yards, and 26th in yards per rush attempt. The Vikings will need peak performance from Mattison to rectify the ill-fated team rushing campaign a season ago.
“Mattison was Cook’s backup the last four years, rushing for 1,670 yards and 11 touchdowns (averaging 4.1 yards per carry). The Vikings will get to see how Mattison can do as the featured back minus Cook, who has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of the last four seasons,” Kerr concluded.
Chatting with Vikings.com last month, Mattison expressed bliss to be back in purple, “I’m happy. I love it here. I always tell people I wouldn’t rather play anywhere else. It’s just an unbelievable organization, an unbelievable locker room, a team full of amazing guys, amazing coaches and amazing staff, so I’m blessed to be back.”
He also hinted the franchise will run the ball more in 2023 after running the third least per playcalling percentage in 2022, “We all knew the run game was an area of improvement we needed, so coming into this year, there’s more emphasis. Being in Year 1 in this offense, it was something that throughout the process is learning new things, so that’s a year of foundation that we have, can look back on that at what we need to correct and do well, what we don’t do as well and improve. It’s definitely been a little more emphasis.”
If one is a newcomer to Vikings football, perhaps Mattison is ‘under the radar.’ Yet, to ardent or casual fans, Mattison is actually quite popular.
Perhaps a more suitable ‘under the radar’ candidate could be defined as Brian Asamoah (LB), Ty Chandler (RB), Jalen Nailor (WR), Ivan Pace Jr. (LB), or Khyiris Tonga (NT),
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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