Nov 25, 2018; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss is presented with his Hall of Fame ring during halftime against the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports.
Randy Moss nailed it, and there’s not much to debate.
This summer, the Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famer called upon his former team to run the football more effectively, hoping that the purple team would fully unlock the passing game if so.
Fast forward to Week 3 of the NFL’s docket, and the Vikings have precisely followed Moss’ summer recommendation — and are 2-0 for their troubles. The plan worked. Moss was right.
“It’s a different era; you have to really understand how the game has changed. To be honest with you, if Kevin O’Connell is able to scheme up some runs to be able to take some pressure off whoever Sam Darnold, he has, I think the passing game is going to be elite,” Moss told Kay Adams in July.
Last season, Minnesota employed Alexander Mattison at RB1, a player since released in favor of Aaron Jones, who defected from the Green Bay Packers in March and joined the Vikings via free agency. Mattison signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Moss added two months ago, “If you don’t have a running game, a running game that defenses will respect to open up the whole offense, that’s what I’m looking at and see what the Vikings can do.”
Through two games, Minnesota has absolutely fixed a ground game that ranked sixth-worst in the NFL in 2022 and 2023. Heading into last season, the Vikings coaching staff vowed to improve the rushing offense and promptly finished sixth-worst once again, mainly because the aforementioned Mattison never hit his stride.
This season, though, Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler are playing like Batman and Robin, slicing and dicing defenses for 5.9 yards per touch apiece. When one man hits the sidelines, the other guy produces the exact stat line. The offense is not missing a beat.
Accordingly, the purple offense ranks as follows entering Week 3:
The productive ground attack softens opposing secondaries so that reclamation quarterback Sam Darnold can thrive downfield. Jones and Chandler are keeping defenses honest, which was not the case last year, with Mattison grabbing the bulk of rushing attempts.
So, yes, when Randy Moss speaks, folks should listen. He was on point in the July interview, and now his old team is undefeated out of the gate.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.