4 takeaways from the play of Kirk Cousins vs. the Lions in Week 5
By Dean Jones
Cousins got RB help without Cook
Although the Minnesota Vikings are a far better team when Dalvin Cook is on the field, the running game didn’t miss a beat when the Florida State product was ruled out for the second time this season. This was down to the production of understudy Alexander Mattison, who once again proved why he’s a future starter somewhere with an accomplished display.
Kirk Cousins also had to do his part, obviously. But the fact he could rely on Mattison to set the tempo and open up play-action was a pivotal part of Minnesota’s eventual victory.
The Vikings have absolutely no qualms in giving Mattison a significant workload. He carried the ball 25 times for 113 yards and caught all seven of his targets for 40 receiving yards and a touchdown to further enhance his overall influence.
Make no mistake, this was a huge help.
The Detroit Lions put up a better fight than many anticipated – which wasn’t unexpected in a divisional matchup – so had Mattison failed, it might have been too much for Cousins and the passing attack to overcome.
Thankfully, he came through again. And even when Cook does return, there should still be a role for Mattison to play if his recent level of performance is any indication.