3 most disappointing Vikings in Week 9 loss to the Ravens

Alexander Mattison – RB

Alexander Mattison is a talented back and a player who can be counted on to carry the load if Dalvin Cook gets hurt. When Cook is healthy, Mattison only going to see a handful of carries a game and he needs to make the most of them. Against the Ravens on Sunday, Minnesota’s No. 2 running back failed to do that in a major way.

Mattison carried the ball four times for zero yards against Baltimore. He tends to run exactly where the play is called and his lack of improvisation cost Vikings some valuable yards.

Mattison always runs hard, but he will go to the hole called regardless if it is open or not. There are times where the replay appears to show a gaping hole to hit if he just makes a cut. But Mattison will instead just plow ahead, hoping to move the pile or break a tackle.

It’s fair to question his overall vision and if he is seeing the opportunities he’s leaving on the field. With as much as Minnesota wants to run the ball, they need Mattison to be productive in the limited attempts he gets. Otherwise, they’ll overwork Cook, which will just lead to him getting injured yet again, and missing a long stretch of time.

It does say something about the Vikings’ offensive performance when the backup running back is getting pegged as a player who was disappointing. Still, Mattison has to make the most of the touches he gets, and against the Ravens, he failed in that regard.