3 biggest disappointments from the Vikings preseason loss to the Titans

Player No. 3

Ty Chandler - RB

Ty Chandler wasn’t the only running back that struggled last night, but he may have missed an opportunity to secure the backup job behind Alexander Mattison.

Chandler looked decisive and fast during the preseason opener running for 41 yards on 11 carries, but he didn’t have the same juice on Saturday night, running for just 24 yards on 11 carries against the Titans.

Chandler’s stats should be taken with a grain of salt as he was going up against the NFL’s top rushing defense from last year, and the offensive line didn’t clear the way for a big game. But it’s also disappointing because the Vikings' depth at running back is starting to come into question.

Rookie DeWayne McBride didn’t fare much better with 18 yards and a touchdown on six carries, and Jaren Hall’s 10-yard scramble to pick up a first down in the fourth quarter was the longest run by the Vikings this season.

This potentially opens the door for Kene Nwangwu, who has been sidelined since the opening days of camp with an undisclosed injury, to make a late charge at the backup job. The Vikings could also look elsewhere as they hosted Kareem Hunt earlier this month and signed undrafted rookie Aaron Dykes, who had three carries for 19 yards against the Titans.

Alexander Mattison will be the starter when the Vikings open the season, but Chandler fumbled a chance to have a major role when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 10th.