3 reasons the Vikings should be concerned about Alexander Mattison as their RB1

Reason No. 2

Downgrade from Dalvin Cook

No one is going to argue against the fact that the Vikings are currently taking a step back at the running back position by going from a four-time Pro Bowler who ranks third on the franchise's career rushing yards list to a career backup.

To Minnesota, however, the difference in skill level between Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison wasn't significant enough to pay a high amount to keep Cook around.

With the decision, the Vikings' offensive backfield just got a lot less explosive. Mattison has performed well as a starter in the past, but he's never been a back with the home-run capabilities that Cook brought to the table.

Since his career with Minnesota began in 2019, just four of Mattison's 404 rushing attempts resulted in gains of 25 yards or more. During this same span of time, Cook had 17 of his carries turn into gains of 25 rushing yards or more.

Cook also had six runs of 50 yards or more during his six years with the Vikings, compared to Mattison, who has never turned a rushing attempt into a gain of at least 50 yards during his career.

If we're looking for a comparison to this running back switch from Vikings history, just think of it as Minnesota going from Robert Smith to Leroy Hoard. During his time with Minnesota, Hoard was a solid player, but it was clear that he didn't have the ceiling that a guy like Smith had out on the field.

The same could probably be said about Mattison and Cook. Mattison isn't going to blow by anyone or juke a defender out of his cleats, but he'll battle for positive yards every time he touches the ball. If the Vikings are going to expect more than this out of Mattison, then they're likely going to be very disappointed.