Player No. 2
Alexander Mattison - RB
After two strong weeks on the ground, Alexander Mattison has reverted back to his old ways. The Chiefs entered Sunday with one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, and Mattison rushed eight times for just 26 yards.
Once again, the Vikings struggled to get the run game going and picked up just 70 yards on the ground. If we remove the fake punt that Ty Chandler carried for 15 yards and a first down, the Vikings carried 17 times for 55 yards, which comes out to 3.2 yards per carry.
Mattison also dropped a would-be touchdown on a wide-open screen, which killed the Vikings' best attempt to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. Drops have been a problem for Mattison, and he is not reliable as a blocker. When he isn't churning out yards on the ground, there is no value for him on the roster.
Cam Akers looked promising at times on Sunday but still only picked up 15 yards himself. It would be nice to see a larger role for Akers and Chandler as the Vikings move forward this season to see what they have for 2024.
Alexander Mattison has not been the feature back that he was given the job to be. His tenure in Minnesota has been far from excellent, especially as the lead-back this season. If he does not make drastic improvements soon, it may be time to bench him.