PlayerProfiler's Matt Kelley recently predicted that Ty Chandler will perform better for the Minnesota Vikings in 2023 than Alexander Mattison.
With Dalvin Cook no longer on the roster, the assumption by many has been that Alexander Mattison won't have much of a problem assuming the role as the No. 1 running back for the Minnesota Vikings next season.
However, not everyone is confident that Mattison can get the job done. Most recently, PlayerProfiler's Matt Kelley predicted that Vikings running back Ty Chandler will have a more productive performance in 2023 than Mattison. As he explained his prediction, Kelley unintentionally, or perhaps intentionally, roasted Mattison in the process.
"Alexander Mattison is a cardboard cutout, average at everything running back that's just good enough to put in for a couple games and not embarrass the coaches. That is what he is."
Can Alexander Mattison be the top running back for the Minnesota Vikings in 2023?
The 2023 season will be Mattison's fifth in the NFL. Of course, all of his time in the league has been spent with Minnesota. Mattison has performed well in a limited number of starts in the past for the Vikings, but can he do it on a full-time basis?
Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell has talked this year about Mattison having the capabilities of a three-down running back. But is that how O'Connell wants to use him in the Vikings' offense next season?
Most likely, Minnesota will begin the 2023 campaign with Mattison getting the majority of the touches in the backfield, with Ty Chandler, DeWayne McBride, or Kene Nwangwu getting most of their opportunities on third downs.
If Mattison ends up struggling as the Vikings' RB1 and the team's third-down back is providing a spark, the touches could begin to spread out more evenly in Minnesota's offensive backfield as the season carries on.
Someone like Kelley would be proven right if a scenario like this plays out. But it seems like Mattison will be given plenty of chances to prove people wrong in 2023, and prove people right as well, including Establish The Run's Evan Silva, who recently revealed that he placed a bet on the Vikings running back to lead the NFL in rushing next season.