6 biggest takeaways from the Vikings loss to the Lions in Week 16

Justin Jefferson
Justin Jefferson | Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
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Minnesota Vikings takeaway No. 3

A decision seems to have been made at running back.

When Alexander Mattison was out, Ty Chandler got an opportunity to start at running back last week and was nominated for FedEx Ground Player of the Week for his efforts. He got the start again this week, even though Mattison was active.

The Vikings running backs only got 10 carries in Sunday's loss. Chandler had eight of those carries where he went for 17 yards and a touchdown while Mattison got two tries and lost one yard, giving the team 16 rushing yards from their running backs.

At least for this season, Chandler seems to have earned an increased role in Minnesota's offense. It is a bit of a shame since it would have been fantastic for Mattison to be a reliable and effective running back this season.

It's still hard to know what the Minnesota Vikings will do to improve their run game this offseason, but there aren't a lot of options for the purple and gold in their final two games of the season. Either way, it's nice to see the team score a rushing touchdown lately.

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