Vikings Coach Turns Heads With Decision on his veteran line backers
Minnesota Vikings running back Ty Chandler is poised for another start after a breakout performance in Week 15, but head coach Kevin O’Connell isn’t ready to reel in Alexander Mattison just yet.
Chandler had a coming-out party last week against the Cincinnati Bengals, tallying 132 rushing yards on 23 carries while Mattison was out with an ankle injury. Chandler became the first player to surpass 100 yards on the ground this season for a Vikings offense that ranks 23rd in rushing yards this season.
The 2022 fifth-round pick’s performance complemented the passing game as the Vikings went over 400 total yards of offense for the first time since a Week 7 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Yet, O’Connell is still hesitant to deem Chandler his bonafide starting running back the rest of the season.
“While acknowledging ‘Ty is absolutely a guy that is going to continue to see a feature role in our offense,” O’Connell added: ‘What that looks like moving forward, as far as who gets the first touch of the game and all those things, we’ll continue to work through based upon what we are attempting to do scheme-wise,” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote on December 20.
Without any other viable options, it matters little that Chandler is called the RB1 this week against the Detroit Lions if Mattison is out.
However, O’Connell’s loyalty to Mattison could be detrimental once Mattison returns from injury with the postseason approaching.
Through his two seasons in Minnesota, O’Connell has promoted a culture of optimism, growth and transparency in the Vikings locker room.
He’s shown an amicable amount of loyalty to his players and staff that is opposite of the Zimmer era’s carousel of offensive coordinators and rookie Daniel Carlson released just two games into his career.
O’Connell’s coaching philosophy has lent itself to getting the most out of his players. He stood by Ed Ingram through a turbulent rookie year and has since seen Ingram develop into a capable starting guard.
However, O’Connell’s extreme loyalty comes with its faults.
He maintained his faith in Ed Donatell despite a historically porous defense that could have undergone a rehaul in time for the playoffs. Instead, the New York Giants put up over 400 yards of offense in the playoffs to end the Vikings’ season last year.
O’Connell didn’t pull Josh Dobbs after four interceptions in a 12-10 loss to the Chicago Bears and stood by him the next game after three scoreless quarters against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Vikings coach’s loyalty to Mattison could be another case of O’Connell getting in his own way.
Mattison, who is well-respected in the Vikings organization, signed a two-year, $7 million contract that was almost fully guaranteed. He figuratively took the starting reigns once he signed that contract that signaled Dalvin Cook‘s departure.
Minnesota would not pay Mattison a contract like that if there were any questions about him having a featured role in the offense.
Mattison was given the lion’s share of work over the first three regular season games, and the Vikings ranked 31st in rushing during that span. Mattison received 76% of backfield touches and 77% of snaps, according to ESPN.
Chandler still wasn’t given an opportunity and saw his role diminished even more when the Vikings traded the Los Angeles Rams for Cam Akers. Chandler didn’t play a single offensive snap in four of the next six games before Akers went down with a season-ending ankle injury.
