After a strong performance in Week 15, Minnesota Vikings running back Ty Chandler is primed for another start, but head coach Kevin O’Connell isn’t ready to let go of Alexander Mattison just yet.
Chandler made his debut against the Cincinnati Bengals last week, gaining 132 yards on 23 rushes while Mattison was out with an ankle injury. Chandler became the first player for a Vikings offense that ranks 23rd in rushing yards this season to break 100 yards on the ground.
The effort of the 2022 fifth-round pick complemented the passing game as the Vikings surpassed 400 total yards of offense for the first time since a Week 7 victory against the San Francisco 49ers.
However, O’Connell’s devotion to Mattison could backfire once he returns from injury and the postseason approaches.
In the Vikings’ Way, O’Connell’s Loyalty to Mattison
O’Connell has established a culture of positivity, progress, and honesty in the Vikings dressing room during his two seasons in Minnesota.
He’s shown a friendly level of dedication to his players and staff, which contrasts with the Zimmer era’s carousel of offensive coordinators and youngster Daniel Carlson being dismissed after only two games.
O’Connell’s coaching philosophy has aided in eliciting the best performance from his players. He supported Ed Ingram through a difficult rookie season and has subsequently seen him blossom into a quality starting guard.
However, O’Connell’s great commitment is not without flaws.
Despite a historically poor defense that could have been revamped in time for the playoffs, he remained confident in Ed Donatell. Instead, the New York Giants outscored the Vikings by over 400 yards in the playoffs to end their season last year.
O’Connell didn’t pull Josh Dobbs after four interceptions in a 12-10 defeat to the Chicago Bears and then benched him after three scoreless quarters against the Las Vegas Raiders the next game.
The Vikings coach’s devotion to Mattison may be yet another example of O’Connell getting in his own way.
Ty Chandler Overcomes Pass-Blocking Concerns
Mattison, a well-liked member of the Vikings organization, agreed to a two-year, $7 million contract that was virtually entirely guaranteed. He literally assumed the reins when he signed the contract that indicated the exit of Dalvin Cook.
Minnesota would not provide Mattison such a salary if there were any doubts about his ability to play a significant part in the offense.
Over the first three regular-season games, Mattison had the lion’s share of the workload, and the Vikings finished 31st in rushing. According to ESPN, Mattison earned 76% of backfield touches and 77% of snaps.
Chandler was still not given a chance, and his role was reduced even further when the Vikings acquired Cam Akers from the Los Angeles Rams. Chandler didn’t play an offensive snap in four of the next six games until Akers went down with an ankle injury that ended his season.
Chandler’s lack of playing time was primarily due to his lack of pass-blocking ability for O’Connell’s offense, which is based on passing first. Chandler allowed a quarterback hit against the Denver Broncos in Week 11 that resulted in a devastating fourth-quarter interception, undermining his 73-yard, 10-carry performance.
Chandler, on the other hand, had his greatest pass-blocking performance of the season against the Bengals on Saturday, earning an 84.5 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF). His 10 pass protection snaps were the most in his career, and he kept quarterback Nick Mullens clean for all of them.
If Chandler can keep Mullens upright this week, he may be able to establish himself as the team’s starting for the remainder of the season.
“It has been a part of his growth and process,” O’Connell explained. “As good as Ty was running the ball [against the Bengals], there were some great moments in defense on some play-passes in defense where he solidified some things for us.” He was quite aware of the looks we were up against. I believe Ty is exactly where we want him to be in his development, and I believe the position he is assuming is what we had in mind when we brought him here, and we will continue to do everything we can to get him quality touches and make him a key part of our offense.”
